Artashes Minasian
An Armenian chess titan who outmaneuvered Soviet giants to become a national champion and a revered trainer of champions.
Born 1967 (age 59)·Armenian chess grandmaster·Birthday: January 21·Generation X
Biography
Artashes Minasian emerged from the fiercely competitive Soviet chess system to become a cornerstone of independent Armenia's chess dominance. The grandmaster announced himself by tying for first in the final USSR Championship in 1991, a symbolic passing of the torch. As Armenia found its footing, Minasian became its domestic rock, capturing the national championship six times. His strategic, positionally sound style made him a formidable opponent and an invaluable team player, contributing to Armenian successes in European and World Team Championships. Beyond the board, his deeper impact lies in his shift to coaching, where his analytical mind helped shape the next generation, including working with the national team that secured Olympic gold. Minasian's career embodies the dual role of warrior and architect in a chess-obsessed nation.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Artashes was born in 1967, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Artashes Was Born
The biggest hits of 1967
#1 Movie
The Jungle Book
Best Picture
In the Heat of the Night
#1 TV Show
The Andy Griffith Show
Artashes's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1967Born
Summer of Love in San Francisco; first Super Bowl
Gas: $0.33/galHome: $14,250Min wage: $1.40/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"To Sir, with Love" — LuluBest Picture: In the Heat of the Night
1972Started school
Watergate break-in; last Apollo Moon mission
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $19,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" — Roberta FlackBest Picture: The Godfather
1980Became a teenager
John Lennon shot and killed in New York
Gas: $1.19/galHome: $47,200Min wage: $3.10/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Call Me" — BlondieBest Picture: Ordinary People
1983Could drive
Internet adopts TCP/IP, creating the modern internet
Gas: $1.16/galHome: $57,700Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Every Breath You Take" — The PoliceBest Picture: Terms of Endearment
1985Could vote
Live Aid concerts raise money for Ethiopian famine
Gas: $1.12/galHome: $62,900Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Careless Whisper" — Wham!Best Picture: Out of Africa
1988Turned 21
Pan Am Flight 103 bombed over Lockerbie
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $74,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Faith" — George MichaelBest Picture: Rain Man
1997Turned 30
Princess Diana dies in Paris car crash; Harry Potter published
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $104,100Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Candle in the Wind 1997" — Elton JohnBest Picture: Titanic
2007Turned 40
iPhone released; Great Recession begins
Gas: $2.80/galHome: $172,600Min wage: $5.85/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Irreplaceable" — BeyonceBest Picture: No Country for Old Men
2017Turned 50
#MeToo movement; solar eclipse crosses the US
Gas: $2.42/galHome: $195,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Shape of You" — Ed SheeranBest Picture: The Shape of Water
2026Age 59 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Tied for first place in the 1991 USSR Chess Championship, one of the strongest tournaments ever held.
- Became a six-time champion of Armenia (1991, 1994, 1997, 2001, 2004, 2009).
- Played a key role on the Armenian national team that won the European Team Chess Championship in 1999.
- Served as a trainer and second for World Champion Vladimir Kramnik and the Armenian Olympic team.
Did You Know?
He is a founding member of the Armenian Chess Academy.
Minasian defeated former World Champion Anatoly Karpov in a tournament game in 1994.
He holds the title of FIDE Senior Trainer, one of the highest coaching certifications in chess.
“The board is a laboratory where you test your ideas against reality.”
