At the closing ceremony of the Nalchik Grand Prix tournament the winner Levon Aronian was put on a national Caucasian White felt cloak and the singers sang a song “Vivat to king, vivat!”.
 

GM Tigran Kotanjian (Armenia) won GM Danilo Milanovic (Serbia) in the 4th round and is now the sole leader with 4 points in Dubai Open.

GM Ashot Anastasian, GM Hrant Melkumyan, Suren Poghosian (Armenia), GM David Arutinian (Georgia) scored 3 points each.
 

Levon Aronian, the winner of the tournament

Final standing
 1. Aronian, Levon         8½
 2. Leko, Peter            7½
 3. Akopian, Vladimir      7½
 4. Grischuk, Alexander    7
 5. Bacrot, Etienne        7
 6. Alekseev, Evgeny       6½
 7. Gelfand, Boris         6½
 8. Kamsky, Gata           6
 9. Karjakin, Sergey       6
10. Svidler, Peter         6
11. Mamedyarov, Shakhriyar 6
12. Ivanchuk, Vassily      5½
13. Kasimdzhanov, Rustam   5½
14. Eljanov, Pavel         5½

Results
Aronian, Levon       - Leko, Peter            1-0
Eljanov, Pavel       - Akopian, Vladimir      0-1
Bacrot, Etienne      - Alekseev, Evgeny       1-0
Gelfand, Boris       - Karjakin, Sergey       1-0
Svidler, Peter       - Grischuk, Alexander    ½-½
Ivanchuk, Vassily    - Kamsky, Gata           ½-½
Kasimdzhanov, Rustam - Mamedyarov, Shakhriyar ½-½

You can follow the games of the Nalchik tournament on our website on April 15-19, 21-24, 26-29, starting from, 16:00 (Yerevan time). Online
 

GMs Tigran Kotanjian (Armenia), Pavel Maletin (Russia), Enamul Hossain (Bangladesh) and Danilo Milanovic (Serbia) scored 3 points of 3 and are the leaders of the Dubai Open. GM David Arutinian (Georgia) scored 2,5, GM Ashot Anastasian, GM Hrant Melkumyan, Aghasi Inants, Suren Poghosian (Armenia) - 2 points each.
 

Results
Leko, Peter            - Kasimdzhanov, Rustam   1-0
Grischuk, Alexander    - Bacrot, Etienne        1-0
Alekseev, Evgeny       - Ivanchuk, Vassily      ½-½
Akopian, Vladimir      - Gelfand, Boris         ½-½
Karjakin, Sergey       - Svidler, Peter         1-0
Kamsky, Gata           - Aronian, Levon         ½-½
Mamedyarov, Shakhriyar - Eljanov, Pavel         ½-½
 

GMs Tigran Kotanjian, Hrant Melkumyan (Armenia), Davit Arutinian (Georgia) scored 2 points of 2 and are among the leaders in the open which is held in Dubai, UAE.
 

IM Tigran Gharamian (France) scored 6 points of 9 and took the 9th place in the open which was held in Metz, France. Gharamian was only half a point behind GMs Guliyev (Azerbaijan), Spraggett (Canada), Nijboer (Netherlands), Horvath (Hungary) who won the tournament. Young chess player Stephane Saadjian (France) scored 4,5 points.

103 chess players took part in the tournament.
 

Results
Alekseev, Evgeny      - Kamsky, Gata            ½-½
Bacrot, Etienne       - Karjakin, Sergey        1-0
Svidler, Peter        - Akopian, Vladimir       ½-½
Kasimdzhanov, Rustam  - Aronian, Levon          ½-½
Gelfand, Boris        - Mamedyarov, Shakhriyar  1-0
Eljanov, Pavel        - Leko, Peter             ½-½
Ivanchuk, Vassily     - Grischuk, Alexander     1-0
 

Armenian GM Varuzhan Akobian defeated US champion Yuri Shulman with the score 9,5:4,5 in the match which was held in Lake County, California. Akobian won 3,5:2,5 in the rapid stage of the event and then beat Shulman 6:2 in the blitz on the final day.10 blitz games were to be held but only 8 of them were enough for Akobian to win.
 

168 chess players, including 40 grandmasters, participate in the open which began in Dubai, UAE. Armenian chess players Ashot Anastasian, Tigran Kotanjian, Hrant Melkumyan, Davit Arutinian, Suren Poghosyan, Aghasi Inants won in the first round. Only Vardan Khojayan lost his game.

9 rounds will be held in the tournament.
 

Results
Aronian, Levon         - Eljanov, Pavel       1-0
Leko, Peter            - Gelfand, Boris       1-0
Grischuk, Alexander    - Alekseev, Evgeny     1-0
Akopian, Vladimir      - Bacrot, Etienne      1-0
Karjakin, Sergey       - Ivanchuk, Vassily    ½-½
Mamedyarov, Shakhriyar - Svidler, Peter       1-0
Kamsky, Gata           - Kasimdzhanov, Rustam ½-½
 

International round robin tournament will be held in Gyumri, Armenia from May 23, 2009. 10 GMs and IMs from Armenia, Russia, Georgia and Kazakhstan will participate in the tournament.
 

Varuzhan Akobian is having a match with US champion Yuri Shulman in Lake County, California. The 6 rapid games were over and Akobian won with the score 3,5:2,5. The grandmasters will also play ten blitz games.
 

Results
Alekseev, Evgeny    - Karjakin, Sergey       1-0
Svidler, Peter      - Leko, Peter            ½-½
Bacrot, Etienn      - Mamedyarov, Shakhriyar 1-0
Grischuk, Alexander - Kamsky, Gata           0-1
Eljanov, Pavel      - Kasimdzhanov, Rustam   ½-½
Gelfand, Boris      - Aronian, Levon         ½-½
Ivanchuk, Vassily   - Akopian, Vladimir      ½-½
 

Varuzhan Akobian is having a match with US champion Yuri Shulman in Lake County, California. The opponents have already played 4 rapid games and Akobian is ahead with 2,5:1,5. The grandmasters will play two other rapid games followed by ten blitz games.
 

Results
Aronian, Levon         - Svidler, Peter      ½-½
Karjakin, Sergey       - Grischuk, Alexander ½-½
Leko, Peter            - Bacrot, Etienne     ½-½
Mamedyarov, Shakhriyar - Ivanchuk, Vassily   ½-½
Akopian, Vladimir      - Alekseev, Evgeny    ½-½
Kasimdzhanov, Rustam   - Gelfand, Boris      0-1
Kamsky, Gata           - Eljanov, Pavel      0-1
 

Armenian GM Sergei Movsesian (Slovakia) will participate in the 39th International Chess Supertournament "Bosna 2009" in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, from 8 to 18 May, 2009. His opponents will be Hao Wang (China), Pavel Eljanov (Ukraine), Pentala Harikrishna (India), Ivan Sokolov (Bosnia and Herzegovina), Borki Predojevic (Bosnia and Herzegovina). The chess players will play with each other two times.

You can follow the games of the "Bosna 2009" tournament on our website on May 8-11, 13-18, starting from 16:30 (Yerevan time). Online
 

Results
Karjakin, Sergey    - Kamsky, Gata           1-0
Alekseev, Evgeny    - Mamedyarov, Shakhriyar ½-½
Grischuk, Alexander - Akopian, Vladimir      ½-½
Svidler, Peter      - Kasimdzhanov, Rustam   ½-½
Bacrot, Etienne     - Aronian, Levon         ½-½
Gelfand, Boris      - Eljanov, Pavel         0-1
Ivanchuk, Vassily   - Leko, Peter            ½-½
 

Armenian Youth Championships finished today in Yerevan. Armenian boys' champions are Arman Harutyunyan (U10), Tigran K. Harutyunyan (U12), Hovhannes Gabuzyan (U14), Tigran S. Petrosyan (U16), Robert Hovhannisyan (U18). Armenian girls' champions are Sona Asatryan (U10), Siranush Ghukasyan (U12), Arpi Azizbekyan (U14), Zozan Shakryan (U16), Diana Mnatsakanyan (U18).
 

Results
Aronian, Levon         - Ivanchuk, Vassily   1-0
Leko, Peter            - Alekseev, Evgeny    ½-½
Mamedyarov, Shakhriyar - Grischuk, Alexander 1-0
Kamsky, Gata           - Gelfand, Boris      ½-½
Akopian, Vladimir      - Karjakin, Sergey    1-0
Kasimdzhanov, Rustam   - Bacrot, Etienne     ½-½
Eljanov, Pavel         - Svidler, Peter      0-1
 

The FIDE Trainers' Commission has instituted "Tigran Petrosian" medal. The medal will annually be awarded to outstanding trainers for special achievements over the last years.

There are also medals for esteemed trainers with the names of Mikhail Botvinnik, Semjon Furman, Max Euwe, Isaac Boleslavsky.

The first winners will be announced till September 10th, 2009.
 

Results
Grischuk, Alexander - Leko, Peter            ½-½
Karjakin, Sergey    - Mamedyarov, Shakhriyar ½-½
Alekseev, Evgeny    - Aronian, Levon         ½-½
Bacrot, Etienne     - Eljanov, Pavel         ½-½
Svidler, Peter      - Gelfand, Boris         ½-½
Akopian, Vladimir   - Kamsky, Gata           1-0
Ivanchuk, Vassily   - Kasimdzhanov, Rustam   0-1
 

Results
Kamsky, Gata           - Svidler, Peter      1-0
Leko, Peter            - Karjakin, Sergey    ½-½
Aronian, Levon         - Grischuk, Alexander ½-½
Eljanov, Pavel         - Ivanchuk, Vassily   ½-½
Gelfand, Boris         - Bacrot, Etienne     ½-½
Kasimdzhanov, Rustam   - Alekseev, Evgeny    ½-½
Mamedyarov, Shakhriyar - Akopian, Vladimir   ½-½
 

Results
Grischuk, Alexander    - Kasimdzhanov, Rustam 1-0
Karjakin, Sergey       - Aronian, Levon       1-0
Alekseev, Evgeny       - Eljanov, Pavel       1-0
Bacrot, Etienne        - Svidler, Peter       ½-½
Mamedyarov, Shakhriyar - Kamsky, Gata         ½-½
Ivanchuk, Vassily      - Gelfand, Boris       ½-½
Akopian, Vladimir      - Leko, Peter          0-1
 

By the request of our numerous readers the news of our website are now published also in Armenian.
 

Results
Svidler, Peter       - Ivanchuk, Vassily      1-0
Aronian, Levon       - Akopian, Vladimir      1-0
Eljanov, Pavel       - Grischuk, Alexander    ½-½
Kamsky, Gata         - Bacrot, Etienne        ½-½
Kasimdzhanov, Rustam - Karjakin, Sergey       ½-½
Leko, Peter          - Mamedyarov, Shakhriyar ½-½
Gelfand, Boris       - Alekseev, Evgeny       ½-½
 

FIDE has awarded Armenian young chess player Anna Hairapetian the title of FIDE Women Master.
 

Results
Grischuk, Alexander    - Gelfand, Boris       1-0
Akopian, Vladimir      - Kasimdzhanov, Rustam ½-½
Alekseev, Evgeny       - Svidler, Peter       ½-½
Ivanchuk, Vassily      - Bacrot, Etienne      ½-½
Karjakin, Sergey       - Eljanov, Pavel       ½-½
Leko, Peter            - Kamsky, Gata         ½-½
Mamedyarov, Shakhriyar - Aronian, Levon       0-1
 

Armenian GMs Levon Aronian and Vladimir Akopian participate in the FIDE Grand Prix series tournament in Nalchik, Russia, from 15 to 30 April 2009. Their opponents are GMs Peter Leko (Hungary), Alexander Grischuk (Russia), Vassily Ivanchuk (Ukraine), Boris Gelfand (Israel), Etienne Bacrot (France), Peter Svidler (Russia), Shakhriyar Mamedyarov (Azerbaijan), Sergey Karjakin (Ukraine), Gata Kamsky (USA), Evgeny Alekseev (Russia), Rustam Kasimdzhanov (Uzbekistan), Pavel Elianov (Ukraine).

You can follow the games of the Nalchik tournament on our website on April 15-19, 21-24, 26-29, starting from, 16:00 (Yerevan time). Online
 

Armenian GM Hrair Simonian who is the member of the team ZAO "OMZ" took the first place in the Higher League of Russian Club Cup in Dagomys. Simonian scored 6,5 points of 8 - this was the best result among all the participants of the event.
 

Armenian GM Karen Movsziszian scored 7 points of 9 and took the 4th place in the open which was held in La Roda, Spain. Movsziszian was only half a point behind the tournament winners GM Mihai Suba (Romania) and GM Salvador Del Rio De Angelis (Spain).

207 chess players took part in the event.
 

GM Tigran Kotanjian and several other Armenian chess players will take part in the 11th Dubai Open Chess Championship for Sheikh Rashed Bin Hamdan Cup. The event will be held in United Arab Emirates from April 25 to May 5, 2009.
 

Armenian GM Varuzhan Akobian will have a match with USA Champion GM Yury Shulman. These two bronze medalists of Dresden Olympiad will meet in the California's First Grandmaster Invitational World Class Chess Event which will be held April 22nd-25th 2009 in Lake County, California. Akobian and Shulman will play 6 rapid and 10 blitz games.
 

Karen Asrian Memorial will be held in Jermuk, Armenia from June 26 to July 6, 2009. The prize fund of this Open tournament is 5.000.000 Armenian dram (approximately 13.400 USD by April 10, 2009). The first prize is 1.000.000 Armenian dram.
 

Simultaneously with Asrian Memorial will be held Junior Open in Jermuk from June 26 to July 6, 2009. The event will be held in U10, U12, U14, U16 groups. The total prize fund is 2.500.000 Armenian dram (approximately 6.700 USD by April 10, 2009).
 

You can get the books published by "Chess in Armenia" Magazine. To get the details of purchase, please contact the editorial board of “Chess in Armenia” at armchess@arminco.com

(in English)
G. Oganessian. Armenia's Chess Team, 1994
G. Oganessian. USA - Armenia. International Chess Match, 1994
Armenia Welcomes World Chess Olympiad - 96, 1994
Biel. International Chess Festival, 1995
56th Armenian Chess Championship, 1996
G. Oganessian. 100 Chess Sacrifices of Kasparov, 1996
32nd World Chess Olympiad: The Best Games, 1997
5th World Chess Team Championship, 2001
V. Akopian. My 111 Problems and Studies, 2004
G. Oganessian. Tigran Petrosian in Pictures, Attacks, Aphorisms, 2004
Lausanne Chess Young Masters. 5th tournament, 2005
Lausanne Chess Young Masters. 6th tournament, 2006

(in Russian)
G. Oganessian. Tigran Petrosian, 1989

(in Armenian)
G. Oganessian. Armenia's Chess Team, 1994
G. Oganessian. USA - Armenia. International Chess Match, 1994
Biel. International Chess Festival, 1995
56th Armenian Chess Championship, 1996
G. Oganessian. 100 Chess Sacrifices of Kasparov, 1996
32nd World Chess Olympiad: The Best Games, 1997
G. Oganessian. Armenia - Europe Chess Champion, 2000
G. Oganessian. Armenian Chess Team in Bled Olympiad, 2003
G. Oganessian. 111 Chess Smiles, 2004
G. Oganessian. Tigran Petrosian in Pictures, Attacks, Aphorisms, 2004
A Book of Chess Problems. (by G. Oganessian)
Part I: 111 Baby Twomovers, 2004
Part II: 222 Baby Threemovers, 2005
Part III: 222 Baby Multi-Movers, 2006
Part IV: 222 Baby Endgames, 2007
G. Oganessian. Life and Activity of Tigran Petrosian in Pictures,
Attacks, Aphorisms, 2004
G. Oganessian. Armenian Chess Team in World Championships, 2006
G. Oganessian. 111 Chess Jokes, 2006
G. Oganessian. The Golden Champions of Torino, 2006
G. Oganessian. Aronian – Kramnik: the Cupholder against the Champion, 2007
G. Oganessian. Aronian – Kramnik: the Duel of Giants, 2007
G. Oganessian. Chess Giants, 2008
G. Oganessian. The Silver and Bronze Heraklion, 2008
G. Oganessian. Asrian Memorial, 2008
G. Oganessian. Karen Asrian. Unfinished Game, 2008
G. Oganessian. The Golden Champions of Dresden, 2009

The full list of the books and bulletins in www.armchess.am/books.htm
 

FIDE has published the list of players for the FIDE Grand Prix Yerevan Tournament to be held from 8 to 24 August, 2009.

The 14 participants of the tournament will be Vladimir Akopian, Evgeny Alekseev, Levon Aronian, Etienne Bacrot, Pavel Eljanov, Boris Gelfand, Ernesto Inarkiev, Vasily Ivanchuk, Dmitry Jakovenko, Gata Kamsky, Sergey Karjakin, Ruslan Kasimdzhanov, Peter Leko, Wang Yue.
 

Armenian Champion Arman Pashikian will participate in the China National Chess League 2009 in the Beijing Aigo Chess Club. The first part of the tournament will be held in Chengdu Sichuan, from 4 to 8 May, 2009.
 

The Vice-Champion of Europe Lilit Mkrtchian will participate in Maia Chiburdanidze Cup to be held in Tbilisi, Georgia, from 4 to 13 June, 2009.
 

GM Gabriel Sargissian will be Levon Aronian's second in the FIDE Grand Prix tournament in Nalchik, Russia.

Another Armenian GM Sergey Galdunts will help Vladimir Akopian in that event.
 

Dresden Olympiad Champions Gabriel Sarigissian and Tigran L. Petrosian will participate in the grand opens to be held in Chicago and Las Vegas in May 2009.
 

Armenian GM Levon Aronian and GM Vladimir Akopian will participate in the fourth FIDE Grand Prix series tournament in Nalchik, Russia, from 14 to 30 April 2009. Their opponents will be GMs Peter Leko (Hungary), Alexander Grischuk (Russia), Vassily Ivanchuk (Ukraine), Boris Gelfand (Israel), Etienne Bacrot (France), Peter Svidler (Russia), Shakhriyar Mamedyarov (Azerbaijan), Sergey Karjakin (Ukraine), Gata Kamsky (USA), Evgeny Alekseev (Russia), Rustam Kasimdzhanov (Uzbekistan), Pavel Elianov (Ukraine).

You can follow the games of the Nalchik tournament on our website on April 15-19, 21-24, 26-29. Online
 

The FIDE has announced the FIDE Rating List by 1st April 2009.

The new ratings of chess players of Armenia are available in our link Ratings by April 1, 2009.