Author: Karagyozian Lena

120 MLN CUBIC METERS OF WATER FROM LAKE SEVAN TO BE USED FOR IRRIGATION PURPOSE THIS YEAR
Noyan Tapan
Jun 1 2006
YEREVAN, JUNE 1, NOYAN TAPAN. Under the governmental decision of
June 1, 120 mln c.m. of water from Lake Sevan will be used for
irrigation this year. The same amount was used in 2005. Chairman
of the State Water Industry Committee of the RA Ministry of
Territorial Administration Andranik Andreasian stated this at a
briefing today. He pointed out that the increase in the level of
Lake Sevan will not affect in any way the amount of its water to be
used for irrigation. According to him, Arpa-Sevan Tunnel annually
carries 260 mln c.m. of water to Lake Sevan. A.Andreasian said that 53
associations of water users currently carry out irrigation activities
in Armenia. Each of these associations determines the irrigation
water tariff in its area. About 16 associations supply 1 c.m of
water at 8 drams, while the remaining ones apply a tariff of up to
40 drams. However, the tariff again makes 8 drams for the ultimate
user and the difference is subsidized by the state. 3.7 bln drams
(about 8.6 mln USD) has been allocated for this purpose in 2006. It
was noted that an independent audit is now being perfomed in order to
prepare a program on financial development of the irrigation system
in the next 5 years, and it is not ruled out that some structural
changes will be made as a result.

RUSSIA TO LIFT BAN ON ARMENIAN FRUIT, VEGETABLE IMPORTS VIA GEORGIA
Prime-Tass English-language Business Newswire
May 31, 2006 Wednesday 4:44 PM EET
Russia is to lift a ban on fruit and vegetable imports from Armenia
transported via the territory of Georgia, Sergei Dankvert, head of
Russia’s Federal Service for Veterinarian and Phytosanitarian control,
said Wednesday.
Russia and Armenia have reached an agreement on safety procedures
when transporting the supplies, Dankvert said.
The ban was imposed in March after it was found that on several
occasions shipments were being imported with forged health
certificates. Dankvert added that during talks with Armenia it turned
out that the forgeries occurred in Georgia.
“Armenian exporters will have to send notification of any shipment one
day before its arrival,” Dankvert said, adding that the notification
should specify the registration number of the health certificate
for the shipment and the registration number of the truck carrying
the supplies.
Dankvert stressed that all steps taken by the service were to
ensure the safety of imported products. He denied any political
implications. Georgia earlier accused Russia of banning fruit and
vegetable imports as well as imports of wine and mineral water to
put political pressure on the country.

TIGRAN TOROSIAN ELECTED NA SPEAKER
Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
Jun 1 2006
YEREVAN, JUNE 1, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. By the results of
the June 1 secret ballot, Vice-Chairman of the Republican Party of
Armenia Tigran Torosian who held the post of RA NA Vice-Speaker was
elected RA NA Speaker.
According to the protocol of the ad hoc calculating commission,
97 of 131 RA MPs took part in the voting. 94 MPs voted for Tigran
Torosian and 1 against. Two ballot-papers were recognized invalid. In
accordance with the decisions made earlier, the members of the
Ardarutiun (Justice) and National Unity factions did not take part in
the voting. Tigran Torosian was born on April 14 1956 in Yerevan. In
1978 he graduated from Yerevan Polytechnical Institute. He is an
engineer of electronic technics a candidate of technical sciences. He
is the author of more than 10 inventions and more than 30 scientific
works. In 1978-95 he worked at Yerevan Scientific-Research Institute
of Mathematic Machines.
In 1996-98 he was RA CEC member, in 1997-98 the editor-in-chief of
the Hanrapetakan newspaper. He has been a deputy of the parliament
of the previous two convocations. He has been NA Vice-Speaker of the
parliament of second convocation from 1999 November 2 and of third
convocation from 2003 June 12.
T.Torosian is also the head of the PACE Armenian delegation. Besides,
he has headed the ad hoc commissions on constitutional amendments
and on Armenia’s integration to European structures. He is married,
has two children. On June 2, RA NA will pass to the election of
chairmen of NA Standing Committee on Defence, National Security and
Internal Affairs, as well as Standing Committee on Social, Healthcare
and Nature Protection Issues. It is expected that the candidature
of non-partisan Aramayis Grigorian not included in any faction or
group will be nominated by the ARF Dashnaktsutiun faction for the
first post and the candidature of ULP faction member, Vice-Chairman
of the same committee Mnatsakan Petrosian for the second post.

MICROSOFT RANKS KEMAL ATATURK AMONG DICTATORS
AZG Armenian Daily
31/05/2006
The world’s software giant Microsoft listed the founder of modern
Turkey, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, among dictators such as Adolph Hitler,
Joseph Stalin, and Mao Zedong in the German 2006 version of its
Encarta Encyclopedia published annually, Turkish Zaman daily reports.
Encarta used mostly by the school-age children and renewed every each
year informs: “Ataturk, born on the 12th of March 1881, and from the
age of five attended military school at the center of anti-Turkish,
Greek and Slav nationalism in Monastery and Thessalonica. He began
studying at Istanbul Military Academy and graduated as brigadier
in 1905.”

May 31, 2006 05:02:04 PM |
<; News From Georgia < ia> >>
Power games in the Caucasus
Source: BBc News: By Kieran Cooke, 2006-05-07
In Dgvari village, Georgia
Roman Gogoladze, a farmer living in the village of Dgvari, high up in
the mountains of Georgia in the Caucasus, points at the foot wide
cracks in the walls of his house.
The whole structure looks as though it will soon collapse and slide
down the valley.
“Big powers – the oil companies and the government – are destroying
our homes and our land,” he says.
“They are playing their money games and ignore people like us.”
The anger of Mr Gogoladze and other villagers in Dgvari is mainly
directed at BP, the energy giant leading a consortium which recently
completed the world’s longest pipeline project, stretching 1,767kms
from Baku in Azerbaijan via Tbilisi in Georgia to the port of Ceyhan
on Turkey’s Mediterranean coast.
The Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) pipeline and an associated South
Caucasus gas supply line are sunk into the mountainside less than one
kilometer above Dgvari.
Villagers say pipeline excavations have seriously destabilised
surrounding lands and allege that promised amounts of compensation
have not been paid.
BP insists work on the BTC is not to blame for Dgvari’s landslide
problems.
It says it has offered $1m (£550,000) of humanitarian aid to the
government to help resettle the villagers elsewhere.
Foreign investment
Georgia, one of the richest republics in the old USSR, went into sharp
economic decline following the collapse of the Soviet Union and the
country’s independence in the early 1990s.
As Russia’s economy went into free-fall, Georgia lost its key export
market, particularly for its food produce and wine.
More than a million of the country’s 5m people were forced to emigrate
in search of jobs.
Though there have been limited signs of economic improvement recently,
the country – with much of its infrastructure in a state of near
collapse, most of its industry at a standstill and estimates of
unemployment varying between 30% and 50% – is in desperate need of
investment.
The Georgian government says the BTC project will play a central role
in rejuvenating the country’s economy.
According to government statistics, more than 60% of total foreign
investment over the past two years has been associated with the
project.
“I have no illusions that this pipeline will solve all our problems,
but this is a start,” says Georgia’s president, Mikhail Saakashvili.
Seismic zone
However, many farmers along the route of the BTC, plus local
environmental groups, have voiced strong opposition.
The oil and gas pipelines go near the source of the country’s famed
Borjumi spring water, a principal export.
Georgia is in a seismic zone: the BTC’s critics say any earthquake
activity could cause massive environmental and economic damage.
The $3.6bn BTC project, strongly backed by the US and British
governments, plays a key role in an increasingly frenzied battle for
control of vital energy sources in the Caspian region and Central
Asia, with Washington and London viewing the presence of the pipeline
as a vital counterbalance to Russia’s growing control over the area’s
energy supplies.
The Georgian government not only hopes to gain much needed funds from
charging for the transit of oil and gas through its territory.
With much of its own energy sources, including a network of hydro
stations, in a state of severe disrepair, the country is heavily
dependent on imports, particularly of gas, supplied by Russia.
Moscow, which has military bases in Georgia, has watched with concern
as its former republic has turned to the West: US military advisors
are training the Georgian army – President Bush visited Tbilisi last
year, describing the country as “a beacon of freedom.”
At the beginning of this year Russia doubled the price of gas it
supplies to Georgia.
In late January, in the middle of one of the coldest winters on
record, an as yet unexplained explosion severed the pipeline carrying
Russian gas to Georgia, leaving a large part of the country without
power for a week.
President Saakashvili was quick to point the finger at Moscow,
alleging his country was the victim of “outrageous blackmail.”
Power and influence
Georgia is seeking to diversify energy supplies, though a gas import
agreement with Iran met with Washington’s disapproval and was quickly
terminated.
The government is now negotiating terms for a gas supply from the BTC
associated South Caucasus Pipeline project.
Yet while the government says it’s trying to escape from Moscow’s
shadow, there are indications powerful political factions are pressing
for the sell-off of the country’s power sector to Russian interests.
“Strange games are going on here,” says Mrs Salome Zourabichvili, the
country’s former foreign minister, sacked by Mr Saakashvili last year.
“There’s a lot of infighting in government with a pro-Moscow faction
seeming to get the upper hand.
“What is white is black and vice versa. As everywhere else in the
territories of the old Soviet Union, Russia is using its power as an
energy producer to further its influence.”
Empty promises
The complexities of local politics, big power rivalries and the energy
business mean little to Roman Gogoladze and his fellow farmers in the
village of Dgvari.
The government says there’s a growing danger of landslides and has
told the village’s 500 inhabitants they must leave.
“The Russians, BP, the government – they’re all the same,” says Mr
Gogoladze.
“All sorts of promises are made but nothing ever happens.
“When we protested against the pipelines, the police came and beat
people up. Not one person in the village was given work on the
project. Indians and Columbians were brought in instead and we were
left with nothing – but we are never going to leave our lands.”
31.5.2006
News From < aijan>
Azerbaijan >>
PRESIDENT ILHAM ALIYEV RECEIVES UKRAINIAN DELEGATION LED MY MINISTER
OF FUEL AND ENERGY IVAN PLACHKOV
Source: Azetag, 2006-05-16
On May 16, President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev received at the
Presidential Palace the delegation of Ukraine led by the country’s
Minister of Fuel and Energy Ivan Plachkov.
The Head of State described current relations between Azerbaijan and
Ukraine as steadily developing. The President pointed out he had
recently discussed different aspects of bilateral cooperation with his
Ukrainian counterpart, adding they will meet during the forthcoming
summit of GUAM member states in Kiev.
Ivan Plachkov conveyed to the Azerbaijani leader greetings and letter
from President Viktor Yuschenko. In the letter, the Ukrainian leader
expressed readiness to promote further development of his country’s
all-round cooperation with Azerbaijan. Describing the
Azerbaijan-Ukraine relations as strategic, Viktor Yuschenko noted he
is looking forward to meeting with the Azerbaijani President during
the coming GUAM summit in Kiev.
President Ilham Aliyev expressed his gratitude for the greetings from
Viktor Yuschenko, and asked Mr. Plachkov to convey his own ones to the
Ukrainian leader.
31.5.2006
News From Armenia < ia>
>>
FOUNTAINS AND GREEN ZONES OF NORTHERN AVENUE TO BE CHANGED
Source: Noyan Tapan, 2006-05-15
A considerable reconstruction work is necessary in order to put in
operation again the fountrains of Yerevan’s Northern Avenue currently
under construction, because the infrastructures supplying these
fountains are too old. Chief Architect of Yerevan Samvel Danielian
told NT correspondent about it. According to him, the Urban
Development Council of Yerevan is now examining a version of
constructing Northern Avenue, by which the upper level of the avenue
is viewed as a green area, while fountains will be installed below –
at the “minus 1” level. Besides, a version to build an underground car
parking space at the “minus 2” level all along Northern Avenue is
being discussed. The car parking lots will not be built only at the
area limited by Eznik Koghbatsi and Abovian Streets, where it is
envisaged to construct the Old Yerevan historical and architectural
complex of 14 buildings.
31.5.2006
International < mational>
News >>
Kazakhstan mulls Baku- Erzurum gas pipeline link
Source: New Europe, 2006-05-15
Kazakhstan is thinking about linking up with the Baku-Erzurum gas
pipeline, Danial Akhmetov, Kazakhstan’s prime minister, said at a
briefing in Baku. `Kazakhstan is thinking of linking up to this new
gas pipeline, which will create not only new alternatives for our
country but new and I’d say more interesting economic opportunities,
because Greece lies directly beyond Erzurum, and then Italy. This
would give Kazakhstan access to the European markets,’ Interfax quoted
Akhmetov as saying.
The Baku-Erzurum pipeline, capacity 30 billion cubic metres of gas
annually, will be built in September this year, Akhmetov said. The
pipeline will carry gas produced at Azerbaijan’s Shah Deniz field to
market.
Akhmetov also said that he discussed Kazakhstan’s participation in the
Trans-Caspian Gas Pipeline construction with Iranian President Mahmoud
Ahmadinejad in Baku on Friday before last.
`The meeting with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was devoted
primarily to the issue that the (Kazakh) President (Nursultan
Nazarbayev) asked (me to discuss), namely integration in the sphere of
energy resources, new opportunities and Iran’s attitude to
Kazakhstan’s participation in, say, the construction of the
Trans-Caspian Gas Pipeline,’ Akhmetov said.
The Shah Deniz project participants are BP – 25.5 percent (technical
operator), Statoil – 25.5 percent (commercial operator), Azeri state
oil company SOCAR – 10 percent, Luk-Agip – 10 percent, Total – 10
percent, National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC) – 10 percent and TPAO –
nine percent. The Trans-Caspian pipeline would be built along the
Tengiz (Kazakhstan) – Turkmenbashi (Turkmenistan) – Baku (Azerbaijan)
– Tbilisi (Georgia) – Erzurum (Turkey) route.
Kazakhstan also expects to sign an agreement to use the
Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) pipeline to transport its own oil in the
second half of June, Akhmetov said. `The agreement between Azerbaijan
and Kazakhstan on the BTC pipeline will in principle be closed in
May. I think that in the second half of June we will do everything
possible for the heads of state to sign it,’ Akhmetov said.
Azeri state oil company SOCAR and Kazakhstan’s national oil and gas
company KazMunaiGaz began talks on Kazakhstan using the BTC pipeline
in November 2002. Tankers will ship the Kazakh oil from Aktau to
Baku. Initially, the BTC will carry 7.5 million tonnes of Kazakh oil
per year, rising to 20 million tonnes per year in time. The
1,767-kilometre BTC pipeline is capable of carrying 50 million tonnes
of oil per year. The BTC project participants are BP (30.1 percent),
SOCAR (25 percent), Unocal (8.9 percent), Statoil (8.71 percent), TPAO
(6.53 percent), ENI (five percent), Itochu (3.4 percent),
ConocoPhillips (2.5 percent), INPEX (2.5 percent), Total (5 percent)
and Amerada Hess (2.36 percent).
31.5.2006
International < rence>
Seminar / Conference / Meeting >>
International Conference 2006: “Reviewing the past for reshaping the
future”
(Addressing root causes of Conflicts & Environmental Hazards)
This International Conference is organized by “Eastern University of
Sri Lanka” as a part of Silver Jubilee celebration on the theme
“Reviewing the Past for Reshaping the Future”.
Over the past few decades Sri Lanka had faced numerous natural hazards
and a major ethnic conflict which led to the loss of lives and
destruction of properties and the natural environment of the
country. The conference aims to examine various aspects of the issues
in order to initiate dialogue that can lead to formulate strategies
and mechanisms for a secure future.
Official Website of the International Conference 2006:
Re ference:
Conference Brochure
Researchers are invited to submit papers relating to one or more of the
following areas; (1) Political Economy of Development, (2) Environmental
Issues, (3) Revisiting Tsunami, (4) Conflict, (5) Good Governance, (6)
Traditions and Cultural Diversity, (7) Public Health, (8) Education, (9)
Gender Concerns.
Important Dates of the Conference,
Submission of Abstracts – 07th July 2006
Revision of Abstracts – 31st July 2006
Submission of Full papers – 20th September 2006
Final Submission of Full papers – 20th October 2006
Date of Conference – 11th and 12th December 2006
Inauguration of the International Conference will be on the 10th
December
2006 and the Conference will be held at the Eastern University, Sri
Lanka on
the 11th and 12th December 2006.
Read more -> (.PDF File
Format,
4 MB)
Interested personnel can register now.
Postal Address:
Conference Secretariat,
International Conference -2006,
Eastern University of Sri Lanka,
Vantharumoolai,
Chenkalady 30350,
Sri Lanka.
Contact Persons: Dr. M. Printhan and Ms. V.R. Ragel
E-mail: [email protected]
Phone: +94-65-2241205, 2240757
+94-65-2240490 Ext-404
Fax: +94-65-2241205, 2240758
Registration Fee,
Participants from SAARC countries, U.S. $ 50 accompanying U.S. $ 25
(SAARC countries are India, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal,
Bhutan, Sri Lanka and The Maldives)
Other Foreign Participants, U.S. $ 100 accompanying U.S. $ 50
Local Participants, Rs. 1000
Local Students, Rs. 250
Payments to be made by a bank draft to the Account Number 1-67-000503-3
at
the Peoples Bank-Chenkalady Branch, Sri Lanka.
31.5.2006
< gt; Job / Internship / Study Opportunity >>
EarthCorps – Training Programme
EarthCorps has five open positions for the Greenway training program
scheduled for February 2007. Please find the EarthCorps international
position < ion.doc>
description, Candidate
< %20Nomination%20form.doc>
Nomination
form and also information on what to
< ct%20-%20ECG.doc> expect.
Candidate Nomination Deadline: 1 July 2006.
For more information, please visit website:
nal.php
International Corpsmember: Environmental Conservation and Restoration
EarthCorps: Greenway International Program
Location: Seattle, Washington (USA)
For more information, please contact Mark Howard, International
Coordinator:
[email protected]

Mark Howard
EarthCorps
International Coordinator
6310 NE 74th St., Suite 201E
Seattle, WA 98115
(206) 322-9296 ext. 224 office
(206) 322-9312 fax

31.5.2006
Announcement < ncement> >>
CLIMATE JUSTICE PHOTO COMPETITION LAUNCHED
Source: ENWL, 2006-05-17
On May 17, 2006 Friends of the Earth International announced the
launch of its first-ever photo competition, which will gather photos
on the theme of climate justice from around the globe. The best shots
will feature in a 2007 FoEI wall calendar and in a traveling photo
exhibit.
Friends of the Earth International is the world’s largest grassroots
environmental network, uniting 71 diverse national member groups and
some 5,000 local activist groups on every continent, and totaling 1.5
million members and supporters around the world.
We are looking for imaginative, striking photos that illustrate the
impacts that the changing climate is having on people and the
environment; that show who is responsible for dangerous climate
change; and that show the way forward towards climate justice.
Our global photo competition is free of charge, and both professional
and amateur photographers are invited to submit photos. We
particularly encourage young people, women and people living in the
developing world to take part.
The deadline for entries is July 15, 2006.
FOR MORE INFORMATION and competition rules:
31.5.2006
Su bscribing Information
CENN lists are created to maintain e-mail discussions of Caucasus
Environmental NGO Network members. CENN has been distributing
information since 1998.
All the published digests and bulletins issued in both English and
Russian languages present incredibly rich environmental information
base that give the reader the whole picture of the environmental
process taking place during the recent 5 years in the South Caucasus
region as well as abroad.
To subscribe or unsubscribe from CENN mailing list service, please
send an email to [email protected] and place the
`subscribe’ or `unsubscribe’ command as the first line of the message
body.
If you would like the information about your organization and
activities to be distributed via the CENN mailing lists (the current
number of CENN mailing list members represents 11049), if you want
your voice to be heard around the world, please send your information
at the following email: [email protected].
For more information about the program, please visit CENN web-page:

Caucasus Environmental NGO Network 2006
CENN INFO
Caucasus Environmental NGO Network (CENN)
Tel:+995 32 75 19 03/04
Fax:+995 32 75 19 05
E-mail: [email protected]
URL: <;

GEORGIA HAS NOT SIGNED ANY DOCUMENT
Source: Svobodnaya Gruziya (Tbilisi), May 26, 2006, p. EV
Agency WPS
DEFENSE and SECURITY (Russia)
May 29, 2006 Monday
Georgian Deputy Prime Minister Georgy Baramidze Confirms That His
Country Seeks To Join Nato
Georgian Deputy Prime Minister Georgy Baramidze confirmed that the
main goal of his country is to join NATO. He noted that Georgia plans
to leave the CIS.
Georgian Deputy Prime Minister Georgy Baramidze confirmed that the
main goal of his country is to join NATO.
At the same time, he noted that “no official decisions have
been made”. He said that President Mikhail Saakashvili asked the
government to examine the advisability of Georgia’s membership in the
CIS. Baramidze made his statement in Dushhanbe at the meeting of the
Council of the CIS Prime Ministers on Thursday.
He said: “Tbilisi hoped that the CIS would make it possible to
solve conflicts and improve economic relations. However, this has
not happened. Our hopes have not been justified, which is why it’s
senseless to remain a member of the CIS.” Tbilisi intends to develop
bilateral contacts with the CIS.
He said: “We have determined our path. We seek to integrate into NATO
and the EU. We are now working according to the individual plan of
partnership with NATO. We are reforming our democratic institutions
in compliance with NATO’s standards.”
On the participation of Georgian servicemen in the anti-terrorist
operation in Iraq, Baramidze said that “Georgia considers it necessary
to support the operation in Iraq. Peace and stability in Iraq coincide
with Georgia’s interests.” (…)
By the way, Baramidze did not sign any document at the meeting. At the
same time, he submitted the Georgian president’s statement regarding
the CIS to the secretariat of the organization.
Georgy Baramidze met with Armenian Prime Minister Andranik Margaryan
at the meeting of the Council.
(…)
They expressed satisfaction with the progress of revision of the
Georgian-Armenian border. The commission for the demarcation of
the border will be held in Yerevan in August. On the problems of
Armenian people living in Samtse-Javakhetia, Andranik Margaryan
stated that Armenia is prepared to help Georgia realize the program
for restoration of the infrastructure of this region. The Armenian
prime minister stated that it’s advisable to use local residents and
businessmen in construction works in order to relax tension.

Ethnic Armenian Arthur Sardaryan killed in Moscow

ArmRadio.am
30.05.2006 14:41
Ethnic Armenian Arthur Sardaryan, 19, was killed in an electric train
near Klyazma station. On this occasion a criminal case has been
launched according to Article 105 of RF Criminal Code `Crime on the
ground of national hatred.’
The murder was carried out on May 25. Attorney Simon Tsaturyan informs
that on this day Arthur Sardaryan was returning from Pushkino to
Moscow where he lived with his family.

DeFacto Agency, Armenia
May 29 2006
VARDAN OSKANYAN: PARTIES ARE TOO FAR FROM SIGNING ANY DOCUMENT ON
KARABAKH
A meeting of Armenian and Azerbaijani Presidents Robert Kocharyan and
Ilham Aliyev will most probably be held on June 4 in Bucharest,
Armenian Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanyan has announced. According to
him, on the negotiation table there is a document on some principles
of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict settlement, which will be worked out
by the presidents. `If the parties come to an agreement on those
principles, the paper will become a document,’ Oskanyan is quoted as
saying. Answering the question by a REGNUM correspondent whether there
will be n opportunity to sign any document in Bucharest, the Armenian
minister is reported as saying `the situation is too far from it.’
`The parties should agree on some principles, after that we can speak
of a document,’ Vardan Oskanyan stressed.

Washington Post, DC
May 29 2006
CHESS | Lubomir Kavalek
By {vbar} Lubomir Kavalek
Monday, May 29, 2006; Page C12
After yesterday’s seventh round, Armenia is the surprising leader at
the 37th Chess Olympiad in Turin, Italy, scoring 21 points in 28
games. Russia, the favorite team to win the gold, has 20 points. On
Saturday the Russians lost narrowly 1 1/2 -2 1/2 to the Dutch team.
Cuba is third with 19 1/2 points. The U.S. team has 18 1/2 points and
is still within medal reach. The olympiad concludes Sunday.
Fascinating Novelties
The classical world champion Vladimir Kramnik is healthy enough to
anchor the Russian team. He scored four points in five games. His win
in the Reti opening against the top Armenian grandmaster, Levon
Aronian, is a positional masterpiece.
Kramnik-Aronian
1.Nf3 Nf6 2.c4 b6 3.g3 c5 4.Bg2 Bb7 5.0-0 g6 6.d4 cxd4 7.Qxd4 Bg7
8.Nc3 d6 9.Rd1 Nbd7 10.Be3 Rc8 11.Rac1 a6 12.b3 0-0 13.Qh4 Rc7
14.Bh3!? Qb8 15.Bg5! (A new move, increasing the pressure along the
diagonal d8-h4, specifically on the knight on f6. Interestingly, the
high scoring 15.g4!? was played in the game Aronian-Kramnik,
St.Vincent 2005. It was drawn in 85 moves.) 15…Bxf3?! (Black tries
to ease his defense by simplifying, but he is surrendering the light
squares.) 16.exf3 b5 17.Bxd7 Rxd7 18.Nd5! (Creating a powerful
outpost on the square c6.) 18…Nxd5 (Forced, since after 18…bxc4
19.Bxf6 Bxf6 20.Nxf6+ exf6 21.Qxc4 black’s pawn structure is falling
apart.) 19.cxd5 Rc7?! (After 19…Qb7 20.Rc6 the undermining of the
rook on c6 with 20…e6!? is met with 21.Bf6! and white has a clear
advantage, e.g. 21…exd5 22.Bxg7 Kxg7 [On 22…Qxc6 23.Qf6! wins.]
23.Qd4+ Kg8 and now either 24.Rb6 or 24.Qb6 is better for white.)
20.Rc6! (Kramnik keeps the pressure on. After 20.Bxe7 Re8! black buys
some freedom for his pieces.) 20…Rxc6 21.dxc6 (Trading the outpost
on c6 for a strong passed pawn that ties black up.) 21…Rc8 22.Rc1!
e6 23.Bd2 Qc7 (The queen is a poor blocker, but white threatened
24.Ba5. After 23…Qb6 24.c7! seals white’s advantage, for example
24…Bd4 25.Qe7! Bxf2+ 26.Kg2 Bc5 27.Bh6! and white wins.)
24.a4! (Undermining black’s queenside pawns gives white new targets.)
24…d5 25.axb5 axb5 26.Qb4 (The white queen now infiltrates black’s
position via the a-file.) 26…Rb8 27.Qa3 Bd4 28.Qa6 Be5 (After
28…Rb6 29.Qa5! the pin is unpleasant and white threatens 29.Be3
Bxe3 30.fxe3 with the queen sacrifice on b6 in the air.) 29.f4 Bd6
30.Ba5 Qc8 31.Qa7 Ra8 32.Qb6 Rb8 33.Qd4! (Suddenly, black has
problems on the diagonal a1-h8. White threatens 34.Bc3.) 33…b4?!
34.c7! Ra8 (After 34…Rb7 35.Qf6 Bxc7 36.Qe5! white wins a piece.)
35.Qb6 Bf8 36.Bxb4 Bxb4 37.Qxb4 Qe8 (After 38.Qb7 Rc8 39.b4 the
b-pawn marches to victory.) Black resigned.
Last year Aronian won the World Cup and this year finished first in
Linares, Spain. He is currently rated No. 3 in the world. Yesterday
in Turin, he showed his great tactical skills, defeating the Dutch
grandmaster Ivan Sokolov with the Nimzo-Indian defense in a mere 19
moves.
Sokolov-Aronian
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.Qc2 d5 5.cxd5 exd5 6.Bg5 c5 7.dxc5 h6
8.Bh4 g5 9. Bg3 Ne4 (I discovered this move order when I was
preparing Nigel Short for his world championship match against Garry
Kasparov in 1993. The idea is to play after 10.e3 Qa5!, eliminating
11.Bb5+.) 10.Bxb8?! (Based on 10…Rxb8? 11.Qa4+! and white wins a
piece.)
10…Qf6!! (A shocking novelty. The previously played 10…Bxc3+
11.bxc3 Rxb8 12.Qa4+ Bd7 13.Qd4 0-0 14.f3 gave white an edge.) 11.Bg3
(A forced retreat. After 11.0-0-0 Bxc3 12.Bg3 Bf5 13.Qa4+ Kf8 14.Qb3
Bd4 white struggles. The wild 11.Qa4+?! Bd7 12.Qxb4 Qxf2+ 13.Kd1
Qxf1+ 14.Kc2 Qxa1 is dangerous for white, for example 15.Nxd5 Bf5
16.Qd4 Nxc5+ 17.Kc3 0-0 18.Ne7+ Kh7 19.Nxf5 Qc1+ 20.Kb4 Ne6 21.Qf6?!
a5+! 22.Kb3 a4+ 23.Ka3 Qc5+ and black’s attack wins; or 15.Qxb7 Nxc3
16.Bd6 Qd1+ 17.Kxc3 d4+ 18.Kc4 Rc8 and black should win.) 11…Nxc3
12.a3 Bf5 13.Qd2 Ba5 14.b4? (Loses quickly. White had to try either
14.Nf3 Nb1 15.Qxa5 Qxb2 16.Qa4+ Bd7 17.Be5 Nc3 18.Qd1 Nxd1 19.Bxb2
Nxb2 20.e3; or14.e3 0-0! [Not 14…Nb1? 15.Qxa5 Qxb2 16.Qb5+ and
white wins.] 15.b4 Ne4 16.Qd4!) 14…Ne4 15.Qc1 Rc8! (An incredibly
powerful move, threatening 16…Rxc5.) 16.Ra2 (After 16.bxa5 Rxc5 the
white queen is overloaded and black wins. But it is too late for
white anyway, for example 16.Nf3 Rxc5 17.Be5 Rxc1+ 18.Rxc1 Qb6 wins;
or 16.f3 Rxc5 17.fxe4 Rxc1+ 18.Rxc1 Qb2 19.Rd1 Qc3+ 20.Rd2 Bb6
21.exf5 Be3 22.Nf3 g4 23.Be5 Bxd2+ 24.Nxd2 Qxe5 wins for black.)
16…Rxc5 17.Qa1 Qc6! (White can’t defend well against the mating
threats on the first rank.) 18.Qe5+ Kd8 19.Qxh8+ (After 19.Rd2 Re8
wins.) 19…Kd7 (White gets mated either after 20.Rd2 Rc1+ 21.Rd1 Qc2
22.Qd4 Rxd1+ 23.Qxd1 Qc3+ 24.Qd2 Qxd2 mate; or after 20.e3 Rc1+
21.Ke2 Bg4+! 22.f3 Qc4 mate.) White resigned.
Solution to today’s composition by A. Gurvitch (White:
Kb1,Rg1,Bg5,Na4; Black: Ka3,Rc4,Na7,P:a6,b3,b7): 1.Nb2! Re4 (Or
1…Rc7 2.Bf4 Rd7 3.Bd6+! Rxd6 4.Nc4+ wins.) 2.Be3! Nc6 (Or 2…Rxe3
3.Nc4+ wins.) 3.Bc5+ Nb4 4.Nd3 a5 5.Bxb4+ axb4 6.Rg8 Re6 7.Ra8+ Ra6
8.Rxa6+ bxa6 9.Nb2 a5 10.Ka1 a4 11.Nc4 mate.

Panorama.am
15:58 26/05/06

SHOULD WE CHANGE THE NATIONAL ANTHEM OR NOT
Two parties that declared the independence of the Republic of Armenia
at two different times, Armenian Revolutionary Dashnak Party and
Armenian All-National Movement, are against the change of national
anthem. `They are symbols. We can change the colors of the flag and
choose more beautiful ones or even put out the animals from the
national emblem. We can make such artistic changes every 10-15
years. If there are no malicious intents in that, then it is just a
mistake. If there are any such intents, it is a different question,’
Kiro Manoyan, ARDP member told a briefing today. In his words, our
nowadays symbols form a firm connection with our first and second
republics.
All- Armenian National Movement member Hovhannes Igityan also said,
`the atmosphere and the compromise that we reached in 1990 and the
flag with which we went out to streets in 1988 are the symbols of our
national unity that should work.’/Panorama.am/