President of the Azerbaijan Chess Federation Mahir Mammadov answered the questions of the official website of the organization.
Idman.biz reports that he spoke about the Candidates Tournament and assessed the current situation of our national teams.
- What can you say about the issues discussed at the meeting of the Executive Committee?
- Important issues were discussed at the first meeting of the year. First of all, we agreed to hold the next conference in May. There was a discussion about the importance of participation in the Azerbaijan championship in determining the composition of national teams in the future. The management of the ACF [Azerbaijan Chess Federation] is trying to achieve the participation of all leading chess players in the national championship in the coming years. From 2025, we want the participation factor in the Azerbaijan Championship to be taken as the basis for the formation of national teams. It goes without saying that the successful participation and rating of a chess player in international competitions is also important. But competing in the national championship will be one of the main factors. The issue of certification of coaches teaching chess in order to check their level of professionalism was widely discussed at the meeting. One of the important issues was the involvement of the members of the Executive Committee in the work of the commissions of the federation. We assigned a specific area to each member, after which the work of the commissions will be curated and they will work together.
- The attention of the chess world is focused on Canada. What can be said about Nijat Abasov's performance?
- The main fight in the Challengers Tournament is ahead. We wish Nica the best of luck. At the meeting of the Executive Committee, the participation of our chess player in the rich preparatory phase was noted. The name of his coaches is no longer a secret. Shakhriyar Mamedyarov, who went to Toronto together with Nijat, supports Nijat as a second coach. Our talented chess player Abdulla Gadimbayli was also involved in the preparation. Famous names in chess such as the world's leading chess experts - Vladimir Chuchelov and Boris Gelfand participated in Nijat’s training.
- Vladimir Chuchelov and Boris Gelfand took part in training for young chess players and members of the women's national team during their visit to Baku. Will cooperation with them continue?
- First of all, I should mention that there are experienced coaches in Azerbaijan. Without good coaches, this number of talented chess players would not have developed. In addition, world chess experience is very important to us. The visit of experts like Vladimir Chuchelov and Boris Gelfand to our country is not an ordinary event. Since it coincided with Nijat Abasov's training period, they participated in a training camp with him, and seminars and one-on-one trainings were held for young people. During the second visit of experts, compliance with the assigned tasks was checked, including preparation monitoring. Currently, Gelfand and Chuchelov continue training with our chess players both online and face-to-face.
- We would like you to inform us about the Chess Academy operating under the Federation.
- In order to properly guide the training of young talented chess players of our country, the establishment of the Chess Academy under the federation was announced. There are great hopes for the work of the Academy. Here, well-known coaches of Azerbaijan share their experiences with young people in different age categories. We think about ensuring the participation of distinguished chess players in competitions. In general, necessary conditions are created by the state and the federation for chess players to improve their skills. Participation of our chess players in national and international tournaments is guaranteed. Prize winners of the Azerbaijan Championship are sent to the World and European championships. In addition, funding is allocated for the participation of chess players with a certain rating in commercial tournaments.
Idman.biz
