Azerbaijan Crowns Champions in Men’s and Women’s Rapid and Blitz Chess

Jerusalem, 8 December, 2025 (TPS-IL) -- Baku (AZERTAC) – The Azerbaijan Championship in rapid and blitz chess among men and women, organized at the Republican Chess Center, has concluded.

AZERTAC reports that 32 male and 20 female chess players competed in the four-day competition. The winners were determined based on the sum of rapid and blitz results.

In the women’s competition, Turkan Mammadyarova, who scored 13 points based on the total of two tournaments, took 1st place. Melek Ismayil, who had the same points, settled for second place based on additional indicators. Laman Hajiyeva, who scored 12 points, took third place. Narmin Abdinova and Ayan Allahverdiyeva, who scored 11.5 points each, shared 4th-5th places.

In the men’s competition, one of the leaders of the team, Rauf Mammadov, won the title of winner. Mammadov, who is also the champion of Azerbaijan in classical chess this year, left all his rivals behind with 14 points. Murad Ibrahimli, who scored 1 point less than the champion, came in second place. Read Samadov and Aydin Suleymanli, who scored 12.5 points each, finished the competition in 3rd-4th place, respectively. Mahammad Muradli completed the top five with 11.5 points.

At the closing ceremony of the Azerbaijan Championship, medals and diplomas were presented by the chief referee of the competition, Lutfiyar Rustamov, representative of the Azerbaijan Chess Federation, Raul Guliyev, and director of the Republican Chess Center, Elshan Mammadov.

The total prize fund of the national championship among men and women chess players amounted to 10,000 manat ($5,800). The chess players who took the first three places in both the men’s and women’s tournaments will be sent to the world championship.

The World Championship will be held in Doha, the capital of Qatar, from December 25-31.