World Chess Federation awarded Armenian chess player Hovik Khalikian with FIDE Master title.

In 70-s Khalikian was member of Armenian National Team. Now he is Vice President of Armenian Chess Federation.
 

    Final Standing:
 

1-2.	V. Topalov V. Anand	9 9
3-4.	V. Ivanchuk M. Adams	7½ 7½
5-6.	B. Gelfand S. Karjakin	7 7
7-9.	S. Tiviakov L. Aronian P. Leko	6½ 6½ 6½
10.	L. van Wely	6
11.	E. Bacrot	5½
12-13.	S. Mamedyarov G. Kamsky	4½ 4½
14.	I. Sokolov	4

It's been already four days that Armenian WGM Lilit Mkrtchian who suffered from a car accident in Echmiatsin on January 20 is in hospital in Ashtarak. She broke her arm and had brain concussion.

Now the Grandmaster feels comparatively better, but has to spend some more days in hospital.

During the accident Lilit's parents were in the car, too. Her father's leg was broken, and mother happily did not suffer much.

We wish quick recovery to Lilit and her family.
 

Armenian chess player David Zakarian gained 7,5 points of 8 possible and was the first at the International Open Tournament of Thessaloniki.

IM Nikolaz Shavtvaladze (Georgia) with 7 points took the second place, and FM Antonios Hadzimanolis (Greece) was the third with 6,5 points.

105 chess players performed in the tournament.
 

Armenian chess player WIM Natalia Khoudgarian became the Canadian Women’s Champion 2006. She gained 4.5 points of 6 and shared the 1st-2nd place with WFM Dina Kagramanov, another Armenian chess player. Playoff was ended in favor of Khoudgarian. The championship was held in Ontario.
 

    Round 1 - Saturday the 14th View

L. van Wely - I. Sokolov	½-½
S. Mamedyarov - E. Bacrot	½-½
S. Tiviakov - M. Adams	½-½
V. Topalov - G. Kamsky	1-0
B. Gelfand - P. Leko	½-½
S. Karjakin - V. Anand	0-1
L. Aronian - V. Ivanchuk	0-1

On January 15 the opening ceremony of the 2nd Armenian Club Championship.

Six teams participate in the tournament:
"Bank King" (Asrian, Vaganian, Lputian, Anastasian, Art. Minasian, T. L. Petrosian)
"Chess Academy" (Yegiazarian, L. Mkrtchian)
"Chess School" (Nalbandian, E. Danielian)
FIMA
"Gyumri"
"Arabkir"

The first round will be held on January 17.
 

Vladimir Akopian will participate in the great open commencing January 24 in Gibraltar.

Among Akopian's opponents are such famous grandmasters as Shirov, Bologan, Short, Sutovsky, M. Gurevich, Kir. Georgiev, Korchnoi, Areshchenko, Efimenko, Kobalia, Gyimesi.
 

FIDE has published the composition of participants of the World Women Chess Championship to be held by knock-out system from March 10 to 27, in Yekaterinburg, Russia.

Four Armenian women players are entitled to take part in the championship: GMs Lilit Mkrtchian, Elina Danielian (Armenia), Almira Skripchenko (France) and FM Tatev Abrahamyan (USA).

64 chess players will participate in the tournament.
 

President of Republic of Armenia Robert Kocharyan heartily congratulated World Chess Cup Holder Levon Aronian and handed him an award at a special party in Yerevan.

As is known, Aronian was recognized as best sportsman of Armenia of 2005, and the Armenian National Chess Team as best team of the country in the same year.
 

World Cup Holder Armenian GM Levon Aronian will commence at the great Corus tournament on January 14 in Wijk aan Zee. All the games of Aronian will be available online on our website.

Here is the full composition of participants in Corus:
1. Topalov  BUL  2801
2. Anand  IND  2792
3. Aronian  ARM  2752
4. Leko  HUN  2740
5. Ivanchuk  UKR  2729
6. Gelfand  ISR  2723
7. Bacrot  FRA  2717
8. Mamedyarov  AZE  2709
9. Adams  ENG  2707
10. Sokolov I.  NED  2689
11. Kamsky  USA  2686
12. Tiviakov  NED  2669
13. Karjakin  UKR  2660
14. Van Wely  NED  2647

Russian GM Kramnik refused to participate at the last minute and was replaced by Mamedyarov.
 

Armenian chess player IM Ashot Nadanian gained 5,5 points of 9 and shared the 11th-19th places at the Singapore Masters International Open Tournament.

The winner was GM Ni Hua (China) with 7,5 points. GMs Azmaiparashvili (Georgia) and Zhang Zhong (China) shared the second and third places with 7 points.

66 players took part in the event.
 

Armenian chess player IM Tigran Gharamian gained 6,5 points of 9 possible and shared the 3rd-12th places with GM Epishin (Russia) and several IMs at the 26th International Open in Bethune, France.

GM Shchekachev (Russia) took the first place with 7,5 points.

122 players participated in the event.
 

Armenian chess player GM Sergei Movsesian (Slovakia) took the 8th place at the 24th Chess Memorial of Gawlikowski in Warsaw, Poland.

The first prize went to GM Gyimesi (Hungary).
 

FIDE is announcing the 16 participants of the Candidates Matches for the World Chess Championship 2007, together with their exact rating of January 2006.

According to the official regulations of the Candidate Matches, and if there is no justified appeal against the January Rating List, the pairings are:

1. L. Aronian - M. Carlsen
2. P. Leko - M. Gurevich
3. R. Ponomariov - S. Rublevsky
4. B. Gelfand - R. Kasimjanov
5. E. Bacrot - G. Kamsky
6. A. Grischuk - V. Malakhov
7. J. Polgar - E. Bareev
8. A. Shirov - M. Adams
 

The Elista FIDE Office announces publication on the 1st January 2006 FIDE Rating List effective 1st January to 31st March.

The new ratings of chess players of Armenia are available in our link Ratings by January 1, 2006.