BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 19. Grandmaster Teimur Rajabov responded on social networks with very serious facts to the Armenian chess player Levon Aronyan, who criticized the policies of Azerbaijan on his Facebook page, Trend reports.
Rajabov notes that chess is a world of strategy and intelligence, where every move requires deep thought and careful analysis, and there is no room for manipulation or lies in this game. It teaches us honesty and justice. Grandmasters, as holders of high chess titles, have absorbed the spirit of this exciting game and are obliged to maintain honesty not only on the board but also in their statements.
"But, alas, this is not the case with the Armenian chess player,
three-time Olympic champion Levon Aronian.
I remember that during the 44-day Second Karabakh War, Aronyan said
and wrote that he was "ready to take up arms and go to fight." To
fight, of course, against Azerbaijan. But having a mathematical
mind, did Aronyan think that with his statement he actually
supported Armenia’s territorial claims to Azerbaijan, inspired the
separatists in Khankendi, and thereby made his "mite" to an even
greater escalation of the situation in the region? Chess unites
people from all corners of the earth, regardless of their cultural,
religious, or political differences. This game has become a symbol
of peace and diplomacy; even during the Cold War, chess players
were mediators and symbols of peace.
For centuries, Armenians and Azerbaijanis lived side by side in good neighborliness, worked together, rejoiced, and grieved. But in the 1990s, Armenian chauvinism, separatism, and ideas of "racial, national, and other superiority" captured the minds of our neighbors, as well as Karabakh Armenians, citizens of Azerbaijan.
And after the 44-day Second Karabakh War, when the Armed Forces of Azerbaijan liberated seven regions of the country that had been under Armenian occupation for approximately 30 years and forced Armenia to capitulate and admit total defeat, Levon Aronyan was silent. He was silent when Azerbaijani soldiers showed villages, regional centers, towns, and cities destroyed to the ground—all the houses and buildings turned into a pile of ruins. Aronyan said nothing about the Hiroshima of the Caucasus—Aghdam, a city wiped off the face of the earth by the Armenian occupiers. He was silent about mosques and houses of worship being destroyed or turned into stables. Mosques and houses of worship were destroyed or turned into stables. About tens of thousands of brutally tortured and killed Azerbaijanis About the incalculable suffering caused by Armenia, the Armenian occupiers, and separatist gangs in our country. No, he was stubbornly silent. Now he has spoken. On his Facebook profile, he burst out with accusations against Azerbaijan, repeating word for word the words of Armenian propaganda and disinformation. He claims that the Karabakh Armenians "are under blockade; they have no food or medicine." What kind of "blockade" are we talking about when the Agdam-Khankendi road is functioning, the checkpoint is working, and cargo moving in both directions is being inspected? It was through the efforts of Azerbaijan that both roads, Aghdam-Khankendi and Lachin-Khankendi, began to operate. Karabakh is an internationally recognized land of Azerbaijan, which is recognized by both the world community and, more recently, Armenia. And the Armenians living there must integrate into Azerbaijan. And accept the food offered by the Azerbaijani state, and do not close the Aghdam-Khankendi road. "Let’s wake up, people. We cannot, through our silence, allow something to happen that humanity will be ashamed of for centuries. We owe it to our descendants to talk about what is happening and try to reach those who can change this shameful situation," writes Levon Aronyan. I completely agree, Aronyan. Let's not remain silent; let’s talk about the real genocide committed by Armenia against the Azerbaijani people in Khojaly. About the murders of innocent and unarmed people, old people were shot, babies were impaled on bayonets, pregnant women were burned alive, children were beaten to death, and cities and villages were destroyed where no stone was left unturned. About the minefields that we still have to clear for many years. Let's be honest. A grandmaster's integrity is not just an ethical standard but a key to respect and trust from the chess community and society at large. Each false statement undermines the credibility of a chess player and damages the reputation of the entire chess world.
And don’t forget that grandmasters are responsible for their words and actions and must adhere to high standards of integrity," notes Rajabov.