Azerbaijan Chess Championship to be held in a new format

The Azerbaijan Chess Championship among chess players aged 8-18 will be held in a new format.

Idman.Biz reports that in previous years, the championship was traditionally held in a round-robin system with the participation of 12 chess players. According to the new rules, this year the competition will be organized according to the Swiss system.

The championship will consist of two stages: qualifying and final. Qualifying competitions will consist of the championships of Nakhchivan AR, Baku, Ganja and Sumgayit cities, as well as regional competitions. Chess players who distinguish themselves in the qualifying competitions (the number of places is indicated in the regulations) will qualify for the final stage.

At the same time, chess players with special indicators will have the right to play directly in the final without participating in the qualifying stage. These indicators are as follows:

- Medalists of the 2025 national championship by age groups
- Prize-winners of World or European championships (first 6 places)
- Chess players who meet the minimum rating requirement (requirements are specified in the regulations).

Rating requirements will be determined based on the highest indicator recorded in the rating lists announced by FIDE in January, February and March 2026.

Regional qualifying competitions will be held in Shamakhi, Goranboy, Agjabadi, Shamkir, Khachmaz, Lankaran, Goychay, Imishli, Gakh and Shirvan cities.

The competitions will be managed by a panel of judges appointed by the Azerbaijan Chess Federation.