Armenia at FIDE Grand Prix: Aronian draws first roundNovember 17, 2017 - 12:20 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Armenian grandmaster Levon Aronian drew the first round of the final tournament of the FIDE Grand Prix in the Spanish town of Palma de Mallorca on Thursday, November 16. The FIDE Grand Prix 2017 is a series of four chess tournaments that form part of the qualification cycle for the World Chess Championship 2018. The top two finishers will qualify for the 2018 Candidates Tournament. Aronian who won the World Chess Cup in September, as well as Ding Liren, who reached the finals, have already qualified for the Candidates Tournament. Aronian faced Russia's Dmitry Jakovenko on Thursday, as Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (France), Ernesto Inarkiev (Russia) and Anish Giri (The Netherlands) defeated their opponents to lead the tournament. 18 grandmasters are taking part in the tournament whose second round is slated for Friday. Top stories Armenian gymnast, Olympic bronze medalist Artur Davtyan has reached the finals of the World Cup. Gor Manvelyan has denied reports alleging that he has expressed a desire to one day play for the French national team. Roma midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan is not considering FC Spartak Moscow as his next haven, according to fresh reports. 10 Armenian lifters will compete in the 2021 World Championships scheduled to be held from 7 to 17 December in Tashkent. Partner news | Titus, Bilirakis lead legislation to sanction Azerbaijani war criminals Representatives Dina Titus (D-NV) and Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) have introduced the bipartisan legislation. Azerbaijan must respect human rights, Scholz tells Aliyev German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has called for greater respect for human rights in Azerbaijan. Armenia: Defense Ministry warns against involving army in political processes The Ministry’s statement came after a video surfaced online, showing soldiers joining the protests in Tavush. Scholz hopes Armenia-Azerbaijan peace treaty will be signed this year German Chancellor Olaf Scholz hopes that a peace treaty between Armenia and Azerbaijan will be signed this year. |