The President’s Speech

The speech of the President of Republic of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan made at the opening ceremony of the fifth competition of FIDE Grand Pri “Jermuk 2009” dedicated to Tigran Petrosyan’s 80th anniversary is provided by the press office of the RA President.

In his speech the President of RA mentions:

«Dear MR. Ilyumzhinov
Dear Chess Players
Dear Guests

I greet you with pleasure in Jermuk. Today Armenia hosts a chess championship, which can be rather creditable for any country. For people who love, appreciate and understand chess such competitions become celebrations.

The attention of world chess players and chess fans will be concentrated on Jermuk for coming few days. All expect good, high-qualified game, interesting competition, and I am confident all our expectations will come true.

Besides all these, this competition has an important mission. It is dedicated to Tigran Petrosyan’s 80th anniversary, the ninth chess champion of the world. Tigran Petrosyan is more than a chess giant for us. He is the symbol of our nation’s dignity, one of the brightest personalities of our long history.

Tigran Petrosyan proved that Armenian chess can and must have serious achievements. His victory, his success in sport brought up many generations. After Tigran Petrosyan’s victory, chess started to be played in all Armenian families. This interesting phenomenon could not but have results, which we could evidence in almost twenty-four years after, when the team of Armenian men chess players became the Olympic Champion. Today we can proudly declare that Armenia is a motherland of double Olympic Champions. Our chess players almost every month make success; the latest is Levon Aronyan’s victory in swift chess.

I thank you, dear Levon. Congratulations, but we expect more.

On one occasion Tigran Petrosyan mentioned: “Chess is a game in form, art in content, science in mastering”.

Interesting game, beautiful art and fundamental knowledge should reign in Jermuk during these days».

Source: http://www.aysor.am