60 Instructive Wins by Bajaranis gives competitive chess players an inside look at real tournament victories as the 1st Azeri Chess Academy Open approaches this October
HOUSTON, Texas — Grandmaster Ulvi Bajarani and International Master Ilgar Bajarani have released their newest chess book, 60 Instructive Wins by Bajaranis, giving competitive players the opportunity to study 60 complete tournament victories and, more importantly, understand the thinking behind the moves.
The release comes as Azeri Chess Academy prepares for the 1st Azeri Chess Academy Open, a six-day competitive chess tournament scheduled for October 5–10, 2026, at Houston Chess Studio.
Together, the book and tournament reflect the academy’s larger mission: helping chess players move beyond simply playing more games and begin understanding how stronger players prepare, calculate, make decisions and compete.
60 Tournament Wins. 60 Opportunities to Learn.
60 Instructive Wins by Bajaranis features 26 victories by Grandmaster Ulvi Bajarani and 34 victories by International Master Ilgar Bajarani.
Rather than relying primarily on computer analysis, the book takes readers inside the ideas, plans, calculations and decisions that shaped each victory.
The games are organized around 13 important areas of chess, including king safety, development advantage, attacking play, piece activation, pawn structures, isolated queen’s pawn positions, space advantage, opposite-colored bishops, bishop versus knight, positional play, positional sacrifices and tactics.
Players can also use the book as an active training tool. Readers are encouraged to stop at critical moments in each game, calculate possible variations, identify candidate moves and develop their own plans before studying the Bajaranis’ analysis.
Designed primarily for players rated approximately 1500 FIDE Elo and above, the book helps serious players study chess through situations that actually occurred under tournament conditions.
The book concludes the Bajaranis collection alongside Tactics by Bajaranis, Endgames by Bajaranis, and Positional and Strategic Play by Bajaranis.
From Studying Tournament Chess to Playing Tournament Chess
The timing of the new release leads directly into one of Azeri Chess Academy’s biggest competitive events to date.
The 1st Azeri Chess Academy Open will take place October 5–10, 2026, at Houston Chess Studio and feature a nine-round Swiss tournament, FIDE and USCF rating, 150 USCF Grand Prix Points, and opportunities for players pursuing GM and WGM norms.
The tournament will offer a $13,000 guaranteed prize fund, including a $5,000 guaranteed first prize.
Azeri Chess Academy is also working to attract a field of at least 40 qualifying players with an average FIDE rating of 2000 or higher, an important component for satisfying applicable FIDE title-norm requirements.
Tournament capacity is 68 players, creating an opportunity for serious competitors to challenge themselves against a strong field without necessarily traveling internationally to find this type of competition.
Separate $1,000 prizes will also be awarded to the Best Junior, Best Senior and Best Female Player.
But Bajarani believes entering a tournament is only part of becoming a stronger competitor.
Preparation matters.
Are You Tournament Ready?
With the October Open approaching, Azeri Chess Academy is encouraging chess players to find out where their game stands before they sit down for their next serious tournament.
Through Azeri Chess Academy’s Tournament Preparation Call, players can speak with Grandmaster Ulvi Bajarani about their current game and identify areas that should receive greater attention before tournament competition.
The conversation can examine recent games, recurring mistakes, opening preparation, tactical calculation, positional understanding, time management and other areas that may affect tournament performance.
Rather than giving every player the same generic study plan, the goal is to identify the areas of that individual player’s game that could make the biggest difference when tournament pressure begins.
A player may believe they need another opening.
The real issue could be calculation.
Another player may spend hours solving tactical puzzles while repeatedly losing games because of poor positional decisions.
And another may understand chess well but struggle with time management when the clock begins running.
The Tournament Preparation Call is designed to help uncover those issues and give players greater direction about what they should work on next.
It also creates a natural bridge between the lessons contained in 60 Instructive Wins by Bajaranis and the experience of actually competing.
Players can study how tournament games are won, evaluate their own game, prepare with Grandmaster guidance and then put that preparation to the test over the board.
Before Your Next Tournament, Know What You Need to Work On
For Bajarani, better tournament preparation isn’t necessarily about studying more. It’s about studying with greater purpose.
That’s why Azeri Chess Academy is inviting players preparing for the 1st Azeri Chess Academy Open—or any upcoming chess tournament—to schedule a Tournament Preparation Call with Grandmaster Ulvi Bajarani.
Don’t wait until after the tournament to discover what you should have worked on before it.
Schedule your Tournament Preparation Call and find out what your next move should be.
About Azeri Chess Academy
Azeri Chess Academy brings the competitive tradition and training philosophy of Azerbaijani chess to players in the United States and around the world. Led by Grandmaster Ulvi Bajarani and a team of titled chess professionals, the academy provides personalized chess instruction, online and private coaching, tournament preparation and competitive opportunities for players seeking measurable improvement.
Tournament at a Glance
1st Azeri Chess Academy Open
October 5–10, 2026
Houston Chess Studio
Houston, Texas
9-Round Swiss | FIDE & USCF Rated | $13,000 Guaranteed Prize Fund | $5,000 Guaranteed First Prize | GM/WGM Norm Opportunities | 150 USCF Grand Prix Points