PROFESSIONAL CHESS TOO HARD, SAYS ARMENIAN GM

Gulf Today

July 16 2012
UAE

TIANJIN: Chess is too “hard” to be taken as a career, says leading
Armenian Grand Master (GM) Vladimir Akopian.

“I don’t want my boys to be professional chess players, because it’s
too hard,” Akopian was quoted as saying by Xinhua, after he swept
a clean victory against Wei Yi, a 13-year-old boy who is one year
younger than his oldest son Valeri, in the 10th round of the 2012
Chinese Chess League Division A.

When he was 14 in 1986, Akopian was crowned the World Under-16
champion. Three years ago, he was named “Honoured Master of Sport of
the Republic of Armenia”.

“Besides, if you want to become a top 10 chess player, you have to
work very hard, thinking about nothing but the game,” said Akopian.

Indo-Asian News Services