Name: Vugar Gashimov

Place of birth: Baku

Date of birth: 24^th July 1986

Country: Azerbaijan

Current Title: Grand Master

Current Rank: 12 (as per March 2010 ranking list)

Current ELO Rating: 2740 (as per March 2010 )

Vugar Gashimov is currently the second top Azerbaijani chess player. Gashimov’s best Elo rating is 2740 (as per March 2010 ranking list) .When he was six years old, Gashimov started learning chess from his father Gashimov. Gashimov is quite an attacking player. He has prowess in tactical as well as positional moves. Sicilian, Ruy Lopez, Queen’s pawn game, French defense, Nizmo Indian, Petrov, French, English, Modern Benoni etc are some of the favourite openings of Gashimov. He is brilliant in bullet chess format.

Gashimov caught the eyes of chess world following his performances in the European Youth championships. Gashimov won silver medals at European Youth champions in 1996, 1998.1999 as well as in 2000. In 1998, at the age of 12, he achieved the International Master Title. In 1999, he won the Under-16 Kasparov’s cup.

Gashimov won the Azerbaijan National chess championship in 1995, 1996, as well as in 1998. In 2002, at the age of 16, Gashimov became a Grand Master. Gashimov represented Azerbaijan at four chess Olympiads from 2002. Gashimov triumphed at the Acropolis International chess tournament held at Athens in 2005. Gashimov won the Abu Dhabi International Chess Festival in 2006. He finished joint first at the Cappelle la Granda tournament during 2007 and 2008 editions. In 2007, he finished joint second at the Reggio Emilia Chess tournament.

In 2008, Gashimov got the chance to participate in the FIDE Grand Prix Cycle organised for the first time in the chess history. He finished joint first at Baku, in the Grand Prix tournament’s first round. He remained undefeated in that tournament. At Sochi Grand prix, Gashimov finished ninth. He finished creditable fourth at Elista Grand prix in the same year. He finished third at the Gibtelecom Chess festival at Gibraltar, in 2009.

CHESS Gata Kamsky VS. Vugar Gashimov 1/2-1/2 12 FIDE Grand Prix Sochi RUS 2008.08.13