Is Garry Kasparov from Azerbaijan?

Kasparov was born in Baku in 1963 and is often called the greatest chess player of all time. He represented the Soviet Union and later Russia rather than Azerbaijan, but Baku is his birthplace.

Why is Azerbaijan good at chess?

Baku has produced a run of world-class grandmasters — Shakhriyar Mamedyarov, Teimour Radjabov and Vugar Gashimov among them — and hosted the 2016 Chess Olympiad, making it one of the game's leading nations.

Which Olympic sports is Azerbaijan known for?

Wrestling and judo are the national strengths — champions include Toghrul Asgarov and Farid Mansurov (wrestling) and Hidayat Heydarov and Nazim Huseynov (judo). Baku also hosted the first-ever European Games in 2015.

Sport · Azerbaijan

Sport in Azerbaijan

Azerbaijan is a chess powerhouse — Baku is Garry Kasparov's birthplace — and a reliable Olympic force in wrestling and judo, with football legends and the modern rise of Qarabağ FK. Switch century to explore the names, then plan a trip to see where they come from.

Football

Gurban Gurbanov

b. 1972

Azerbaijan's all-time leading scorer, now the long-serving manager of Qarabağ FK.

Rashad Sadygov

b. 1982

Azerbaijan's most-capped player and long-time national-team captain.

Chess

Shakhriyar Mamedyarov

b. 1985

Azerbaijan's number one — among the highest-rated players in chess history.

Teimour Radjabov

b. 1987

Grandmaster and winner of the 2019 Chess World Cup. Born in Baku.

Vugar Gashimov

1986–2014

Reached World No. 6; the annual Gashimov Memorial super-tournament in Shamkir honours him. Born in Baku.

Olympic & other sport

Zemfira Meftakhetdinova

b. 1963

Skeet shooter who won the first Olympic gold for independent Azerbaijan (Sydney 2000). From Baku.

Farid Mansurov

b. 1982

Greco-Roman wrestling Olympic champion at Athens 2004.

Toghrul Asgarov

b. 1992

Freestyle wrestling Olympic champion at London 2012. From Ganja.

Hidayat Heydarov

b. 1997

Judoka and Olympic champion at Paris 2024.

Coming to Azerbaijan?

Whether it's a match, a Grand Prix or just the country these athletes come from — we plan the trip around you, from the stadium to the mountains.

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Sport in Azerbaijan, answered

Is Garry Kasparov from Azerbaijan?: Kasparov was born in Baku in 1963 and is often called the greatest chess player of all time. He represented the Soviet Union and later Russia rather than Azerbaijan, but Baku is his birthplace.
Why is Azerbaijan good at chess?: Baku has produced a run of world-class grandmasters — Shakhriyar Mamedyarov, Teimour Radjabov and Vugar Gashimov among them — and hosted the 2016 Chess Olympiad, making it one of the game's leading nations.
Which Olympic sports is Azerbaijan known for?: Wrestling and judo are the national strengths — champions include Toghrul Asgarov and Farid Mansurov (wrestling) and Hidayat Heydarov and Nazim Huseynov (judo). Baku also hosted the first-ever European Games in 2015.