Pasadena Star-News, CA
July 15 2004

Chess players poised for a strategic move

By Naush Boghossian , Staff Writer

GLENDALE — Chess enthusiasts are getting ready to move from their
normal haunts in local cafes to the city’s new $540,000 chess park,
which opens Saturday evening.
More than three years in the making, the free park offers 16 boards
amid towering chess piece sculpted in a converted passageway along
Brand Boulevard.

“We’re definitely excited because there are a lot of kids who like to
play at their leisure and don’t have a permanent place to play,’ said
Harout Akopyan, 23, a coach for the All American Association Chess
Club, which runs chess schools for youngsters in Glendale, Reseda and
Hollywood. “This park is good for everybody.’

Glendale is something of a chess hub, since the game is very popular
among Armenians, who make up more than 70,000 of Glendale’s 200,000
residents.

In Armenia, people begin playing chess when they’re young, and the
schools there encourage competitions from a very young age. Akopyan’s
club, which serves about 150 children, continuously produces national
champion chess players.

Akopyan has 13 national championship titles himself.

The concept for a park came from local chess clubs, who encouraged
the City Council to maximize the potential of the little-used
passageway.

“We’ve taken a piece of property that was underutilized and created
an urban park that is not only aesthetically attractive but serves
the community,’ senior project manager Emil Tatevosian said. “We’ve
realized that we have a large chess community in the city, and this
is a good venue for all of them to come together.’

The new park is divided into zones, each accented with a chess piece
King, Queen, Bishop and Rook and has tables with inlaid game boards
and benches.

And chess-themed light towers also will allow for nighttime games.

“There is potential to create a hub of activity there with the Alex
Theater and Brand Books, which is open until midnight,’ Tatevosian
said.

The concept of having an area for chess players to gather and play is
very popular in other countries, said president of the L.A. Chess
Club Mick Bighamian.

But in Southern California where the only other chess park is in
Santa Monica players tend to gather at coffee shops, where the
unwritten rule is you have to spend money to be able to stay and
play.

“I think this is a great movement as far as keeping the youngsters
and senior citizens to have something leisurely to do at no cost to
them,’ Bighamian said. “And the park helps the promotion of chess to
get the image it truly deserves as a fun and challenging game.’

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress