President attends “Chess in Schools” international conference

President of Armenia, President of Armenia’s Chess Federation Serzh Sargsyan today participated in “Chess in Schools” international scientific conference held on October 16-18 at Khachatur Abovian State Pedagogic University, the presidential press service reported.

During the event organized by Armenian Ministry of Education and Science, FIDE, Armenia’s Chess Federation, the Chess Academy of Armenia, and Khachatur Abovian Pedagogic University, speeches were made by Armenian Education and Science Minister Armen Ashotyan, FIDE President Kirsan Ilyumzhinov, and First Deputy President of Armenia’s Chess Federation Smbat Lputyan. They considered the conference an excellent opportunity to exchange experience which they said will promote the further development of chess and enhance its role and significance in the educational system.

Then Serzh Sargsyan along with Kirsan Ilyumzhinov and other participants of the conference attended the unveiling of World Chess Champion Tigran Petrosyan’s sculpture at the Chess House named after him. The sculpture was created by Armenian sculptor Ara Sargsyan when Tigran Petrosyan won the World Championship in 1965. The sculptor’s family kept it for over 50 years in Ara Sargsyan’ House-Museum and now – on the 85th birthday of Tigran Petrosyan - they decided to present it to the Chess House in Yerevan.

The Armenian president also attended the opening of a chess school in Yerevan’s Malatia-Sebastia administrative district. About 350 children aged between 5 and 8 can study at the school free of charge.