The chess federations of Turkmenistan and Armenia held the first remote session, which was attended by famous chess representatives of the two stated, including heads of federations, masters of sports, international FIDE judges and coaches, grandmasters and long-time friends who once competed with each other at different matches.

The Turkmen side was headed by Myratdurdy Hashayev, Chairman of the National Chess Federation, while the Armenian side was headed by the First Vice-President of the Chess Federation of Armenia, Director of the Chess Academy Smbat Lputyan.

During the meeting that, despite its remote format, was held in a very warm and friendly atmosphere, the issues related to the educational processes, the training of chess teachers and trainers, cooperation between the federations of the two countries, as well as methods of online chess teaching were discussed.

It is worth to note, in Armenia, since 2011, chess has been included in the curriculum of the 2-4th grades of general education schools as a compulsory subject. And the world’s first Center of Chess Educational Research was established on the basis of the Armenian State Pedagogical University named after Khachatur Abovian (ASPU).

According to the research of this center, this wise game serves as a locomotive for various psychological processes, contributes to the development of combinatorial and strategic thinking in children, and sense of responsibility. Srbuhi Gevorgyan, Doctor of Psychological Sciences, Professor, Vice-Rector for Academic Affairs, ASPU, expressed the readiness to share with their Turkmen colleagues the materials, research results, information on the introduction of chess in the general educational process.

During the video session, the parties agreed to launch a new format of cooperation – online exchange of experience in the field of teaching chess, holding open tournaments of the two countries, etc. In addition, Armenian chess grandmaster Samvel Ter-Sahakyan shared some of his secrets.

In turn, Turkmen chess players told about the new Chess Academy in Ashgabat, which is a gift from the head of state. The Academy has two tournament halls for 100 and 200 persons, 10 computer and 25 training classes, chess attributes store, library, rooms for analyzing games, museum, and the office of the Chess Federation of Turkmenistan.

At the end of the video bridge, organized with the assistance of the Embassy of Turkmenistan in Yerevan, its participants expressed their common desire to develop cooperation between the chess communities of the two countries, using, among other ways, the possibilities of Internet communication.