The first-round matches of the "Baku Open 2026" International Chess Festival, jointly organized by the Azerbaijan Chess Federation and the Ministry of Youth and Sports, began today.

Offsideplus.az reports that the first round was officially started by the tournament’s chief arbiter, Faig Hasanov.

The festival is organized into three categories—Groups A, B, and C. All three groups compete under the Swiss system consisting of 9 rounds. Simultaneously, the matches for the Azerbaijan Veteran Chess Championship are also being held as part of the festival.

The opening ceremony of the event, held at the Baku Crystal Hall, will take place on April 30. More than 900 chess players from 10 countries are participating in the tournament. The total prize fund for the "Baku Open 2026" International Chess Festival is 50,000 USD.

It should be noted that the competition features prominent figures such as former World Champion and two-time World Chess Olympiad winner Ruslan Ponomaryov (Ukraine), World Rapid Champion Daniil Dubov (FIDE), European Individual Championship medalist Nijat Abasov, European U14 champion Khagan Ahmad, and others.