"It’s been a very interesting championship."
This is what Eltaj Safarli, a chess player for the Azerbaijani national team, shared in an interview with the Chess Federation's press service, Idman.biz reports.
The 33-year-old grandmaster mentioned that his 1/16 final match was not as easy as anticipated: "In the last game, I played against a relatively younger opponent. I won 2-0, but the result wasn't easy to achieve. Honestly, I didn't think it would be this tough. My opponent didn’t play badly. In the first game, the result was heading toward a draw, but in the end, I won. The tension is no longer there. I expect this year's championship to be challenging because everyone is playing. It's harder to play in a knockout system, as there can be surprises at any time."
Safarli also revealed his favorite in the tournament: "Shakhriyar Mamedyarov. He’s the favorite according to the rankings. But first, we need to get through the rounds. Not making it is also normal since the opponents are strong. I believe this is the toughest Azerbaijan championship in history. May the strongest win."
Eltaj Safarli, who defeated Pasham Alizada in both of his matches, has advanced to the next round. The championship will continue until February 15th.
Idman.biz
