Vice President of the Azerbaijan Chess Federation, Faig Hasanov, shared insights with Idman.biz about the legendary chess program “Şahmat Klubu” (Chess Club) being included in the Guinness World Records as the longest-running sports television show.
– “Şahmat Klubu,” broadcast for 56 years on Azerbaijan Television, has officially entered the Guinness World Records. What do you recall from its early days?
- In 1969, I was invited to AZTV and offered the opportunity to launch a chess program. After thorough discussions, “Şahmat Klubu” (Chess Club) was born. Our primary aim was to make chess popular nationwide. I suggested using the show as an educational tool so viewers could learn chess. Each episode would review moves, so even if someone missed a few broadcasts, they could catch up easily. We also held contests, which greatly increased viewership. Letters poured in from across the country. Over time, more schools and skilled coaches emerged, and the format of the show evolved. We began featuring top players and champions who shared their experiences.
– When did you first consider applying to the Guinness World Records?
- I had been advised for years that such a long-running show deserved to be in the Guinness Book. A year ago, we finally took it seriously and began the application process.
– Was collecting all the required documents difficult?
- Yes, it was extremely challenging. It took a year to achieve. I must note — I couldn’t have done it alone. We worked as a team. Mahir Mammadov assembled a great team within our federation. The process required extensive proof. Since the program was initially aired live, no archive existed. We had to find other ways to prove its existence.
– How did you provide that proof?
- Old newspapers came to our aid, especially Bakinskiy Rabochiy, which has an archive dating back to 1922. They printed AZTV’s weekly schedule, and we gathered documentation from those papers. We were also asked to find living witnesses — former television professionals — which we managed. From 2005 onward, AZTV’s archives were used to extract and present program copies. Just imagine — compiling two episodes per month over 20 years. It was a difficult task.
– Your name was previously entered in the Guinness Book for being the longest-serving chess arbiter. Did you submit both applications at the same time?
- To be honest, I hadn’t thought about that. During the verification process for the show, it hit me that I had been an arbiter even longer. So I decided to apply for that too. I began refereeing in 1964, starting with an international tournament in Baku, and we already had proper documentation from world championships. That process was easier thanks to FIDE’s archives. So we submitted the arbiter application first and completed the chess show’s submission later. After a long and complex journey, we finally reached our goal.
Aytaj Sahed
Idman.biz
