The International Chess Festival Baku Open 2016 dedicated to the Independence Day of the Republic of Azerbaijan has today started.

Azerbaijani GMs Nijat Abbasov, Ulvi Bajarani, Vugar Rasulov, Zaur Mammadov, Sarkhan Guliyev, Narmin Kazimova, Khayala Abdulla, Turkan and Zeynab Mammadyarova will compete at the tournament.

The Festival is co-organized by the Ministry of Youth and Sports and the Azerbaijan Chess Federation.

The total prize fund of the tournament is 25.000 USD.

The tournament A is open for the players rated equally or higher than FIDE ELO=2250 and for women rated equally or higher than 2100, while the tournament B is open for the players rated equally or lower FIDE ELO=2249 (for women - equally or lower FIDE ELO=2099).

The A tournament brings together 56 players from 9 countries, including 18 GMs, while 128 players from Azerbaijan, Iran, Ukraine, Georgia, Kazakhstan and Russia will vie for medals in the B tournament.