Chess i Azerbaijan

**[[Chess]]** is ane o the most popular sports i **[[Azerbaijan]]**, where it is organizit bi the Azerbaijan Chess Federation (ACF). On 5 Mey 2009 Azerbaijani preses Ilham Aliyev, wha is also the chairman o the Naitional Olympic Committee, signit an executive order startin a state-supportit chess development program, coverin the years 2009–2014.

## Historie o chess i Azerbaijan
Chess may be found i the works o 12th century Persian poets such as Khaqani an Nizami, wha livit i modern-day Azerbaijan, an also i the works o 16th century Azerbaijani writer an poet Fuzuli an others. Azerbaijani writer an philosopher Mirza Fatali Akhundov explainit the rules o chess i his 1864 poem "The Game o Shatranj".

## Azerbaijan as a member o the USSR

Organizit chess began i Azerbaijan shortly after the creation o the Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic i 1920, an the game soon became widespread. The first chess column appearit i the newspaper *Bakinsky Rabochy* i the early 1920s. I 1923 the first Baku championship took place.
 
On 2–3 Mey 1929, a match between teams from Baku an Tbilisi, the caipital o the Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic, wis held on 8 boards i Baku.

I 1934 the first Azerbaijani championship took place. This wis won bi Selimkhanov, wha i 1935 became chairman o the Azerbaijan Chess Organization. I 1936 the first Weemen's Championship wis held. I 1936, A. Polisskaya o Baku became wewmen's champion o the Sooth Caucasus. I 1938, a women's chess school wis openit at the Baku Chess an Checkers Club. However, these chess championships at the local an naitional level were no held ivery year an the Warld War II, disruptit the chess tournaments an activities. But syne 1947 chess championships have been held ivery year.

## Modern times
After Azerbaijan gainit its unthirldom after the dissolution o the Soviet Union i 1991, Azerbaijani chess players have achievit hich results i various internaitional competitions, Warld an European championships. I 1992, the naitional team o wemen for the first time at the Warld Chess Olympiad i Manila, Philippines representit independent Azerbaijan an rankit 7th among 67 teams. The weemen team won bronze medals at the European Championship held i Debrecen, Hungary i 1993. The naitional team o men won bronze medals i 2007 i European Championship held i Greece. Men's team won the title o “Europe’s strongest team” i Serbia i 2009, then won silver medals i 2011 i Greece an i 2013 i Poland. I 2012 an 2014, the men's team “SOCAR-Azerbaijan” won the inter-club European Championships twice. Azerbaijani Grandmasters Shakhriyar Mamedyarov, Teimour Radjabov an Vugar Hashimov managit tae rise tae the 4th an 6th places i the warld rankings.

Grandmaster Teimour Radjabov became the first owner o the Warld Chess Cup i the historie o Azerbaijan on 4 October 2019, i Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia.

## Leeteratur
* Кулиев Ш., Страницы из нашей шахмат истории, Баку, 1966 (на азербайджанском языке);
* Султанов Ч. А., Гасанов Ф. 3., Шахматы в Азербайджане, Баку, 1980 (на азербайджанском языке);
* Сарычев А. В., Шахматная композиция в Азербайджане, Баку, 1985 (на азербайджанском языке).

## References

## Freemit airtins
* Offeecial wabsteid o the Azerbaijan Chess Federation (ACF) 
* Azerbaijan Chess Federation