The national team of Turkmenistan is taking part in the first Chess Olympiad of Turkic countries, which is being held on May 13–18 in Astana. The team includes 14 of the country’s leading chess players, according to the IIC.
Teams from Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkey, and Azerbaijan are participating in the tournament; Kazakhstan has also fielded a second team. In total, seven teams are competing in the open, women’s, and youth (under 16) categories.
After two rounds, the women’s team of Turkmenistan is leading in its group.
The leadership of the country’s Chess Federation notes the active development of the youth and junior direction: the number of Turkmen players with a FIDE rating has increased from fewer than 100 in 2022 to around 500 today. Plans include creating stronger internal competition within the national team and expanding the roster.
As part of the Olympiad, representatives of Turkmenistan are also participating in discussions on the strategic development of the Turkic Chess Association, established in 2025 to expand international cooperation and tournament practice among participating countries.