Turkmenistan National Team Lineup Determined for the First Chess Olympiad of Turkic States

The qualifying tournament has concluded in Ashgabat, identifying the five strongest chess players who will represent the country at the international level. From March 17 to 22, 49 young talents from all regions of Turkmenistan competed for the right to participate in the historic Olympiad among Turkic states (U16).

A notable feature of the competition was the successful performance of representatives from younger age groups (under 12 and 14), confirming the effectiveness of programs for developing children's chess in the country.

Based on the results of nine rounds, the national team includes Ali Ahmedov, Ahmet Artykov, Gurbanmyrat Rustemov, as well as Zalina Iminova, who showed the best result among the girls. The biggest surprise was the performance of Dilber Hupbyyeva — she competed on equal terms with the boys and secured a respectable fourth place.

The first Chess Olympiad among Turkic states will be held from May 13 to 18 in the city of Turkistan, Kazakhstan. Turkmen chess players will face the strongest competitors from Turkey, Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan.