19/09/2008 UN Department of Public Information, Armenian UN Association, UN Children's Fund, Pyunik Union of Disabled, Chess Academy of Armenia, Yerevan State University and AGBU organized and sponsored the annual traditional UN Chess Cup which this year was dedicated to the International Day of Peace. This year, just like last year, the Tournament was arranged in front of the Yerevan State University small park, Alek Manukyan street.
President of the Republic also honoured the Tournament with his participation. The UN Resident Coordinator Ms. Consuelo Vidal in her welcoming speech mentioned that the concept of Sports for peace and development has a sustained existence within the UN system. And chess is a sport that fits very well into this concept. That is why the Office of the United Nations in Armenia endorses and supports this initiative.
Children's Shoghakat choir had also come to entertain the participants.
From early September tournaments in all the regions of Armenia were held among the children of regional Chess Clubs. The best 40 children between ages 6-12 from all over the Republic were selected for this event. They competed for the UN CUP with each other via Olympic principle.
Parallel to the UN CUP Tournament a simultaneous game with representatives of mass media, students and lecturers from different Universities composed of 15 participants respectively, were run by 2 International Chess Grand Masters.
The three winners of the UN Cups were:
1st place: Harutyun Barseghyan from Yerevan (11 years-old)
2nd place: Tigran Harutyunyan from Yerevan (11 years-old)
3rd place: Karen Hovhannisyan from Gyumri (11 years-old)
Besides the three cups and monetary prizes this year a special award was nominated in the memory of Karen Asatryan (the then chairman of AUNA and founder of the Chess Festival tradition) and which was given to the Chairman of Chess Academy of Armenia Smbat Lputyan for his continuous involvement and organization of this traditional Republican event.
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