Armenian chess player to skip Baku tournament over "safety concerns"

Former Armenian national team leader Levon Aronian posted a social media post saying he will not attend the World Chess Cup tournament in Baku.

The tournament in the Azerbaijani capital will run from July 29 to August 25.

"I found myself in a dilemma. As a person who loves the World Cup, I'd like to participate in 2023, but as an Armenian, I won't feel safe in Baku," the chess player wrote, Gazeta.ru reports.

According to Aronian, he would prefer to do so online, given that the International Chess Federation (FIDE) is promoting a hybrid format for tournaments.