Levon Aronyan will not set off for Baku tournament

In accordance with FIDE’s decision grand masters tournament will be held in Baku.

Despite these talks were ongoing for a long time there was no certainly position of FIDE, given that Levon Aronyan played brilliantly at Grand Prix and won the opportunity to battle for champion title long before. Nevertheless FIDE approved Baku.

As it was expected Armenian Grand Master refused to leave for Baku. A few days before this FIDE’s vice-president Georgios Makropoulos visited Baku and had a meeting with Azerbaijan’s Minister of Sport and Youth Affairs Azad Rakhimov as well as with Azerbaijani Chess Federation’s president Elmar Rustamov. According to Azerbaijani media outlets the parties discussed security guarantees and Azerbaijan confirmed its openness to host the high-class tournament.

Anyway security guarantees in chess are quite fishily ones. Chess demand many details and things so Armenian Grand master did took a right step refusing to participate in tournament in Baku-city. As a result FIDE decided to divide the tournament and hold it in two cities. Armenian Chess Federation offered to host it; however Azerbaijan, in his turn, voted against. So it was announced at conference that tournament’s second part will be held in any country but Armenia. Two Azerbaijani players cannot play at the same round, Azerbaijan explains its position.

The tournament will be held in late 2010.