Azerbaijani chess players begin their latest quest for medals at the World Chess Olympiad, which gets underway today in Samarkand, Uzbekistan.
As reported by İdman.Biz, in the opening round, which starts at 14:00 Baku time, Azerbaijan's men's and women's teams, both seeded seventh, will face Morocco and Guatemala respectively.
With the leading teams traditionally drawn against lower-rated opponents in the opening round of the Olympiad, both Azerbaijani sides have opted to rest their top boards – Shakhriyar Mamedyarov and Ulviyya Fataliyeva.
Azerbaijan – Morocco (men)
Aydin Suleymanli (2664) – Mohamed-Mehdi Aitmidou (2255)
Mahammad Muradli (2653) – Yasser Haj Holti (2238)
Rauf Mamedov (2631) – Nidal Ghanoui (2112)
Eltaj Safarli (2616) – Abdessalam Zarkik (2067)
Azerbaijan – Guatemala (women)
Govhar Beydullayeva (2392) – Jenny Fernanda Santiago Sontay (1844)
Gunay Mammadzada (2351) – Deisy Daniela Raymundo (1832)
Khanim Balajayeva (2356) – Dayrin D. Lopez (1725)
Gulnar Mammadova (2311) – Kerstin Danielle Reinhard Moller (1719)
India enter the competition as the defending champions in both the Open and Women's sections and are once again among the leading contenders in Samarkand.
In the Open section, the United States, Uzbekistan and China are also among the strongest teams. The US squad features stars such as Fabiano Caruana, Wesley So and experienced grandmaster Levon Aronian. Hikaru Nakamura, one of the world's strongest players, is not part of the American line-up.
Hosts Uzbekistan also boast a formidable squad. Their leaders Nodirbek Abdusattorov and Javokhir Sindarov are both ranked inside the world's top 10, while Sindarov is set to face reigning world champion Gukesh Dommaraju of India in a World Championship match later this year.
China, meanwhile, traditionally field a strong team and regularly challenge for medals at major international competitions.
Germany, France, the Netherlands, Ukraine and several other teams are also worth watching. Ukraine may not currently possess a star-studded line-up, but their victory at the 2025 European Team Chess Championship underlined their strength in team competition.
Azerbaijan's men's team also ranks among the strongest participants and will aim to challenge for medals. The country has yet to win a medal in the Open section of the World Chess Olympiad, despite enjoying considerable success at the European Team Championships, where Azerbaijan have been crowned champions three times.
Particular attention will be on young grandmasters Aydin Suleymanli and Mahammad Muradli, who have made significant progress and climbed considerably in the world rankings in recent times. FIDE recently highlighted Muradli's rise after he broke into the middle of the world's top 100.
The Azerbaijani squad also features experienced grandmasters Shakhriyar Mamedyarov, Rauf Mamedov and Eltaj Safarli, all of whom know what it takes to succeed in major team competitions.
With another highly experienced grandmaster, Teimour Radjabov, serving as captain, Azerbaijan will be hoping to reach the World Chess Olympiad podium for the first time.
Competition is expected to be equally intense in the Women's section. Defending champions India are among the leading contenders, while traditional powerhouse China, reigning European champions Poland, as well as Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and the United States, are all capable of challenging for the title.
Azerbaijan's women's team, like the men's side, are seeded seventh and enter the tournament as one of the stronger teams in the field. Azerbaijani players have been particularly consistent in team competitions in recent years, winning silver at the 2023 European Team Chess Championship and bronze medals at the other two most recent continental championships.
Azerbaijan's women are also still seeking their first World Chess Olympiad medal. However, the team have undergone solid preparations and, under the guidance of experienced grandmaster Nijat Abasov, will be looking to produce a strong performance in Samarkand.
