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Vladimir Akopian


Full name	Վլադիմիր Հակոբյան
Country	Armenia
Born	December 7, 1971 Baku, Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic, Soviet Union
Title	Grandmaster (1991)
Peak rating	2713 (July 2006)

Vladimir Akopian (Russian: Владимир Акопян; born December 7, 1971 in Baku, Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic, Soviet Union) is a leading Armenian chess Grandmaster. In Armenia, his surname is more commonly written Hakobyan (Armenian: Վլադիմիր Հակոբյան) however, most English texts and FIDE use a transliteration of the Russian version.

Career

Akopian won the World Under-16 Championship in 1986 at the age of 14 and the World Under-18 Championship at 16. In 1991 he won the World Junior Chess Championship.

He won the Armenian Chess Championship in 1996 and 1997. In 1999 he made his way through to the final of the FIDE Knock-Out World Chess Championship, but lost to Alexander Khalifman, 3.5-2.5. In the 2004 event, he was knocked out in the quarter-finals by the player he had defeated in the 1999 semi-finals, Michael Adams.

It was reported that Akopian had to withdraw from the 2005 Dubai Open when he was arrested at Dubai airport having been mistaken for an individual of the same name wanted by Interpol for murder.

On the January 2013 FIDE list, he has an Elo rating of 2704, making him number 45 in the world and Armenia's number three player, behind Levon Aronian and Sergei Movsesian.

Early in 2007, Akopian won the Gibtelecom Masters in Gibraltar with a score of 7.5/9 ahead of a group of players tied at 7/9 including Michael Adams.

In December 2009, he was awarded the title of "Honoured Master of Sport of the Republic of Armenia".

Team competitions

Vladimir Akopian
Medal record
Men's chess
Competitor for Armenia
Chess Olympiad
	Istanbul 2012	Open
	Dresden 2008	Open
	Turin 2006	Open
	Calvià 2004	Open
	Bled 2002	Open
	Manila 1992	Open

Akopian was one of the contributing players on the Armenian chess team which won gold at the 2006 Chess Olympiad ahead of second placed China and third placed United States and the 38th Chess Olympiad in Dresden, 2008. He was a member of the gold-medal winning Armenian team at the World Team Chess Championship in 2011.

Notable games

Vladimir Akopian vs Kiril D Georgiev, Ch World FIDE, Las Vegas (USA) 1999, Queen's Indian Defense: Kasparov-Petrosian Variation, Romanishin Attack (E12), 1-0
Junior (Computer) vs Vladimir Akopian, SuperGM 2000, Owen Defense: General (B00), 1/2-1/2
Vladimir Akopian vs Garry Kasparov, Russia vs The Rest of the World 2002, Sicilian Defense: Nyezhmetdinov-Rossolimo Attack (B30), 1-0
Alexey Korotylev vs Vladimir Akopian, Aeroflot Open 2006, Benoni Defense: Classical Variation, General (A70), 0-1

Results timeline for Chess World Cup

Year	2005	2007	2009	2011	2013	2015
Chess World Cup	1R ¹	4R	A	1R ¹	1R	A

¹ In 2005 and 2011, Akopian forfeited his first round matches.

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