World chess champion Vladimir Kramnik arrived in Armenia with his wife yesterday. He will compete with chess master Levon Aronyan on May 4-6. “I have come to Armenia to show a good game and I think the game will be hard, interesting and definitely equal. However, I can’t say how it will end. I am in a good mood, as recently I won such a competition. Besides that, I hadn’t been to Armenia for over 11 years, and also I have many friends here. I am visiting Armenia with great pleasure not only to play chess, but also to see the sightseeing places. Thus I hope to have both a helpful and pleasant time here,” said Kramnik. Concerning chess in Armenia he said, “Chess has always been at a good level in Armenia, but in recent times it is developing faster. Maybe it is due to my competitor, as he is one of the best players in the world, and it is very important for the team to have such a member. However, the others are good too; for example, Gabriel Sargsyan. We are not glad of the fact that Armenia won the Olympics instead of Russia. Thus, during the next Olympics we will struggle for victory. Nevertheless, it is clear that Armenia will continue being one of the most favored during the upcoming years, as it is one of the leading five teams of the world.”
