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Laman Ismayilova

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Azerbaijani chess player Eltaj Safarli has won the international tournament held in Indonesia, Azernews reports.

The chess player outperformed all his competitors in the tournament, which was conducted in a round-robin format consisting of 11 rounds.

In the final round, Safarli emerged victorious against Indonesian competitor Azaryu Setyaki, accumulating a total of 8.5 points.

He finished one point ahead of his nearest competitor. Although he began the tournament with a defeat, he successfully recorded 7 wins and 3 draws in the next 10 matches. The tournament included participants from India, Australia, Mongolia, the Philippines, and South Korea.

The chess player remarked that he had a strong performance in most of his matches, stating, "The tournament went well for me and I felt comfortable. The second round was challenging. In the one game I lost, I took a significant risk in a position that was already drawn. In all my other games, I was mostly in control. I could have earned more points, but accumulating 8.5 points out of 11 games is still a solid outcome."

Safarli also shared his thoughts about the tournament: "It was a closed competition, and playing in such events can be difficult due to the rankings. Most participants had lower ratings. Notable competitors included Indian grandmaster Sethuraman Panayappan, who has maintained a rating between 2650 and 2700 for years, along with Australian grandmaster Temur Kuybokarov. In total, 12 chess players from 7 countries participated, almost all representing their national teams."

He also discussed the prize fund and his future plans: "The tournament was divided into A and B groups, with a combined prize fund of $40,000. Looking ahead, I’ll be participating in the Reykjavik Open in April."

Eltaj Safarli is a chess grandmaster from Azerbaijan. In October 2016, he achieved his highest rating of 2694, ranking him No. 3 in Azerbaijan and No. 46 in the world.

He began participating in tournaments at the age of 6, experiencing modest success initially. Safarli secured victories in the Azerbaijan Championships in both 2010 and 2016. Additionally, he won the World Youth Chess Championship for under 10s in Heraklion in 2002.

Safarli was a member of the Azerbaijani team that won a silver medal at the European Team Chess Championship held in Porto Carras in 2011. He competed alongside notable players Shahriyar Mammadyarov, Teymur Rajabov, Vugar Hashimov, and Gadir Huseynov.

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.

The first references to chess in Azerbaijan can be found in the works of 12th-century great poets such as Khaqani Shirvani and Nizami Ganavi, as well as in the works of one of the nation's most respected literary personalities, Muhammed Fuzuli.

To popularise this original game, Azerbaijani 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 Azerbaijan Chess Federation was founded in 1920. Elman Rustamov has been president of the National Chess Federation since 2007.

The first World Chess Olympiad in Azerbaijan was arranged at the Baku Crystal Hall, a multipurpose sports and concert arena. The chess tournament gathered about 2,000 chess masters from 175 countries.

The FIDE World Chess Cup 2023 in Baku also managed to captivate chess enthusiasts with its high-level competition and thrilling encounters.

With a highly competitive field of players, the World Cup offered an exciting platform for showcasing the immense talent and strategic prowess of top chess players.

The tournament gathered around 206 players in the open section and 103 in the women's competition.

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

The top three players from both the open and women's sections qualified for the first time in the Men Candidates Tournament and the Women Candidates Tournament 2024.