Arshak Petrosian: “Erevan will host the following Grand Prix tournament”

GM Arshak Petrosian is the coach and father-in-law of one the current Grand Prix tournament rating-favourites Peter Leko, a famous Hungarian GM. Arshak is 55. he used to play in USSR championships, was bronze medal winner of the Tournament of the Nations 1992, Manilla,  as a member of Armenian national team. When he was the chief coach of the national Armenian team, they became winners of two World Olympiads – Turin 2006 and Dresden 2008. More...

- Arshak Bagratovich, how long have you been working with Peter? It is under your guidance that he achieved the most significant results in his career, in particular, challenged Vladimir Kramnik for chess crown in 2004.

- I have been assisting Peter to improve the performance for 8 years already. I am his constant coach, but form time to time we call other GMs to our coaching staff. For example, in that game with Kramnik Vladislav Tkachyov, Russia, and my countryman Vladimir Akopyan, playing in the current tournament, were Peter’s seconds.

- You live in Peter’s home country, Hungary. How often do you visit Armenia?

- The whole our family comes there to some tournaments we are invited to. About once a year. Leko has a very hectic tournament schedule, that’s why we cannot visit Armenia more often. We live in Szeged, Hungary, on the frontier upon Serbia.

- Peter, as we have noticed, speaks good Russian and English. Do you and your daughter speak Hungarian?

- I cannot say I speak good Hungarian, Sophia speaks it fluently. Peter and she know six languages each. Peter speaks Armenian a bit even.

 - The Armenian national team have recently taken gold medals under your guidance. Tigran Petrosian, a full namesake of the 9th World champion, played for the team for the first time. He won the decisive point for the team in the last round. Can Tigran be a relative of yours? Will you tell us a few words about him?

- He is my namesake too. There are many Petrosians in Armenia. Tigran is 23 year old and he is named after famous homonym Tigran Vartanovich. He lives in Yerevan plays for a long period and has a good rating – 2640 points. Tigran is a very active chess player and no doubts he has good future.

- Serj Sargsian who used to be the Head of your country’s Chess Federation have become the President of Armenia recently. Have the chess development get a new stimulus?

- Chess has always been well-developed in our country since Tigran Petrosian became the World Champion. Then Rafael Vaganian was very famous too. Nowadays we have a galaxy of chess stars headed by Levon Aronian.

Serj Sargsian helped Armenian chess in 1990s. He contributed a lot in chess development in the country. And now holding such a post he keeps on supporting chess players. In the upcoming year a FIDE Grand Prix Series tournament will take place in Yerevan. FIDE President Kirsan Ilyumzhinov and President of Armenia Serj Sargsian came to terms of agreement during the meeting at World Chess Olympiad in Dresden.