The 26-year-old international grandmaster from Ashgabat, Saparmyrat Atabayev, won the prestigious international tournament UzChess Cup Futures held in Tashkent.
The second edition of the UzChess Cup featured 26 international grandmasters, 4 international masters, and many other chess players, taking place at the Panarams Hotel in four categories. The total prize fund was $121,500, with $80,000 allocated to the "Masters" group, $25,000 to "Challengers," $11,500 to "Futures," and $5,000 to the "Open" group.
The Futures tournament gathered 10 players (8 international grandmasters and 2 international masters) from 7 countries, competing for the title in a 9-round round-robin format with a time control of 90 minutes per game plus 30 seconds increment per move, and a no-draw agreement before move 30.
The games were fiercely contested, with all players showing exceptional fighting spirit—none finished the tournament undefeated.
Saparmyrat started strongly, defeating in the first two rounds the highest-rated player (2588) among all participants, 26-year-old Spanish grandmaster of Argentine origin Alan Pichot, and with the black pieces the Danish grandmaster Boris Chatalbashev (rating 2489). These bold and strategically important victories set the tone for his entire performance.
Even small setbacks, such as the third-round loss to Uzbek grandmaster Ortik Nigmatov (rating 2474), did not derail the Turkmen player. Saparmyrat quickly regained control, showing an unyielding will to win. In key games, he demonstrated his brilliance again, overcoming opponents and firmly securing the top spot in the standings. Notably, his wins in the last two rounds against grandmasters Robert Ruck (rating 2515) from Hungary and Abdimalik Abdisalimov (rating 2490) from Uzbekistan ensured a golden finish for our compatriot.
After nine rounds, Saparmyrat Atabayev scored 6 points, half a point ahead of second-place Ortik Nigmatov (Uzbekistan) and one point ahead of third-place Israeli grandmaster Evgeny Alekseev (rating 2520). For winning the tournament, the Turkmen chess player received a cash prize of $4,000.
According to the tournament organizers, "The Futures group is very competitive, but Saparmyrat showed a truly mature level of play," cementing his status as an international-level chess player capable of competing on equal terms with the world's leading grandmasters.
Victory in such a strong tournament and the impressive rating increase are further arguments supporting the justified awarding of the international grandmaster title to Saparmyrat Atabayev in April this year. His success at the UzChess Cup Futures will be a powerful impetus for the Turkmen chess school, motivating young talents to work hard and reach new heights.
Last year, Saparmyrat was part of the Turkmenistan men's team that won gold in category "B" at the 45th World Chess Olympiad in Budapest (Hungary), and in February this year he won the 2nd international "AL-BERUNIY" tournament (Futures) in Tashkent.
Ahead of Saparmyrat Atabayev are participation in prestigious tournaments, including the World Cup in November this year in New Delhi (India).
