BAKU OPEN: A GRAND CELEBRATION

Once again, Baku became the centre of a major sporting event as it hosted the Baku Open 25 international chess festival. This well-established tournament was held with great fanfare, attracting over 700 players from 16 countries who competed over nine days for a prize fund of $55,000. The event set a new record for participation with more than 700 entrants.

Highlights and surprises

In the under-8 category, Nazly Rustamli claimed first place among girls, while Daniel Konovalov took gold among boys. Prizes were presented by Leila Aliyeva, Vice-President of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation and founder of IDEA public organisation.

In the under-10 group, podium toppers were Yang Yuping (China) and Yusif Ahadzade. Among under 12 years old, Asnad Bakhshizade and Akbar Mirzayev secured first place finishes.

Group A winners were Ayan Allahverdiyeva and Aleksandar Indjic from Serbia. In Group B, Dinara Huseynova triumphed among girls while Nikolaz Chikalidze from Georgia topped the boys’ section. Roman Shogdiev received an award in the U16 category. The tournament champion was awarded a specially crafted cup by Leila Aliyeva.

The event also featured the Azerbaijani veterans’ chess championship. Vugar Bayramov emerged as national champion, with Asaf Abdullayev and Mehman Abbasov finishing second and third respectively. A special award honoured Sharail Avazov, who at 90 years old was the oldest participant.

Among Azerbaijani players in Group A, Khazar Babazade delivered the best performance by improving his personal rating and finishing fourth.

However, tournament favourites Nijat Abasov (FIDE rating 2620) and Aydin Suleymanly (2617) fell short of expectations. Abasov surprised by placing only 27th out of 60 competitors, while Suleymanly, a national team member since 2024, finished 12th with 5.5 points. He lost eight rating points overall, performing below his usual level.

Rising star Muhammed Muradli also missed out on a medal. Aleksandar Indjic lifted the trophy in Group A. Georgian Baadur Jobava took second place just half a point behind him, and Turkish player Vahap Sanal rounded out the top three with 6.5 points.

Chess Tour Azerbaijan Initiative

For the first time ever, the Azerbaijan Chess Federation is launching Chess Tour Azerbaijan — a nationwide project.

Planned for implementation in 2025, it will feature eight open international tournaments aimed at boosting experience for local players.

Following Baku Open 2025, tournaments will include Sheki Open (June 18-25), Shamakhi Open (June 26–July 3), Lankaran Open (July 6-13), Guba Open (July 15-22), Ganja Open (November 11-18), Shirvan Open (November 19-26), as well as the Vugar Hashimov Open.

To support this initiative, the federation has launched Chess.az — a website where players can register for tournaments and keep up with the latest news. These events are expected to attract both local talent and international competitors, including grandmasters.