Shakhriyar Mamnmadyarov clinches victory at FIDE Grand Swiss

Azerbaijani grandmaster Shakhriyar Mammadyarov has triumphed at FIDE Grand Swiss held in Samarkand, Uzbekistan.

In the final 11th round, Mammadyarov secured a win against Grigoriy Oparin from the USA.

With this victory, Mammadyarov finished with 7 points, securing 13th place in the overall standings. His performance included four wins, six draws, and one loss.

Rauf Mammadov also won his last-round game against Belgium’s Daniel Dardha, but his overall score was lower, ending with 6 points and 40th place.

Aydin Suleymanli earned 5 points, placing 77th, while Mahammad Muradli scored 4 points, finishing in 111th position.

The tournament was won by Dutch grandmaster Anish Giri with 8 points.

German player Matthias Bluebaum came in second with 7.5 points, narrowly edging out the other players in the tie-breaks. Both Giri and Bluebaum secured their spots for the prestigious "Candidates Tournament."

FIDE Grand Swiss 2025 and FIDE Women's Grand Swiss 2025 are part of the qualification process for the World Chess Championship cycle.

The top two players in the open category earn spots in the 2026 Candidates Tournament, while the top two women in the Women's Grand Swiss qualify for the 2026 Women's Candidates.

The tournaments feature 11 rounds, played under the Swiss System, with 172 participants from across the globe: 116 in the Grand Swiss and 56 in the Women's Grand Swiss.

Held biennially, the Grand Swiss attracts some of the world's strongest chess players and is regarded as one of the toughest tournaments to win.

The Azerbaijani team included Shakhriyar Mammadyarov, Rauf Mammadov, Aydin Suleymanli, Mohammad Muradli, Ulviyya Fataliyeva, Gohar Beydullayeva, and Khanim Balajayeva.

Chess for centuries has been a popular game in Azerbaijan with ancient roots closely related to traditions.

The country could preserve these traditions as the chess remains to be 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.