Gashimov Memorial

The Gashimov Memorial is a chess supertournament played in Azerbaijan in memory of Vugar Gashimov (24th July 1986– 11th January 2014).

Winners # Year Winner120142201532016420175201862019720218202292023102024112025

2014 The Gashimov Memorial 2014 took place in the Heydar Aliyev Centre in Shamkir City from 16 April to 30 April 2014, consisting of two tournaments, with invited players Magnus Carlsen, Hikaru Nakamura, Sergey Karjakin, Fabiano Caruana, Shakhriyar Mamedyarov, and Teimour Radjabov making up the A Tournament. The Elo average for the A Tournament was 2780, making it a Category 22 event and one of the highest rated tournaments of all time.

The A Tournament was held as a double round robin, with each player facing the other with both colours, while the B Tournament was held as a single round robin.

The total prize fund for the A tournament was €100,000,Tournament A regulations Accessed 20 July 2014 while the prize fund for the B tournament was €30,000.Tournament B regulations . Accessed 20 July 2014

In the A Tournament, in spite of losing consecutive games early on,Radjabov Also Beats Carlsen, Grabs Sole Lead In Shamkir Chess.com Retrieved 20 July 2014 Magnus Carlsen won after a last round White win over Fabiano Caruana who finished second.

In the B Tournament, Pavel Eljanov won two and drew one of his last three games to take first place.

+ 1st Shamkir Chess, Group A, 20–30 April 2014, Şəmkir, Azerbaijan, Category XXII (2780) Player Rating 1 2 3 4 5 6 Points Wins TPR 1 2881 0 1 0 ½ ½ ½ 1 1 1 1 6½ 5 2868 2 2783 1 0 ½ 1 ½ ½ ½ ½ 0 1 5½ 3 2814 3 2713 1 ½ ½ 0 ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ 5 1 2793 4 2772 ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ 5 0 2781 5 2772 0 0 ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ 1 1 5 2 2781 6 2760 0 0 1 0 ½ ½ ½ ½ 0 0 3 1 2638

+ 1st Shamkir Chess, Group B, 20–30 April 2014, Şəmkir, Azerbaijan, Category XVII (2663) Player Rating 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Points Wins TPR 1 2732 ½ 0 1 1 ½ ½ ½ 1 1 6 4 2775 2 2685 ½ 0 1 0 ½ 1 ½ 1 1 5½ 4 2738 3 2734 1 1 ½ ½ ½ 0 ½ ½ ½ 5 2 2694 4 2722 0 0 ½ ½ ½ 1 1 1 ½ 5 2 2695 5 2716 0 1 ½ ½ ½ 0 ½ ½ 1 4½ 2 2657 6 2516 ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ 0 ½ 4 0 2640 7 2660 ½ 0 1 0 1 ½ 0 ½ ½ 4 2 2625 8 2584 ½ ½ ½ 0 ½ ½ 1 0 ½ 4 1 2632 9 2621 0 0 ½ 0 ½ 1 ½ 1 ½ 4 2 2628 10 2656 0 0 ½ ½ 0 ½ ½ ½ ½ 3 0 2543

2015 The second edition of Shamkir Chess took place 16–25 April 2015.

World champion Magnus Carlsen, former world champion Viswanathan Anand and Vladimir Kramnik competed in the tournament in Azerbaijan, as well as Fabiano Caruana, Anish Giri, Wesley So, Maxime Vachier-Lagrave, Shakhriyar Mamedyarov, Michael Adams, and the Azerbaijan Champion Rauf Mamedov.

The tournament's total prize fund was €100,000.

Magnus Carlsen won the event with 7 points out of 9.

+ 2nd Shamkir Chess, 17–26 April 2015, Şəmkir, Azerbaijan, Category XXI (2773) Player Rating 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Points Wins TPR 1 2863 ½ ½ 1 1 1 ½ ½ 1 1 7 5 2981 2 2791 ½ 1 ½ ½ 1 1 ½ ½ ½ 6 3 2892 3 2788 ½ 0 0 ½ ½ 1 1 ½ 1 5 3 2809 4 2802 0 ½ 1 1 ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ 5 2 2811 5 2783 0 ½ ½ 0 0 1 ½ 1 ½ 4 2 2735 6 2754 0 0 ½ ½ 1 ½ ½ ½ ½ 4 1 2738 7 2746 ½ 0 0 ½ 0 ½ 1 ½ ½ 3½ 1 2694 8 2790 ½ ½ 0 ½ ½ ½ 0 ½ ½ 3½ 0 2697 9 2762 0 ½ ½ ½ 0 ½ ½ ½ ½ 3½ 0 2699 10 2651 0 ½ 0 ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ 3½ 0 2708

2016 The 3rd Shamkir Chess Tournament took place from May 26 to June 4, 2016. All ratings below are from the May 2016 FIDE Rating Lists.

+ 3rd Shamkir Chess, 26 May – 4 June 2016, Şəmkir, Azerbaijan, Category XX (2736) Player Rating 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Points Wins TPR 1 2748 1 1 ½ ½ 0 1 ½ 1 ½ 6 4 2854 2 2804 0 ½ ½ 1 ½ ½ 1 1 1 6 4 2848 3 2790 0 ½ 1 ½ 1 1 ½ ½ ½ 5½ 3 2808 4 2779 ½ ½ 0 ½ 1 ½ ½ ½ 1 5 2 2770 5 2655 ½ 0 ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ 1 4½ 1 2744 6 2763 1 ½ 0 0 ½ 0 ½ 1 ½ 4 2 2694 7 2664 0 ½ 0 ½ ½ 1 ½ ½ ½ 4 1 2704 8 2726 ½ 0 ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ 4 0 2699 9 2765 0 0 ½ ½ ½ 0 ½ ½ 1 3½ 1 2654 10 2663 ½ 0 ½ 0 0 ½ ½ ½ 0 2½ 0 2578

Both Mamedyarov and Caruana were equal after nine rounds. Mamedyarov won the ensuing tiebreak rounds. The first two games were 10+3, and the second two games were 5+3.

+ Tiebreak Player Rapid rating Blitz rating 1 2 3 4 Points Place 2791 2714 ½ ½ 1 ½ 2½ 1 2829 2665 ½ ½ 0 ½ 1½ 2

2017 + 4th Shamkir Chess, 21–30 April 2017, Şəmkir, Azerbaijan, Category XXI (2765) Player Rating 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Points Wins SB TPR 1 2772 1 1 ½ ½ 0 ½ ½ 1 ½ 5½ 3 2844 2 2811 0 0 ½ ½ ½ 1 ½ 1 1 5 3 2803 3 2822 0 1 ½ 1 ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ 5 2 ½ 22.00 2802 4 2741 ½ ½ ½ 0 1 ½ ½ 1 ½ 5 2 ½ 21.75 2811 5 2783 ½ ½ 0 1 ½ 0 ½ 1 ½ 4½ 2 2763 6 2745 1 ½ ½ 0 ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ 4½ 1 ½ 20.50 2767 7 2761 ½ 0 ½ ½ 1 ½ ½ ½ ½ 4½ 1 ½ 20.00 2766 8 2710 ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ 0 ½ 4 0 2728 9 2751 0 0 ½ 0 0 ½ ½ 1 1 3½ 2 2687 10 2755 ½ 0 ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ 0 3½ 0 2686

2018

The total prize fund of the fifth edition of Shamkir Chess tournament was again set to €100,000, with the winner receiving €30,000. With an average rating of 2768, it was a category XXI tournament.

One week before the beginning of the tournament, former world champion Vladimir Kramnik sent a letter to the organization committee stating he would not participate as planned, as he desired a rest after the Candidates Tournament held in March. The organizers replaced Kramnik with the No. 1 Polish player Radosław Wojtaszek (2744).

In the last round of the tournament, Magnus Carlsen and Ding Liren faced each other. They were in first and second place, respectively, and Carlsen as white needed only a draw to reclaim the title after two years of absence from the tournament. The game was a theoretical Four Knights Game. It was clear that Ding did not want to risk his runner-up position by attempting to defeat Carlsen as black, and the game was drawn within 20 minutes. As a result, Carlsen won the tournament for the third time.

+ 5th Shamkir Chess, 18–28 April 2018, Şəmkir, Azerbaijan, Category XXI (2768) Player Rating 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Points Wins SB TPR 1 2843 ½ ½ ½ 1 1 ½ 1 ½ ½ 6 3 2885 2 2778 ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ 1 1 5½ 2 2847 3 2778 ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ 1 ½ ½ 5 1 2810 4 2814 ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ 0 ½ 1 4½ 1 19.50 2763 5 2744 0 ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ 1 ½ ½ 4½ 1 19.25 2771 6 2777 0 ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ 1 4½ 1 18.50 2767 7 2748 ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ 4½ 0 2770 8 Veselin Topalov () 2749 0 ½ 0 1 0 ½ ½ ½ 1 4 2 2727 9 2704 ½ 0 ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ 4 0 2732 10 2745 ½ 0 ½ 0 ½ 0 ½ 0 ½ 2½ 0 2605

2019

+ 6th Shamkir Chess, 31 March – 9 April 2019, Şəmkir, Azerbaijan, Category XXII (2778) Player Rating 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Points WinsSBTPR 1 2845 ½ 1 1 1 ½ ½ 1 ½ 1 7 5 2991 2 2812 ½ ½ 1½ ½ 10 ½ ½ 5222.25 2817 3 2753 0 ½ ½ 1 ½½ ½ ½15220.25 2824 4 2771 00 ½ ½ ½1 1 ½ ½4½220.25 2779 5 2779 0 ½ 0 ½ ½½ ½ 1 14½218.25 2778 6 2756 ½ ½ ½½½ ½½ ½ ½ 4½017.50 2781 7 2740 ½0½0½½ ½1 ½ 4117.50 2739 8 2739 0 1 ½ 0 ½ ½½ ½½4117.25 2740 9 2790 ½ ½ ½ ½ 0 ½ 0½ ½3½0 2697 10 2797 0 ½ 0½0 ½ ½ ½½ 30 2651

2021 The 2021 edition was changed to a rapid/blitz event, and held in Baku, a departure from the tournament being traditionally held in Shamkir. Fabiano Caruana won the event in an armageddon playoff against Richárd Rapport.

+ 7th Gashimov Memorial, 17-24 December 2021, Baku, Azerbaijan Player Rapid score Blitz score Total 1 14 10 24 2 16 8 24 3 14 8½ 22½ 4 16 5 21 5 9 6½ 15½ 6 8 6 14 7 4 6 10 8 3 69

2022 The 2022 edition remained the same as that of the previous year; being a rapid/blitz event held in Baku.

+ 8th Gashimov Memorial, 16-24 December 2022, Baku, Azerbaijan Player Rapid score Blitz score Total 1 14 11½ 25½ 2 8 12½20½ 3 12 8½ 20½ 4 8 12 20 5 12 7½ 19½ 6 10 9 19 7 6 11 17 8 7 8 15 9 7 5 12 10 6 5 11

2023 The 2023 edition was held in Qabala.

+ 9th Gashimov Memorial, 7-11 December 2023, Qabala, Azerbaijan Player Rapid score Blitz score Total 1 10 12 22 2 10 11½21½ 3 7 12 19 4 9 9½ 18½ 5 11 7½ 18½ 6 8 10 18 7 8 10 18 8 10 7 17 9 9 6 15 10 8 4½ 12½

2024 The 2024 edition was held in Shusha.

+ 10th Gashimov Memorial, 26-28 September 2024, Shusha, Azerbaijan Player Rapid score Blitz score Total 1 10 9 19 2 8 1018 3 9 7 16 4 8 6½ 14½ 5 6 7½ 13½ 6 5 8 13 7 4 5 9 8 6 3 9

2025 The 2025 edition was held in Khankendi (Stepanakert). It was changed into six-player double round-robin event. Ian Nepomniachtchi won the event on tiebreaks after having better Head-to-head score than Vladimir Fedoseev.

+ 11th Gashimov Memorial, 9-11 December 2025, Khankendi, Azerbaijan Player Rapid score Blitz score Total 1 6½ 6½ 13 2 6 7 13 3 4½ 6 10½ 4 5 4½ 9½ 5 5 3 8 6 3 3 6

References

External links Vugar Gashimov Memorial 2014 Broadcast of the Shamkir 2019 on worldchess.com Vugar Gashimov memorial official website