Chess: India to take on Armenia in friendship match

The Times of India, India
Nov 27 2008

India to take on Armenia in friendship match
27 Nov 2008, 1617 hrs IST, PTI

NEW DELHI: Grandmaster and World Junior Champion Abhijeet Gupta will
spearhead Indian challenge as a five-member home team takes on Armenia
in a friendship chess match starting on Sunday.

The Indian team, comprising GMs S Arun Prasad and B Adhiban and GM
norm-holders Deep Sen Gupta and Gogineni Rohit, will play four games
each day with one player kept on reserve.

"Both the teams are very strong and we will put the best foot forward
and hope we can win the tournament," Abhijeet said.

India coach Vishal Sareen said there would be nothing friendly in the
match with the two teams fighting it out hard.

"It will be a good contest as both the teams boast of quality players
and although its a friendship match, there is nothing friendly in the
event as both the teams will go for a kill from Sunday," he said.

The Armenian team will be led by GM and 2006 World Junior Champion
Zaven Adriasian, while GM Avetik Grigoryan, IM Hrant Melkumyan and FM
Samvel Sahakyan complete the rest of the team.

"The Armenian team will be reaching on Friday evening and we hope this
initiative will further strength the ties between the both
countries. This time the tournament is India and we hope to organise
it in Armenia next year," Armenian ambassador to India, Ashot
Kocharian said.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Emil Lazarian

“I should like to see any power of the world destroy this race, this small tribe of unimportant people, whose wars have all been fought and lost, whose structures have crumbled, literature is unread, music is unheard, and prayers are no more answered. Go ahead, destroy Armenia . See if you can do it. Send them into the desert without bread or water. Burn their homes and churches. Then see if they will not laugh, sing and pray again. For when two of them meet anywhere in the world, see if they will not create a New Armenia.” - WS