Houston commemorates grandmaster Vugar Gashimov
By Nazrin Gadimova
The Azerbaijani Cultural Center in Houston hosted an amateur rapid chess tournament in the memory of Azerbaijani grandmaster Vugar Gashimov on February 15.
The event, which brought together chess amateurs of various age groups, was co-organized by U.S. Azeris Network (USAN), Houston-Baku Sister City Association (HBSCA) and Azerbaijani organizations in Houston.
A video on Gashimov's life and activity was screened before the beginning of the tournament.
After three-hour game, student of the Texas State University Anar Omarov won the tournament.
Vugar Gashimov passed away as a result of serious disease on January 11, 2014. The tragic news about the death of the international grandmaster has shocked the majority of Azerbaijanis and almost the entire sports community.
Prominent Azerbaijani grandmaster, European Champion of 2009, Gashimov was known as a strong player in blitz. Together with Teymur Rajabov and Shahriyar Mammadyarov, he was considered one of the elite chess players of Azerbaijan.