The first official international chess tournament Kids Expo-Chess Cup 2026, will be held in Ashgabat on August 19-20. The tournament will take place at the Exhibition Complex of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Turkmenistan as part of the international exhibition and fair “KIDS EXPO: Everything for Children”, according to the event’s organizer TurkmenExpo.
Young chess players in the U8, U10 and U12 categories from more than 15 countries are expected to compete in rapid and blitz formats. Young athletes will represent teams from Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Iran and other countries. The competitions will be held under the rules of the International Chess Federation (FIDE).
Representatives of international and national chess federations, grandmasters and champions from Türkiye, Jordan, Cambodia, Nepal, Pakistan, Japan, Sri Lanka, Syria and Libya will also attend the tournament in Ashgabat. The program will include activities designed to facilitate experience-sharing between young chess players, professional players and representatives of the international chess community.
The exhibition program will also feature a free-play zone, master classes, educational activities, presentations and a chess quiz. Meetings dedicated to the development of children's chess will also be held for teachers, coaches and organizers of chess programs.
The tournament is organized by the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Turkmenistan, the International School Chess Federation, the Turkic Chess Association, the Freedom Asian Chess Initiatives (FACI) program of the Kazakhstan Chess Federation, the Chess Federation of Turkmenistan and TurkmenExpo.
