Five years after his death, Vugar Gashimov's games still live on

by Sagar Shah
4/5/2019 – The Shamkir Chess 2019 in the memory of GM Vugar Gashimov has a rest day, and so we remember the tournament's namesake. 27-year-old Vugar Gashimov left us on January 11th, 2014. Above his grave is a picture of a position from his game against Daniel Stellwagen from the European Team Championship 2009. What exactly was so special about the game that it deserved a place in Gashimov's grave? Indulge in the drama and excitement of October 30th 2009 and get to know about the most thrilling game of Vugar Gashimov's life. Gashimov's contribution to the game of chess has been mammoth. A tribute to the great player by IM Sagar Shah.

On this DVD, Mihail Marin presents the major tactical themes and options available for both sides in the Benoni. Based on an interactive format the well-known theoretician and Grandmaster invites you to take part and challenge yourself.

The game of his life!

The date was October 30th, 2009. It was the final (9th) round of the European Team Championships that were being held in Novi Sad, Serbia. The atmosphere was charged up with excitement. Going into the final round, Russia and Azerbaijan were tied at 13 points a piece. The Russian team had Spain as their opposition and the Azerbaijani team had been paired against the Netherlands. The following were the board pairings:

Russia vs Spain

Svidler vs Shirov
Morozevich vs Vallejo
Jakovenko vs Illescas
Alekseev vs Salgado Lopez.

Azerbaijan vs Netherlands 

Radjabov vs Smeets
Gashimov vs Stellwagen
Mamedyarov vs L'Ami
Mamedov vs Ernst

Team Azerbaijan against Netherlands in their last round encounter

Two of Russia's games between Svidler and Shirov and Jakovenko against Illescas ended in draws. The magic of 'Moro' had worked. He had beaten Vallejo to give Russia a lead of 2:1. At the same time Azerbaijan had not been successful in making any breakthrough. Radjabov, Mamedyarov and Mamedov had all drawn their game. The score between Azerbaijan and Netherlands stood at 1½-1½. The entire onus was on Gashimov's shoulders now.

Gashimov who now carried the expectations of an entire nation

The first good news for the Azerbaijan fans came from different quarters. Ivan Salgado Lopez had dismantled the Winawer of Evgenvy Alekseev and had equalised the Russia-Spain match. Russians had ended their journey on 14 points. Everything was crystal clear now. Gashimov had to win. In case of a draw, Azerbaijan too would end on 14 and Russia would take the gold due to their better tiebreak.

Vugar did just what the doctor ordered. He built up a winning position against Stellwagen and went into a winning rook endgame. But as they say, "No one alive has really mastered the rook endgames!" Below is Gashimov's game upto the critical point which he has annotated himself.

 
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I cannot fail to annotate this game, because it was the one that finally brought the Azeri team the gold medals in the European Championship! 1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.e5 Bf5 4.Nf3 e6 5.Be2 c5 6.Be3 cxd4 7.Nxd4 Ne7 8.Nd2 Nbc6 9.N2f3 Bg4 10.0-0 a6 11.Rc1!N White's idea is simply to play c4, when the rook will stand very well, Bxf3 12.Nxf3 g6 13.c4 Bg7 14.cxd5 Qxd5 14...Nxd5 15.Bc5 Nxe5 16.Nxe5 Bxe5 17.Bf3 Bxb2 18.Bxd5 Qxd5 19.Qxd5 exd5 20.Rfe1+ Kd8 21.Rb1 Bc3 22.Rec1 d4 23.Rxb7± 15.Qa4 Qa5 16.Qb3 0-0 17.Bc5 17.Rfd1! Nd5 18.Bc5 Rfd8 19.Bd6 Qb6 20.Bc4 17...Rfe8 18.Bd6 Nxe5 19.Nxe5 Bxe5 20.Rc5 Qd2 21.Bxe5 21.Rd1 Bxh2+! 21...Qxe2 22.Qxb7 Nd5 23.Bg3 Rad8 24.h3 Re7 25.Qb3 Red7 26.a3 26.Rc2 Qb5!? 27.Qf3 Nb4 26...h5 27.Rc2 Qb5 28.Qf3 Ne7?! This move allows the white pieces to become active. The knight should have remained on d5. 29.Bc7! Rc8 30.Rfc1 Qd5 30...Nf5 31.Be5! Rcd8 31...Rxc2?? 32.Qa8+ 32.Rc5± 31.Qe2 Qb7 32.Be5 Rxc2 33.Qxc2 Rd5 34.Qc3 Kh7 35.Bh8 35.Qf3 Nc6 36.Rxc6 Rxe5 37.Qc3 Re1+ 38.Kh2 Qb8+ 39.Rc7 Re2 40.f4 Qxb2 41.Rxf7+ Kg8 42.Rg7+ Kf8 43.Qxb2 Rxb2 44.Rxg6 Ke7 45.Rg5 h4 46.Rh5 Kf6! 47.Rxh4 Kf5 48.Rh5+ Kxf4 49.Rh4+! Ke3 50.Rh6 e5 51.Rxa6 e4 This should be winning for White, although in principle the way I played in the game is also strong. 35...Nf5 36.g4 e5 37.gxf5 Kxh8 38.fxg6 fxg6 39.Qc6 Qxc6 40.Rxc6 a5 41.Rxg6 Kh7 42.Rb6 Kg7 43.a4 43.Kg2 a4 44.Rb4 Rd2 43...Rd4 44.b3 Rd3 45.Kg2 e4 46.Rb5 Kg6 47.h4! Kh6 47...e3 48.fxe3 48.f4!? 48...Rxe3 49.Rg5+ Kh6 50.Rxa5 Rxb3 51.Rb5 Ra3 52.Rb4 Kg6 53.Rf4 Re3! 54.Kf2 Re5 55.Kf3 Kg7 56.Rb4 Ra5 57.Ke4+- 48.Re5?! 48.Rxa5! Rxb3 49.Re5 Rb4 50.a5 Ra4 51.Kg3 Ra2 52.Re6+ Kg7 53.a6+- As we see, I could have won much more quickly, and that would have ended the fight, but in that case, there would not have been such an emotional and dramatic finish! 48...Rxb3 49.Rxe4 Ra3 50.f3 Kg6 51.Kg3 Kf6 52.Kf4 Ra1 53.Rc4 Ra3 54.Ke4 Ke6 55.f4 Ra1 56.Rc6+ Kf7 57.Rc4 Ke6 58.Rc6+ Kf7 59.Kf5 Rxa4 60.Rc7+ Kf8 61.Ra7 Ra1 62.Kg6 a4 63.f5 Rg1+ 64.Kf6 Kg8 65.Rxa4 Rg4 66.Ra8+ Kh7 67.Ra7+ Kg8 68.Ra8+ Kh7 69.Kf7 Rxh4 70.f6 After playing this move, I started thinking "Is it really going to be a draw after all?". But just as in the movies, so in this case too, the viewers get to see a "happy ending"!
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Gashimov,V2740Stellwagen,D26302009B12EU-chT (Men) 17th9

 
It was Stellwagen's (Black's) turn to play.

Gashimov in his annotations mentions that he has missed the win but doesn't give the way for Black to draw. I think it has to do with the fact that the draw for Black is very easy to achieve. Stellwagen under tremendous pressure played the move 70...f4?? which was a horrible blunder. The right was for Black to draw was to start with 70...b4! Stellwagen made the final blunder and Gashimov gave him no more chances. Here is how the game ended.

 
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70...Rf4?? 70...Rb4! 71.Kf8 71.Ke7 Rb7+ 72.Ke6 Rb6+ 73.Ke7 Rb7+= 71...h4 72.f7 Rf4 73.Ke7 Kg6 74.f8Q Rxf8 75.Rxf8 Kg5= 71.Ke6 h4 72.f7 Kg6 73.f8Q Rxf8 74.Rxf8 Kg5 75.Ke5 Black resigned, and Azerbaijan became the champions of Europe!
1–0
  • Start an analysis engine:
  • Try maximizing the board:
  • Use the four cursor keys to replay the game. Make moves to analyse yourself.
  • Press Ctrl-B to rotate the board.
  • Drag the split bars between window panes.
  • Download&Clip PGN/GIF/FEN/QR Codes. Share the game.
  • Games viewed here will automatically be stored in your cloud clipboard (if you are logged in). Use the cloud clipboard also in ChessBase.
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Gashimov,V2740Stellwagen,D26301–02009B12EU-chT (Men) 17th9

Azerbaijan had become the European Champions and Vugar Gashimov played the biggest role in their victory. The moment the game was over, the entire Azerbaijani squad jumped over to Vugar, hugged him, kissed him and just went all over him! You must see this contemporaneous video, produced by Europe-Echecs, which contains all this last round action. Watch it from the start up to 2 mins, 20 seconds.

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away

The Azerbaijani team after winning the gold at European Team Championship 2009

I am sure your heart was touched after seeing the above video. The way the teammates ran over to Gashimov is a dream that every chess player would like to live one day! Imagine having the expectations of not only the entire team on your shoulders but of the entire nation and then delivering! Wow! I would play chess for my entire life, for only such a moment!

The only thought that comes to my mind after writing all this and watching the video is why did Vugar Gashimov have to leave us so soon.

I read these words with a heavy heart and I realize, some people just enjoy the journey of life. It doesn't matter if the journey is short or long, they just make the most of what they have.

In the town of Baku where Gashimov's grave lies, a fitting tribute has been given to this great chess genius. Above the grave you can see is the position where Stellwagen played Rf4??

The grave is like a chess board in the colour of grey and brown and nearby you can see all the chess pieces

The board encapsulates within itself all the emotions of joy and ecstasy which no words or pictures could ever have. Whenever Radjabov or Mamedyarov or Mamedov would see the position, the first thought that would come to their mind would be of utter joy of winning the championship and then the sadness of losing their dear friend would dawn onto them. Giving people reasons to smile even after you are gone, is a sign of greatness.

The genius from Baku has left us. But in the 27 years that he lived on this planet he has created a rich legacy of his games and annotations that will keep enthralling us.

Vugar Gashimov, You shall always live forever in the heart of every chess lover!

The 2019 field at the Shamkir Chess Gashimov Memorial with Magnus Carlsen, Ding Liren Anish Giri, Shakhriyar Mamedyarov, Viswanathan Anand, Alexander Grischuk, Teimour Radjabov, Sergey Karjakin, Veselin Topalov and David Navara

Achievements of Vugar Gashimov

Vugar Gashimov (24 July 1986 – 11 January 2014) was an Azerbaijani chess grandmaster. He was a noted player of blitz chess. At his peak ranking (2761) he was No. 6 in the world, achieved in November 2009. Gashimov was born on 24 July 1986 in Baku. He was the son of a retired army colonel who served at the Defense Ministry of Azerbaijan. In 2010, Gashimov won the Reggio Emilia chess tournament.

Gashimov played for Azerbaijan in the Chess Olympiads of 2002, 2004, 2006 and 2008. He played in the gold medal-winning Azerbaijani team at the European Team Chess Championship in Novi Sad in 2009, alongside Shakhriyar Mamedyarov, Teimour Radjabov, Rauf Mammadov and Gadir Guseinov, previously winning bronze medal in 2007. At the peak of his playing career, he revived the fortunes of the Modern Benoni, an opening that had become unpopular at the top level of chess, and used it to get good results against strong grandmasters, including even the leading players of the time, such as Alexander Grischuk.

He was known to enjoy football, table tennis and pool. He was also an avid fan of Jackie Chan movies. He was managed by his older brother Sarkhan, an IT manager, who is also a master-level chess player.

Doctors diagnosed Gashimov with epilepsy when he fell ill in February 2000, and shortly afterwards, discovered a brain tumor. While receiving treatment for the brain tumor in a hospital in Heidelberg, Germany, Gashimov died in the early hours of 11 January 2014. He had been inactive from chess since playing in the Tata Steel Chess Tournament in January 2012. He was buried at the Alley of Honor in Baku.

Chess grandmasters and sports professionals around the world reacted to Gashimov's death. Teimour Radjabov, one of Gashimov's closest teammates, said that he could not find "words to explain the deepest sorrow". Nigel Short described Gashimov as "a brilliant player and great guy." Former world champion Garry Kasparov said he was "deeply saddened", and found it "remarkable considering the medical obstacles he faced" that he made it to the top ten in the FIDE rating list. Magnus Carlsen described Gashimov as "one of the most talented and original players I've met. He was always friendly with everyone and always smiling. I have many good memories with him from tournaments, especially in the Amber tournaments."

Tributes also came from famous chess players such as Shakhriyar Mamedyarov, Hikaru Nakamura, Levon Aronian, Alexandra Kosteniuk, Judit Polgár, Sergey Karjakin and many others. One minute of silence was held at the 76th Tata Steel Chess Tournament and during all tournaments held in Baku in January 2014. Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said, "Vugar Gashimov's services to the Azerbaijani sports are unmatched. Vugar Gashimov made an incomparable contribution to development of Azerbaijan's chess school, and glorified the country with his brilliant victories." [Information from Wikipidea]

Articles on Vugar Gashimov


Sagar is an International Master from India with two GM norms. He loves to cover chess tournaments, as that helps him understand and improve at the game he loves so much. He is the co-founder and CEO of ChessBase India, the biggest chess news portal in the country. His YouTube channel has over a million subscribers, and to date close to a billion views. ChessBase India is the sole distributor of ChessBase products in India and seven adjoining countries, where the software is available at a 60% discount. compared to International prices.

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