"ARMENIA PROUD OF ITS CHESS ART": BBC REPORTER WANTS TO FIND OUT SECRET OF OUR VICTORIES

Panorama.am
18:39 28/09/2009

David Edmonds from BBC enjoys much Armenians playing chess and their
victories; hence he traveled to Armenia to find out the secret of
those victories.

The reporter tells in his story that he speaks not a word of Armenian,
and the first man he met in Armenia spoke not a word of English. He
was much surprised to hear that the drivers name taking hi to the
city center from the airport was Tigran Petrosian.

"This seems a weird coincidence. In 1963, his namesake, Tigran
Petrosian, had defeated Mikhail Botvinnik to take the world chess
title," BBC reporter writes.

He recollects that tens of thousands of people gathered in Opera Square
in the capital Yerevan, to watch the games being displayed on giant
boards, as the moves were relayed from Moscow. From that moment on,
chess became a national obsession.

"My driver, Tigran, was not the only Tigran I met. Tigran is an
ancient Armenian name. Tigran the Great built a vast empire here
in Roman times. But since the chess conquests of Tigran Petrosian,
Tigrans have multiplied. Tigran Xmalian is a director, who has made
a film that uses chess to tell the history of modern Armenia. It is
a tragic story," writes the reporter.

It is said that since the late 1980s, Armenia has experienced
a catastrophic earthquake, war with Azerbaijan and economic
collapse. Tigran Xmalian told to the BBC reporter that chess offers
the people hope – the chance of salvation. For in chess every pawn
can become a queen.

"Later I meet the president of the Armenian Chess Federation. The
interview had taken months to arrange. That may seem odd until
you realise that in his spare time, he is also president of the
country. His cabinet consists of two Tigrans – the prime minister
and the finance minister," David Edmonds writes.

Armenian President told the BBC reporter, as it is written in
the story, that the state already offers free training to the most
promising players, and a guaranteed salary (equivalent to the average
wage) to any Armenian who reaches the elite title of grandmaster.

The president told that it is planned to introduce chess into the
school curriculum. "We don’t want people to know Armenia just for
the earthquake and the genocide," President said as BBC writes. "We
would rather it was famous for its chess."

The BBC reporter had a meeting with another Tigran Petrosian who is
chess grand master. Tigran Petrosian junior said that he hopes to
make the Armenian side that will defend its gold medal in 2010. He
said the name gives him a good feeling but it is too much pressure at
the same time as with that name everyone expects him to win every game.

Another Armenian GM Levon Aronian has been called to be the equivalent
of David Beckham as a spectator told BBC.

The tournament held in Jermuk is called the Tigran Petrosian Memorial
Tournament. Reporter concludes his story pointing that the world
champion, who died two decades ago, would have turned 80 this year.