The Chess Federation of Armenia ( hy, Հայաստանի շախմատի ֆեդերացիա), also known as the Armenian Chess Federation, is the governing

chess Chess is a board game for two players, called White and Black, each controlling an army of chess pieces in their color, with the objective to checkmate the opponent's king. It is sometimes called international chess or Western chess to disti ...

organization in

Armenia Armenia (), , group=pron officially the Republic of Armenia,, is a landlocked country in the Armenian Highlands of Western Asia.The UNbr>classification of world regions places Armenia in Western Asia; the CIA World Factbook , , and ''Ox ...

and is affiliated to

FIDE The International Chess Federation or World Chess Federation, commonly referred to by its French acronym FIDE ( Fédération Internationale des Échecs), is an international organization based in Switzerland that connects the various national c ...

. The body was founded in 1927. Responsible for organizing individual and club championships for men and women and the various important international tournaments in Armenia, it also forms the Armenian national men's and women's teams. The Federation is a member of the

European Chess Union The European Chess Union (ECU) is an independent association for the interests of European chess. Board members * Zurab Azmaiparashvili – President * Ion-Serban Dobronauteanu – Deputy President * Finnbjorn Vang – Vice President * Theodor ...

History

Founded in 1927 as a chess section, in 1959 it was transformed into a federation. In 1958, the national team of Armenia took part in the

USSR Chess Championship The USSR Chess Championship was played from 1921 to 1991. Organized by the USSR Chess Federation, it was the strongest national chess championship ever held, with eight world chess champions and four world championship finalists among its winners. ...

. The federation organizes men and women tournaments every year in the

Armenian Chess Championship This is a list of all the winners of the Armenian Chess Championship. The first championship was played in 1934, when Armenia was a part of the Transcaucasian SFSR. Championships were held sporadically in the Armenian SSR until 1945, when they beca ...

. The first championship was held in 1934 and the first champion of Armenia was

Genrikh Kasparyan Genrikh Kasparyan ( hy, Հենրիկ Գասպարյան; 27 February 1910 in Tbilisi – 27 December 1995 in Yerevan) was a Soviet chess player. He is considered to have been one of the greatest composers of chess endgame studies. Outside Armen ...

, who went on to win the championships a total of 10 times. So far, 75 championships have been held in Armenia. Armenia became a member of

in 1992. In Armenia, chess teams frequently participate in international competitions and have achieved considerable success. Armenia has hosted and organized many major international tournaments at the European and world level. The

32nd Chess Olympiad The 32nd Chess Olympiad ( hy, 32-րդ Շախմատային օլիմպիադա, ''32-rd Shakhmatayin olimpiadan''), organized by FIDE and comprising an openAlthough commonly referred to as the ''men's division'', this section is open to both male ...

was held in Yerevan in 1996, the

World Team Chess Championship The World Team Chess Championship is an international team chess event, eligible for the participation of 10 countries whose chess federations dominate their continent. It is played every two years. In chess, this tournament and the Chess Olympiads ...

was held in Yerevan in 2001 and in

Tsaghkadzor Tsaghkadzor ( hy, Ծաղկաձոր) is a spa town and urban municipal community, as well as one of the most popular health resorts in Armenia, located north of the capital Yerevan in the Kotayk Province. According to the 2011 census, the town has a ...

in 2015, the 2014

European Individual Chess Championship The European Individual Chess Championship is a chess tournament organised by the European Chess Union. It was established in 2000 and has since then taken place on a yearly basis. Apart from determining the European champions (open and women's), ...

was held in Yerevan in 2014 and the

European Senior Chess Championship The European Senior Chess Championship is a chess tournament for senior chess players organised by the European Chess Union (ECU). Beginning in 2001, entry was open to men aged sixty or over (60+) by January 1 of the year the tournament starts. The ...

was held in Yerevan in 2016. Since 1970, the federation has been operating in the Yerevan Chess House, which in 1984 was renamed the

Tigran Petrosian Chess House Tigran Petrosian Chess House ( hy, Տիգրան Պետրոսյանի անվան Շախմատի Տուն), officially the Central House of Chess-player named after Tigran Petrosian ( hy, Տիգրան Պետրոսյանի անվան Շախմատիս� ...

. The building is located on

Abovyan Street Abovyan Street ( hy, Աբովյան Փողոց), is a street at the central Kentron district of the Armenian capital Yerevan. It was known as Astafyan Street between 1868 and 1920. The street runs from the central Republic Square to the statu ...

. In 1972, Kasparyan published the ''Chess in Armenia'' magazine. The Chess Academy of Armenia was founded in 2002.

Board Members

Ten board members include: *President –

Serzh Sargsyan Serzh Azati Sargsyan ( hy, Սերժ Ազատի Սարգսյան, ; born 30 June 1954)Of ...

*First vice-president –

Smbat Lputian Smbat Gariginovich Lputian (sometimes transliterated as Lputyan; hy, Սմբատ Լպուտյան; born 14 February 1958, in Yerevan) is an Armenian chess Grandmaster. He was first at tournament in Berlin 1982, shared first at Athens 1983 and ...

*General Secretary –

Gaguik Oganessian Gaguik Oganessian ( hy, Գագիկ Հովհաննիսյան; 21 April 1947 – 2015) was an Armenian chess player, chess official, journalist and writer. Born in Yerevan, he was awarded the title of FIDE International Organizer in 1996 and served a ...

*Vice-President –

Tigran Sargsyan Tigran Sureni Sargsyan ( hy, Տիգրան Սուրենի Սարգսյան, born 29 January 1960) is an Armenian political figure who was Prime Minister of Armenia from 2008 to 2014. Previously he was Chairman of the Central Bank of Armenia from 1 ...

*Vice-President – Levon Eolyan *Vice-President – Yuri Arustamyan *Vice-President – Gagik Gevorgyan *Vice-President – Hovik Khalikyan *Vice-President – Ashot Vardapetyan *Vice-President – Hrach Tavadian *Chairman Emeritus –

Vanik Zakaryan Vanik Zakaryan or Zakharyan ( hy, Վանիկ Զաքարյան, born 21 March 1936 in Meghri, Armenia) is an Armenian academic, specialist on complex analysis, Member of the Presidium of the Armenian Academy of Sciences (2000), Vice-president (1996) ...

The Chess Federation presidency is composed of 59 members.

Presidium

Presidium consists of 64 members, including grandmasters: *

Ashot Anastasian Ashot Anastasian ( hy, Աշոտ Անաստասյան; 10 July 1964 – 26 December 2016) was an Armenian chess Grandmaster. He won two team bronze medals and one individual gold medal at Chess Olympiads. On the March 2011 FIDE list, he had an ...

Levon Aronian Levon Grigori Aronian ( hy, Լևոն Գրիգորի Արոնյան, Levon Grigori Aronyan; born 6 October 1982) is an Armenians, Armenian Grandmaster (chess), chess grandmaster, who currently plays for the United States Chess Federation. A ches ...

Avetik Grigoryan Avetik Grigoryan ( hy, Ավետիք Գրիգորյան, born January 27, 1989) is an Armenian chess Grandmaster (2008). He was born in Yerevan, Armenia in 1989. He achieved his International Master title at the age of 18 and became a Grandmaster ...

Elina Danielian Elina Danielian ( hy, Էլինա Դանիելյան; born 16 August 1978 in Baku) is an Armenian chess grandmaster and six-time Armenian women's champion (1993, 1994. 1999, 2002, 2003, 2004). She has represented Armenia twelve times during the ...

Arsen Yegiazarian Arsen Yegiazarian ( hy, Արսեն Եղիազարյան; 18 June 1970 – 20 April 2020) was an Armenian chess player who received the FIDE titles of Grandmaster (GM) in 2000 and FIDE Senior Trainer (FST) in 2011. Career Yegiazarian graduated ...

Robert Hovhannisyan Robert Hovhannisyan ( hy, Ռոբերտ Հովհաննիսյան; born 23 March 1991) is an Armenian chess player. He was awarded the title Grandmaster by FIDE in 2010. In January 2011, Hovhannisyan won the 71st Armenian Chess Championship. In J ...

Ara Minasian ARA may refer to: Media and the arts * American-Romanian Academy of Arts and Sciences * '' Artistička Radna Akcija'', compilation album released in former Yugoslavia * Associate of the Royal Academy, denoting membership in the British Royal Acad ...

Artashes Minasian Artashes Minasian (sometimes transliterated as Minasyan; hy, Արտաշես Մինասյան; born 21 January 1967) is an Armenian chess grandmaster. He won the USSR Chess Championship in 1991 and is a six-time Armenian Chess Champion. Chess ...

Sergei Movsesian Sergei Movsesian ( hy, Սերգեյ Մովսիսյան; born 3 November 1978) is an Armenian chess player. He was awarded the title Grandmaster by FIDE in 1997. He was a member of the gold medal-winning Armenian team at the 2011 World Team Chess ...

* Tigran Nalbandian *

Arman Pashikian Arman Pashikian ( hy, Արման Փաշիկյան; born 28 July 1987, Irkutsk, Russia) is an Armenian chess Grandmaster. He was the Armenian Youth Champion in 1997 and 1998, winning also a silver medal in 1999 (under-12) and in 2001 (under-14). He ...

Arshak Petrosian Arshak B. Petrosian ( hy, Արշակ Պետրոսյան; born December 16, 1953) is an Armenian chess player and National Coach. FIDE awarded him the International Grandmaster title in 1984. He won the Armenian Chess Championship in 1974 and 1976. ...

Tigran L. Petrosian Tigran Levoni Petrosian ( hy, Տիգրան Լևոնի Պետրոսյան; born 17 September 1984) is an Chess in Armenia, Armenian chess player who holds the title of Grandmaster (chess), grandmaster, which FIDE awarded him in 2004. A two-time n ...

Gabriel Sargissian Gabriel Eduardi Sargissian ( hy, Գաբրիել Էդուարդի Սարգսյան, ''Gabriel Eduardi Sargsyan''; born 3 September 1983) is an Armenian chess grandmaster. He was a member of the gold medal-winning Armenian team at the Chess Olympi ...

Rafael Vaganian Rafael Artemovich Vaganian ( hy, Ռաֆայել Արտյոմի Վահանյան, Rrafayel Artyomi Vahanyan, russian: link=no, Рафаэль Артёмович Ваганян, ''Rafael Artemovich Vaganyan''; born 15 October 1951) is an Armenian ...

and

International Master FIDE titles are awarded by the international chess governing body FIDE (''Fédération Internationale des Échecs'') for outstanding performance. The highest such title is Grandmaster (GM). Titles generally require a combination of Elo rating and ...

s: *

Vahagn Khachatryan Vahagn Garniki Khachaturyan ( hy, Վահագն Գառնիկի Խաչատուրյան, ; born 22 April 1959) is an Armenian politician who is the 5th and current president of Armenia. He served as Mayor of Yerevan from 1992 to 1996 and as the Mini ...

* Eduard Mnatsakanian *

Ashot Nadanian Ashot Nadanian (sometimes transliterated as Nadanyan; hy, Աշոտ Նադանյան; born 19 September 1972) is an Armenian chess International Master (1997), chess theoretician and chess coach. His highest achievements have been in openin ...

Committees

The Chess Federation establishes committees to coordinate the various aspects of chess and make relevant decisions: *Club committee work carried out with (President Hovik Khalikyan) *Chess board (president, Rafael Vahanyan) *The ethics committee (president, Levon Yolyan) *Media commission *Women's committee (president, Argen Geghamyan) *Composition Committee (chairman, Alexei Gasparyan) *Chess modern technology committee (chairman, Aram Hajyan) *Mass work committee (chairman Smbat Lputyan) *Coaching (children's) board (president, Mr. Tavadyan) *Referees Committee (chairman, Armen Nikoghosyan) *Qualification Commission (Chairman Gagik Gevorgyan) *Ratings committee (Chairman Ashot Vardapetyan) *Veterans Committee (chairman, Yury Arustamyan) *Audit committee (chairman, Armen Gevorgyan)

References

External links

*
Chess Federation of Armenia
on Facebook