Armenia Wins 37th Olympiad

Armenia took first place at this year's 37th Olympiad which took place in Turin, Italy. Finishing with 36.0 points after the final round, they finished two points ahead of the second place finishers China. Armenia had an outstanding team to work with giving them many resources at their fingertips.

GM Levon Aronian
Aronian played 11 games, winning four, drawing six, and losing one game for an individual score of 7.0 points. His only loss came at the hands of GM Vladimir Kramnik in round five. He defeated GM Peter Heine Nielsen (DEN), GM Erlend Johannessen Leif (NOR), GM Ivan Sokolov (NED), and GM David Navara (CZE).

GM Vladimir Akopian
Akopian played 12 games, winning six, drawing six, and losing none for an individual score of 9.0 points! His victims along the way included Joel Adebayo Adegboyega (NGR), GM Berg Hansen Sune (DEN), GM Kjetil A. Lie (NOR), GM Aleksey Barsov (UZB), GM Perez Leinier Dominguez (CUB), and GM Zhong Zhang (CHN).

GM Karen Asrian
Asrian played 10 games, winning one, drawing eight, and losing one for an individual score of 5.0 points. He defeated GM Vlastimil Babula (CZE) in round 11. His only lost came at the hands of IM Rafael Prasca (VEN) in round one.

GM Smbat Lputian
Lputian only played three games for team Armenia. He achieved two wins and one draw for an individual score of 2.5 points. He defeated IM Eduardo Iturrizaga (VEN) in round one and GM Einar Gausel (NOR) in round four. His draw came against IM Odion Aikhoje (NGR) in round two.

GM Gabriel Sargissian
Sargissian played every round of the tournament and exhausting it must have been! Sargissian achieved seven wins, six draws, and not a single loss for an individual score of 10.0 points! Those that fell included FM Oliver Soto (VEN), Olubunmi Olape (NGR), GM Rune Djurhuus (NOR), GM Alexander Morozevich (RUS), GM Erwin L'ami (NED), GM Yuniesky Quezada Perez (CUB), and GM Alexander Moiseyenko (UKR). Sargissian tied with GM Yue Wang (CHN) for the most points scored in the tournament.

GM Artashes Minasian
Minasian only played in three rounds like Lputian and scored the same as well. He achieved two wins and one draw for an individual score of 2.5 points. His two wins were over FM Alexander Hernandez (VEN) in round one and IM Akintola Fola (NGR) in round two.

Armenia came into the Olympiad seeded third and showed it during every round. Shutting out Norway in round four and decisively beating Venezuela, Nigeria, Netherlands, Cuba, and the Czech Republic.


Congratulations to Armenia for their impressive performance and exciting victory over the rest of the field!

Photos courtesy of FIDE.

Category: Chess , The Chess Olympiad