Chess Afternoon led by Dr. David Zakarian and Dimitrios Levon Zakarian
This in-person event will be divided into two activities: a short lecture about chess followed by simultaneous chess games.
The Armenian Institute invites you to delve into the rich heritage and exceptional accomplishments of Armenia as a chess superpower. Discover the unique distinction of Armenia as the sole country in the world where chess is part of the school curriculum. Despite its modest size, Armenia has garnered widespread acclaim for its formidable national chess team, renowned for producing some of the world's most exceptional players. Notably, Armenia boasts two world chess champions and on three separate occasions has achieved victory in the prestigious World Chess Olympiad.
The present talk will explore the history of chess in Armenia and will be followed by a simultaneous display where you will be able to play against a FIDE chess Master, David Zakarian, and promising junior talent Dimitrios Levon Zakarian. If you wish to participate in the simultaneous event, please bring your chess board.
Entry for lecture only -- ￡5, students free
Ticket for playing chess ￡5 per person
We will have a short break for drinks and nibbles between the talk and playing chess
Dr. David Zakarian is an Associate of the Faculty of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies at the University of Oxford. Besides his academic career as a historian, he has been playing competitive chess for over 30 years. He is a FIDE Master representing the Armenian chess federation, with 2408 being the highest international rating achieved. For several years he has been the top board for Oxford's chess team in the UK's Four Nations Chess League, as well as the Varsity captain of the Oxford University chess team in 2014.
Dimitrios Levon Zakarian is a young chess player who is currently a student at the Magdalen College School, Oxford. He has been representing England in the international arena since 2017. He has numerous achievements in multiple junior chess events, such as winning the prestigious UK Chess Challenge Terafinal three times (2017, 2020, 2022), English U14 Chess Championship (2022), and English U12 Online Blitz Championship (2020).
