The day before the start of the competition in Canada, it became known that Nijat Abasov had undergone surgery a month ago. The successful operation will not hinder the performance of the Azerbaijani grandmaster in the Candidates Tournament in Toronto. You can Mostbet az indir and place bets on sports from your smartphone or tablet. There is a large selection of events and good odds.
Chess players can also get injured! How did this happen to Abasov?
The day before the start of the competition in Canada, it was revealed that Nijat Abasov had undergone knee surgery a month ago, which he injured during preparation for the competition. In an interview with Chessbase India, Abasov mentioned that as part of his preparation, he visited the gym and also played football. During one of the sessions, he injured his knee, leading to surgery a month ago.
“Right now, everything is fine with me, and the knee surgery will not hinder my performance in the Candidates Tournament. I’m trying to adjust to the weather in Toronto. So far, I like it here,” said Abasov. It’s worth noting that in Canada, Abasov will be assisted by one of Azerbaijan’s leading grandmasters, Shahriyar Mamedyarov.
“Shahriyar has tremendous experience, including in Candidates Tournaments. I am grateful to him for his support, and I am confident that his help will be very useful to me. Shahriyar’s presence gives me additional motivation,” Abasov remarked.
Abasov’s opponents in the Candidates Tournament include Jan Nepomniachtchi (Russia), Fabiano Caruana, Hikaru Nakamura (both USA), Alireza Firouzja (France), Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa, Vidit Santosh Gujrathi, and Gukesh Dommaraju (all India).
Abasov earned his spot in the tournament by finishing fourth in last year’s World Cup in Baku and Magnus Carlsen’s decision to not go to Toronto, despite winning the Baku tournament.
Also competing in Canada are Jan Nepomniachtchi (Russia), Fabiano Caruana, Hikaru Nakamura (both USA), Alireza Firouzja (France), Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa, Vidit Santosh Gujrathi, and Gukesh Dommaraju (all India).
The Russian grandmaster believes that Abasov can show a good result
Renowned Russian Grandmaster Evgeny Tomashevsky, who works with Azerbaijani chess players, highlighted the main favorites for the upcoming tournament in an interview with Sputnik Azerbaijan. The Russian chess player also assessed Nijat Abasov’s prospects in the Candidates Tournament.
“I wouldn’t use words like underdog or outsider regarding Nijat. The thing is, even though you can name some favorites, it’s always very difficult to predict who will be the underdog in such a tournament. Since the lineup in Toronto is very strong, it’s hard to predict in advance whose game won’t go well,” believes Tomashevsky.
At the same time, the coach of Azerbaijani chess players emphasized that Abasov is capable of showing a good result in Canada.
“First of all, Nijat doesn’t need to think that he is an underdog or anything like that. I’m sure he doesn’t reason like that and has prepared his strategy for the tournament. It doesn’t make sense to publicly discuss what it might be. He’ll figure it out himself. I believe that with proper preparation, mindset, and tactically chosen strategy, Nijat can play well in this competition. If Nijat presents a pleasant surprise, I won’t be surprised,” added Tomashevsky.
The competition, which started on April 4th, will end on the 22nd, and the winner will earn the right to play a match for the title of world champion against the current titleholder, Ding Liren of China.
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