A chess tournament dedicated to Azerbaijan’s National Leader held in San Diego

A chess tournament dedicated to the 96th birthday anniversary of Azerbaijan’s National Leader Heydar Aliyev was held on May 4, 2019 in San Diego, California.

Initiated and supported by the Consulate General of Azerbaijan in Los Angeles as well as the San Diego-Baku Friendship Association, and held for the second time by the San Diego Chess Club, the tournament was called “Baku Open 2019”.

The San Diego Chess Club is one of the largest chess clubs in the United States.

Opening the event, Rashad Eyvazov, the Consul of the Consulate General of Azerbaijan, talked about the extraordinary life path of Heydar Aliyev and his outstanding role and tireless efforts in the preservation and strengthening of Azerbaijan’s independent and sovereign statehood. Highlighting the many difficult challenges the National Leader faced in preserving Azerbaijan’s independence and how masterfully he overcame them, Eyvazov said that the memory of Heydar Aliyev will always live in the hearts and minds of the Azerbaijani people.

Speaking afterwards, Martin Kruming, the Executive Director of the San Diego-Baku Friendship Association, informed the participants about the remarkable chess history and the current development of this sport in Azerbaijan, and wished everyone success in the tournament.

In the four-round tournament, more than 50 players from different age groups competed in six sections. In the end, the winners of each section were presented with certificates of achievement by the Consulate General of Azerbaijan.