The Armenian grandmaster already played at the International Dortmund Chess Days last year. This is particularly obvious as part of his family lives in Dortmund and he often visits the Ruhr region. He is already registered again for the Sparkassen Chess Trophy 2025.
Rafael Vaganian is an Armenian chess grandmaster who became known for his outstanding achievements back in the 1980s. Particularly impressive was his participation in several Chess Olympiads, where he achieved numerous victories for the Soviet team. He reached the semi-finals of the 1986 Candidates Tournament and finished a record fourth in the world rankings.
Last year, Vaganian played at the top, but was beaten in the last round by GM Quesada Perez, finishing in 17th place. Nevertheless, he won the well-paid senior prize in the A-Open. The Sparkassen Chess Trophy offers top players of all ages a great stage, which is already clear from the list of participants for 2025. On the one hand, IM Marius Deuer, born in 2008, one of the strongest young German players at the start of his career, and on the other, Vaganian, a grandmaster who has been established for over 50 years.