Moscow hosts the International Tashir chess tournament in memory of Tigran Petrosian

Tashir Group and the Russian Chess Federation announce the International Tashir Chess Tournament in memory of Tigran Petrosian, which is to take place between November 3 and 11. The tournament is held in memory of the 9th World Chess Champion, who would have celebrated his 85 birthday this year. Its participants will include some of the best grandmasters from around the world. The chairman of the tournament organising committee is the President of the Republic of Armenia, Mr. Serzh Sargsyan. The competitors in the 21 Category tournament will be: the World Cup holder, three-time Olympic Chess Champion Levon Aronian (Armenia), the ex-world champion Vladimir Kramnik (Russia), the two-time World Blitz Chess Champion Alexander Grischuk (Russia), the Vice World Chess Champion Boris Gelfand (Israel), the Vice World Champion Peter Leko (Hungary), the leading grandmaster Din LiZhen (China), the two-time Chess Champion of Russia Alexander Morozevich (Russia), and the winner of the Russian Championship Higher Leagues Ernesto Inarkiev (Russia). The tournament will be a round-robin. The prize fund of the tournament is 100,000 euro.

Zara Agemian, aide to the President of Tashir Group, head of communications and marketing department, says: “Tashir invariably strives to support the most promising cultural and sporting initiatives. We are convinced that a tournament where the world’s most prominent grandmasters compete will become yet another contribution of our Group to the development of sports and culture in Russia. An international tournament is not a mere competition of mastery between chess players from different countries. It also represents a uniting effort for nations, an additional confirmation that for people who have a passion for something no borders or divisions exist. That’s what the great Tigran Petrosian, whose extraordinary personality we remember here, believed, and we feel certain that this tournament will do justice to the memory of the great Master, becoming a milestone event of the year both for Russia and for the rest of the world. Striving to be the best today to become even better tomorrow is the winners’ motto, by which the Tashir team also abides.”

The President of the Russian Chess Federation added: “I would like to express my gratitude to the President of Armenia who agreed to lead the International Tashir Chess Tournament in memory of the Tigran Petrosian organising committee. It is an immense privilege for the Russian Chess Foundation to participate in holding this tournament, which is unarguably one of the most prominent and challenging on the international agenda for 2014. Chess fans from all over the world are promised a delightful spectacle, the credit for which goes to the tournament sponsors, Tashir Group.”