A representative international rapid chess tournament “Vugar Hashimov Memorial” is being held in Baku (Azerbaijan). Russian grandmaster Sergei Karjakin, a participant in the 2016 crown match in the classic version of the game, is in the leading group in Baku.
Azerbaijani Vugar Gashimov, who was famous for his particularly strong blitz game, died in 2014 at the age of 27 from a malignant brain tumor. After that, in the homeland of the talented chess player who died early, a blitz and rapid tournament is held annually, the winner of which was the current holder of the world crown in the “classics” Norwegian Magnus Carlsen four times.
This time, besides Karjakin, the 15th world champion Viswanathan Anand (India) flew to Azerbaijan. Also in Baku play the fourth number of the rating Fabiano Caruana (USA), Czech David Navara, Hungarian Richard Rapport, two-time winner of the tournament, Azerbaijani Shahriyar Mamedyarov, his compatriots Rauf Mammadov and Vugar Asadli.
Eight participants fight in rapid and blitz. In rapid chess, 3 points are awarded for winning a mini-match (two games). In the event of a draw (1: 1), the so-called “Armageddon” is played, where the winner gets two points and the loser one. After five rounds of Rapid, Rapport was in the lead (13 points), behind him in the table were Caruana (11) and Karjakin (10).
In the second part of the competition, blitz fights will be held. The tournament will end on December 24th.
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