Three Azerbaijani players are currently in the top 10 with two rounds to go at the traditional Baku Open chess festival.
As reported by İdman.Biz, after seven rounds the best result among the local representatives has been delivered by Turan Davudov, who has collected five points and sits in fifth place.
In round seven, Davudov drew with fellow Azerbaijani Shiroglan Talibov and will face Pranav Anand — the namesake of 15th world champion Viswanathan Anand — in the penultimate round.
It is worth noting that Davudov started the tournament as the 43rd seed based on his rating. The 17-year-old has already gained 48 rating points, and this figure could increase further if he avoids defeat in the remaining two rounds.
Khagan Ahmed and Nijat Abasov are also in the top 10, both on five points and currently ranked ninth and tenth respectively. In round seven, Ahmed lost to Iran’s Sina Movahhed and will next face former FIDE world champion Ruslan Ponomariov. Meanwhile, Abasov defeated compatriot Suleyman Suleymanov and will take on David Kaufmann (FIDE) in the next round.
With two rounds remaining, the tournament standings are led by Sina Movahhed and Mayank Chakraborty, who both have six points.
