The Individual European Chess Championship in Katowice, Poland, has concluded with a historic triumph for Azerbaijan.

According to Offsideplus.az, representatives of the Azerbaijani chess school achieved a remarkable feat by securing three of the top four spots in the prestigious tournament, which featured participants from 43 countries.

In the final 11th round, Nijat Abasov, who entered the decisive stage as the leader, played to a draw with Romania's Daniel Bogdan. Finishing with 8.5 points, Abasov claimed the silver medal. Ukraine's Roman Degityarov, also finishing on 8.5 points, secured the European title after defeating Spain's David Guijarro in the final round.

The head-to-head match between Azerbaijan's other top performers, Aydin Suleymanli and Mahammad Muradli, also ended in a draw, bringing both players to 8.5 points. Based on tie-break criteria, Aydin Suleymanli earned the bronze medal, while the reigning national champion, Mahammad Muradli, finished in fourth place.

With these results, all three grandmasters have successfully qualified for next year’s FIDE World Cup.

By securing two medals, Azerbaijani chess players have ended a 19-year medal drought in the European Individual Men's Championship. Previously, the country's only medal in this competition was won by Teimour Radjabov (silver) back in 2005.