Vasif Durarbayli is a highly accomplished Azerbaijani chess Grandmaster. He was born on February 24, 1992, in Sumgait, Azerbaijan, and began playing chess at the age of six. Currently, he resides in St. Louis, MO.
Durarbayli quickly showed a talent for the game, winning several national and international chess competitions as a young player. He holds the record for being the youngest player ever to represent the Azerbaijani Olympic chess team, achieving this feat at just 14 years old. To this day, his record has yet to be broken or renewed. He also won the World Youth Chess Championship U14 and the European Youth Chess Championship U18.
He was awarded the title of International Master in 2007 at the age of 15 and became a Grandmaster in 2010, at the age of 18.
Throughout his career, Durarbayli has competed in and won numerous prestigious chess tournaments, including the Azerbaijani Chess Championship twice (in 2021 and 2023). He was also ranked among the top 16 players in the World Cup in 2021.
Durarbayli has represented Azerbaijan in several Chess Olympiads.
In addition to his successful career as a chess player, Durarbayli is a coach and mentor to chess players from diverse backgrounds. He is the author of the book ‘2021 in 52 Games’, a comprehensive guide for chess enthusiasts of all levels.
Durarbayli is considered one of the top chess players in Azerbaijan and a respected figure in the international chess community.