The Azerbaijan Women’s Chess Championship 2022 took place in Baku from 16 to 23 May. Eight participants compete in a round-robin tournament of 7 rounds fighting for the trophy of the National Championship and the total prize fund of 11.400 AZN (6.500 euros).
19-year-old WIM Govhar Beydullayeva triumphed the event, scoring 5/7 points to be the sole Winner of the Championship. WFM Laman Hajieva as the lowest rated player in the field surprised by winning the silver medal with score of 4.5 points. WFM Ulviyya Fataliyeva and 2021 Azerbaijani Women’s Champion Gulnar Mammadova tied for bronze with 4 points, each, with additional criteria determining that Fataliyeva takes third place and Mammadova came fourth. Replay the games here and scroll down to find the interview with 2022 Azerbaijan Women’s Chess Champion.
Beydullayeva clinched her 1st National Champion title and didn’t hide her excitement: “The Azerbaijani championship was held in a highly competitive environment. Most participants had a grandmaster title, and therefore, we didn’t have a clear favorite. For several years I’ve clinched the second and third places in the national championships. This time I wanted to be a champion.“. Describing her path to the title Beydullayeva added: “The first three rounds were as planned. Later, the games became relatively difficult. I am very happy to be a champion. This victory will help me to work harder for my future success.“.
Beydullayeva lost the game in the 5th round against Laman Hajiyeva who was the lowest rated participant of the event, but ended as the runner-up: “I consider Laman as a chess player with a rating of 2200. She has games of high quality, despite the low rating. I think she did not have enough experience. However, winning a silver medal is a good result. I congratulate my colleague and wish her success in future competitions.”. Replay the game here.
Govhar added that the defeat against Hajiyeva didn’t go unnoticed: “I was well prepared against Laman. It just didn’t work out the way I wanted it to. As a result, I lost. But my relatives did not let me down after the defeat. My father, Kamran, who always believed in me, said that the main struggle was ahead. Many thanks to coaches Rasul Ibrahimov and Fikret Sideifzade. At the same time, I felt the support of chess players Mohammad Muradli and Aydin Suleymanli. I am happy to live up to their expectations.”.
Final rankings – Azerbaijan Women’s Chess Championship 2022:
| 1 | WIM | Beydullayeva Govhar | 2384 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 15.00 |
| 2 | WFM | Hajiyeva Laman | 1971 | 4½ | 3 | 0 | 16.00 |
| 3 | WGM | Fataliyeva Ulviyya | 2348 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 13.00 |
| 4 | IM | Mammadova Gulnar | 2387 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 11.25 |
| 5 | WGM | Balajayeva Khanim | 2376 | 3 | 1 | ½ | 11.75 |
| 6 | WGM | Abdulla Khayala | 2219 | 3 | 1 | ½ | 9.25 |
| 7 | WGM | Mamedjarova Turkan | 2264 | 2½ | 2 | 0 | 7.50 |
| 8 | WFM | Allahverdiyeva Ayan | 2120 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 6.75 |
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