Legendary chess player Nigel Short, known for his 1993 World Championship match against Garry Kasparov, spent a week in Ashgabat, participating in several significant events from October 9 to 12. The highlight of his visit was the blitz tournament for the Turkmenistan Chess Federation Cup, held on October 10. Short, with a FIDE blitz rating of 2571, won the tournament, scoring 7.5 points out of 9 possible.

According to the press service of the TCF, the tournament also featured international grandmaster from Ashgabat Maksat Atabayev and candidate master Amanmuhammet Khommadov, who also scored 7.5 points but took second and third places respectively based on additional criteria. Atabayev drew with Short, while Khommadov even defeated the renowned grandmaster but lost points in other games.

The closing ceremony of the tournament was attended by the British Ambassador to Turkmenistan, Stephen Conlon, who personally awarded the gold medal to his compatriot. More than 300 chess players participated in the Turkmenistan Chess Federation Cup, and 45 winners in various categories received cups, medals, certificates, and cash prizes.

Foreign guests, including Nigel Short and the British Ambassador, were dressed in national Turkmen costumes and visited the chess museum at the Ashgabat Specialized Chess and Checkers School. A large chessboard with pieces, on which the guests played a game with the 'English Opening,' attracted special interest.

As part of his visit, Short also held a simultaneous exhibition with 10 young chess players, which lasted more than two hours and ended with his victory in all games. The young athletes gained valuable experience and a lot of positive emotions.

Additionally, at the request of the country's coaches and leading chess players, Short held a separate meeting to discuss the development of chess skills and coaching activities. He noted the high level of chess infrastructure in Ashgabat and the talent of young Turkmen chess players, expressing confidence in Turkmenistan's readiness to host international tournaments of the highest level.