A change has been made to the lineup of the upcoming Battle of Champions chess tournament, jointly organized by the Azerbaijan Chess Federation, the Ministry of Youth and Sports of the Republic of Azerbaijan, and the Azerbaijan National Carpet Museum.
Indian world champion Viswanathan Anand has withdrawn from the event due to health concerns, based on medical advice, Idman.biz reports.
In a message to the Azerbaijan Chess Federation, Anand expressed his regret and said he would be happy to participate in future tournaments.
Replacing him will be Uzbek world champion Rustam Kasimdzhanov, who will face Azerbaijani champion Rauf Mammadov in the highly anticipated showdown.
The tournament will be held at the Azerbaijan National Carpet Museum from April 28 to 30. On the women’s side, Azerbaijani national champion Gunay Mammadzada will compete against world and European champion Antoaneta Stefanova.
The overall winners of the Battle of Champions will be determined based on combined results from rapid and blitz matches.
Idman.biz
