Azernews.Az

The international chess tournament BAKU OPEN - 2012 is being held in Novkhani, around 20 km from the Azerbaijani capital Baku, with participation of 199 chess players from 11 countries.

Participants of the tournament include such world-class chess players as the winner of last year's tournament, Belarusian Grand Master Sergey Zhigalko. The tournament favorites are Azerbaijani Grand Master Rauf Mammadov, Gadir Huseynov, Eltaj Safarli and others who are considered potential winners of the 2016 World Chess Olympiad.

An Azerbaijani delegation headed by Youth and Sports Minister Azad Rahimov brought the right to hold the Olympiad to Baku from Istanbul, head of the Republican Chess Center and Tournament Director Majid Efendiyev told Trend news agency.

The International Children's Chess Tournament, which is participated in by 96 young chess players under age 12, is being held within the event at the Republican Chess Center. By 2016, they will be able to compete with today's grandees for spots in the national team, Efendiyev said.

"We are grateful to all those who supported us in holding the children's tournament, thus taking care of our children -- the intellectual and chess future of the nation," Efendiyev said.

BAKU OPEN, which has become a traditional international chess tournament, is an important rehearsal for the 2016 World Chess Olympiad in Baku, Efendiyev added.