The first round of the 10th individual Chess Europe Championship starting March 6, in Budva (Montenegro) has come to its end. The start for the four Armenian players was successful. The Olympic players, Vladimir Hakobyan, Artashes Minasyan and also the grand masters, Tigran Kotanjyan and Zaven Andreasyan started the game with attacks. Armenia’s champion Arman Pashikyan and grand master Tigran Petrosyan ended their rounds in a draw. Arthur Chibukhchyan, the International master, suffered a defeat letting a grand master from Holland, Ivan Sokolov, take over him.
In the second round of European Championship Vladimir Hakobyan will compete with a grand master from Croatia, Ivan Sharich. Another Olympic champion, Tigran Petrosyan, will compete with a Turkish chess player Mustafa Yilmaz, who in the first round split with peace with the champion of Armenia, Arman Pashikyan.
It should be mentioned that 310 chess players will participate this year in the Championship of Europe, of which the Armenian chess player Vladimir Hakobyan has the highest rating.
The tournament consists of 11 rounds and will pass under the Swiss system. The game dates of the tournament are scheduled for March 6-17. March 13 is the day off. The closing ceremony of European championship is scheduled to take place March 18.
