FIRST TIME IN SHUSHA

Shusha, the cultural capital of Azerbaijan, which was under Armenian occupation for some 30 years and was liberated during the 2020 war in Garabagh, hosted its first international chess tournament, Shusha Chess 2022, on September 21-24, 2022. Thus, the competition organised by the Ministry of Youth and Sports, the Azerbaijan Chess Federation (ACF) and the Shusha State Reserve has put this ancient Azerbaijani city on the world chess map.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, National Olympic Committee (NOC) Secretary General Azer Aliyev said it was the second international sports tournament in Shusha after the cycling event in July. The NOC official expressed his hope that the event will be included in the FIDE calendar and become a traditional event.

The head of ACF, Mahir Mammadov, expressed his satisfaction with the participation of internationally renowned chess players in the competition. He recalled that 2022 was declared the Year of Shusha: "We want this tournament to become a tradition. We don't have the moral right not to make it traditional”. Mammadov added that the world chess calendar is very tight, so it was difficult to organise a classical chess tournament. Therefore, it was decided to hold it in rapid chess (Rapid and Blitz), a modern trend in the world of chess.

Since the Shuhsa Chess 2022 was dedicated to the 190th anniversary of Khurshidbanu Natavan, the ceremony featured a short theatrical play: a game of chess between Khurshidbanu Natavan, the last heiress of the Garabagh Khanate, a famous poetess and philanthropist, and the French writer Alexandre Dumas during his visit to Shusha in the late 19th century.

Famous athletes

The International Chess Tournament was held in two categories, men and women. Ten chess players competed in the Rapid and Blitz in each category.

The men's competition featured members of the Azerbaijani national team - three-time European champions Shahriyar Mammadyarov, Teymur Rajabov, Gadir Huseynov, Rauf Mammadov and European U18 chess champion Vasif Durarbeyli. Foreign players included Asian champion Wang Hao (China), U20 world champion Vidit Santosh Gujarati (India), Youth World Championship winner Parham Maghsudlu (Iran), FIDE world champion Rustam Kasymjanov (Uzbekistan) and Turkey's best chess player of 2021 Mustafa Yilmaz.

In the women's competition the Azerbaijani national team was represented by European championship medallists Gunay Mammadzade, Ulviyya Fataliyeva, Gulnar Mammadova, Khanim Balajayeva and Govhar Beydullayeva. Foreign participants included World Chess Olympiad winner, European champion Nana Dzagnidze (Georgia), world and European junior champion and top-ranked Israeli chess player Marcel Efroimski, world champion among 18-year-olds Jolanta Zavadska (Poland), three-time world champion Mary Arabidze (Georgia), Turkish champion Kubra Ozturk Guvenli.

The winner was determined on the basis of the sum of points gained in the Rapid and Blitz tournaments. In the men's competition the best player was Shahriyar Mammadyarov of Azerbaijan with 26 points, and in the women's competition—Meri Arabidze with 24 points. According to the rules of the competition, the total prize fund reached ₼150,000.

Particular relevance

ACF President and FIDE Vice-President Mahir Mammadov told usthat the first chess tournament in Shusha was of particular importance: "The competition in Shusha is quite important for Azerbaijanis. That's why most of the Azerbaijani national team took part in the tournament. I also thank the foreign chess players, referees, commentators, media representatives who worked live throughout the tournament. We have seen some tough games; the tournament in Shusha has attracted a lot of attention. It was organised at high level. All the chess players were happy. I think this has laid the foundation for the competition to become a traditional event.”

Mamedyarov: "I will never forget"

Azerbaijani chess player Shahriyar Mammadyarov, who won the men's competition at the Shusha Chess 2022, dedicated his victory to the memory of officers and soldiers fallen at the Garabagh war. The 37-year-old grandmaster said he felt happy to win in Shusha: "Participating in the Shusha competition is a special feeling. It is a great honour for me to win in Shusha. I have made no secret that I want to be the first here. After the Rapid competition the competition in Blitz was quite difficult. My opponents showed a good performance and I had a tough competition. I'll never forget that I won the first chess tournament in Shusha. I have been a member of the national team for more than 22 years. I am proud to have played for the national team. I have participated in a lot of tournaments during the last months. However, I often do not manage to be the first. I am happy to be a winner here. I can see a lot of construction works going on in Shusha. In a little while the city will become even more impressive. The organisation of the tournament was top notch. Each of the invited chess players confirms it. Shusha holds a special place in our hearts. Our family also suffered losses in the battles for this city. One was my close friend and the other was my wife's nephew. They both died on November 7, 2020 here in Shusha. I want to dedicate this victory to them. May Allah have mercy on all our fallen brothers and sisters."

Three-time European champion Rauf Mammadov said he would like the Shusha tournament to become an annual event: "I wish this tournament were held annually. Of course, it depends on the organisers. But to compete here as a chess player is a great feeling. In future, I would like to see other famous chess players in Shusha as well. To be here, on the mountain plain of Cıdır Düzü, has been a dream of mine. One feels different here. I have been to 40 countries, but I have never seen a nature like this. Shusha is very beautiful, the city is fascinating. As for the result, I did not play well. I did not get the result I wanted. I'm very happy that Shahriyar became a winner.”

Nona Gaprindashvili, the guest of honour at the tournament, five-time world champion and 11-time Olympic champion, said that the Shusha tournament was held at high level. The living legend of world chess highlighted the victory of her compatriot Meri Arabidze and named the success of Shahriyar Mammadyarov as expected.

All matches of the Shusha Chess 2022 were broadcast live on the official website. The matches were commentated in Azerbaijani and English languages.