I Am Forced to Make a Pivotal Decision and Leave My Native Country: Levon Aronian

Chess player Levon Aronian writes on his Facebook page: “Dear ones, last year was extremely difficult for all of us—pandemic, war, and in my case, personal tragedy and the absolute indifference of the state towards Armenian chess. I found myself faced with a choice: leave my life's work or move to a place where I am valued.

After more than a year of waiting for the current government's promises to be fulfilled, I realized that I am forced to make a pivotal decision and leave my native country. It is evident that every year of waiting for change is a wasted year in terms of my sports career. I value my family highly, especially the sacrifices made by my mother in my development as a chess player, and I cannot miss the opportunity to achieve my maximum potential.

I sincerely take pride in having had the honor of making a significant contribution to the greatest achievements of Armenian chess: three Olympic gold medals, gold at world and European championships, two world cups, and numerous individual and team victories. I believe it is clear that one cannot reach global heights in chess without years of enormous effort and targeted support from the state.

It is important to note that the personal attention and significant support of Armenia's third president, Serzh Sargsyan, were critical factors in our chess success. After the 2018 revolution, the new government promised to continue this line, but the promise was limited to just one year of partial support, which then ceased altogether. During this time, untalented new public officials, completely unaware of the sport, invaded the chess arena, claiming our successes as their own and even resorting to blackmail for self-assertion. They succeeded in dividing the chess community, which had been developed over years, and turning it into chaos.

I have tried numerous times to express my concerns regarding the situation to the former Minister of Education, Science, Culture, and Sports, Arayik Harutyunyan, other responsible parties in the sector, and even to the Prime Minister during our only meeting over these three years, which he strictly limited to 15 minutes. All my attempts to suspend the destructive decisions being made in the chess sector failed. I could never explain to the new government that chess is a great heritage in our country, and that our successes in this field are perhaps one of our greatest achievements.

For me personally, the victories in Armenian chess are the second pride of independent Armenia, following our victory in the Artsakh liberation war of 1992-1994. I never managed to convey to them the simple truth that the state support I am seeking is not for myself personally, but for the opportunity to serve and bring glory to my homeland through our successes, which Armenia may not have for decades to come.

The response was: “Our experts believe that Levon Aronian no longer has potential.” Immediately after this “verdict,” I defeated both the world champion and the world’s number two player at the prestigious tournament in Stavanger.

For years, I have received numerous attractive offers to represent various countries, including from American philanthropist and chess lover Rex Sinquefield, who repeated his offer to move to the United States every year. Each time, I justified my refusal by saying that what was being done by my state for the development of chess was invaluable, and that no material value could compare to the respect enjoyed by a chess player in Armenia.

I want to express my gratitude to the esteemed Rex Sinquefield, who continues to believe in me. I am also thankful to Fabiano Caruana, who, being America's top player, supports me and shares my decision to join the team. I am also immensely grateful to my family, relatives, friends, and all those who understand my principles and support me.

My mother often repeats the Armenian saying: “God tests every person according to their capacity.” I have faced many trials in my life, and I accept each new one with humility and a readiness to be better than I was yesterday. I hope that I will also overcome this one with dignity.

I am confident that time will pass, and chess in Armenia will return to its status. And instead of closing chess schools and departed enthusiasts, we will once again see respect for the sport in which we, as a nation and country, have had and, I believe, will still have our stable place. Meanwhile, I want to assure once more that I am connected to my homeland by all possible threads, and even from afar, I will continue to do everything possible and impossible for my country.