Chess Reigns as Kingly Pursuit in Armenia

[W.G.Ewald]

Winning Move: Chess Reigns as Kingly Pursuit in Armenia - WSJ.com

Reporters stake out Tigran Petrosian's home. Fans seek his autograph. His image is splashed across magazine covers, and his youthful face beams from posters on teenagers' walls.

The sturdy 28-year-old isn't a star athlete or a movie star. He is a chess grandmaster. In this chess-crazy country, that makes him a king among pawns.

"Chess here is like soccer in Brazil or football in America," Mr. Petrosian said over coffee at the Yerevan Chess Academy ahead of a concert to honor the country's top players. The concert featured musicians and singers performing in front of 10-foot-high chess boards while the audience clapped rapturously.

Mr. Petrosian—whose father named him Tigran after a former chess champion with the same surname—is one of a legion of top chess players that have catapulted this poor nation of three million into world beaters on the 64-square board. In September, he was part of the five-man squad that claimed Armenia's second consecutive gold medal at the World Chess Olympiad.

Being good in chess carries big benefits in Armenia. Top players say they struggle to be allowed to pay for gasoline or parking. Restaurant bills sometimes never materialize when they go out to eat.

Is chess such a phenomenon anywhere in India?

 

[SPIEZ]

Winning Move: Chess Reigns as Kingly Pursuit in Armenia - WSJ.com



Is chess such a phenomenon anywhere in India?

Well not to that extent but still it is a rage down south.

I know people who have actually taken playing chess as a profession.

I try to play it, hoping I ll become smart someday

 

[Dovah]

Is chess such a phenomenon anywhere in India?

Most people I know of can play chess. I wouldn't call it a phenomenon but India does produce great chess players. Current World Champion is also Indian. Vishwanathan Anand.

 

[W.G.Ewald]

Well not to that extent but still it is a rage down south.

I know people who have actually taken playing chess as a profession.

I try to play it, hoping I ll become smart someday

I learned from my father. He never lost to me.

 

[Dovah]

I learned from my father. He never lost to me.

Same case here, never once have I beaten my dad.

 

[SPIEZ]

The one's I thought chess too, beat me these days

 

[jalsa]

I was never beaten in Chess when playing with my cousin.

 

[SpArK]

I was never beaten in Chess when playing with my cousin.

When he gets to the age 5 , he will start beating you. So be patient.

 

[jalsa]

When he gets to the age 5 , he will start beating you. So be patient.

He is 27 now.:taunt1::taunt1:

 

[SpArK]

He is 27 now.:taunt1::taunt1:

Then lets hope he will learn the chess anytime sooner.

 

[hit&run]

I love this game, I literally de-addicted myself from it doing yoga and playing simple games like this one . Now hate even talking about it. I learnt this game when I was 12 years old but my moves where always in reaction to current move of opposite. Now I can plan and anticipate 2-3 moves ahead, when in zone. Tough game it is.

 

[SPIEZ]

Can playing chess really make you smart

 

[Razor]

A much more complex game involving strategy is 'shogi' or Japanese Chess. Similarly the Chinese too have their own variety.
And yes I have never beaten my father in Chess, but the real champ is my younger bro, he beats my dad and me anytime

Winning Move: Chess Reigns as Kingly Pursuit in Armenia - WSJ.com



Is chess such a phenomenon anywhere in India?

I believe the modern form of Chess originated from 'Chaturangha', an ancient Indian board game.

 

[amoy]

I also learned chess when I was a schoolboy. We call the one " International chess" relative to Chinese "indigenous" chess.

The distinctive differences include
* Chinese chess has a border river, which some of roles are not allowed to cross.
* King and his guards are confined to their "palace" in Chinese chess.

 

[W.G.Ewald]

Mass. girl, 9, becomes youngest US chess master - News Local Massachusetts - Boston.com

She later demonstrated her ability by playing with her back to the board, reading her moves to her father and keeping track of the whole board in her head. She has been called an intimidating player in an ironic way, because she's far short of even 5 feet tall.

Her U.S. Chess Federation ranking places her in the top 7 percent of all players registered with the group and the top 2 percent of female players.