The second day of the 2026 Tajikistan Grand Prix was held on Tuesday, October 6, at the Kohi Navruz Complex in Dushanbe. Competition continued across several different brackets as players battled for places in the later stages.
One of the most important events on day two was the continuation of the Backgammon Doubles competition, which features 74 teams and a prize pool of $80,000. According to official SportNardy information, the Doubles event uses an Olympic system, with matches played up to 9 points.
Strong Performance by Iranian Players in Doubles
Several Iranian teams and teams featuring Iranian players competed in the Doubles bracket, with a number of them advancing to the later stages.
One of the most important results for Iran was the victory of Amirali Tavakkoli and Milad Hashemi in both the Round of 32 and Round of 16.
The team faced Ali Davitov and Arsen Kaitukov in the Round of 32 and won 9–3.
In the Round of 16, Tavakkoli and Hashemi defeated Iurii Akopov and Konstantin Puchkov 9–6.
As a result, Amirali Tavakkoli and Milad Hashemi reached the final eight, the quarterfinal stage.
Jalil Khalili and Ethan Wen Also Reach the Quarterfinals
Another team that delivered a notable performance was Jalil Khalili and Ethan Wen.
The pair defeated Iraj Yousef Khalily Moghadam and Negin Khalil Moghadam 9–6 in the Round of 32.
In the Round of 16, they defeated Orkun Sahin and Taner Kandarala 9–6.
As a result, Khalili and Wen, like Tavakkoli and Hashemi, advanced to the quarterfinal stage.
Amin Shahvalizadeh and Hamid Esmaeili in the Final 16
Amin Shahvalizadeh and Hamid Esmaeili were another team to reach the later stages of the Doubles competition.
The team faced Akiko Yazawa and Sultan Haddadin in the Round of 32 and won 9–7.
With this victory, Shahvalizadeh and Esmaeili advanced to the Round of 16. At the time reflected in the SportNardy bracket, the result of their next match had not yet been recorded.
Therefore, in the day-two report, it is more accurate to describe the team as being in the final 16 rather than announcing their advancement to the quarterfinals before an official result is recorded.
Other Results for Iranian Teams
Several other teams featuring Iranian players also competed in the Round of 32.
Shahab Navari and Amirreza Atri lost 1–9 to Pedram Kooshandehfar and Manouchehr Parchami-Araghi and were eliminated from this path of the competition.
Pouya Rajabi and Shahram Aala also lost 8–9 to Tsaruk Manukian and Armen Ovsepian in the Round of 32.
Meanwhile, Sirous Eidivandi and Mehrdad Goodarzi lost 2–9 to Sergey Drmoyan and Razmik Grigoryan.
In another match, Akbar Akbari and Michael Svobodny were defeated 2–9 by Jakob Garal and Iulian Darienco.
Key Round of 16 Results
With the Round of 16 matches completed, the field for the quarterfinals became clearer.
In one of the matches, Amirali Tavakkoli and Milad Hashemi defeated Iurii Akopov and Konstantin Puchkov 9–6.
Jalil Khalili and Ethan Wen also defeated Orkun Sahin and Taner Kandarala 9–6.
Other teams advancing to the quarterfinals included Mohammadreza Nejat and Andy Roohollah Amiri, Guram Nagelishvili and Ramil Tagiev, Amirreza Amiripourghasemabadi and Behrad Ahmadi, among others.
Doubles Bracket Status at the End of Day Two
According to the bracket recorded on SportNardy, several teams continued their campaigns into the quarterfinal stage.
In this round, Jalil Khalili and Ethan Wen are scheduled to face Mohammadreza Nejat and Andy Roohollah Amiri.
On the other side of the bracket, Guram Nagelishvili and Ramil Tagiev are set to face Amirali Tavakkoli and Milad Hashemi.
Amirreza Amiripourghasemabadi and Behrad Ahmadi are also scheduled to face Rafael Karimullin and Aleksei Tokarev.
These results show that two teams featuring Iranian players reached the final eight of the Doubles bracket and remain in contention for the later stages.
The $80,000 Doubles Prize Pool
The Backgammon Doubles competition is one of the major events of the 2026 Asian Grand Prix.
According to official SportNardy information, the event features 74 teams, uses an Olympic system, and matches are played up to 9 points. The prize pool for the event is $80,000.
The event is being held from October 5 to 11 at the Kohi Navruz Complex in Dushanbe, with teams competing for a place in the later stages and a share of the $80,000 prize pool.
2026 Tajikistan Grand Prix Features 330 Participants
Asian Grand Prix 2026 is one of the major backgammon events of the year.
Official tournament information shows that the event is being held from October 5 to 11, 2026, at the Kohi Navruz Complex in Dushanbe, with 330 participants registered.
The total guaranteed prize pool is $500,000.
The overall tournament schedule includes events such as Backgammon Main, Backgammon Masters Cup, Doubles, Super Blitz, Blitz, 1-point, Women's, Sprintgammon, and several Longgammon events.
Day Two: Competition Enters a More Critical Stage
The second day of the Tajikistan Grand Prix showed that competition across the different brackets has entered a more serious stage. In the Doubles event, teams moved through the early rounds and into the quarterfinal stage, with the race for the final four continuing.
For the Iranian representatives, day two was particularly important. Amirali Tavakkoli and Milad Hashemi, as well as Jalil Khalili and Ethan Wen, reached the final eight, while Amin Shahvalizadeh and Hamid Esmaeili remained in the final 16.
As the tournament continues, attention among Iranian fans will increasingly focus on the performances of these teams and their chances of reaching the later stages of the Doubles competition.
Conclusion
The second day of the 2026 Tajikistan Grand Prix ended with intense competition across multiple brackets and a significant portion of the Doubles field advancing to the later stages.
In the Doubles event, Amirali Tavakkoli and Milad Hashemi reached the quarterfinals with two consecutive victories, while Jalil Khalili and Ethan Wen also advanced to the same stage after two 9–6 victories.
Amin Shahvalizadeh and Hamid Esmaeili also remained among the final 16 after their 9–7 victory in the Round of 32 and are awaiting the official result of their next match.
The Tajikistan Grand Prix continues in Dushanbe through October 11, with the competition for titles and a share of the tournament's $500,000 prize pool becoming increasingly intense as the event approaches its final stages.