Azernews.Az

Laman Ismayilova

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Following the release of classical chess ratings, the International Chess Federation (FIDE) has announced the rankings for rapid and blitz chess in early August, Azernews reports.

Among Azerbaijani grandmasters, Shahriyar Mammadyarov holds the top position in rapid chess.

He is ranked 19th worldwide with a rating of 2701. Teymur Rajabov is 37th with 2661 points, and Eltaj Safarli is 71st with a rating of 2627.

The global leader in rapid chess is Magnus Carlsen from Norway with a rating of 2809, followed by Ding Liren from China with 2770, and Ian Nepomniachtchi from Russia with 2762.

In blitz chess, Mammadyarov is ranked 38th with 2676 points. Radjabov is 59th with 2646.

Two other Azerbaijani players are in the top 100: Eltaj Safarli at 73rd with 2634, and Rauf Mammadov at 95th with 2609.

Magnus Carlsen also leads the blitz rankings with 2881 points, with Hikaru Nakamura from the USA second at 2838, and Alireza Firouzja from France third at 2814.

Chess has a long-standing tradition in Azerbaijan, deeply rooted in the country's cultural heritage. The game continues to be highly popular, with efforts made to preserve and promote these traditions.

To boost the sport's popularity, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev who also chairs the National Olympic Committee signed an executive order in 2009 to support a national chess development program, which spanned from 2009 to 2014.

The 42nd Chess Olympiad, hosted in Baku, exemplifies the country's dedication to chess development.

The event drew a total of 1,587 participants, including 894 in the Open category and 693 in the Women's section, making it a major international chess event.

Similarly, the FIDE World Chess Cup 2023, also held in Baku, showcased intense competition and exciting matches.

With a highly skilled lineup, the tournament offered a platform for top-tier players to demonstrate their strategic mastery.

In these top tournaments, Azerbaijani players have consistently achieved high placements among the world's best.

Shahriyar Mammadyarov, an Azerbaijani chess grandmaster, has competed in the Candidates Tournament in 2011 (where he was eliminated in the quarterfinals), 2014 (finishing in fourth place), and 2018 (placing second). He is a two-time World Junior Champion, winning in 2003 and 2005, and he also held the title of World Rapid Champion in 2013.

Mammadyarov secured a gold medal at the 2012 Chess Olympiad while playing on the third board for Azerbaijan. He has also been part of the Azerbaijani team that won the European Team Championship three times (2009, 2013, and 2017).

In addition, he has won the Tal Memorial twice, joint winner in 2010 and in the Blitz section in 2014 as well as the Shamkir Chess tournament in 2016 and 2017. Furthermore, he claimed victory at the 2018 Biel Chess Festival, notably defeating reigning World Champion Magnus Carlsen.

Teymur Rajabov became a Grandmaster in March 2001 at the age of 14, making him the second-youngest grandmaster in history at that time.

In 2003, Radjabov gained international recognition after defeating the then-world No. 1 Garry Kasparov at the Linares tournament. The same year, he also secured victories over former world champions Viswanathan Anand and Ruslan Ponomariov. Over the years, Radjabov continued to develop into an elite chess player.

In November 2012, he reached his highest rating of 2793 and was ranked fourth in the world, making him the nineteenth-highest rated player in chess history.

Rajabov has participated in the Candidates Tournament three times in 2011, 2013, and 2022, with his best result being third place in 2022. He also qualified for the 2020 tournament but withdrew due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

He helped Azerbaijan win the European Team Chess Championship in 2009, 2013, and 2017.

His notable individual successes include sharing first place at the 2007 Corus tournament, winning the 2008 Elista Grand Prix, the 2017 Geneva Grand Prix, the 2019 FIDE World Cup, and the 2021 Airthings Masters.

Eltaj Safarli is a grandmaster from Azerbaijan. In October 2016, he reached his peak rating of 2694, which ranked him third in Azerbaijan and 46th worldwide.

He started competing in tournaments at the age of six, initially achieving modest results. Safarli won the Azerbaijan Championships twice, in 2010 and 2016. He also claimed victory at the World Youth Chess Championship for the under-10 category in Heraklion in 2002.

Safarli was part of the Azerbaijani team that earned a silver medal at the European Team Chess Championship in Porto Carras in 2011. He played alongside prominent players such as Shahriyar Mammadyarov, Teymur Rajabov, Vugar Hashimov, and Gadir Huseynov.