Rauf Mamedov and Gunay Mammadzada emerged victorious in the 2025 Azerbaijani Championships, securing their seventh and third national titles, respectively.
The Azerbaijan Championships of 2025 were held in Baku, the capital city, from February 1st to 14th. Both the open and women’s competitions adopted a knockout tournament format, featuring two-game matches with tiebreakers in case of a draw. The total prize pool for the open section was 60,000 AZN (approximately $35,000 USD), and for the women’s section, it was 30,000 AZN (approximately $17,500 USD). The champions received 20,000 AZN and 10,000 AZN, respectively.
In contrast to previous years, the 2025 Open Championship featured the strongest lineup ever, with all of Azerbaijan’s leading players, including national team members, participating.
The top three seeded players lived up to expectations, all reaching the semifinals. However, Misratdin Iskandarov, who was seeded 12th, caused a surprise by defeating Nijat Abasov and Aydin Suleymanli to reach the final four.
In the first semifinal match, Shakhriyar Mamedyarov, the top-rated player in the tournament, outperformed Iskandarov to advance to the final. The second semifinal was much closer, with Rauf Mamedov narrowly defeating Teimour Radjabov in an Armageddon game.
The final match was between two worthy contenders and was full of drama. After two classical games and the first rapid tiebreaker ended in draws, Mamedyarov made a crucial rook blunder in an equal endgame, handing the championship title to Mamedov.
In the match for third place, Iskandarov defeated Radjabov, completing the podium.
Shakhriyar Mamedyarov playing white against eventual champion Rauf Mamedov
The podium
Gideon Holt 
Elton Marrow