Lake Sevan 2011 - Conclusion
Report by IM Ashot Nadanian
On the sunny shores of Lake Sevan, in the rustic town of Martuni, Armenia,
the already-traditional Category 16 "Lake Sevan 2011" tournament has begun.
This year's edition boasts ten strong grandmasters: Baadur Jobava (2713, Georgia),
Sergei Zhigalko (2689, Belarus), Ildar Khairullin (2649, Russia), Zhou Jianchao
(2636, China), as well as the Armenian GMs Tigran L. Petrosian (2636), Arman
Pashikian (2616), Zaven Andriasian (2616), Avetik Grigoryan (2608), Hrant Melkumyan
(2600) and Samvel Ter-Sahakyan (2558).
View
Larger Map
Final standings
Annotated games
Picture gallery
Ildar Khairullin and Samvel Ter Sahakyan
Sergei Zhigalko and Hrant Melkumyan
At the top of the extinct volcano, Armaghan (2844m altitude): WGM Maria Kursova,
her husband GM Arman Pashikian, GM Zaven Andriasian,
GM Baadur Jobava and
Levon Vardapetyan.
Simultaneous display by Ashot
Nadanian for local chess players
The Chief Arbiter Ashot Vardapetyan
staying in shape for time trouble
Participants with the "Great
Tigran" hotel staff
Photos by Gevorg Asatryan
Your reporter, IM Ashot Nadanian
IM Ashot Nadanian is a professional chess player and coach,
currently rated 2436. His best single event was the Moscow Aeroflot Open 2002,
where his performance against 2628-rated opposition was 2636. Ashot was born
on September 19, 1972 in Baku, his parents, Sergei and Irina, are both hairdressers.
He has played chess since the age of seven and twice won the Azerbaijan Youth
Championship (1986 and 1987). In 1988, when the Nagorno-Karabakh War began,
his family moved to Armenia. There he became an International Master (1997)
and fulfilled two grandmaster norms (2002 and 2004). He was the Kuwait National
Team coach from 1999-2001 and Singapore National Team coach between 2005-2010.
In January 2011 he became the second of Levon Aronian and moved back to Armenia.
Ashot is best known for his contribution to opening theory, with two variations
named after him: the Nadanian Variation in the Grünfeld Defence (1.d4 Nf6
2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.cxd5 Nxd5 5.Na4) and the Nadanian Attack in the Queen's Pawn
Opening (1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 h6 3.c4 g5).
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