PRESIDENT SERZH SARGSYAN’S SPEECH DEDICATED TO TIGRAN PETROSIAN’S 80TH ANNIVERSARY DURING OPENING CEREMONY OF JERMUK-2009 TOURNAMENT OF FIDE GRAND PRIX

Noyan Tapan
Aug 11, 2009
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, AUGUST 11, NOYAN TAPAN. President of Armenia, President of the
Chess Federation of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan participated in the opening
of the FIDE Grand Prix tournament in the city of Jermuk, Armenia. The
RA President’s speech at the opening ceremony is presented below:
it was submitted to Noyan Tapan by the RA President’s Press Office.

"Dear Mr. Ilyumzhinov ,

Dear chess players,

Dear guests,

I welcome you in Jermuk with pleasure. Armenia today shows hospitality
to a chess tournament holding of which can do credit for any
country. Such tournaments become a holiday for peoples who loves,
evaluates and understands chess.

The world chess players’ and chess fans’ attention will be concentrated
to Jermuk during the coming few days. Everybody expects a good,
qualified game, an interesting competition and I am confident that
expectations of all of us will come true.

Besides, this tournament also has an important advice. It is dedicated
to the 80th birthday anniversary of 9th world chess champion Tigran
Petrosian.

Tigran Petrosian is more for us than a chess giant. He is the symbol
of our national dignity, one of the brightest individuals of our
centuries-old history.

Tigran Petrosian proved that the Armenian chess can and must have
serious achievements. His victory, sport successes have grown
up several generations. Chess has been played in all the Armenian
families after Tigran Petrosian’s victory. This interesting phenomenon
was to give results which we could whole-heartedly enjoy in about
forty-four years when the men’s team of Armenia became the Olympic
champion. We today say with pride that Armenia is the Homeland of
double champions. Our chess players reach new successes almost every
month and the last of them is Levon Aronian’s victory in rapid chess.

I am thankful, dear Levon. I congratulate but we expects more.

Tigran Petrosian said on an occasion: "The chess is a game by its type,
is an art by the contents, and is a science by complication of its
comprehending." Let an interesting game, nice art and foundamental
science fly during these days over Jermuk.

Happy journey, Jermuk – 2009."

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress