The first three rounds of rapid chess at the Gashimov Memorial ended with Nijat Abasov as the sole leader in the standings. Abasov, who is likely to play in the Candidates Tournament next year, beat Boris Gelfand and Richard Rapport in consecutive rounds to finish the day with 5/6 points (wins are worth 2 points in the rapid section). Sharing second place on 4/6 scores are Vidit Gujrathi, Arjun Erigaisi and Rauf Mamedov. | Photo: Official website
The Vugar Gashimov Memorial 2023 is taking place in Gabala, Azerbaijan, on December 8-11. Ten strong grandmasters compete in a combined rapid chess and blitz tournament. The event is held in memory of grandmaster Vugar Gashimov, who sadly died of a brain tumour in January 2014, at the age of 27. | Follow the games live with computer-assisted analysis starting at 15.00 local time (12.00 CET, 6.00 ET, 16.30 IST)
The Vugar Gashimov Memorial 2023 will be held in Gabala, Azerbaijan, on December 8-11. Ten strong grandmasters will compete in a combined rapid chess and blitz tournament. The event is held in memory of the former world-class player Vugar Gashimov, who sadly died of a brain tumour in January 2014, at the age of 27.
How do you win a stage of the Tour de France? As well as endurance and cycling skills, a rider needs to be able to think strategically. It is an art to choose the right moment to break away from the peloton. If you break too early, you may lose your energy before the finish. If you wait too long, someone else might take the chance instead of you.
Timing is also very important in chess, for example when planning a pawn move. | Photo: Hilmar Buschow, Pixabay
Fabiano Caruana had a great second day of blitz at the Vugar Gashimov Tournament in Baku. The American even caught up with former leader Richard Rapport in the overall standings table. Caruana then went on to beat his Hungarian colleague in Armageddon to win the event. | Photos: Official tournament site