Something Out of Nothing
Garin Hovannisian on navigating the creative journey
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August 31, 2010
AGBU Sponsors First Pan-Armenian Chess Olympiad During "One Nation, One Culture" Festival
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The winners from the first-ever Pan-Armenian Chess Olympiad, sponsored by AGBU. -
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Players compete during the Pan-Armenian Chess Olympiad in Yerevan, which took place from August 14 to 23.
The first Pan-Armenian Chess Olympiad took place in Yerevan from August 14 to August 23, 2010. The event, co-sponsored by AGBU, was held as part of the "One Nation, One Culture" Festival. The joint initiative by the Republic of Armenia's Diaspora Ministry and the Chess Academy of Armenia brought together 40 top-ranked Armenian chess players from the diaspora, Karabakh and Armenia. The tournament was sponsored by the Armenian General Benevolent Union, Chairman of the Union of French in Armenia Raymond Yezeguelian, and Armavia, an Armenian airline company.
The opening ceremony of the Chess Olympiad took place at the Chess Academy of Armenia on August 14, with the participation of Armenia's president Serge Sargsyan, Diaspora Minister Hranush Hakobian, and First Vice President of the Republic of Armenia Chess Federation, President of the Chess Academy of Armenia and chess grandmaster Smbat Lputian.
Ten teams -- seven from the Diaspora, two from Armenia and one from Karabakh -- participated in the tournament. Each team consisted of four players; participants from the diaspora teams were divided into groups based on their regions: Russia, Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), the Middle East, North America, and South America.
The results of the tournament were summed up and winners were announced during the closing ceremony on August 23. The winning teams were Europe (3rd place), Yerevan (2nd place) and CIS (1st place). Individual winners included Grikor Sevak Mekhitarian (Brazil, 3rd place), Katerina Rohonian (USA, 3rd place), Siranoush Andreasian (Armenia, 3rd place), Tigran Petrossian (Armenia, 2nd place), Tatev Abrahamian (USA, 2nd place), Poghos Nahapetyan (Russia, 1st place), and Diana Arutyunova (Ukraine, 1st place). All winners received financial awards made possible by AGBU. Sponsors and organizers were awarded with certificates, letters of gratitude and medals from the Diaspora Ministry and the Armenian Chess Federation. The tournament contributed to the continuous development of Armenia-diaspora relations and helped foster an appreciation for Armenian chess traditions among youth. It also helped boost sport and youth ties between Armenia and different Armenian communities around the world, promoting a love of chess among aspiring players. This was an unforgettable opportunity for the participating Armenians coming from 12 countries to compete with one another in their homeland. For most of them, this was their first opportunity to visit Armenia.
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