Chess Spring in January: How the School Championship in Ashgabat Changed the Balance of Power
Ashgabat, January 11 | ORIENT. The Turkmenistan School Chess Championship (under 7, 9, 11, 13, 15, and 17), which concluded in Ashgabat, not only set a record for participation (492 participants) but also marked important tectonic shifts in the national sport. The 108 medals awarded revealed new heroes and confirmed that chess in the country is rapidly becoming younger.
A Hat-Trick for the Favorite and the Atayev Phenomenon
One of the main sensations (although quite expected by experts) was the result of young Khangeldy Muradov (under 7) from Lebap. The young chess player scored a hat-trick, taking three gold medals out of a possible three. Khangeldy stands out among his peers for his phenomenally balanced play for his age – at the tournament, he had virtually no competitors capable of resisting his well-thought-out strategy.
However, the performance of Ashirmukhammet Atayev presented a real challenge to the established hierarchy. Although he was rated in the U15 category, he, with the consent of his coach, took a risk and competed in the "senior" group (U17). The risk paid off brilliantly: Ashirmukhammet not only competed with his older peers but also snatched the title of champion in classical chess. This is a clear signal: representatives of the younger generation are beginning to seriously challenge the established leaders on the podium.
Regional Surge: Lebap Leads, but Mary and Dashoguz Advance
Despite the Lebap region's confident team victory (51 medals, including 20 gold), experts note that the Lebap team's total dominance was no longer so undeniable this year. The level of play across the regions has improved dramatically.
The Mary school made a breakthrough, surpassing the Ashgabat chess players in gold and silver medals and securing second place in the overall standings.
The Dashoguz team, even without their main leader, managed to win five medals (including one gold), demonstrating an enviable will to win.
In the U9 categories, the Ashgabat school continues to dominate, but in the U11 group, the leadership was unexpectedly seized by students from the private Küşt Älemi Academy.
Competition on the Edge: When the Last Move Decides
The competition in the younger categories (especially under 11) attracted particular attention. Here, the competition was truly fierce: the winner was determined at the very last moment in a group of equally strong opponents from different regions.
"This is a sign of the emergence of a new generation of intellectuals. When 5-6 equally strong masters from different cities meet at the board, it guarantees that, over time, great world-class masters will emerge from this environment," the organizers note.
Chess in Turkmenistan is experiencing a qualitative upswing. We are seeing not only an increase in the number of players but also a sharp rise in skill levels in the velayats. New tiebreak rules, where the "head-to-head" approach is more important than the dry mathematics of coefficients, added a sense of sporting integrity and excitement to the tournament. The 2026 winter break demonstrated that the future of national chess lies in the hands and minds of this "daring" young generation.
Team League and Mentor Recognition
The recent championship was not only the first tournament of 2026, but also a confident step forward. A key innovation of the event was the introduction of the "Best Coach of the Year" category. Following the 2025 results, the honorary title was awarded to Honored Coach of Turkmenistan Serdar Annaberdyev and Guljahan Ovlyakuliyeva, a representative of the renowned Lebap school.
The results of the competition among seven teams (five velayats, the capital, and the Küşt Älemi Academy) marked a historic shift. Based on the number of gold medals, the top three are as follows: Lebap, Mary, and the private Küşt Älemi Academy. For the first time in history, chess players from the capital were outside the top three, further confirming that the regions have ceased to be mere participants and have become powerful intellectual centers.
The organizers have no intention of slowing down. Ashgabat will host the next major tournament at the end of January, which promises to attract even more participants. The main intrigue of 2026 will be the launch of a team Chess League. For the first time in the history of Turkmen chess, the tournament will be held not on a geographical basis, but on a club basis—similar to well-known football leagues. Any organization or company will be able to field a team, attracting the strongest players, which will take competition in the country to a whole new level.
