Azerbaijan competes in third round of World Chess Championship

The International Chess Federation (FIDE) World Cup’s third round has commenced in Baku, Azernews reports.

This round features the participation of six Azerbaijani grandmasters. Among them, Teymur Rajabov and Ulviyya Fataliyeva advanced to the third round after successful performances in the second round’s two games.

In the tie-breakers of the second round, Nijat Abbasov, Rauf Mammadov, Abdulla Gadimbayli, and Gadir Huseynov emerged victorious, securing their spots in the third round. In the 1/32 finals, Teymur Rajabov’s opponent is Jaime Santos Latasa from Spain, Nijat Abbasov will face Anish Giri from the Netherlands, and Rauf Mammadov will play against Ian Nepomniachtchi from FIDE. Abdulla Gadimbayli’s opponent is Ray Robson from the US, and Gadir Huseynov will compete against Leinier Dominguez Perez, also from the US. Ulviyya Fataliyeva will be competing against Zhu Jiner from China in the 1/16 finals. The competition promises exciting matchups and fierce battles on the chessboard.

The 10th anniversary FIDE World Chess Cup commenced in Baku on July 30. The FIDE World Cup 2023 sees the participation of 206 players in the open section and 103 in the women’s competition.

The World Chess Cup is being held in Azerbaijan for the second time. The top three players from both the open and women’s sections will qualify for the first time in the Men’s Candidates Tournament and the Women’s Candidates Tournament of 2024. The FIDE World Cup 2023 games are broadcasted on the official competition website in Azerbaijani and English. The competitions will be held until August 25. The championship boasts an impressive prize fund of $2.5 million.