Karen Asryan, an Armenian chess grandmaster who was the ex-Soviet nation’s reigning champion and helped it win the 2006 Chess Olympiad, died yesterday after suddenly losing consciousness. He was 28. Asryan was ranked 92nd by the World Chess Federation. A moment of silence was held in his memory before the opening of a speed-chess tournament in Yerevan after his death was announced by Armenian player Smbat Lputyan in the Opera and Ballet building. There is no exact information about the reasons of his death. According to our data, Asryan had a heart attack while driving a car near the Armenian Chess Federation. The 169-Zham personnel extends condolences to the Karen’s relatives friends and chess fans over his unexpected decease.
