Vugar Rasulov won Group A of the 2026 The Belt and Road China International Chess Open, which concluded in Kuqa, Xinjiang, China.
As reported by İdman.Biz, the Azerbaijani grandmaster scored seven points from a possible nine to finish outright first. The tournament was played under the Swiss system over nine rounds, with the average rating in Group A standing at 2308.
Rasulov began the competition with two draws before producing an impressive run of results. He recorded his first win in the third round, followed by another draw in the fourth, before winning four consecutive games from rounds five to eight. In the final, ninth round, the Azerbaijani player drew with American grandmaster Gata Kamsky, allowing him to retain sole possession of first place.
Rasulov therefore finished the tournament unbeaten, with five wins and four draws. The four consecutive victories between rounds five and eight proved particularly important, giving him the necessary advantage over his closest challengers.
On the final day, Rasulov had the black pieces against Kamsky. The game ended in a draw. Kamsky, who had entered the tournament rated 2595, eventually finished third with six points.
China's Wang Shixu took second place with 6.5 points.
Rasulov's achievement is particularly notable given the strength of the field. He entered the tournament with a rating of 2538, below Kamsky's, but after nine rounds it was the Azerbaijani who finished at the top. His rating in the final standings was listed as 2551.
The Belt and Road China International Chess Open was organised by the Chinese Chess Association. Group A featured a strong international field, including players from Azerbaijan, China, France, Germany, India and Russia.
