"The 'Battle of Champions' tournament may have had a friendly atmosphere, but there was intense, uncompromising competition at the chessboard."
This statement was made by Mahir Mammadov, the president of the Azerbaijan Chess Federation and vice president of FIDE, in an exclusive interview with Idman.biz.
He admitted to enjoying the matches between Rauf Mammadov and Rustam Kasimdzhanov, as well as Gunay Mammadzada and Antoaneta Stefanova: "In these games, we saw moves that are rarely seen in chess. Azerbaijan's champions, Rauf Mammadov and Günay Mammadzada, as well as world champions Rustam Kasimdzhanov and Antoaneta Stefanova, were full of ideas during the tournament. Chess enthusiasts were amazed by the intensity of the competition, and no one was willing to give up. I would like to thank the National Carpet Museum for hosting this memorable event."
Based on the overall results of the rapid and blitz games, Rauf Mammadov defeated Kasimdzhanov, while Mammadzada triumphed over Stefanova.
Zaki Feyzullayev
Idman.biz
