The six round tournament will take place each day from December 18-23 with games starting at 12:00 noon in Paris, 14:00 in St. Petersburg. 15:00 in Yerevan and 19:00 in Beijing.
Four boards will face-off each day, as in the Olympiad, with each opponent facing his corresponding board representative. Each country will face each of the other three countries two times for a total of six rounds. Fischer time control will be used (1 hour 30 minutes plus 15 minutes added at move 40; 30 second increments are added after every move).
The overall prize fund is $55,000 with the following breakdown: 1st place $20,000, 2nd place $15,000, 3rd place $12,000, 4th place $8,000. The games will not be counted toward players' official ratings.
| Armenia (average rating: 2626) | France (average rating: 2627) | |||
| GM Aronian | GM Lautier | |||
| GM Lputian | GM Fressinet | |||
| GM Sargissian | GM Bauer | |||
| GM Art. Minasian | GM Nataf | |||
| Russia (average rating: 2688) | China (average rating: 2590) | |||
| GM Svidler | GM Bu | |||
| GM Dreev | GM Ni | |||
| GM Khalifman | GM Zhang | |||
| GM Zvjaginsev | GM Wang | |||
Tigran
Petrosian was a legendary chess champion, an Armenian hero, and a creative
genius. Nearly twenty years after his passing, FIDE has named 2004 in his honor,
and the Tigran Petrosian memorial internet tournament held from December 18-23
online is the last in a string of tournaments in 2004 around the world held
in his honor.
The legacy of Petrosian is at the same time profound and multifaceted.
To Armenians around the world and in Armenia alike, Petrosian symbolized the
overcoming of the struggles of a downtrodden nation, a nation which survived
Genocide, the horrors of Stalin, and global dispersion to cheer their favorite
son toward victory. For Armenians everywhere he embodied achievement of excellence
in the most intellectual and competitive of games. The boy who was born in
Tiflis, embraced in Armenia, rose to the heights in Moscow, and loved by his
compatriots around the world. He
was a unique figure in modern Armenian history, and his relationship to Armenians
around the world was similarly distinctive. After he lost both parents before
he was 16, he became the adopted son of Armenians everywhere. Though some of
his compatriots around the world had no particular understanding of the game
of chess, they would flock to his games in tournaments held in the farthest
reaches around the globe - from South America to Europe, from the Soviet Union
to the USA. Everywhere, Petrosian was greeted with fanfare, exhilaration and
cheer.
His chess style was enigmatic, misunderstood, underappreciated. He died much
too young, living life with passion and exuberance until cancer took him away
from us much too prematurely. Like any champion, his legacy is immortal, his
games are creations which will be loved forever, and we are the lucky ones
to have benefited from his genius. For the generations of chess fans who emulate
him to the millions of Armenians who cherish his memory, we are proud and honored
to offer this tournament to all to enjoy.
