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Laman Ismayilova

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The Vugar Hashimov Fair Play Award continues to honour chess players who embody the values of fairness and sportsmanship.

The award is named after Azerbaijan's renowned chess player and European champion, Vugar Hashimov, Azernews reports.

Despite his short life, Vugar Hashimov made a remarkable contribution to the chess history of Azerbaijan.

He played for Azerbaijan's national team in the Chess Olympiads in 2002, 2004, 2006, and 2008.

Hashimov won a bronze medal in the European Team Championship in 2007 and became the European Champion with the national team in 2009.

He was the European vice champion of the national team in 2011 and the winner of the Reggio Emilia tournament in 2010–2011.

Established by the Vugar Hashimov Chess Foundation in 2016, the award recognises chess players who exemplify fair play principles.

Previous recipients include Magnus Carlsen, Viswanathan Anand, Vladimir Kramnik, and many others.

The prize winners for 2024 were selected based on their adherence to fair play principles during their participation in the Tata Steel Chess Tournament.

Max Warmerdam (Netherlands), who competed in the main tournament, and Stefan Beukema (Belgium), who participated in the "Challenge" category, are the recipients of the Vugar Hashimov Fair Play Award 2024.

The awards were presented to them by the tournament director, Jeroen Van Den Berg. This is the first time both players have received this prestigious accolade.

The winners were revealed during the Tata Steel Chess tournament held in the city of Wijk aan Zee, Netherlands.

The 86th edition of the annual chess tournament followed a similar format to the previous year's edition, taking place at the Dorpshuis De Moriaan in Wijk aan Zee, Netherlands, while round 9 of the Masters section was played at the AFAS Circus theatre in The Hague, Netherlands, as part of the competition's "Chess on Tour" event.

The Masters section was won by China's Wei Yi, who defeated India's Gukesh D by a score of 1.5–0.5 in the finals of a four-player knockout tournament tiebreak.

India's Leon Luke Mendonca won the Challengers' section, earning a spot in the 2025 Tata Steel Masters event.

Both the Masters and Challengers sections were eligible for the 2024 FIDE Circuit.

The event witnessed a four-way tie for first place for the first time since 1989 between defending champion Anish Giri, Nodirbek Abdusattorov, Gukesh D and eventual champion Wei Yongli

The Vugar Hashimov Fair Play Award serves as a reminder of the importance of fair play and sets a positive example for future generations of chess players.

Max Warmerdam and Stefan Beukema have joined the esteemed list of individuals who have been recognized for their fair chess game.

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Laman Ismayilova is AzerNews’ staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @lmntypewriterrr

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