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    Emil Lazarian
  • 5 years ago
    • Categories: 2021

Armenia’s Aronian comes second at Airthings Masters, pledges to win next time

Public Radio of Armenia
Jan 3 2021

Armenia’sn GM Levon Aronian came second in the Airthings Masters online chess tournament after losing to Teimour Radjabov in the final.

Aronian took home $40,000 from a $200,000 prize pot.

Aronian started the day in desperate need of an early win to put pressure on Radjabov who was ahead after winning Saturday’s first set. The Armenian had to win today’s four-game set to take the match to tiebreaks,

“I have some mixed feelings because I am upset with the way I played in the final but generally I played well in the tournament,” the Armenian said.

He added: “I knew I had to take risks, but probably I was making some strange decisions.”

In the third-place play-off match, Frenchman Maxime Vachier-Lagrave beat Russia’s Daniil Dubov 2.5-1.5 to secure the match after the pair played out a fiery 2-2 draw on Saturday.

Levon Aronian took to social media after the final to thank everyone for support and pledge to win next time.

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