The closing ceremony of the Baku Open 2025 International Chess Festival, organized by the Azerbaijan Chess Federation (ACF) with the support of the Ministry of Youth and Sports, was held.
The ceremony was attended by Leyla Aliyeva, Vice-President of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, founder and head of IDEA Public Union, Anar Alakbarov, Assistant to the President, Farid Gayibov, Minister of Youth and Sports, Kirsan Ilyumzhinov, sixth FIDE President, Mahir Mammadov, President of the Azerbaijan Chess Federation, and other officials.
The ceremony commenced with the screening of a video highlighting the unforgettable moments of the Azerbaijani chess.
Addressing the event, Mahir Mammadov emphasized that chess is one of the most popular sports in Azerbaijan. He expressed deep gratitude to President Ilham Aliyev on behalf of the chess players for the attention and care shown.
Hailing Azerbaijani chess players’ achievements in prestigious competitions, the sixth FIDE President Kirsan Ilyumzhinov recalled that for the first time in the world, the State Program for the development of chess was signed in Azerbaijan.
The winners of the Baku Open 2025 International Chess Festival were awarded medals, cups, cash prizes and certificates. Then, the participants in different age categories were awarded.
In the girls` and boys` U8 competition, Nazli Rustamli and Daniel Konovalov stood atop the podium, winning the 1st place.
In the U10 category, Yang Youping (China) and Yusif Ahadzade took the top spot, while in the U12 event, Asnad Bakhshizade and Akbar Mirzayev achieved a remarkable feat.
In Group B, Dinara Huseynova secured the women's title, while Nikolaz Chikalidze (Georgia) claimed the men's title. In the U-16 category, Roman Shogdzhiev (FIDE) earned the award.
In Group A, Ayan Allahverdiyeva and Aleksandar Indjic (Serbia) grabbed the title of the competition.
The Azerbaijan Championship among veterans was also held.
The prize fund of the Baku Open 2025 International Chess Festival was $55,000. Over 700 chess players from 16 countries demonstrated their skills in the tournament.
