“It’s an honor for me to compete against the legendary Viswanathan Anand,” said Azerbaijani chess champion Rauf Mammadov, speaking to Report ahead of the upcoming “Clash of Champions” tournament in Baku.
Mammadov is set to face the 15th World Chess Champion, Viswanathan Anand, in a highly anticipated match, Idman.biz reports.
Reflecting on his opponent and the opportunity, Mammadov shared his thoughts:
“To face a world champion and a legend like Viswanathan Anand — who is currently close to the top 10 in the FIDE rankings — is a great source of pride for me. As the reigning Azerbaijani champion, this invitation came as a pleasant surprise. I’m currently playing in a tournament in Germany, but I’ve faced Anand before. At the Vugar Gashimov Memorial, I actually beat him 2–1. I believe he’s the favorite going into this match, but I’ll do my best to put up a strong fight.”
The Battle of Champions tournament will be held from April 27 to 30 at the Azerbaijan National Carpet Museum. In another exciting matchup, Azerbaijani champion Gunay Mammadzada will face Bulgarian Grandmaster and former World and European Champion Antoaneta Stefanova.
Idman.biz
