Amin Shahvalizadeh, a veteran Iranian backgammon player, has advanced to the final of the Super Blitz event at the 2026 Tajikistan Grand Prix and will now face Leonid Riskin for the title.
With this run, Shahvalizadeh has become the first finalist of the 2026 Tajikistan Grand Prix and is now just one match away from winning the Super Blitz title.
Who Is Amin Shahvalizadeh's Opponent in the Final?
Standing on the other side of the final is Leonid Riskin, an experienced player with a strong record in international backgammon competitions.
Russian sources describe Riskin as a player with multiple tournament victories and podium finishes in Russian and international competitions. One of his earlier achievements was winning the Venice Backgammon Olympiad.
Riskin's record is not limited to his earlier results. At the Merit Open Montenegro Grand Prix 2026, he also won the Masters event. The competition featured 77 players, with Riskin finishing at the top of the field.
WBGF records also show that Riskin competed in several major international tournaments in 2026, including the Georgia Grand Prix and the German International Championship.
For that reason, the Tajikistan Super Blitz final is more than a meeting between an Iranian player and an international opponent. Shahvalizadeh will face one of the experienced and successful players on the international backgammon scene.
When Is the Super Blitz Final?
The final of the 2026 Tajikistan Grand Prix Super Blitz will be played at 8:30 PM Dushanbe time, which is 7:00 PM Iran time.
The Super Blitz event at the Tajikistan Grand Prix is played using a Swiss Double Elimination format with five-point matches. Each player has 30 seconds, with an additional 8 seconds added for every move.
Watch Amin Shahvalizadeh's Final Live
Backgammon fans can watch the final live on YouTube:
Watch Amin Shahvalizadeh's Final Live on YouTube
The final could become one of the most important moments for Iran at the 2026 Tajikistan Grand Prix. If Shahvalizadeh defeats Leonid Riskin, he will win the Super Blitz title and add another major championship to his international career.
The Tajikistan Grand Prix is being held in Dushanbe from October 5 to 11. With a guaranteed prize pool of $500,000, it is one of the major events on the 2026 international backgammon calendar.