The International Chess Tournament "Golden Apricot of Malatya" was held in the Turkish city of Malatya from August 25 to 30, bringing together 486 participants from eight countries, including Turkmenistan. The tournament became an important platform for demonstrating the skills of players of different ages and ratings.

In the "B" category, 122 chess players competed for victory. The competition was held according to international standards: 9 rounds according to the Swiss system, time control - 90 minutes per game plus 30 seconds for each move, starting from the first. The best in this category was 12-year-old Turkmen chess player Osman Khamrakulyev, who scored 7.5 points out of 9. He demonstrated stable and confident play throughout the tournament.

Osman studies under the guidance of international grandmaster Maksat Atabayev and has been actively participating in competitions since the age of four. He is currently a 7th-grader at the A.S. Pushkin Turkmen-Russian School, successfully combining his studies and sports training at the Ashgabat Specialized Chess and Checkers School.

The performance in Malatya is not Osman’s only recent achievement. From August 18 to 24, he took second place in the International Tournament in Cappadocia in the under-12 age category among boys. Earlier, he also took third place in the international tournament in Ashgabat (June 15-19). His successes inspire a new generation of chess players and clearly demonstrate how systematic work, hard work and love for the game lead to outstanding results.

ORIENT