Sport24.az
President of the Azerbaijan Chess Federation, Mahir Mammadov, spoke about the XI Vugar Hashimov Memorial, which will start on December 9. Sport24.az reports that the federation official, in a statement to the tournament's press service, said that the continuous holding of the competition is a welcome development:
"This tournament is the result of the joint efforts of the Vugar Hashimov Chess Foundation, the Azerbaijan Chess Federation, and related organizations. The regular holding of the event shows the scale of Vugar Hashimov's personality. It is also related to the high regard for Vugar's name by world chess players. In this case, these factors suggest that the memorial will be held for many years. In the early years, the competition was held in Shamkir, Baku, and Gabala. In recent years, it has been held in cities liberated from occupation. It is a beautiful tradition to organize the memorial in Shusha and Khankendi, and we will continue this. It is not excluded that the tournament will be held in different locations in the future. This is a great tool for promoting other regions of Azerbaijan. Considering Azerbaijan's chess traditions and strength, the tournament is a great contribution to world chess."
The head of the Federation also shared his views on the inclusion of the Memorial in the qualifying stage of the FIDE World Championship: "The Vugar Hashimov Memorial Tournament has been organized at the highest level since the first days. For this reason, it is no coincidence that the tournament was accepted by FIDE as part of the qualifying stage. We believe that this will continue to be the case and that it will reach even higher levels in the future."
M.Mammadov also shared his thoughts on the late European champion: "Vugar Hashimov left a very bright, unforgettable mark in the history of Azerbaijani chess. He was in front of our eyes from his first steps to his last days. We witnessed his transformation into one of the most prominent and leading chess players in the world, and his victories. Interesting footage about Vugar Hashimov was also conveyed to a wide audience in the film dedicated to the 85th anniversary of Faig Hasanov, whose name was included in the "Guinness Book of Records." I can say with a sense of pride that Vugar is also remembered for his great contributions to chess theory. This can be said about very few chess players. He was both a great practitioner and an outstanding theorist. In this sense, Hashimov did not spare his talent in world chess. We are glad that this name, this memory lives on forever. This is not just a memorial tournament. It is not excluded that the competition included in the "Baku Chess Tour" will be added to this tournament in the future. The charitable works of the Foundation and chess events can also be added to this list. The new generation of Azerbaijani chess players will always know about such a great chess player, raising the name of our country, becoming the first European champion and Grand Prix winner. Vugar's memory will live forever."
