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YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 4, ARMENPRESS: The Armenia’s chess championship of this year kept the chess fans in tension until the last round. The winner of the championship became known only after the last game of the last round. The Armenia’s champion Karen Grigoryan is already fulfilling his duty before the motherland, serving in the Armenian Army. On the eve of Karen’s joining the army, Armenpress had a talk with the new champion of Armenia about the last championship, chess philosophy and the Armenians’ “mutual love”.
- The Chess Championship of Armenia is already a history. What was it for you?
- Before I took part in the championship, for me the victory had seemed to be more than a success. Certainly, it is really a great success. Though at the moment of the victory you do not realize the great work you have done. At a moment you even think that, yes, now everything will be over, and you will return to your everyday life. Reminding what you have done, you understand the results of your work. Being the fourth by the rating, I thought if I could become the first. And why not? 8 grand masters took part in the championship. And at that time I did not even think who might be the first. For me it was a priority, how will I play in each game.
- Who were your main opponents?
- Before the tournament Robert Hovhannisyan, Arman Pashikyan, Zaven Andriasyan and other chess players were considered to be my main opponents. I did not even think that Arman Arakelyan and Shahinyan could fight for the championship without having any chess title. I was certain that in the first rounds of the tournament the further results would have been known. When Arman was the leader in the fourth round, I understood one thing: he is one of our new talents, who is revealing himself.
- Tell, please, when and how you became playing chess.
- I started playing chess since I was six, in the kindergarten. There was a chess group in the kindergarten and the members of my family expressed their wish so that I take part in the group’s lessons. My grandpa liked playing chess very much. When I was just learning to play, I measured myself with my grandfather and then, when I became eight, I started winning him. (THE FULL VERSION OF THE INTERVIEW IS AVAILABLE IN ARMENIAN)