Azernews.Az

FIDE World Chess Cup has been kicked off in Baku. The ceremony took place at Baku Congress Center, with the participation of officials and chess players, Azernews reports.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Farid Gayibov drew attention to the fact that 2023 was declared the Year of Heydar Aliyev in Azerbaijan in connection with the 100th anniversary of National Leader Heydar Aliyev.

The minister noted the strong connection between Azerbaijan's flourishing chess school and the legacy of the great leader, Heydar Aliyev, who held a special regard for this sport. He expressed his delight in having champion chess players across various categories and expressed confidence in their ability to achieve new victories and continue to bring joy to the nation.

In his speech, President of the Azerbaijan Chess Federation Mahir Mammadov emphasised that in recent years, Azerbaijan has achieved the title of three-time European Chess Champion.

"I want to particularly mention that in the FIDE World Chess Cup held in Baku, our country will also be represented by young chess players under 20 years old. Our chess school has made great progress, and we firmly believe that our young chess athletes deserve participation on the world stage," he said.

He also outlined the success of young chess players on the global stage. Mammadov expressed his gratitude to the organizing country, especially President Ilham Aliyev, for holding such a competition.

Next, President of the International Chess Federation (FIDE) Arkady Dvorkovich declared FIDE World Chess Cup open. The official anthem of the International Chess Federation was played.

The lot of the competition was also drawn and the chess players who will face each other in the first round were determined.

The FIDE World Cup 2023 gathers around 206 players in the open section and 103 in the women's competition.

Azerbaijani team includes 17 chess players, including Shahriyar Mammadyarov, Teymur Rajabov, Gunay Mammadzade, Rauf Mammadov, Gadir Huseynov, Vasif Durarbayli, Nijat Abbasov, Abdulla Gadimbayli, Misratdin Isgandarov, Muhammad Muradli, Vugar Asadli, Riad Samadov, Aydin Suleymanli, Ulviyya Fataliyeva, Gulnar Mammadova, Khanim Balajayeva, and Govhar Beydullayeva.

Note that the top three players from both the open and women's sections will qualify for the first time in the Men Candidates Tournament and the Women Candidates Tournament of 2024.

Chess enthusiasts worldwide can catch all the action as the FIDE World Cup 2023 games will be broadcasted on the official competition website in Azerbaijani and English languages.

The championship boasts an impressive prize fund of $2.5 million and will be hosted at the Marriott Boulevard Hotel in Baku.

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