Armenia revels in its chess prowess

Saturday, 26 September 2009 12:03 UK

Armenia, with a population of three million, has won the last two men’s world team chess championships, beating opponents including Russia, China, and the US. What is their secret? David Edmonds travelled to the country to find out.

I speak not a word of Armenian, and the first man I met in Armenia spoke not a word of English.

He was the driver picking me up from the airport.

BBC NEWS | Programmes | From Our Own Correspondent | Armenia revels in its chess prowess

“David,” I said, pointing at myself. “Tigran,” he said, shaking my hand, “Tigran Petrosian.”

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

For Westerners it was a case of one Soviet Man beating another. The Soviets used chess to demonstrate the superiority of communism over capitalism, and had created a highly efficient chess factory, churning out prodigies like sausages.

But that is not how they saw it in Armenia. For them, Petrosian was above all an Armenian.

National obsession

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.

The result led to an outpouring of patriotic fervour. That same year, John F Kennedy was assassinated.

“In America everyone can remember where they were when Kennedy was shot,” one man tells me. “Here in Armenia, everyone of a certain age can recall the exact moment Petrosian became world champion.”

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.

BBC NEWS | Programmes | From Our Own Correspondent | Armenia revels in its chess prowess

“ A spectator tells me that Armenia’s number one player, Levon Aronian, is their equivalent of David Beckham. He even has the designer stubble. ”

Here is the full article.

Chess Daily News from Susan Polgar
Susan Polgar October 3, 2009 General News 4 Comments
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