CHESS WORLD YOUTH CHAMPIONSHIP STARTS IN YEREVAN

Noyan Tapan News Agency, Armenia
Oct 3 2006

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 3, NOYAN TAPAN. Solemn opening ceremony of the world
chess championship of chess-players below 20 took place on October 3
at the Central Chess House after Tigran Petrosian. Grand master Smbat
Lputian, Vice-Chairman of the Armenian Chess Federation, champion
of world olympiad, Mikael Ispirian, Vice-Chairman of RA State Sport
Committee, Gagik Hovhannisian, Secretary General of the Armenian Chess
Federation, and Ashot Vardapetian, principal coach of the championship,
made greeting speeches addressed to the championship participants.

Before this the championship participants laid wreaths to the monument
to 9th world champion T.Petrosian.

Armen Hambartsumian, head of the U.S. delegation, Armenian deserved
coach, Tatev Abrahamian, former pupil of Yerevan Chess School,
Hamlet Tumanian representing Iran are among the guests who have
arrived in Armenia.

To recap, the championship organizers have a great experience of
holding such tournaments. World championship of chess-players below
20 was held in Yerevan in 1999 and in 2000.