Armenian Chess Player Asked to Withdraw from International Tournament in Turkey

Due to demands from Azerbaijani participants, Armenia's three-time chess champion and member of the women’s national team, Maria Gevorgyan, has been asked to withdraw from an international tournament in Turkey. In an interview with Tert.am, chess player Maria Gevorgyan shared the details.

The International Master from FIDE reported that she received a letter from Mustafa Eroglu, the organizer of the Sivas Buruciye Chess Open 2019, stating that the Azerbaijanis requested that if the Armenian chess player participates, they would not take part in the tournament.

According to Gevorgyan, such incidents have not occurred before. “In 2018, we only boycotted playing in Baku, but there have not been any incidents in other neutral countries with me or my colleagues. I believe that sports and politics should not be connected at all, as we each do our work. Last year, we played against both Azerbaijanis and Turks. It is not only our countries that have problems; there are other countries that are not at peace with each other, yet they play together in harmony,” she said.

Maria Gevorgyan finds Turkey's behavior unacceptable. She emphasized that she has played against various nationalities and has always treated each of her opponents with respect, regardless of their nationality. “This phenomenon is unacceptable. When I received the letter, I didn’t feel bad for myself, but I was offended for the Republic of Armenia, for chess, and also because the principle of fairness has been violated. They could have said that it was a financial issue, that they could not ensure safety, etc., and I would not have felt bad about that,” she continued.

The international master noted that during this time she has received support from athletes of different nationalities, including Turks. “In the last two days, I received an apology letter from Turkish chess players. There has not been a letter from the Azerbaijanis, but I received comments indicating that the Azerbaijani side has nothing to do with this and they hope that those responsible will be punished,” the chess player emphasized.

Maria Gevorgyan added that despite everything, she remains an athlete, and if she receives other invitations from Turkey, she will not react negatively.