Rating tournament dedicated to Novruz

Open SwissStandard

45 players participated in this 9-round tournament, held from 24 Mar 2026 to 29 Mar 2026 in Baku, Azerbaijan. 1 titled players. Top 10 Elo average was 1787, and top seed was Zaur Balayev (🇦🇿 AZE, 1857).

Sevil Tahirova (🇦🇿 AZE, WCM, 1778) won with 8.5/9, ahead of Zaur Balayev (7.0) and Ali Farhadov (6.5). Tahirova won solo starting round 4.

The biggest upset came in round 7: Farid Babazade (1566) beat Rufat Aliyev (1809), a +243-point gap.

Location

🇦🇿Baku, Azerbaijan

Dates

24 Mar 2026 → 29 Mar 2026

Time control

Standard: 60 minutes with 30 seconds increment from move 1

System

Swiss · 9 rounds

Top seed

🇦🇿Zaur Balayev1857

Avg top 10

1,787

Participants

Titled players · 1

WCM×1

Federations · 1 represented

🇦🇿Azerbaijan×41

Top 3

🥇
WCMSevil Tahirova
🇦🇿AZE·1778
8.5pts·2158perf+66.8
🥈
Zaur Balayev
🇦🇿AZE·1857
7.0pts·1935perf+17.4
🥉
Ali Farhadov
🇦🇿AZE·1800
6.5pts·1889perf+46.4

How it unfolded

Top 6 · 9 rounds

WCM Sevil Tahirova led from R4; +1.5-point edge over the runner-up.

Co-leaders

Tahirova8.5Balayev7Farhadov6.5Murvatov6Mammadzada6Nasirova6

R4–R9 · LEAD HELD

WCM Sevil Tahirova never relinquished the lead after R4; final gap +1.5 over the runner-up.

R5 · HEAD-TO-HEAD · WINNER VS 2ND

WCM Sevil Tahirova beat Zaur Balayev (Black).

WIN STREAKS · 2 top finishers

WCM Sevil Tahirova 6 wins (R1–R6)Zaur Balayev 3 wins (R1–R3)

Key matchups · top 4

Head-to-head between the four finishers

Player	1	2	3	4
1WCMSevil Tahirova	*	1	1	1
2Zaur Balayev	0	*	½	1
3Ali Farhadov	0	½	*	—
4Farid Murvatov	0	0	—	*

Grille américaine

#	Player	Elo	Fed	R1	R2	R3	R4	R5	R6	R7	R8	R9	Pts	Bu C1	Bu	SB	Perf	Δ
1	Tahirova, SevilWCM	1778	AZE	+23N	+27B	+10N	+11B	+2N	+3B	=5N	+9B	+4N	8.5	46.0	50.0	47.00	2158	+66.8
2	Balayev, Zaur	1857	AZE	+14N	+24B	+4N	=9B	−1B	+10N	=3N	+5B	+12N	7.0	48.5	52.5	38.00	1935	+17.4
3	Farhadov, Ali	1800	AZE	+13N	+17B	=32N	+6B	+9N	−1N	=2B	+8B	=5N	6.5	49.0	52.5	35.75	1889	+46.4
4	Murvatov, Farid	1746	AZE	+39B	+16N	−2B	+14N	−8B	+20N	+11N	+7B	−1B	6.0	48.0	50.5	29.00	1762	+9.2
5	Mammadzada, Tural	1819	AZE	+35N	+8B	−9N	+32B	+22N	+11B	=1B	−2N	=3B	6.0	47.0	50.5	30.50	1839	+6.4
6	Nasirova, Khana	1783	AZE	=31B	+21N	+12B	−3N	=7B	=17N	+30B	=11N	+9N	6.0	42.0	45.5	29.00	1718	-21.6
7	Israfilov, Emil	1725	AZE	=30N	+19B	−11B	+31N	=6N	+23B	+14N	−4N	+18B	6.0	40.0	43.5	27.25	1688	-6.2
8	Bakikhanov, Fail	1667	AZE	+38B	−5N	+29B	+23N	+4N	F	+16B	−3N	+13B	6.0	40.0	42.5	26.50	1776	+21.6
9	Bakirov, Omar	1717	AZE	+25B	+33N	+5B	=2N	−3B	+24N	+32B	−1N	−6B	5.5	45.5	49.0	24.50	1787	+33.6
10	Aliyev, Rufat	1809	AZE	+26B	+15N	−1B	+16N	=24B	−2B	−12N	+23B	+17N	5.5	44.0	48.0	25.00	1692	-22.6
11	Salimli, Rufat	1701	AZE	+44N	+42B	+7N	−1N	+17B	−5N	−4B	=6B	+30N	5.5	42.5	43.5	20.00	1693	-1.0
12	Babazade, Farid	1566	AZE	=19N	+30B	−6N	+28B	−32N	+43B	+10B	+24N	−2B	5.5	38.5	40.0	21.00	1760	+69.6
13	Orujov, Amirkhan	1479	AZE	−3B	+45N	+18B	−24N	−15B	+33N	+22N	+14B	−8N	5.0	39.5	40.0	18.50	1579	+32.0
14	Bulkin, Deniel	1509	AZE	−2B	+44N	+21B	−4B	+42N	+15N	−7B	−13N	+24B	5.0	39.0	40.0	16.00	1548	+1.2
15	Karim, Abdullah	1570	AZE	+34N	−10B	−23N	+36B	+13N	−14B	+19N	−17B	+26N	5.0	37.0	40.0	20.50	1495	-25.2
16	Garyayev, Bulat	1532	AZE	+40N	−4B	+42N	−10B	+34N	+22B	−8N	−18B	+28N	5.0	37.0	38.5	16.00	1540	+2.8
17	Garaisali, Murad	1566	AZE	+45B	−3N	+39B	+43N	−11N	=6B	=24B	+15N	−10B	5.0	36.5	37.0	14.50	1629	+19.6
18	Ismayilov, Faraj	1617	AZE	+41N	−32B	−13N	+25B	−23B	+21N	+31B	+16N	−7N	5.0	35.5	37.5	19.00	1509	-41.6
19	Kazimov, Khalid	0	AZE	=12B	−7N	−25B	+45N	+39B	=31N	−15B	+36N	+34B	5.0	33.0	33.5	14.00	1464	0.0
20	Hasanov, Ramin	1539	AZE	−21B	+25N	−43B	+33N	+38B	−4B	−23N	+31N	+29B	5.0	32.0	33.5	17.50	1589	+10.8
21	Samadli, Yasin	0	AZE	+20N	−6B	−14N	=30B	+35N	−18B	−26N	+39B	+36B	4.5	35.0	37.5	15.75	1531	0.0
22	Abasov, Anar	1566	AZE	−33B	+36N	+26B	+38N	−5B	−16N	−13B	=25N	+42B	4.5	33.0	34.5	13.00	1478	-16.0
23	Mustafayev, Mahammad	1463	AZE	−1B	+37N	+15B	−8B	+18N	−7N	+20B	−10N	F	4.0	45.0	48.0	18.00	1615	+51.6
24	Novruzov, Muhammad	1669	AZE	+43N	−2N	+31B	+13B	=10N	−9B	=17N	−12B	−14N	4.0	42.0	43.5	15.25	1539	-28.8
25	Karimli, Aykhan	1412	AZE	−9N	−20B	+19N	−18N	−33B	+41B	+42N	=22B	=37B	4.0	33.5	35.0	12.25	1280	-21.6
26	Khaligzade, Nahid	1487	AZE	−10N	+34B	−22N	+40B	=43B	−30N	+21B	=27N	−15B	4.0	33.0	34.5	13.25	1211	-71.2
27	Ganbarov, Sadig	1539	AZE	+37N	−1N	−38B	−34B	+36N	=42B	+40N	=26B	F	4.0	31.0	32.5	11.25	1582	+8.0
28	Guluzade, Elgun	1588	AZE	=36B	−31N	+33B	−12N	−30B	+39N	+38B	=29N	−16B	4.0	30.5	33.0	12.00	1322	-49.8
29	Dotto, Amir	1509	AZE	−32N	+41B	−8N	−42B	+45N	=34B	+43N	=28B	−20N	4.0	27.0	27.5	7.75	1327	-30.8
30	Asgarov, Kamil	1437	AZE	=7B	−12N	=36B	=21N	+28N	+26B	−6N	F	−11B	3.5	39.0	42.0	14.75	1569	+21.8
31	Abdullayev, Royal	1472	AZE	=6N	+28B	−24N	−7B	+37N	=19B	−18N	−20B	=33N	3.5	38.5	41.5	14.25	1455	-7.6
32	Abasov, Yusif	1840	AZE	+29B	+18N	=3B	−5N	+12B	F	−9N	F	F	3.5	38.5	38.5	17.75	1726	-29.2
33	Huseynov, Huseyn	0	AZE	+22N	−9B	−28N	−20B	+25N	−13B	−36B	+41N	=31B	3.5	34.5	36.5	12.25	1381	0.0
34	Guliyev, Aliyar	0	AZE	−15B	−26N	+44B	+27N	−16B	=29N	−35N	+40B	−19N	3.5	33.0	34.0	9.50	1331	0.0
35	Karimov, Miraslan	1504	AZE	−5B	−38N	=45B	+44N	−21B	+37N	+34B	F	F	3.5	24.5	24.5	7.75	1018	-5.6
36	Ekici, Pamir Azer	0	AZE	=28N	−22B	=30N	−15N	−27B	+44B	+33N	−19B	−21N	3.0	34.0	35.0	8.25	1293	-31.6
37	Salmanli, Fateh	0	AZE	−27B	−23B	+41N	=39N	−31B	−35B	F	+38N	=25N	3.0	26.0	26.0	7.75	1194	0.0
38	Afandiyev, Ahad	0	AZE	−8N	+35B	+27N	−22B	−20N	=40B	−28N	−37B	F	2.5	32.5	32.5	8.75	1433	0.0
39	Gafarov, Rafael	1440	AZE	−4N	+40B	−17N	=37B	−19N	−28B	+45B	−21N	F	2.5	30.5	30.5	4.50	833	-30.8
40	FIDE 13496905	0	—	−16B	−39N	F	−26N	+41B	=38N	−27B	−34N	+44B	2.5	24.5	24.5	4.25	707	0.0
41	FIDE 13467050	0	—	−18B	−29N	−37B	F	−40N	−25N	+44B	−33B	+45N	2.0	23.5	23.5	1.50	709	0.0
42	Imanov, Parviz	0	AZE	F	−11N	−16B	+29N	−14B	=27N	−25B	F	−22N	1.5	33.5	33.5	6.00	1308	0.0
43	Valiyev, Rashid	0	AZE	−24B	F	+20N	−17B	=26N	−12N	−29B	F	F	1.5	29.0	29.0	7.00	1365	0.0
44	FIDE 13496913	0	—	−11B	−14B	−34N	−35B	F	−36N	−41N	+45B	−40N	1.0	25.5	25.5	0.50	742	0.0
45	FIDE 13495348	0	—	−17N	−13B	=35N	−19B	−29B	F	−39N	−44N	−41B	0.5	28.0	28.0	1.75	1132	0.0

Key insights

Biggest movers and upsets — the story behind the numbers.

Top rating gainers

1Babazade, FaridAZE
+69.6
5.5 pts · #12
2Tahirova, SevilWCMAZE
+66.8
8.5 pts · #1
3Mustafayev, MahammadAZE
+51.6
4.0 pts · #16

Top rating losers

1Khaligzade, NahidAZE
-71.2
4.0 pts · #37
2Guluzade, ElgunAZE
-49.8
4.0 pts · #26
3Ismayilov, FarajAZE
-41.6
5.0 pts · #17

Biggest upsets

R7+243 Elo gap
Babazade, Farid1566 beat Aliyev, Rufat1809
R9+160 Elo gap
Bulkin, Deniel1509 beat Novruzov, Muhammad1669
R5+154 Elo gap
Mustafayev, Mahammad1463 beat Ismayilov, Faraj1617