Azerbaijani chess player Narmin Abdinova has not only won the gold medal at the European Youth Chess Championship in Greece but also achieved a historic result that, according to the available archival records examined, has no precedent in the history of the continental championships in the under-18 age category.
As reported by İdman.Biz, the 18-year-old won all nine games at the tournament in Hersonissos, collecting the maximum possible nine points. She secured the championship title with one round to spare before defeating FIDE representative Lizaveta Liashkevich in her final game.
An examination of archives maintained by the European Chess Union (ECU), FIDE, the international Chess-Results database and historical tournament records found no previous European under-18 champion, either in the girls' or boys' competition, who had achieved a perfect score of nine points from nine games.
According to the available historical data, Abdinova has therefore become the first player to win all nine games at the European Championship in the oldest youth age category.
For comparison, Polish chess player Mateusz Bartel won the European boys' under-18 title in 2003 with 8.5 points. In 2014, Azerbaijan's Ulviyya Fataliyeva claimed the girls' under-18 championship with eight points.
What makes Abdinova's achievement particularly remarkable is the age category in which it was accomplished. Unlike competitions involving younger players, where perfect scores occasionally occur, under-18 tournaments feature experienced competitors, many of whom hold international titles, possess strong ratings and have accumulated years of competitive experience.
Winning nine consecutive games against opponents of this caliber without conceding a single draw or defeat represents an exceptional sporting achievement.
Abdinova's victory also carries historic significance for Azerbaijani chess. An analysis of available records from previous European Youth Championships revealed no instance of an Azerbaijani player winning a continental title with a perfect nine points from nine games in any age category.
Over the years, prominent Azerbaijani players, including Teimour Radjabov, Shahriyar Mammadyarov, Vasif Durarbayli and Ulviyya Fataliyeva, have claimed European youth titles. However, none managed to complete their championship campaigns with a 100 percent score.
One of the closest achievements came in 2017, when Govhar Beydullayeva won the European girls' under-14 championship with 8.5 points from nine games.
This latest success also reflects the consistent efforts of the Azerbaijan Chess Federation's leadership to develop chess in the country, including the organization of numerous international tournaments under the Chess Tour Azerbaijan series.
Returning to Abdinova's triumph in Crete, another striking indication of her dominance was the substantial gap separating her from her closest rivals.
The Azerbaijani champion finished with nine points, while silver medalist Klara Szczotka of Poland and bronze medalist Sofia Moskalets of Ukraine both collected seven points.
Abdinova therefore finished two full points ahead of her nearest challengers, an extraordinary margin at this level of competition.
Her achievement not only brought Azerbaijan its first European gold medal in the girls' under-18 category in 12 years but also established a historic benchmark that could become one of the most significant accomplishments in the history of Azerbaijani and European youth chess.
Two other Azerbaijani players also reached the podium at the European Youth Chess Championship in Crete.
Tunar Davudov secured the silver medal in the boys' under-18 category with seven points from nine games, while Selin Mammadova earned bronze in the girls' under-8 competition with the same score
