Chess in Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan has 202 titled players on FIDE's list, 29 of them Grandmasters. Here is what that population actually looks like.
Azerbaijan is one of the most concentrated chess federations in the world. 14.4% of its titled players hold the Grandmaster title and its median titled player is rated 2,268, against 2,216 across all federations — a small pool by the standards of the biggest countries, and a formidable one. Federations with this shape have usually built a deliberate elite pathway rather than a broad competitive base.
The middle half of its titled players are rated between 2,120 and 2,392, with a median of 2,268. Across every federation the median titled player is rated 2,216, so that figure is the one to compare against rather than any absolute standard.
| Title | Holders | Share |
|---|---|---|
| GM | 29 | 14.4% |
| IM | 37 | 18.3% |
| FM | 53 | 26.2% |
| CM | 22 | 10.9% |
| WGM | 12 | 5.9% |
| WIM | 8 | 4% |
| WFM | 21 | 10.4% |
| WCM | 20 | 9.9% |
| Player | Title | Standard |
|---|---|---|
| Mamedyarov, Shakhriyar | GM | 2,723 |
| Radjabov, Teimour | GM | 2,689 |
| Suleymanli, Aydin | GM | 2,668 |
| Mamedov, Rauf | GM | 2,639 |
| Guseinov, Gadir | GM | 2,636 |
| Muradli, Mahammad | GM | 2,630 |
| Safarli, Eltaj | GM | 2,624 |
| Durarbayli, Vasif | GM | 2,611 |
| Abasov, Nijat | GM | 2,588 |
| Mamedov, Nidjat | GM | 2,575 |
Counted from FIDE's published titled-player list. Titles are permanent and never revoked, so these counts include everyone who ever reached the standard and remains listed — including players long retired. A federation is where a player is registered, which is not always where they are from.