Azernews.Az

Laman Ismayilova

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Azerbaijan's chess team made history at the FIDE Women's World Team Championship held in Linares, Spain, by securing a historic silver medal in the prestigious tournament, Azernews reports.

Competing on the first board, Ulviyya Fataliyeva finished the tournament with an impressive 6 points from 10 games, surpassing all other players in her category to earn the coveted gold medal for her individual performance.

The Azerbaijani team, comprising Ulviyya Fataliyeva, Govhər Beydullayeva, Gulnar Mammadova, Khanim Balajayeva, and Ayan Allahverdiyeva, displayed incredible teamwork throughout the championship and earned a silver medal. It was the first time the team had achieved such a high ranking in the World Championship.

The FIDE team, which went undefeated to claim the title, posed a tough challenge in the final, but Azerbaijan’s players gave their best and emerged as runners-up.

Twelve teams participated in the 2025 FIDE Women's World Team Championship in Linares, Spain. The competition featured a round-robin stage followed by a knockout phase, with standard classical time controls of 45 minutes plus a 30-second increment per move. Each team match had four boards, and teams were divided into two groups for the initial stage.

For centuries, chess has been a popular game in Azerbaijan, with ancient roots closely related to traditions.

The country could preserve these traditions as chess remains a crucially popular sport for now.

To popularise this original game, Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev, who is also the chairman of the National Olympic Committee, signed in 2009 an executive order initiating a state-supported chess development program, covering the years 2009-2014.

The 42nd Chess Olympiad, held in Baku, is indeed an excellent example of great attention paid to the development of chess games in the country.

The large-scale event attracted a total of 1,587 participants, including 894 in the Open category and 693 in the Women's event, making the Baku Chess Olympiad a significant event.

Similarly, the FIDE World Chess Cup 2023 in Baku captivated chess fans with its high-calibre competition and exhilarating matches.

Featuring a highly competitive lineup, the World Cup provided an exciting venue to display the remarkable skill and strategic finesse of elite chess players.

Approximately 206 competitors participated in the open section, along with 103 players in the women's competition.

The national chess players have always been taking high places at top-ranked tournaments.