Gunay Mammadzade excels at FIDE World Rapid and Blitz Championships

FIDE World Rapid and Blitz Championships have begun in New York, with five rounds of the rapid event taking place on the first day.

Among Azerbaijani male competitors, Shakhriyar Mammadyarov and Vasif Durarbayli made notable performances, each scoring 3.5 points and ranking 17th and 24th, respectively. Eltaj Safarli is currently in 48th place with a score of 3 points. The standings are led by Volodar Murzin (FIDE) with an impressive 4.5 points.

In the women's event, four rounds of rapid chess were conducted, during which Azerbaijani chess player Gunay Mammadzade had a strong start with 3.5 points, placing her in a tie for 2nd to 6th position—just half a point behind the leader, Alice Lee from the USA.

The national team includes Shakhriyar Mammadyarov, Eltaj Safarli, Aydin Suleymanli, Vasif Durarbayli, Mammad Muradli, Vugar Rasulov, Riad Samadov, Vugar Manafov, Gunay Mammadzade, Gulnar Mammadova, Khanum Balajayeva, Ulviya Fataliyeva, Govhar Beydullayeva, Zeynab Mammadyarova, and Turkan Mammadyarova.

FIDE World Rapid and Blitz Championships will run until January 1, 2025.

A total of 184 players out of 61 countries are participating in the open rapid championship, with 186 participating in the blitz.

In the women's events, 115 players from 37 countries are taking part in the rapid championship, and 112 from 36 countries in blitz.

On the first day of the championship, participants will play six rounds of rapid.

The rapid tournament is scheduled for December 26-28, while the blitz competition will take place on December 30-31. The World Chess Championship's total prize pool is $1.5 million.

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.

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

Among them are male chess players Shahriyar Mammadyarov, Teymur Rajabov, Nijat Abasov, female chess players like Ulviyya Fataliyeva, Ayan Allahverdiyeva, Gulnar Mammadova, Govhar Beydullayeva, etc.