Aronian secures spot in Berlin Grand Prix semifinalsFebruary 10, 2022 - 11:48 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Armenian grandmaster Levon Aronian became the first player to secure a spot in the semifinals of the FIDE Grand Prix in Berlin. The grandmaster, who now represents the U.S., qualified to the knockout stage with one round to spare after getting an unsurmountable 1½-point lead in pool C. So far, the newly minted format put forth by FIDE for this year’s Grand Prix series has worked wonders in terms of entertainment value. Tough battles have been seen throughout the first five rounds of the group stage, as the players have taken an aggressive approach while pursuing the one spot granted in each four-player pool, Chessbase reports. After five rounds (out of six) in the group stage, only Aronian secured his pass to semis. He has won three games and drawn twice to get an unsurmountable 1½-point lead in pool C. His impressive performance has gained him 10.1 rating points, as he now sits in fourth place in the daily updated world ranking. 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 | Putin congratulates Pashinyan’s birthday Russian President Vladimir Putin congratulated Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on his birthday on June 1. Opposition motorcade en route to Gyumri for large rally A motorcade of protesters headed by Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan is heading to the city of Gyumri. Ruling MPs, Foreign Minister talk Armenia-Azerbaijan processes MOs from the ruling Civil Contract party met with the Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan in the Armenian parliament. Russia: Armenia’s frozen membership weakens CSTO position in Caucasus A Russian envoy said any step that could alienate the CSTO member states from each other is “deeply wrong”. |