Azerbaijani male chess players outplay Slovakia on Day 2 of 2023 European Team Chess Championship

Azerbaijani chess players beat Slovakia by a score of 2.5-1.5 in the second round of the 2023 European Team Chess Championship in Budva, Montenegro, with Rauf Mammadov achieving a point, while Teymur Rajabov, Nijat Abasov and Vasif Durarbayli were held to a draw.

In the women’s event, the Azerbaijani team comprised of Gunay Mammadzade, Khanim Balajayeva, Gulnar Mammadova and Govhar Beydullayeva managed to score the second consecutive match win to reach the maximum match points and lead in the tournament. In R2, Azerbaijani team took a narrow victory over Netherlands.

The R3 will see Azerbaijani male players to take on Sweden, while the female players will lock horns with Poland.

The European Team Championship, held every two years, is arguably the most anticipated national team event after the Olympiad. This year, 38 teams in the Open section and 32 in the Women's are competing over nine rounds of chess, with each match played over four boards.

The Swiss-system championship will run until November 20.