San Diego–Baku Youth Chess Tournament

Chess Connects Cultures: San Diego–Baku Youth Tournament Highlights


The Global Neighborhood Project (GNP) supports international goodwill through cultural activities like the San Diego–Baku Youth Chess Tournament, now in its seventh year. Sponsored by the Republic of Azerbaijan, the event brings young players in San Diego together for friendly competition and global connection through the game of chess.

This year’s tournament, held at the Coronado Public Library, welcomed students ages 8 to 18 for a day of exciting matches.


Highlights:


  • Lucas Ding, 14, of San Diego, was named tournament winner.


  • He received a certificate from Azerbaijan’s Consul General Vugar Israyil oghlu Gurbanov and a memento from Grandmaster Vasif Durarbayli, one of only 1,850 grandmasters worldwide.


  • Lucas closed the event with an exhibition match against GM Durarbayli.


The tournament is one part of GNP’s continuing collaboration with Azerbaijani partners. Plans are underway to grow the initiative with classroom connections, virtual events, and potential links between schools such as La Jolla High School and the Vugar Hashimov Chess Academy.


Through programs like this, GNP encourages student engagement, cultural awareness, and global perspective—one match at a time.



Three men are standing next to each other and one of them is holding a certificate
A young boy is sitting at a table playing chess.
Two men are talking to a young boy wearing an old navy shirt
A group of people are standing around a table with a chess board.
A man is playing chess with two young boys
A group of people are posing for a picture in front of a table with chess pieces on it.
< Older Post Newer Post >

The Coast News Article about GNP

August 14, 2025
Citizen diplomacy in action: bridging cultures one connection at a time

Coaching Girls High School Basketball in Mongolia

By Lee Wakefield • August 4, 2025
Global Neighborhood Project connects cultures through basketball in Mongolia, fostering cross-border friendships, coaching, and shared human experience.