Azerbaijani chess grandmaster to compete with Armenian rival

Azerbaijani chess grandmaster Shahriyar Mammadyarov, 37, will play his last chess match in the Superbet Chess Classic tournament, the first stage of the 2022 Grand Chess Tour, in Bucharest, the capital of Romania, on May 14.

He will compete with Armenian chess grandmaster Levon Aronian, representing the US, in the ninth round of the competition, Report informs. 

Mammadyarov lost to US chess players Wesley So, Fabiano Caruana and Leinier Dominguez, respectively, in the first, fifth and eighth rounds.

The Azerbaijani chess player gained a victory over Russian chess player Ian Nepomniachtchi, who competes under the FIDE flag, in the seventh round.

Presently, Mammadyarov shares 9th -10th positions with Hungarian chess grandmaster Richard Rapport with 3 points.

The total prize pool for the tournament, which will run until May 14, is $350,000.

It should be noted that Mammadyarov won the 2021-Superbet Chess Classic tournament.