Famous Chess Grandmasters From Azerbaijan: A Comprehensive Overview

Chess is a popular sport in Azerbaijan, and the country has produced several notable chess players. One of the most famous is Teimur Radjabov, who was born in Baku, Azerbaijan, and went on to become a top-ranked player in the world. Other well-known Azerbaijani chess players include Shakhriyar Mamedyarov, Rauf Mamedov, Nijat Abasov, and Vugar Gashimov. The country's national team has also achieved success in international competitions, including winning bronze medals at the European Championship in 2007 and gold medals in the 2013 and 2017 European Team Chess Championships.

Garry Kasparov

Kasparov's father was Jewish and his mother was Armenian. Kasparov has described himself as a "self-appointed Christian", although "very indifferent" and identifying as Russian. Kasparov and his family had to flee anti-Armenian pogroms in Baku in January 1990 that were coordinated by local leaders with Soviet acquiescence.

Kasparov is also a vocal critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin. In 2005, Kasparov, in his 20th year as the world's top-rated player, retired from professional chess to join the vanguard of the Russian pro-democracy movement. Kasparov has since devoted his time to writing and politics. He founded the United Civil Front movement and was a member of The Other Russia, a coalition opposing the administration and policies of Vladimir Putin. In 2008, he announced his intention to run as a candidate in that year's Russian presidential race, but later withdrew. In 2011, Kasparov was named chairman of the New York-based Human Rights Foundation, succeeding Vaclav Havel. In 2013, facing imminent arrest during Putin's crackdown, Kasparov moved from Moscow to New York City. In 2017, he founded the Renew Democracy Initiative (RDI), an American political organisation promoting and defending liberal democracy in the U.S. and abroad.

Shakhriyar Mamedyarov

Mamedyarov's parents are from the Zangilan District of Azerbaijan, and he was introduced to the game by his father, a former boxer. Mamedyarov has two sisters, Zeinab and Turkan, who are both Women Grandmasters.

Mamedyarov won the Azerbaijan Championship in 2001 and 2002, and the World Junior Championship in 2003 and 2005, becoming the only two-time champion. He achieved a 2953 performance rating after eight rounds in 2005, earning him an invitation to the Essent Tournament 2006 in Hoogeveen, which he won. He also won the 2007 edition of the tournament.

Mamedyarov has competed in the Candidates Tournament several times, most recently in 2018, where he placed second. He has won multiple international tournaments, including the 2018 Biel Chess Festival, where he finished ahead of World Champion Magnus Carlsen. Mamedyarov was also part of the Azerbaijani team that won the European Team Chess Championship in 2009, 2013, and 2017.

Mamedyarov is known for his tactical style and his use of offbeat and unorthodox opening lines. He is a fan of material imbalances and has been described as a "chess artist".

Teimour Radjabov

In 2003, Radjabov gained international attention after beating the then-world number one, Garry Kasparov, in the Linares tournament. The same year, he also defeated former world champions Viswanathan Anand and Ruslan Ponomariov. Radjabov continued to progress and, in November 2012, achieved his peak rating of 2793, ranking him as number four in the world. This made Radjabov the 15th-highest-rated player in chess history.

Radjabov has competed in the Candidates Tournament several times, most recently in 2022, where he obtained third place. He has also won numerous tournaments, including the 2008 Elista Grand Prix, the 2017 Geneva Grand Prix, the 2019 FIDE World Cup, and the 2021 Airthings Masters. In addition to his individual achievements, Radjabov has led the Azerbaijani team to victory in the European Team Chess Championship on multiple occasions, including in 2009, 2013, and 2017.

Known for his counter-attacking skills and ability to seize control after an opponent's mistake, Radjabov has helped revive the King's Indian Defence. He is also known for employing the sharp Schliemann-Jaenisch Gambit in the Ruy Lopez, often drawing or beating top players. Radjabov's success in the chess world has made him one of the most famous Azerbaijani chess players, with his biography translated into numerous languages.

Vugar Gashimov

Gashimov's notable tournament victories include the Reggio Emilia chess tournament in 2010, the Cappelle-la-Grande open in 2007 and 2008, and the Athens 2005 (Acropolis International). He also played for Azerbaijan in the Chess Olympiads of 2002, 2004, 2006, and 2008, and was part of the gold medal-winning Azerbaijani team at the European Team Chess Championship in 2009.

Despite his impressive chess career, Gashimov faced significant health challenges. In February 2000, he was diagnosed with epilepsy, and doctors soon discovered a brain tumor. While receiving treatment for the tumor in a hospital in Heidelberg, Germany, Gashimov passed away. His last tournament was the Tata Steel Chess Tournament in January 2012.

Gashimov's legacy is honored through the annual Gashimov Memorial tournament, which features top chess players from around the world. The first memorial tournament was held in Şəmkir in April 2014, with participants including Magnus Carlsen, Fabiano Caruana, and Hikaru Nakamura.

Vladimir Bagirov

Vladimir Konstantinovich Bagirov (Russian: Влади́мир Константи́нович Баги́ров; Latvian: Vladimirs Bagirovs) was a Soviet-Latvian chess player, author, and trainer. He was born in Baku, Azerbaijan, on August 16, 1936, and passed away on July 21, 2000, while playing a tournament in Finland.

Bagirov was born to an Armenian father and a Ukrainian mother. He showed a talent for chess at a young age and was mentored by the master and trainer Vladimir Makogonov. He made his debut in the semi-finals of the Soviet Championship in 1957 but did not advance to the final. He qualified for the final in 1960, finishing fourth at the 27th USSR Championship in Leningrad. In 1961, he represented the Soviet team in the European Team Championship and the World Student Championship. FIDE recognised his skill by awarding him the title of International Master in 1963 and Grandmaster in 1978.

In the 1970s, Bagirov transitioned into training work, notably serving as the sole trainer of future World Champion Garry Kasparov for a brief period in 1975. After a dispute with chess officials, he relocated to Latvia in the late 1970s and coached former World Champion Mikhail Tal and future grandmasters Alexei Shirov and Alexander Shabalov. He was also an openings theoretician, favouring the unusual Alekhine's Defence.

Bagirov published two books and a CD-Rom between 1994 and 2000. Following the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, he participated in numerous open tournaments across Europe. He won the 1998 World Senior Championship in Grieskirchen, Austria, with a score of 8½/11.

Bagirov represented Latvia in Chess Olympiads, European Team Chess Championships, and World Team Chess Championships. He died in 2000 from a heart attack while competing in the Heart of Finland Open event, where he had started with three consecutive wins.

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