The Azerbaijan Chess Championships for men and women get under way today, 6 February. The men’s tournament features 30 players, while 16 competitors will take part in the women’s event. The championships are being held in a knockout format in line with FIDE regulations and will conclude on 22 February. The reigning national champions are Rauf Mamedov and Gunay Mammadzada.
Sharing his views with Idman.Biz, experienced coach, FIDE trainer, international arbiter and former captain of Azerbaijan’s women’s national team Fikret Sideifzade outlined the main contenders and storylines of this year’s championship.
Sideifzade said he was pleased to see the country’s full chess elite taking part, noting that the ratings clearly define the circle of favourites. “The ratings show who the favourites are: Shakhriyar Mamedyarov (FIDE rating 2727), Rauf Mamedov (2645) and Eltaj Safarli (2644). Of course, Shakhriyar has the best chances. That said, Rauf Mamedov has also been playing well in recent years and was national champion in 2025. Eltaj Safarli is not far behind either,” he said.
The expert also highlighted Aydin Suleymanli (2628) as a player capable of fighting for the title. “Aydin Suleymanli is the most promising of Azerbaijan’s young players. He needs to play more like Shakhriyar, with greater risk. Otherwise, it is very difficult to climb higher. If he takes that step, he can reach a 2700 rating,” Sideifzade added.
Among the next generation, Sideifzade also mentioned Magomed Muradli. “He plays quite well too, but for now it is still difficult for him,” he said.
Turning to the women’s tournament, Sideifzade suggested that the main contenders are essentially the core of the national team. “We are basically talking about five players from the women’s national team. Beyond them, I don’t really see anyone close to that level or capable of breaking into the top five. At the moment, I don’t expect surprises, although I would be happy if someone does surprise us,” he commented.
The current top five Azerbaijani women by FIDE rating are Ulviya Fatalieva (2434), Gunay Mammadzada (2390), Govhar Beydullayeva (2364), Khanim Balajayeva (2351) and Gulnar Mammadova (2330).
Sideifzade described Ulviya Fatalieva as the country’s leading female player at present, noting that she won a world championship gold medal last year. He also spoke about Gunay Mammadzada, who recently took a short break from chess due to motherhood. “It will be interesting to see whether she can return to her previous level. Her peak rating was 2483, and it has dropped slightly since then. She is a talented player, but not everything depends on ability alone. I watched her at the last Azerbaijan Championship and was not particularly impressed. I hope Gunay has drawn conclusions, prepared well and can strengthen her game. Let’s hope she regains her former positions,” he said.
Looking ahead, Sideifzade stressed that he always hopes for unexpected outcomes at national championships. “I always wait for sensations. That’s what life is about – young players pushing forward,” he said. He explained why younger players do not always deliver surprises: “Many young players do not study the classics. But leading players and my own experience show that this is extremely important. World champion Vladimir Kramnik has spoken about this as well. Every chess player must know how chess theory developed and who contributed what to the game, starting with Steinitz, Morphy and others. You have to go through this entire path – without it, there is no solid foundation”.
