Tigran L. Petrosian

This article is about the Armenian chess grandmaster. For his eponym, the chess world champion, see Tigran Petrosian.

Tigran L. Petrosian
Full nameTigran Levoni Petrosian
CountryArmenia
Born (1984-09-17) 17 September 1984 (age 40)
TitleGrandmaster (2004)
FIDE rating2551 (January 2025)
Peak rating2671 (March 2015)
Peak rankingNo. 71 (March 2015)

Tigran Levoni Petrosian (Armenian: Տիգրան Լևոնի Պետրոսյան; born 17 September 1984) is an Armenian chess player who holds the title of grandmaster, which FIDE awarded him in 2004. A two-time national champion, he competed in two Chess Olympiads, winning team gold in 2008 and 2012.

Early years

Tigran L. Petrosian was born on 17 September 1984. His first name was deliberately chosen by his father to match the name of Tigran V. Petrosian (no relation), the first Armenian to become World Champion. When the late Tigran won the world title, Tigran's father dreamt that if he ever had a son he would call him Tigran.[1] The former world champion died a month before Tigran L. Petrosian was born.

Petrosian learned chess at the age of five. He received coaching from Gagik Sargissian and Melikset Khachiyan before entering a chess academy in 2002, where he was occasionally instructed by GM Arsen Yegiazarian and IM Ashot Nadanian.

Chess career

Tigran L. Petrosian (1st right) with his 2008 Olympiad teammates on a 2009 stamp of Armenia

Petrosian achieved his grandmaster title by scoring norms at the under 18 World Championship in 2002, the Batumi Open in 2003, and the Aeroflot Open in Moscow in 2004.[2] In the same year he tied for 2nd-3rd with Zhao Jun in the World Junior Chess Championship in Kochi, India.[3] In 2005, he tied for first in Tehran, Kish and Lausanne; in 2006 tied for first in Lyon and Dubai; in 2008 tied for first in Wheeling, Illinois and Las Vegas.[4] In the same year he won a team gold medal (together with Levon Aronian, Vladimir Akopian, Gabriel Sargissian and Artashes Minasian) at the 38th Chess Olympiad in Dresden.[5]

In 2011, Petrosian tied for 1st–3rd with Marat Dzhumaev and Anton Filippov in the Georgy Agzamov Memorial in Tashkent and won the event on tie-break.[6] In the same year he won the first Armenian Chess960 Championship,[7] tied for 2nd–4th with Abhijeet Gupta and Magesh Panchanathan in the third Orissa International GM Open Chess Tournament[8] and came first in the 31st Villa de Benasque Open.[9]

In January 2012, Petrosian won the Armenian Chess Championship[10] and in February 2012 came first in the Armenian Rapid Championship.[11]

In January 2013, Petrosian won the Armenian Chess Championship for the second time.[12] He also won clear first prize in International "Grand Europe Open Albena-2013" in Bulgaria.

In 2017 Petrosian finished clear first in the 45th Annual World Open at Philadelphia[13] and seventh in the World Blitz championship[14]

In February 2018, Petrosian competed in the Aeroflot Open. He finished fifth out of ninety-two,[15] scoring 6/9 (+3–0=6).[16]

Petrosian plays on the Internet Chess Club (ICC) under the pseudonym "Tigrano".

Cheating disqualification

On 1 October 2020, Wesley So, the eighth highest-rated grandmaster in the world at the time, accused Petrosian of cheating in his semi-final and final games during the online Chess.com 2020 PRO Chess League. Petrosian responded with a long, insulting message on the Chess.com forum:

Are you kidding ??? What the **** are you talking about man ? You are a biggest looser i ever seen in my life ! You was doing PIPI in your pampers when i was beating players much more stronger then you! You are not proffesional, because proffesionals knew how to lose and congratulate opponents, you are like a girl crying after i beat you! Be brave, be honest to yourself and stop this trush talkings!!! Everybody know that i am very good blitz player, i can win anyone in the world in single game! And "w"esley "s"o is nobody for me, just a player who are crying every single time when loosing, ( remember what you say about Firouzja ) !!! Stop playing with my name, i deserve to have a good name during whole my chess carrier, I am Officially inviting you to OTB blitz match with the Prize fund! Both of us will invest 5000$ and winner takes it all! I suggest all other people who's intrested in this situation, just take a look at my results in 2016 and 2017 Blitz World championships, and that should be enough... No need to listen for every crying babe, Tigran Petrosyan is always play Fair ! And if someone will continue Officially talk about me like that, we will meet in Court! God bless with true! True will never die ! Liers will kicked off... [sic][17][18]

Chess.com subsequently determined that Petrosian had violated fair play regulations; consequently, his team the Armenia Eagles, was disqualified and So's Saint Louis Arch Bishops were crowned champions. Chess.com and the PRO Chess League both issued lifetime bans to Petrosian.[19]

Awards

In December 2009, Petrosian was awarded the title of "Honoured Master of Sport of the Republic of Armenia".[20]

References

  1. ^ "Armenia revels in its chess prowess". BBC News. 26 September 2009. Retrieved 25 May 2010.
  2. ^ Savinov, Misha. "Interview with Tigran L. Petrosian" (PDF). chesscafe.com. Retrieved 26 August 2009.
  3. ^ "World Juniors Champ". FIDE. Retrieved 7 May 2011.
  4. ^ "Tigran L. Petrosian". Armenian Chess Players. 5 September 2009. Retrieved 19 December 2009.
  5. ^ "Olympiad Dresden 2008 Open". Chess-Results.com. 5 February 2009. Retrieved 22 March 2011.
  6. ^ "Georgy Agzamov Memorial". Chessdom. 26 March 2011. Retrieved 26 March 2011.
  7. ^ "Tigran L. Petrosian – Chess960 Champion". Armchess.am. 1 February 2011. Archived from the original on 31 May 2011. Retrieved 29 January 2012.
  8. ^ "GM Aleksej Aleksandrov victorious in Orissa". Chessdom. Archived from the original on 7 July 2011. Retrieved 7 June 2011.
  9. ^ "Tigran Petrosian Victorious in Benasque Open". Chessdom. Archived from the original on 5 December 2011. Retrieved 17 July 2011.
  10. ^ "72nd ARM Championship. The Highest League". Chess-Results.com. 22 January 2012. Retrieved 22 January 2012.
  11. ^ "2012 Armenian Rapid Championship". Chess-Results.com. 18 February 2012. Retrieved 19 February 2012.
  12. ^ "Armenian Chess Championships 2013". FIDE. 25 January 2013. Archived from the original on 12 January 2021. Retrieved 18 January 2014.
  13. ^ "45th Annual World Open - United States of America". FIDE. Retrieved 25 October 2017.
  14. ^ "TOURNAMENT STANDINGS World Blitz Championship Tournament". chessgames.com. Retrieved 18 January 2022.
  15. ^ Staff writer(s) (28 February 2018). "Aeroflot Open 2018 A". Chess Results.
  16. ^ Staff writer(s) (28 February 2018). "Aeroflot Open 2018 A: Petrosian Tigran L." Chess Results.
  17. ^ Bland, Archie (16 October 2020). "Chess's cheating crisis: 'paranoia has become the culture'". The Guardian. Retrieved 30 November 2020.
  18. ^ "Cheating controversy at Pro Chess League". ChessBase. 5 October 2020. Retrieved 30 November 2020.
  19. ^ "Saint Louis Arch Bishops 2020 PRO Chess League Champions; Armenia Eagles Disqualified". October 2020. Retrieved 1 October 2020.
  20. ^ "High Titles of Olympic Champions". Armchess. 19 December 2009. Retrieved 19 December 2009.