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Karen Grigorian
K Grigorian 
 

Number of games in database: 422
Years covered: 1961 to 1989
Last FIDE rating: 2268 (2105 rapid, 2190 blitz)
Highest rating achieved in database: 2500
Overall record: +113 -130 =178 (48.0%)*
   * Overall winning percentage = (wins+draws/2) / total games in the database. 1 exhibition game, blitz/rapid, odds game, etc. is excluded from this statistic.

MOST PLAYED OPENINGS
With the White pieces:
 Nimzo Indian (26) 
    E32 E38 E37 E41 E46
 King's Indian (22) 
    E80 E81 E83 E94 E97
 Grunfeld (19) 
    D80 D87 D92 D86 D91
 English (17) 
    A16 A13 A15 A17 A19
 Queen's Gambit Declined (16) 
    D31 D37 D38 D30 D35
 Modern Benoni (14) 
    A57 A61 A77 A60 A59
With the Black pieces:
 Sicilian (73) 
    B93 B84 B92 B99 B90
 Sicilian Najdorf (33) 
    B93 B99 B92 B90 B97
 English (17) 
    A15 A14 A17 A16 A19
 Grunfeld (16) 
    D85 D91 D74 D94 D76
 Alekhine's Defense (15) 
    B02 B03 B04 B05
 Modern Benoni (14) 
    A57 A77 A58 A56 A64
Repertoire Explorer

NOTABLE GAMES: [what is this?]
   K Grigorian vs Yurtaev, 1979 1/2-1/2
   K Grigorian vs Tal, 1973 1-0
   S Garcia Martinez vs K Grigorian, 1980 0-1
   Gulko vs K Grigorian, 1976 0-1
   K Grigorian vs Gulko, 1975 1/2-1/2
   Karpov vs K Grigorian, 1973 1/2-1/2
   K Grigorian vs Bronstein, 1972 1/2-1/2
   Ivanchuk vs K Grigorian, 1986 0-1
   K Grigorian vs Spassky, 1973 1/2-1/2
   K Grigorian vs J Lechtynsky, 1978 1/2-1/2

NOTABLE TOURNAMENTS: [what is this?]
   Moscow Championship (1979)
   Moscow Championship (1975)
   URS-ch sf Voronezh (1973)
   URS-ch sf Chelyabinsk (1972)
   URS-ch45 First League (1977)
   Baku (1980)
   URS-ch sf Perm (1971)
   Yerevan (1982)
   USSR Championship First League (1979)
   Yerevan (1976)
   USSR Championship (1976)
   Yerevan (1980)
   USSR Championship (1972)
   URS-ch otbor (1979)
   USSR Championship (1971)

GAME COLLECTIONS: [what is this?]
   Baku 1980 by suenteus po 147


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KAREN GRIGORIAN
(born Sep-07-1947, died Oct-30-1989, 42 years old) Russia (federation/nationality Armenia)

[what is this?]

Karen Ashotovich Grigorian. Awarded the IM title in 1982 he was Moscow Champion in 1975 and 1979. Sadly, personal problems led him to take his life by jumping from the highest bridge in Yerevan in 1989. Armenian champion in 1969 (=Levon Grigorian, his twin brother), 1970 and 1972 (=Levon Grigorian). Not to be confused with Karen H Grigoryan.

Wikipedia article: Karen Grigorian

Last updated: 2025-04-26 15:32:51

Try our new games table.

 page 1 of 17; games 1-25 of 422  PGN Download
Game  ResultMoves YearEvent/LocaleOpening
1. K Grigorian vs H Messing  0-1141961Junior International TournamentC35 King's Gambit Accepted, Cunningham
2. K Grigorian vs O Averkin  1-0321961USSR Junior ChampionshipA46 Queen's Pawn Game
3. K Grigorian vs A Bukhover  1-0391963Junior Selection TournamentD87 Grunfeld, Exchange
4. K Grigorian vs A Planinc 0-1261965Yugoslavia - Soviet UnionE67 King's Indian, Fianchetto
5. A Planinc vs K Grigorian 1-0671965Yugoslavia - Soviet UnionC12 French, McCutcheon
6. K Grigorian vs A Demirkhanyan  1-0331966Caucasian ChampionshipC16 French, Winawer
7. M Sirkia vs K Grigorian  0-1261967International Junior TournamentA57 Benko Gambit
8. L Espig vs K Grigorian  0-1611967International Junior TournamentB43 Sicilian, Kan, 5.Nc3
9. Balashov vs K Grigorian  1-0401967Junior Qualification Tournament - FinalB03 Alekhine's Defense
10. M Mukhin vs K Grigorian  1-0331967Junior Qualification Tournament - semifinal-2B43 Sicilian, Kan, 5.Nc3
11. K Grigorian vs M Ruderfer  1-0211967MoscowC32 King's Gambit Declined, Falkbeer Counter Gambit
12. Balashov vs K Grigorian  1-0221967International Junior TournamentB03 Alekhine's Defense
13. K Grigorian vs N Kasimov  1-034196710th Soviet Team Championship qual-3E40 Nimzo-Indian, 4.e3
14. A Lukin vs K Grigorian  ½-½53196710th Soviet Team Championship qual-3B43 Sicilian, Kan, 5.Nc3
15. Balashov vs K Grigorian  1-037196710th Soviet Team Championship qual-3A04 Reti Opening
16. K Grigorian vs Y Sakharov  0-1301969URS-ch sf VoronezhE86 King's Indian, Samisch, Orthodox, 7.Nge2 c6
17. Kholmov vs K Grigorian  1-0411969URS-ch sf VoronezhD26 Queen's Gambit Accepted
18. K Grigorian vs A Cesnauskas  1-0301969URS-ch sf VoronezhD50 Queen's Gambit Declined
19. K Grigorian vs V Osnos  1-0341969URS-ch sf VoronezhE58 Nimzo-Indian, 4.e3, Main line with 8...Bxc3
20. S Kupka vs K Grigorian  ½-½661969Vilnius JuniorsA15 English
21. K Grigorian vs A Kapengut  ½-½431969Vilnius JuniorsA34 English, Symmetrical
22. R Nicevski vs K Grigorian  ½-½251969Vilnius JuniorsB03 Alekhine's Defense
23. K Grigorian vs Westerinen  ½-½471969Vilnius JuniorsE83 King's Indian, Samisch
24. K Grigorian vs Y Anikaev  ½-½401969Vilnius JuniorsA14 English
25. A Butnorius vs K Grigorian  0-1361969Vilnius JuniorsB42 Sicilian, Kan
 page 1 of 17; games 1-25 of 422  PGN Download
  REFINE SEARCH:   White wins (1-0) | Black wins (0-1) | Draws (1/2-1/2) | Grigorian wins | Grigorian loses  

Kibitzer's Corner
< Earlier Kibitzing  · PAGE 2 OF 2 ·  Later Kibitzing>
Mar-13-07
Premium Chessgames Member
  chancho: Here's another talented player who jumped to his death.

Lembit Oll

Mar-13-07  TrueFiendish: Vitolins was a truly brilliant player whose abilities received the highest praise from Tal.
Aug-19-08  sleepkid: Chessgames needs to fix their database. There is another Grigorian who plays and apparently his games are being linked here.

Either that, or this Grigorian has had a remarkable career ever since his tragic death.

Aug-19-08  Davolni: <sleepkid> thanks for bringing that up to chessgames, but no need to be sarcastic about someone's tragic death!!!

Karen Grigorian was a great player who has had nice victories in such a short time of his life.

Aug-19-08
Premium Chessgames Member
  BishopBerkeley: Several years ago, a fine acquaintance of mine ended his own life. He was a physician who had done some very beneficial work over the course of a long career. (My own life had been enriched by knowing him.) His family, friends, and acquaintances are still bewildered as to why he made this choice.

In thinking about him, I've tried to remind myself that suicide need not be the defining event of a person's life. Suicide may occur in a moment of uncharacteristic sadness, depression, or anxiety, perhaps the lowest emotional state a person has experienced in decades. It may be a very unrepresentative act in an otherwise very complex and often positive life.

I know almost nothing about GM Grigorian, Lembit Oll , or some other great Chessplayers who have ended their own lives, but I'm glad we have their games and other stories about them that can remind us that their lives were much, much bigger than the way they chose to leave them.

If you have had any friend or loved one who has ended their own life, perhaps you too have considered the vastness of their life compared with the brief, sad event of their death.

I hope we will always remember the former when we consider the latter.

Best wishes to all....

♗ Bishop Berkeley ♗

Sep-01-08  JohnBoy: If Grigorian died in 1989, the games under his name from then to 2007 must be from someone else. This needs to be corrected.
Sep-07-08  artyom2008: happy bday
Sep-11-08
Premium Chessgames Member
  maxi: Nobody wins a chess game by committing suicide.
Sep-11-08
Premium Chessgames Member
  Phony Benoni: Most of the games after 1989 can be credited to <Karen Grigoryan>, an IM from Turkmenistan born in 1954. See http://ratings.fide.com/card.phtml?.... He does not appear to have an entry in the chessgames.com database as yet.

The one exception would be the very last game from the World U-12 in 2007; that must be somebody else.

I've sent in a correction.

Sep-11-08  Avarus: <BishopBerkeley> Fine words there, fine words.
Oct-30-08  gambitfan: I am astounded at the not so negligeable number of chess players whosse life ends tragically (suicide, crime, madness,...)
Apr-17-09  stanleys: A photo of him :

http://www.e3e5.com/upload/articles...

Oct-09-10  Ostap Bender jr: The confusion about the Karen Grigorians is quite understandable, since the name and the given name are quite popular in that geographical area. Few years ago, I got paired against a certain Karen Grigoryan and could not really understand who I was going to play against. I vaguely knew that the GM with this name died some time ago, but my opponent was born in 1954 (only 7 years later than the late GM, practically the same epoque) which just increased my confusion. After the game, I asked my opponent about the whole matter and he made my thrills about having played against a legend vanish immediately. Anyway, coming back to GM Karen Grigorian, I am impressed about how he punished the premature e4-e5 in his games against Karasev 1976 and Pereszupkin in 1977, in positions that looked rather suspicious for him.
Apr-17-12  Marmot PFL: The old Soviet nations have the world's highest suicide rates. Maybe they always did but the numbers were not formerly revealed.
Feb-20-15
Premium Chessgames Member
  offramp: Another death by jumping suicide, one of the strangest, was Carl Theodor Goering.
Aug-24-16
Premium Chessgames Member
  offramp: Karen Ashotovich Grigorian played in a tournament held between 10th June 1978 and 27th June 1978.

It was held in the North Bohemian town of Děčín, on the river Elbe. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/D%C4%....

Its title was "VIII Primat Mesta Děčína."

Karen Ashotovich Grigorian withdrew after 10 of the 15 rounds.

Craig William Pritchett, who was there, wrote (BCM 1978 p458):

<The sad spot of the tournament was when Grigorian had to drop out. As the tournament progressed it became increasingly obvious that he was suffering from an acute form of depression. His spirits deteriorated rapidly and he had to be taken to hospital. There were murmurs among the players (E European players always murmur!) that this would be the end of his chess career. I hope the Russian Federation don't take steps toward that end. He is undoubtedly a player of some talent.>

Jan-31-23
Premium Chessgames Member
  FSR: Who wouldn't be upset if someone did this to their name?

<Karen is a pejorative slang term for an obnoxious, angry, entitled, and often racist middle-aged white woman who uses her privilege to get her way or police other people’s behaviors.> https://www.dictionary.com/e/slang/...

Jan-31-23
Premium Chessgames Member
  HeMateMe: I loved Karen Carpenter. I never thought she was racist, privileged or angry. Heck, she wasn't even middle aged.
Jan-31-23
Premium Chessgames Member
  FSR: <HMM> She was amazing. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=woK...
Jan-31-23
Premium Chessgames Member
  perfidious: Regrettably, Karen Carpenter experienced her own personal difficulties.
Nov-11-24
Premium Chessgames Member
  FSR: Not many realize it, but Karen Carpenter was not only a great singer but a great drummer. https://forum.amcorner.com/threads/... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6dJ...
Nov-11-24
Premium Chessgames Member
  keypusher: <FSR: Not many realize it, but Karen Carpenter was not only a great singer but a great drummer. https://forum.amcorner.com/threads/... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6dJ...

John Bonham was very hurt by that <People Magazine> poll....

Nov-11-24
Premium Chessgames Member
  FSR: <keypusher> Playboy, not People. Slightly different magazine.
Nov-11-24
Premium Chessgames Member
  perfidious: Yeah; so far as I know, <People> never interviewed Jimmy Carter.
Nov-11-24
Premium Chessgames Member
  keypusher: <FSR>/<perfidious> Oops, but hey, pretty easy to confuse those magazines. Amazing story courtesy of SFOD on the cafe page about Carpenter & the Playboy poll.

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