The closing ceremony of the “Baku Open-2025” International Chess Festival, organized with the support of the Azerbaijan Chess Federation and the Ministry of Youth and Sports, was held.The closing ceremony of the “Baku Open-2025” International Chess Festival, organized with the support of the Azerbaijan Chess Federation and the Ministry of Youth and Sports, was held.

“EDnews” reports that the event was attended by Vice President of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, Founder and Head of IDEA Public Union Leyla Aliyeva, Assistant to the President of Azerbaijan Anar Alakbarov, Minister of Youth and Sports Farid Gayibov,President Kirsan Ilyumzhinov, President of the Azerbaijan Chess Federation (ACF) Mahir Mammadov and other officials.

President Kirsan Ilyumzhinov said that Azerbaijani chess players have always achieved success in prestigious competitions. He recalled that for the first time in the world, the State Program for the Development of Chess was signed in Azerbaijan and said that the success of the chess players is the result of the care shown by President Ilham Aliyev. The VI President of FIDE said that the World Chess Olympiad held in Baku in 2016 was the best Olympiad in the history of chess.

It should be noted that the prize fund of the festival amounted to 55 thousand US dollars. More than 700 chess players from 16 countries competed in the competition. The Azerbaijan Championship among veteran chess players was also held within the framework of the tournament.

Then the final results of the competition were announced. Nazli Rustamli took first place in the under-8 girls' competition, and Daniel Konovalov in the boys' competition. Yang Youping and Yusif Ahadzadeh rose to the highest step of the podium in the tournament among 10-year-olds. Asnad Bakhshizadeh and Akbar Mirzayev won first place among participants under 12.

In group B, Dinara Huseynova won the women's competition, and Nikolaz Chikalidze won the boys' competition, gaining the most points. Roman Shogdziyev was awarded the prize in the category. In Group A of the Baku Open, Ayan Allahverdiyeva and Aleksandar Indzic won the title of winner of the competition.

The Azerbaijan Championship among veteran chess players was also held within the framework of the Baku Open 2025. Vugar Bayramov became the national champion. Asaf Abdullayev and Mehman Abbasov shared 2nd and 3rd places, respectively. 90-year-old Sharail Avazov was presented with a special award as the oldest participant.

Madina Mammadova\\EDnews