The Top-Notch Azerbaijani Chess Grandmaster Shakhriyar Mamedyarov

Born at the Azerbaijan city of Sumqayit, chess grandmaster Shakhriyar Mamedyarov is one of the most respected chess players in his native country. With a 2757 Elo rating, he is listed as the sixth best player of the game on a worldwide basis. He is one of the rising competitors of the game in recent years.

The Azerbaijani chess grandmaster's first taste of world class chess competition came when he joined the 20-Under World Junior chess championship in 2003. This international chess tournament is handled by the World Chess Federation (FIDE) to showcase highly talented chess players who are under 20 years of age. Mamedyarov won this event in classic fashion after defeating and outscoring his equally talented counterparts.

Two years after, Mamedyarov joined the 2005 version of the World Junior Chess Championship. His performance was so great that game observers clearly realized how ready he is for big time world chess tournaments. Within only eight rounds of play, he was already able to score an extraordinary 2953 score. This feat is not an easy thing to do especially in the 20-Under category.

In 2005, Mamedyarov have already made his presence felt in the big leagues. He enthusiastically joined the European Club Cup chess tournament to gain some important experiences in international competitions. At the end of the event, the Azerbaijani chess sensation scored an outstanding 2913 points. This performance is good for second overall, with Ukrainian chess grandmaster Vassily Ivanchuk being the only other player to have a better score.

In February 2006, the Azerbaijani chess grandmaster joined the Aeroflot Open chess tournament in Moscow, Russia. At the final moments, he was able to achieve a first place finish after scoring 6.5 out of the possible 9 points. In October of the same year, Mamedyarov joined the Essent Chess Tournament. He won the event easily winning 4.5 out of the possible six. Hungarian chess grandmaster Judit Polgar was his victim in this international chess event.

In 2007, Mamedyarov joined the Chess World Cup. Through this event, chess players can qualify for the much awaited 2009 installment of the FIDE World Chess Championship. Teimour Radjabov of Azerbaijan, Levon Aronian of Armenia, and Alexei Shirov of Spain were among the other top chess grandmasters present at the occasion. Mamedyarov reached the third round before suffering a defeat at the hands of Bulgarian chess grandmaster Ivan Cheparinov.

Mamedyarov is often described by his fellow chess grandmasters as an excellent chess strategist. His unique style of play never fails to amaze his often surprised chess opponents. As of January 2008, the FIDE rankings list him with a 2760 peak rating overall. Being the sixth best chess player of the world helped him earn the respect of the entire chess world.