The second most famous Armenian?

[Michael Jones]

Aronian being suggested as a role model for any Armenians not so keen on Kardashian...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-20932705

[Reg Clucas]

I'd never heard of her until I saw that article yesterday. I think Tigran Petrosian is more famous than both of them.

[Ray Sayers]

Yes, Tiger Pete was the first name which popped into my head too

[David Robertson]

Lev Aronian is better-looking. No?

[Christopher Kreuzer]

Lev Aronian is better-looking. No?

Than Kim Kardashian or Tigran Petrosian?

(This could get quite surreal very quickly...)

[AustinElliott]

Does no-one in Armenia view Gary Kimovich Kasparov as sort of Armenian any more? I always understood his mother was Armenian, which would make him at least as Armenian as Ms Kardashian. I sort of recall that in the early 80s Gary K was friendly with Iron Tigan and his wife Rona, and had the Armenians (as well as Azeris) very much in his corner when he was taking on Karpov.

Ah well, celebrity is all. And I dare say Gary Kimovich is less popular and well known now he is a sort of political figure than when he was world chess champion...

Anyway, Aronian seems a nice guy, as well as an excellent chess player, so you could do a lot worse as a role model. Though you do wonder if, like that other talented Armenian player Rafi Vaganian, he is a bit TOO normal and well-balanced to be obsessive enough to reach No. 1.

[Dan O'Dowd]

Well; Kasparov was born in Azerbaijan and lived there for his early life so that would immediately kybosh claims of Armenianness, but Kaspy himself has always felt himself to be a Russian.

[Colin Patterson]

Have we ruled out David Dickinson then? A bit of a scally in his youth, but very popular with the more mature lady these days.

[Matt Mackenzie]

Well; Kasparov was born in Azerbaijan and lived there for his early life so that would immediately kybosh claims of Armenianness, but Kaspy himself has always felt himself to be a Russian.

The most accurate description of Gazza's ethincity is possibly Russo-Armenian Jew (from Baku )?

[Roger de Coverly]

The most accurate description of Gazza's ethincity is possibly Russo-Armenian Jew (from Baku )?

It's known that his name was changed from Weinstein, but it took the Russian form of Kasparov instead of the Armenian form of Kasparian ( as in the problemist , Petros ian and Aron ian)

[Gerard Killoran]

Haven't you heard of Cher (Cherilyn Sarkisian) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cher or Charles Aznavour (Shahnour Vaghenag Aznavourian? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Aznavour?

[John Clarke]

More significant (though perhaps nowadays less well-known) than any of the aforementioned would be the Mikoyan brothers.

The elder, Anastas Ivanovich (1895-1978) was a leading Soviet politician for over forty years, surviving near the top from the time of Lenin until the early days of the Brezhnev era. For a time he was the second most powerful figure in the USSR after Krushchev.

His younger brother Artem (1905-70) was an aircraft designer, who in partnership with Mikhail Iosifovich Gurevich (no relation as far as I know to chess GM Mikhail Naumovich Gurevich) was responsible for many of the famous MiG fighter planes.

[AustinElliott]

Doesn't Britain have its own Armenian chess connection via Mike Basman? Did I read somewhere that his father was a Basmadjian, and that Mike had spent a couple of years living in Yerevan and even won the city championship? Or is that a chess urban legend?

[Richard James]

Doesn't Britain have its own Armenian chess connection via Mike Basman? Did I read somewhere that his father was a Basmadjian, and that Mike had spent a couple of years living in Yerevan and even won the city championship? Or is that a chess urban legend?

You are correct, Austin.

[Warren Kingston]

I think SOAD are brilliant.