The championship of Turkmenistan in rapid chess has ended. It lasted three days, during which there was everything: optimistic expectations and unfulfilled hopes, the anticipation of a close victory and the bitterness of defeat, confidence in predestination and the treachery of chance.

But at the same time, the third, final day of the rapid championship in full gave out everything kept until the last moment - a cascade of beautiful and uncompromising games was the crown at the top of the chess tournament. For there was no need to further save forces and tactical preparations ...

The situation is easiest in the women's category...

There, from the first day, a harmonious hierarchy of chess forces was established, and no one was able to break it until the final game. A self-confident native of Lebap, Lala Shokhradova, who immediately seized the initiative, kept the lead until she was declared the champion.

The second step on the podium in women's rapid was won, as sports observers predicted on the sidelines, by Jemal Ovezdurdyeva from Ashgabat, the current champion of Turkmenistan, but in classical chess.

Merjen Yalkanova, a representative of the Mary region, had a bronze-shine success.

In the group of men, the situation was initially vague and puzzling ...

Those who were predicted to win, unexpectedly for everyone and themselves, lost, and ambitious newcomers, despite the authorities, pressed the chess masters.

Everything seemed to come to their senses when the chess gurus realized that the championship would not be an easy walk to the top steps of the podium, but the points lost at the initial stage of the tournament played a fatal fate in the distribution of places in the ranking table. Although the sports intrigue in the men's category was predicted from the very beginning, as previously wrote ORIENT.

The fight to the last was between Yusup Bayramgeldiyev and Shakhrukh Turayev. The first of them is an experienced athlete, behind whom there are many tournaments and victories, including in the national team of Turkmenistan. From the very beginning to the end of the championship, despite the tough competition and some of his mistakes, he was able to keep the lead.

Shakhrukh Turaev could claim the championship with good reason, losing only half a point. Fate played a fatal trick on him in the first round, when the most experienced tournament athlete lost to young chess player Rauf Yusupov.

Although he turned out to be a tough nut to crack, able to surprise those who underestimate him. Analysis of their interesting game ORIENT gave in the material about the first day of the competition.

Amanmukhammed Hommadov, a young but promising athlete on the path of a chess career, pleased the chess fans with the third place. Despite his 16 years, he shows both maturity and skill in the game. Amanmuhammed was able to break away from the closest pursuers by two points. And the bronze result at the national championship is a great success for a young athlete.

This top three in the men's group was out of competition and deservedly took places on the podium.

And another important point that the championship revealed is that its winners are natives of different regions, including Ashgabat, which indicates the same level of skill among athletes and the prevalence of chess as a sport in the country.

And at the end of the material, without breaking the tradition, ORIENT will give the floor to Secretary General of the Chess Federation of Turkmenistan, FIDE Master Mergen Kakabaev to review the interesting, in our opinion, game Bayramgeldiyev-Myradov.

Hopes were pinned on Soltan Myradov that it was he who would be able to stop Yusup Bayramgeldiyev, the most “terrible” chess player to date. And if Bairamgeldiyev, playing with white pieces, was satisfied even with a draw, then Soltan Myradov with black pieces needed only a victory.

... However, Soltan could not overcome the psychological burden of responsibility that hung over him like the sword of Damocles.

Tomorrow, chess lovers will have another interesting spectacle - the Turkmenistan Blitz Championship.

Chairman of the Chess Federation Vepa Myalikgulyev is confident that the upcoming tournament will open up new names that will contribute to the development of Turkmen chess in the near future.

And in a slightly more distant future, it is quite possible that those who today are slightly taller than those chess pieces that you see in the picture will play their role.

Bekdurdy AMANSARIEV