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Mashhad is known as the city of Ferdowsi (940–1020), the Iranian poet and author of Shahnameh (“Book of Kings”), which is considered to be the national epic of Iran. Ferdowsi's Shahnameh, the product of over three decades of labor (977 to 1010), is the most popular and influential work in Iran and other Persian-speaking nations. Among its themes, Ferdowsi complains about poverty and the ravages of old age.
Ferdowsi [pictured at right | Photo: Muhammad CC BY-SA] also wrote poetry about the emergence of chess, and he was not alone as other Iranian poets and writers loved chess and their literature and old books all talk about it.
Mashhad is at the the centre of the Razavi Khorasan province, located in northeastern Iran, and is not only the second largest city in Iran, but also one of the holiest cities in the Shia Muslim world. Today, Mashhad is notably known as the resting place of the Imam Reza.
Imam Reza shrine | Photo: mohammad hosein tabatabaeian CC BY-SA
The second Ferdowsi International Chess tournament drew 136 participants, consisting of 8 GMs, 10 IMs, 5 FIDE masters from 11 countries (Azerbaijani, Uzbekistan, Russia, Georgia, Ukraine, India, Armenia, Turkmenistan, Georgia, Pakistan, Iran) and was held in the city of Mashhad, Iran.
Tournament poster
A generous $25,000 prizefund was reserved for the event.
| Rk | Tit | Name | Fed | Rtg | Pts | TB |
| 1 | GM | Pashikian Arman | ARM | 2608 | 9.0 | 79.5 |
| 2 | GM | Tiviakov Sergei | NED | 2677 | 8.5 | 76.5 |
| 3 | IM | Darini Pouria | IRI | 2458 | 8.5 | 75.5 |
| 4 | GM | Fominyh Alexander | RUS | 2479 | 8.5 | 74.0 |
| 5 | FM | Javanbakht Nima | IRI | 2389 | 8.5 | 70.0 |
| 6 | GM | Mahjoob Morteza | IRI | 2440 | 8.0 | 78.5 |
| 7 | IM | Idani Pouya | IRI | 2448 | 8.0 | 73.0 |
| 8 | GM | Babujian Levon | ARM | 2474 | 8.0 | 72.5 |
| 9 | GM | Ibrahimov Rasul | AZE | 2550 | 8.0 | 72.0 |
| 10 | IM | Shalamberidze Akaki | GEO | 2330 | 8.0 | 70.5 |
| 11 | IM | Alavi Sayed Javad | IRI | 2442 | 8.0 | 70.0 |
This image is not a magician, but that of Sergei Tiviakov celebrating his birthday.
The good-tempered Dutch grandmaster took second place. | Photo: Reza Pashanejati
The Khayam Tournament specifically for women | Photo: Reza Pashanejati
Rasul Ibrahimov (Azerbaijan) playing Pouria Darini (Iran), 0-1 in round 10. Pouria Darini
came thiurd and scored a GM norm. | Photo: Reza Pashanejati
Memorial plaques given at the event | Photo: Reza Pashanejati
Armenian GM Amran Pashikian (first), Sergey Tiviakov (second)
and Pouria Darini (third). | Photo: Reza Pashanejati
Nima Javanbakht, the author, in action | Photo: Reza Pashanejati
