International Kids Expo Chess Cup 2026 Starts in Ashgabat
Today, August 19, the international chess tournament for children — Kids Expo Chess Cup 2026 — got underway at the Exhibition Centre of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Turkmenistan.
The competition has brought together 96 young chess players aged under 8, 10 and 12 from eight countries: Azerbaijan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Türkiye and Uzbekistan.
The tournament is being held under FIDE rules in rapid and blitz formats. The host country, Turkmenistan, is represented by 81 participants, while foreign chess federations have sent 15 top players. The competition is expected to be highly competitive, with players from abroad holding the top seeds in four of the six categories.
The main star of the tournament is 12-year-old Iranian player Sadra Roshanthab, who has an impressive rating of 2248. Chess players from Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan are also leading their respective categories.
The Turkmenistan team is traditionally strong in the girls’ categories. Aya Bayramova (U12, rating 1826) has the highest rating among all the girls competing, while Bahar Jumayeva tops the list in the under-8 category.
The tournament has become a key part of the Kids Expo children’s exhibition. Organizers have prepared an interactive programme for young participants and visitors, including simultaneous exhibitions with grandmasters, quizzes, master classes and giant floor chess. The tournament results and the official awards ceremony for the winners will take place on August 20.
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