Author: Yeghisabet Arthur

Los Angeles Times
May 3 2009

Levon Aronian leads Grand Prix

By Jack Peters, International Master
May 3, 2009

Position No. 6053: White to play and win. From the game Joshua
Friedel-Teddy Coleman, Foxwoods Open, Connecticut 2009.

Solution to Position No. 6052: White wins with 1 Rxb8+ Qxb8 2 Rxe6+
fxe6 3 Qxe6+ Kd8 4 Bb6+ Qc7 5 b8Q mate.

The fourth Grand Prix tournament neared a dramatic finish last week in
Nalchik, Russia. Levon Aronian of Armenia and Peter Leko of Hungary
shared the lead with scores of 7 1/2 -4 1/2 before the last game of
the 14-grandmaster round robin. By the luck of the pairings, they were
due to face each other, with Aronian playing White. At stake was the
first prize of 30,000 Euros (about $40,000).

Aronian is a crowd-pleasing gambler whose many successes overshadow
his occasional failures. Leko, the only undefeated competitor, may be
the world’s best defender but often seems too eager to draw.

Interestingly, two of Leko’s wins in Nalchik came against the
ultra-drawish Petroff Defense, which let Leko press White’s tiny
advantage without risk.

Former U.S. champion Gata Kamsky, renowned for his relentless style,
led the tournament in one category — moves played. Six of his games
lasted 67 moves or longer, but his 5 1/2 -6 1/2 score left him out of
contention.

The World Chess Federation will also award substantial prizes to the
overall leaders of the six-tournament series. Aronian, who took first
prize in the second Grand Prix event in Sochi, Russia, last year, is a
strong candidate for the top bonus of 75,000 euros (about $100,000).

For final standings and player interviews, see nalchik2009.fide.com.

National news

California’s top player, grandmaster Varuzhan Akobian, defeated
U.S. champion Yury Shulman of Illinois in an exhibition match in Lake
County, Calif. Akobian scored 3 1/2 -2 1/2 in 25-minute games and 6-2
in five-minute games.

The 2009 U.S. Championship begins Friday in St. Louis. It’s a
nine-round tournament with 24 players and a prize fund of
$130,000. First prize is a record $35,000. The field includes Kamsky,
Shulman and former champions Joel Benjamin, Larry Christiansen, Hikaru
Nakamura, Alexander Onischuk and Alexander Shabalov. California will
be represented by Akobian, GM Melikset Khachiyan, IM Enrico Sevillano
and IM Sam Shankland.

Today’s games

GM Etienne Bacrot (France)-GM Shakhriyar Mamedyarov (Azerbaijan),
Nalchik 2009: 1 e4 c5 2 Nf3 e6 3 d4 cxd4 4 Nxd4 Nc6 Taimanov’s
variation of the Sicilian Defense. 5 Nc3 a6 6 Nxc6 Recently
fashionable. bxc6 7 Bd3 d5 8 0-0 Nf6 9 Re1 Be7 Or 9 . . . Bb7. 10 e5
Nd7 11 Qg4 g6 Weakening his dark squares, but 11 . . . 0-0? 12 Bh6 is
worse. 12 Na4 Another sharp line begins 12 Bh6 Rb8 13 Qh3 Rb4. c5?!
Mamedyarov claimed he mixed up the order of moves. Indeed, he played
the superior 12 . . . Qa5 13 Bh6 c5 14 b3 c4! 15 Bf1 Bb7 in 2006
against Carlsen, and drew. 13 c4! Limiting central counterplay. Qa5 14
Qd1 dxc4?! Black should hold White to a small advantage with 14
. . . d4 15 Be4 Rb8 16 Bh6 Bf8. 15 Be4! Black would not mind 15 Bxc4
0-0. Rb8 16 Bh6 To strand Black’s King uncomfortably in the
center. Black’s position is already very unpleasant. Rb4 Not 16
. . . Nxe5? 17 Bg7 or 16 . . . f5? 17 exf6 Nxf6 18 Bg7 Rg8 19 Bxf6
Bxf6 20 Qd6. More reasonable is 16 . . . Bf8 17 Bxf8 Kxf8, but 18
Qd6+ Kg7 19 Bc6 still favors White. Maybe 16 . . . Qc7 is best. 17 Nc3
Rxb2 18 Qc1 Rb8 Black could prevent 19 Bc6 by 18 . . . Rb6, but 19 Bd2
embarrasses the Queen. 19 Bc6! Pinning the Knight and preparing
Nc3-e4, aiming at d6 and f6. Bb7 20 Ba4! A very effective
maneuver. White may attack the pinned Knight or invade with Bh6-g7 and
Qc1-h6xh7. Kd8 Feeble, but there is nothing satisfactory. For example,
20 . . . Bf8 loses to 21 Rd1 Rd8 22 Bg5! Be7 23 Bxe7 Kxe7 24 Qg5+ Ke8
25 Qf6 Rf8 26 Rd6! (threatening 27 Rxe6+) Rg8 27 Bxd7+ Rxd7 28 Rxd7
Kxd7 29 Qxf7+. 21 Rd1 Bd5 Hoping for 22 Nxd5?! Qxa4. 22 Qc2 Rb4 After
22 . . . Kc8, both 23 Nxd5 and 23 Rxd5 exd5 24 Nxd5 win for White. 23
Bd2 Intending to gain a Rook by 24 Nxd5 Qxa4 25 Nxb4. Ba8 24 Be1 Rxa4
25 Nxa4 White has recovered his sacrificed material and retains an
unstoppable initiative. Black’s Rook still sits idly at h8. Qb5 Or 25
. . . Qc7 26 Nb2. 26 Rab1 Qc6 27 f3 Ke8 Similar is 27 . . . Kc8 28
Rxd7. 28 Rxd7! Kxd7 Hopeless is 28 . . . Qxd7 29 Ra8+ Bd8 30 Rxa8. 29
Qd1+! Relying on 29 . . . Qd5? 30 Nb6+. Kc8 30 Nb6+ Kb7 Black finds no
shelter after 30 . . . Kc7 31 Ba5. 31 Nd5+, Black Resigns.

GM Vassily Ivanchuk (Ukraine)-GM Rustam Kasimdzhanov (Uzbekistan),
Nalchik 2009: 1 c4 e6 2 Nc3 d5 3 d4 Be7 4 cxd5 exd5The Exchange
variation of the Queen’s Gambit. 5 Bf4 Nf6 Another common line begins
5 . . . c6 6 e3 Bf5 7 g4. 6 e3 Bf5 Putting his "bad" Bishop on a
useful diagonal. 7 Qb3 The most critical challenge of Black’s
idea. White gets nothing from 7 Bd3, while 7 Nge2 0-0 8 Ng3 Be6 9 Bd3
c5 10 dxc5 Bxc5 allows Black easy development and equal chances. Nc6 8
a3?! Theory once recommended 8 Qxb7 Nb4 9 Bb5+ Kf8 10 Rd1, but Black
can draw by 10 . . . Bd6 11 Bxd6 cxd6 12 Nf3 Rb8 13 Qxa7 Ra8. Several
games have tested 8 Rc1 0-0 9 Nf3 Na5 10 Qa4 c6 11 Be2 b5 12 Qd1
without demonstrating more than equality. Na5 9 Qa2 A time-consuming
maneuver. Black will respond by trying to open lines for his better
developed pieces. 0-0 10 Nf3 Although 10 b4 Nc6 11 Rc1 restrains
. . . c7-c5, Black can fight back with 11 . . . a5 12 b5 Na7 13 Nf3 c6
or 11 . . . Bd6 12 Bg5 a5 13 b5 Ne7. c5! Very desirable, and
apparently sound. 11 dxc5 Bxc5 Not fearing 12 b4 Bb6 13 bxa5? Bxa5, as
Black will capture the pinned Knight. 12 Be5 Maintaining control of
d4. Also plausible is 12 b4 Bb6 13 Rd1 Be6 14 Na4, but Black takes the
initiative with 14 . . . Bc7! 15 Bxc7 (not 15 bxa5? Bxf4 16 exf4
because of 16 . . . Qxa5+) Qxc7 16 Nc5 Ne4. Be6 13 Bd4 Bxd4 14 Nxd4
Nc6 15 Nxe6 Skillful defense! White improves Black’s pawn structure
but gains time to finish development. Instead, 15 Bd3 Nxd4 16 exd4 Qb6
17 Rd1 lets Black exploit the uncastled King by 17 . . . Bg4! 18 f3
Rfe8+ 19 Ne2 Bd7, securing a small advantage. fxe6 16 Be2 Qe7 17 0-0
Rac8 18 Rac1 White has neutralized the danger since 10 . . . c5. Black
has the tiniest edge because of his extra center pawn. Kh8 19 Rfd1
Nd7!? 20 Rd2 Nde5 An excellent post. White cannot evict the Knight, as
21 f4?? loses to 21 . . . Qc5. 21 Qb3 Qf7 22 Bf1?? Overlooking a
devastating tactic. After 22 f4 Nc4 23 Bxc4 Na5 24 Qd1 Nxc4 25 Re2 or
22 Rf1 Na5 23 Qc2, Black’s advantage should not be decisive. d4! As
White would lose too much material by 23 exd4? Nxd4 24 Qd1 Ndf3+! 25
gxf3 Nxf3+ 26 Kh1 Qf4. 23 Na2 Another piece is exiled to a2, but 23
Ne4 would lose the exchange to 23 . . . Na5 24 Qd1 Rxc1 25 Qxc1
Nb3. Ng4! 24 Rdc2?! White must yield a pawn by 24 Qd1 dxe3. Not 24
exd4?, as 24 . . . Qf4 costs a Rook. dxe3 25 fxe3 Na5, White
Resigns. Even stronger is 25 . . . Nd4! 26 exd4 Qf4, anticipating 27
Qg3 Qxd4+ 28 Kh1 Rxc2 or 27 g3 Qxd4+ 28 Kh1 Rxc2 29 Qxc2 Nf2+ 30 Kg1
Nd1+! 31 Kg2 Ne3+. Kasimdzhanov’s 25 . . . Na5 merely wins a piece by
26 Qd3 Rxc2 27 Qxc2 Qxf1+! 28 Rxf1 Rxf1+ 29 Kxf1 Nxe3+.

CEC sets the schedule of providing air time to the election campaign
02.05.2009 15:46

Lena Badeyan
`Radiolur’

The Central Electoral Commission (CEC) convened a special sitting
today, during which it determined the procedure and schedule of
providing air time for the election campaign of the elections to the
Yerevan City Council on Public Television and Public Radio. Thus, at
the suggestion of the Council of Public Television and Radio Company,
the CEC decided to provide every political force with 30 minutes free
and up to 50 minutes of paid air time on Public TV.

The Public Radio will provide 50 minutes free and up to 80 minutes of
paid air time. It’s worth mentioning that during each day of the
election campaign the political forces running for the Yerevan City
Council will have to use the air time allocated to them, CEC Secretary
Abram Bakhchagulyan informed.

The CEC has also fixed the time frame for the election campaign. The
campaign will start at 13:30 on Public radio and from 17:15 on Public
TV. Representative of the Armenian National Congress Patvakan
Hovakimyan was dissatisfied with the decision. He gave clarifications
to `Radiolur’

`Our main concern is that during the above mentioned period most of the
electors are at work, i.e. they have no opportunity to get better
informed of the platforms presented by the candidates,’ Patvakan
Hovakimyan said

Orinats Yerkir Party: Why a woman cannot be mayor?

2009-05-02 13:05:00

ArmInfo. Orinats Yerkir Party will run for the Elder’s Council of
Yerevan with a slogan ‘Why a woman cannot be mayor?’ Leader of Orinats
Yerkir Party Artur Baghdasaryan said Saturday during presentation of
the party’s election campaign.

He highlighted the importance of municipal elections for the public
life and development of the city and the country on the whole. A.
Baghdasaryan said Yerevan will find its proper place among the best
capital cities across the world which is the aim of the program of
Orinats Yerkir Party. The program is strategic, effective and aimed to
regulate the city. The party is sure in its success at the elections,
he said. In addition, A. Baghdasaryan highlighted the problems of the
city: town planning, city economy, transport and communications, social
and educational spheres. Heghine Bisharyan ranks the first in the
proportional list of the party. Then go Henrik Bakunts, the head of the
neurological clinic ‘Nairi’ and Grigory Bahanyan, Adviser at the
Constitutional Court.

The law on the local self-government in Yerevan has come into force
recently. It stipulates that the Elder’s Council through proportional
elections will elect Yerevan Mayor. The elections will be held on May
31. The Elder’s Council will comprise 65 people. The first candidate in
the list of the party that will gain majority at the Council will
automatically become Yerevan Mayor.

EVENTS MARKING ARMENIAN GENOCIDE HELD IN GREECE

Athens News Agency
April 26, 2009 Sunday
Greece

Events marking the 94th anniversary since the Armenian genocide were
held in Athens and the northern Greek city of Thessaloniki on Sunday.

At the event in Athens, speakers commemmorated the slaughter of 1.5
million Armenians at the hands of Turks, while some criticised the
stance of Greek police during Friday’s march by the Armenian community
in Athens to the Turkish Embassy.

The event was then addressed by Interior Minister Prokopis Pavlopoulos,
who represented the government and Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis. He
apologised on behalf of the police for Friday’s incidents and stressed
that Greece, under all governments, was and would remain at the side
of the Armenian people’s struggle.

quot;There were no ‘orders from above’. It was just a bad moment for
which I publicly apologise,quot; he said.

He stressed that even today, nothing could be taken for granted and
that the struggle for peace and freedom had to be constant.

Other speakers at the Athens event included Parliament vice-president
Anastasios Nerantzis and representatives of all the Greek political
parties, armed forces, police, Church, local government and diplomats.

It ended with a video and traditional Armenian songs, followed by a
march to Syntagma Square and the laying of a wreath at the Tomb of
the Unknown Soldier.

The Thessaloniki event at the Vellidi Conference Centre was attended
by Deputy Interior Minister Constantine Gioulekas, who stressed the
bonds of friendship between Greeks and Armenians and said that the
Armenian struggle for the recognition of their genocide struck a
chord with Greeks, who had experienced the genocide of Pontians and
the Greeks of Asia Minor.

The event, followed by the laying of a wreath at the 3rd Army
Corps monument, was also attended by local authority officials in
Thessaloniki, representatives of Armenian associations and Greek MPs.

WHITE CROSS SEEN IN SKY IN ARMENIAN TOWN

HULIQ
-seen-sky-armenian-town
April 30 2009
SC

This white color cross is seen in the town of Gyumri a week after
Easter in northern Armenia.

For about half an hour starting at 12:14 AM local time, this white
cross is seen in the skies over a house top. In the beginning it looks
like a white object. Then it clearly becomes a cross like object,
which is unexplained.

We can’t verify how true this is. But what we see in this video is
worth sharing.

The Armenian town of Gyumri has been hit by a terrible earthquake
in 1988, which took lives of 25,000 people. Few days before the
earthquake and during the days of Earthquake there have been reports
of Apparitions of Mary in various parts of Armenia.

Armenia is known as the first country in the world officially
embracing Christianity as the only state religion in the year 301
AD. The Armenian king Trdat was miraculously healed by St. Gregory the
Illuminator and declared Christianity as the only official religion
in Armenia. Twelve years later, after the battle of the Milvian
Bridge the Roman emperor Constantine would declare Christianity as
a tolerable religion in the Roman Empire.

ARMENIAN-TURKISH ROAD MAP LACKS CLEAR-CUT PRINCIPLES, ARMENIA’S FOREIGN MINISTER SAYS

/ARKA/
April 30. 2009
YEREVAN

The Armenian-Turkish road map lacks clear-cut provisions and
principles, RA Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandyan said.

The Armenian and Turkish foreign ministries, with the mediation of
Switzerland’s Federal Department of Foreign Affairs, agreed on a road
map on April 22 to normalize their relations.

"The road map will temporarily guide the two countries on how to
make effective agreements reached. It has no definite principles and
provisions," the RA Foreing Ministry’s press service quoted Nalbandyan.

The minister believes possible agreements between Armenia and Turkey
will contain definite principles and regulations.

Nalbandyan stressed that international community hails the road map.

"If we lived in Soviet times, we would say the progressive humanity
welcomed Armenia’s steps. We can definitely say that the USA, EU and
Russia, as well as Switzerland that served as mediator between the
two countries, back these actions," Nalbandyan said.

According to him, all the countries expect for Azerbaijan hail the
process.

"I think it is a wrong approach, since the improvement of
Armenian-Turkish relations can contribute to the situation in the
South Caucasus, with Azerbaijan being part of this region," the
minister added.

He shared the view that Armenia is making stri des in establishing
relations with Turkey, taking into consideration the aftermath of the
South Ossetian conflict and the impact of the global economic crisis
on the country.

"The Armenian president stifled the initiative several months before
the conflict in the South Ossetia broke out. In the past eight years,
Armenia recorded a two-digit economic growth," Nalbandyan said,
adding Armenia fully realizes the necessity of establishing tile with
Turkey.

ARMENIAN FM SAYS OBAMA’S APRIL 24 STATEMENT A STEP FORWARD

Hurriyet
April 28 2009
Turkey

ISTANBUL – U.S. President Barack Obama’s statement regarding the 1915
incidents is a "step forward" compared with the statements made by
former U.S. presidents, Armenia’s Foreign Minister Eduard Nalbandian
said Monday.

"There are very strong points in this statement. President Obama said
that he has many times expressed his approach toward what happened
in 1915, and he has not changed his opinion. President Obama used the
‘Meds Yeghern’ phrase, we – Armenians – use either the ‘genocide’ or
‘Meds Yeghern’ concepts," Nalbandian told the Armenpress News Agency.

"But of course, all Armenians were waiting for the U.S. president to
utter the word ‘genocide,’" he added.

Obama, who pledged to recognize the Armenian claims regarding the
1915 incident during his presidential campaign, did not use the word
"genocide" while describing the events in his annual April 24 statement
to mark the "day of remembrance of the Armenian deaths."

Instead, he used the Armenian term for the killings, "Meds Yeghern,"
which has been variously translated into English as the "Great
Calamity" or "Great Disaster." He also branded the events as "one of
the great atrocities of the 20th century."

TURKEY-ARMENIA THAW Nalbandian also praised "the important personal
assistance" Obama displayed for the normalization of relations between
Turkey and Armenia.

Obama’s statement came days after Turkey and Armenia announced that
under Switzerland’s mediation they agreed on a comprehensive framework
for the normalization of ties between the two neighboring countries
that have not had diplomatic relations for more than a decade. The
U.S. president extended his support to the normalization process.

Nalbandian said Armenia is seeking to fully normalize relations with
Turkey without preconditions, including those connected with the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and recognition of the "genocide" claims.

He said he hopes that once the two countries normalize their relations
the leaders from Turkey and Armenia would attend the ceremonies
commemorating the 1915 incidents together.

"I hope that when we improve – normalize our relations – not only
will the leadership of our country put flowers in Tsitsernakaberd but
the Turkish leadership will join us. Why can we not do what Charles
de Gaulle and Adenauer did? I am sure that such a day will come and
Armenian and Turkish leaders will make that step," he said.

ARMENIAN WOMEN’S TENNIS TEAM WINS FED CUP EURO-AFRICAN ZONE

PanARMENIAN.Net
27.04.2009 12:25 GMT+04:00

Armenian national women’s tennis team bet Iceland in the fifth
tournament and won the first place in sub-group B. This achievement
lets them participate in matches of 2nd qualification group of Fed
Cup in 2010.

Greek national team won the second place.

Members of Armenian team – Lyudmila Nikolyan, Anna Movsisyan, Ofelya
Poghosyan and Naira Khachatryan – led by coach Anna Gasparyan will
be back in Yerevan on April 28.

Interfax, Russia
April 24 2009

Normal Turkish-Armenian ties to benefit Karabakh settlement –
U.S. ambassador to Baku

BAKU April 24

The establishment of relations between Turkey and Armenia will have a
positive impact on the situation in the region, U.S. Ambassador to
Azerbaijan Anne E. Derse said.

Derse mentioned a conversation between U.S. President Barack Obama and
his Azeri counterpart Ilham Aliyev a few days ago.

The U.S. head of state favors efforts the normalization relations
between Turkey and Armenia and the bridging of the gap between the two
nations’ positions, the ambassador said. The U.S. president believes
that it can make a contribution to the strengthening of peace and
stability in the region and prove useful in searching for ways to
resolve the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, she said.

The U.S. co-chairman of the OSCE Minsk Group, which helps settle the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, has made several trips to Azerbaijan in the
past few weeks, and he is currently visiting the republic, the high-
ranking diplomat said.

He [U.S. co-chairman of the OSCE Minsk Group Matthew Bryza] continues
taking steps toward a settlement of this conflict along with all the
other co-chairmen, Derse said. The OSCE Minsk Group has stepped up its
activities and is determined to find ways to resolve the conflict, she
said.

The ambassador welcomed the April 18-26 Regional Response 2009
military exercises in Azerbaijan. These exercises involve Azeri and
U.S.

soldiers, she said. U.S. soldiers hail these exercises and have a high
opinion of their organization, she added.

Anadolu Agency, Turkey
April 23 2009

Azeri envoy confirms strong relations with Turkey

Ankara, 23 April: Azerbaijan’s ambassador in Ankara, Zakir Hashimov,
said [on] Thursday [23 April] Turkey and Azerbaijan share relations
based on the idea of "two states and one nation".

Speaking at the 23 April National Sovereignty and Children’s Day
reception held at the Turkish parliament, Ambassador Hashimov said,
"Could there be a crisis between two brotherly countries?".

Answering questions of journalists, Hashimov said that "as an
independent state, Turkey has the right to establish bilateral
relations with any country it wishes. However, Turkey-Armenia
relations should be parallel to the developments taking place in Upper
Karabakh".

"President Abdullah Gul and Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan made
assurances to us in this direction," Hashimov said.

Reminding the words of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk that "Azerbaijan’s
happiness is our happiness" and the words of late Azerbaijani
President Heydar Aliyev that "Turkey and Azerbaijan are two states of
one nation", Ambassador Hashimov said that Turkish-Azerbaijani
relations can not go out of such principles and no one can disturb
such principles.

Stressing that windows between Turkey and Azerbaijan are open,
Hashimov said that the Azerbaijani Defence Minister Safar Abiyev will
pay a visit to Turkey on Friday.

"President Gul and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev had a positive
phone conversation today (Thursday)," Hashimov said.

Asked about when Azerbaijan will accept the opening of the
Turkish-Armenian border, Hashimov said that Armenia must withdraw from
five towns out of seven and Azerbaijani refugees must go back to their
homes in these territories. "Only then will Azerbaijan accept the
opening of the Turkish-Armenian border".

Armenian troops must also withdraw from the remaining two towns and
Upper Karabakh and Azerbaijani refugees must be able to go back to
their homes in these regions, Hashimov said.

We can then discuss the status, Hashimov also said.