"I hope the participants of this tournament will showcase exciting games."
Azerbaijani national team chess player Gunay Mammadzada shared her expectations with Idman.biz regarding the international chess tournament dedicated to the memory of renowned public and political figure Ganira Pashayeva.
"I am familiar with Ganira Pashayeva's work and have read her books. That’s why participating in this tournament holds great significance for me. Competing as a team is also an important and positive aspect. I hope this tournament becomes a tradition," said the 25-year-old grandmaster.
Mammadzada also reflected on her recent victory in the Azerbaijani Championship: "Although I won, my performance was below my expectations. Honestly, competing against teammates is psychologically challenging. Every chess player plays to win the championship, and I was no exception. I did my best in the tournament, and the results reflected that."
She also addressed her 15-place drop in the FIDE rankings and the fact that, after a long time, Govhar Beydullayeva has surpassed her as Azerbaijan’s top-ranked female chess player: "Such situations can happen to any chess player. I believe this result will change soon. I’m confident that everything will fall into place in a short time."
According to the latest FIDE rankings, Mammadzada is in 51st place with 2396 points, while Beydullayeva holds 43rd place with 2400 points.
Aytaj Sahed
Idman.biz
