Ashgabat, December 22 | ORIENT. Yesterday, the final chord of the most ambitious chess project of the year – the Turkmenistan Grand Prix series – concluded in the capital. Nine days of uncompromising Olympic-style duels (playoffs) determined those who will represent the country's intellectual elite in the Premier League in 2026.

While classical chess is sometimes compared to a long siege, the playoff format in Ashgabat transformed the tournament into a fast-paced duel where any mistake could be fatal. This "chess thriller" featured both flawless dominance and miraculous saves in tiebreaks.

Women's Tournament: Flawlessness vs. Character

The women's final draw presented viewers with two completely different scenarios for success.

The Leyla Shokhradova Phenomenon: The oil and gas university student swept the distance like an icebreaker. Leyla didn't even allow her opponents to hope for extra sets, winning matches in regulation time. The only draw in the semifinals only underscored her strategic composure—her Grand Prix title was rightfully earned.

Gulmira Seyilkhanova's willpower-driven performance: The 12th-grade student from Turkmenabat became the main heroine for comeback fans. In almost every match, Gulmira lost the first set, finding herself on the brink of disaster, but each time she found the strength to fight back and snatch victory in rapid or blitz. A Grand Prix bronze medal with such a nerve-wracking storyline is worth a lot of gold.

Men's Tournament: A Coach's Experience and the Favourite's Pressure

In the open category, the suspense remained until the very last move, and the final podium brought together different generations and statuses.

The Golden Standard: Amanmukhammet Khommadov confirmed his status as one of the country's leading talents. His victory in the final seems a logical conclusion to the season: experts are already calling the physical education student the favorite for the upcoming 2026 Major League.

A Role Model: Shakhrukh Turaev's silver medal was an important lesson for young players. The fact that the head coach of the women's team himself sits at the board and competes equally with the best shows that a true professional never stops growing.

A Sensation from Danev: Young Shageldi Kurbandurdyev pulled off the tournament's biggest surprise, knocking out the season's absolute favorite, Mergen Kakabaev, in the quarterfinals. This bronze medal is a sign of a great future.

A Strategy for Growth

The main result of the year was the Grand Prix format itself. The Chess Federation created a "social lift" for players from the velayats. Now, a strong chess player doesn't have to live in the capital to catch the eye of national coaches and advance to the Premier League.

Turkmen chess is taking a short New Year's break, in order to return to the chessboard already in early 2026 as one of the most dynamically developing sports in the country.