Samarkand has become a true chess capital of the world in these September days. At the 46th World Chess Olympiad, taking place from 15 to 27 September, 206 open-section teams and 190 women’s teams are competing for team honours. Among them are the national teams of Turkmenistan, which have made a confident start to their Olympic campaign.
The first round brought our chess players the maximum possible result. The men’s team defeated Timor-Leste 4–0, while the women’s team achieved the same convincing score against Liechtenstein. These confident victories provided an excellent start to the further competition at the world’s premier team chess event.
For the men’s team, victories were secured by Saparmurat Atabayev, Amanmuhammet Khommadov, Shakhrukh Turaev and Vepaly Khalyniazov. The women’s successful start was delivered by Leyla Shokhratova, Jahan Rejepova, Myahri Agamuradova and Ogulsuray Bayrambayeva. The leaders of the two teams — Meylis Annaberdiyev and Lala Shokhratova — remained in reserve in the opening round.
Behind these four victories lies a serious programme of preparation. Training camps in Kazakhstan, summer training sessions and a two-week pre-Olympiad training camp under the guidance of International Grandmaster Alexander Rakhmanov enabled the athletes to approach the competition in good form.
The continuation of the tournament is also attracting considerable interest. In the second round, our teams will face strong opponents: the men will play Serbia, while the women will meet Poland. It is precisely in such demanding matches that chess players’ skill, composure and team spirit are truly put to the test.
Two years ago, at the Budapest Olympiad, the national teams of Turkmenistan achieved notable results in their respective rating categories. The current Olympiad provides an opportunity to build on that success and gain further valuable international experience.
In chess, a great victory begins with the first move. For Turkmenistan’s chess players, that first move in Samarkand has already been made with confidence. Ten more rounds lie ahead, in which character and the will to win will come to the fore.
