Armenian native Levon Aronian is one of the fiercest and most entertaining players to play the game.
His peak rating of 2830 FIDE not only earned him the number two spot in FIDE's March 2014 rating list. It also made him the fourth-highest-rated player in history.
The former prodigy picked up the game from his sister as a nine-year-old, and he turned pro in the same year. His first international success came shortly after when he won the Under-12 category of the 1994 World Youth Chess Championship ahead of future super-grandmasters.
Since then, Aronian never looked back.
In 2002, he won the 82nd Armenian Championship, as well as the 41st World Junior Championship without dropping a single game. Aronian also won the 2005 and 2017 FIDE World Cup... led the Armenian national team to gold medals in the 2006, 2008, and 2012 Olympiads... and captured the world title in Chess960, rapid and blitz chess.
Peers have described Aronian as "the most striking player around, with the highest creative level."
He's a tactical genius, who always looks for surprising and oftentimes sharp ideas to solve technical tasks over the board. Fearless and uncompromising, he always plays for the win no matter the color, which earned him the nickname "The Armenian Lion."
Away from the board, however, his sincere and playful charm endeared him to fans. In his homeland, crowds greet him with cheers. Restaurants and gas stations insist that he dine and fill up for free. And parents name their little ones after him. No wonder foreign press dubbed him "The David Beckham of Armenia."
Whether you're looking to unleash the creative attacker in you, or simply enjoy fantastic chess, Levon Aronian and his courses are a treat you wouldn't want to miss.
