View source for Ashot Nadanian

{{Short description|Armenian chess player and coach (born 1972)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2022}}
{{good article}}
{{Infobox chess player
|name = Ashot Nadanian
|image = Nadanian Ashot (2).jpg
|image_size = 
|caption = Nadanian in 2007
|birthname = Ashot Gevorgi Nadanian
|country = [[Armenia]]
|birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1972|09|19}}
|birth_place = [[Baku]], [[Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic|Azerbaijan SSR]], Soviet Union
|death_date = 
|death_place = 
|title = [[International Master]] (1997)
|worldchampion = 
|peakrating = 2475 (July 1997)
|FideID = 13300393
}}

'''Ashot Nadanian''' (sometimes [[Transliteration|transliterated]] as ''Nadanyan''; {{langx|hy|Աշոտ Նադանեան}}; born 19 September 1972) is an Armenian [[chess]] [[International Master]] (1997), [[Chess theory|chess theoretician]] and chess [[Coach (sport)|coach]].

His highest achievements have been in [[Chess theory|opening theory]] and coaching. Two opening variations are named after him: the [[Grünfeld Defence, Nadanian Variation|Nadanian Variation]] in the [[Grünfeld Defence]] and the Nadanian Attack in the [[Queen's Pawn Opening]]. He began coaching at the age of 22 and has brought up three [[Grandmaster (chess)|grandmasters]]. He has coached the national teams of [[Kuwait]] and [[Singapore]] and was awarded the titles Honoured Coach of Armenia in 1998 and [[FIDE]] Senior Trainer in 2017. Since 2011, he has been a permanent [[Glossary of chess#Second|second]] of [[Levon Aronian]].

Although a strong player who competed in the 1996 [[Chess Olympiad]] and narrowly failed to qualify for the 1999 [[FIDE World Chess Championship 1999|FIDE World Chess Championship]], he has never fulfilled his potential. According to [[Valery Chekhov]], Nadanian "possesses enormous chess potential, but he was not able to find enough time to work professionally on his chess." Levon Aronian said that due to the situation in Armenia, Nadanian "was not able to display even one-tenth of his playing talent."{{sfn|Karolyi|Aplin|2009|p=219}}

Due to his imaginative attacking style, Nadanian has been described as a "chess artist",{{sfn|Aagaard|2010|p=116}} a "brilliant eccentric", the "Armenian [[Mikhail Tal|Tal]]" and "Kasparov's half-brother".<ref>"Interview: Levon Aronian", ''New In Chess Magazine'', No. 2, 2012, p. 43</ref>  The sixth chapter of [[Tibor Károlyi (chess player)|Tibor Karolyi]]'s 2009 book ''Genius in the Background'' is devoted to Nadanian.

==Early years==
Nadanian was born on 19 September 1972 in [[Baku]], [[Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic|Azerbaijan SSR]], which then was part of the [[Soviet Union]], to Sergei and Irina, both hairdressers.<ref>{{cite web
 | url=http://www.chessbase.com/newsdetail.asp?newsid=7401
 | title=Tigran Petrosian leads in Lake Sevan
 | last=Nadanian
 | first=Ashot
 | date=25 July 2011
| publisher=[[ChessBase.com]]
 | access-date=1 August 2011
}}</ref> He was taught to play chess by his father when he was seven. His early coach was Rafael Sarkisov, who took him on as a pupil at [[Spartak (sports society)|Spartak]] in Baku.<ref name="Interview">{{cite web
 | url=http://www.singaporechessnews.com/interview_ashot_nadanian.html
 | title=Interview with IM Ashot Nadanian
 | date=23 August 2010
| publisher=SingaporeChessNews
 | access-date=11 September 2010
| url-status=usurped
 | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20101021051355/http://www.singaporechessnews.com/interview_ashot_nadanian.html
 | archive-date= 21 October 2010
}}</ref> In his article ''The Voiceless Old Man'' Nadanian recollects, that when he was nine or ten, there were almost no [[chess tournament]]s in which young players could play with seniors, and therefore he often went to the park near his house to play chess with older chess lovers. He remembers that in one of these park-battles he played against a mysterious, silent stranger who turned out to be the highly respected chess champion [[Vladimir Makogonov]].<ref>{{cite web
 | url=http://www.singaporechessnews.com/Makogonov_Story.html
 | title=The Voiceless Old Man
 | last=Nadanian
 | first=Ashot
 | date=23 July 2010
| publisher=S'pore Chess News
 | access-date=23 October 2010
| url-status=usurped
 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120312020802/http://www.singaporechessnews.com/Makogonov_Story.html
 | archive-date=12 March 2012
}}</ref> In 1986 and 1987 Nadanian won the under-sixteen Azerbaijani championship. With the beginning of the [[First Nagorno-Karabakh War]] in 1988, his family was forced to leave Baku and flee to Armenia.<ref name="Interview"/>

==Chess career==
Nadanian played in the Soviet Union Junior Chess Championships of 1987,<ref>{{cite web
 | url=http://al20102007.narod.ru/ch_urs/1987/ch_jun87.html
 | title=36th USSR Junior Chess Championship, Kapsukas, January 5–18, 1987
 | publisher=RusBase
 | access-date=31 July 2009
}}</ref> 1988<ref>{{cite web
 | url=http://al20102007.narod.ru/ch_urs/1988/ch_jun88.html
 | title=37th USSR Junior Chess Championship, Ivano–Frankivsk, January 5–18, 1988
 | publisher=RusBase
 | access-date=31 July 2009
}}</ref> and 1989,<ref>{{cite web
 | url=http://al20102007.narod.ru/ch_urs/1989/ch_jun89.html
 | title=38th USSR Junior Chess Championship, Pinsk, January 5–18, 1989
 | publisher=RusBase
 | access-date=31 July 2009
}}</ref> in the [[Armenian Chess Championship]]s of 1997, 1998 and 1999 (7th–8th places),<ref name="Interview in Russian">{{cite web
 | url=http://chess-news.ru/node/1571
 | script-title=ru:Одним глазом – в Вейк-ан-Зее
 | last=Джаникян
 | first=Грач
 | date=11 January 2011
| publisher=Chess-News.ru
 | language=ru
 | access-date=3 April 2011
}}</ref><ref>{{cite web
 | url=https://theweekinchess.com/html/twic260.html#4
 | title=TWIC 260: Armenian Chess Championships
 | last=Crowther
 | first=Mark
 | date=1 November 1999
| publisher=London Chess Center
 | access-date=30 November 2017
| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110930232030/https://theweekinchess.com/html/twic260.html
 | archive-date=30 September 2011
}}</ref> in the [[32nd Chess Olympiad]] in [[Yerevan]] 1996,<ref>{{cite web
 | url=http://www.olimpbase.org/players/dbph15tf.html
 | title=Men's Chess Olympiads: Ashot Nadanian
 | last=Bartelski
 | first=Wojciech
 | publisher=OlimpBase
 | access-date=28 June 2009
}}</ref> in the 13th [[European Chess Club Cup]] 1997,<ref>{{cite web
 | url=http://www.olimpbase.org/playersc/dbph15tf.html
 | title=European Men's Chess Club Cup: Ashot Nadanian
 | last=Bartelski
 | first=Wojciech
 | publisher=OlimpBase
 | access-date=10 November 2010
}}</ref> in the Zonal tournament in [[:de:Panormos (Kreta)|Panormo]] 1998, where he shared 7th–11th places out of 72 participants,<ref>{{cite web
 | url=https://theweekinchess.com/html/twic209.html#7
 | title=The Week in Chess 209: Zonal 1.5 Panormo, Crete
 | last=Crowther
 | first=Mark
 | date=9 November 1998
| publisher=London Chess Center
 | access-date=30 November 2017
| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121012180235/https://theweekinchess.com/html/twic209.html
 | archive-date=12 October 2012
}}</ref> in the [[European Individual Chess Championship]]s of 2000<ref>{{cite web
| url=http://www.ruschess.com/Archive/2000/EuroMen/table.html
| title=European Men Championship
| publisher=Ruschess.com
| access-date=6 April 2011
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080720065957/http://www.ruschess.com/Archive/2000/EuroMen/table.html
|archive-date=20 July 2008
}}</ref> and 2014<ref>{{cite web
| url=http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chess.pl?tid=83254&pid=19905
| title=European Individual Championships (2014)
| website=[[Chessgames.com]]
| access-date=1 October 2014
}}</ref> and in the [[Fast chess|FIDE World Rapid and Blitz Championships]] 2013 in [[Khanty-Mansiysk]].<ref>{{cite web
| url=http://www.theweekinchess.com/chessnews/events/fide-world-rapid-and-blitz-championships-2013
| title=FIDE World Rapid and Blitz Championships 2013
| publisher=The Week In Chess
| date=10 June 2013
| access-date=24 June 2013
}}</ref> In 2014, playing board 4, he helped his team BKMA Yerevan to a silver medal in the Armenian Team Chess Championship.<ref>{{cite web
 | url=http://www.olimpbase.org/playersan/dbph15tf.html
 | title=Armenian Team Chess Championship: Ashot Nadanian
 | publisher=OlimpBase
 | access-date=1 October 2014
}}</ref>

His other performances:
{{colbegin}}
* [[Częstochowa]] Open, [[Poland]], 1992: 1st–2nd;{{sfn|Matlak|1992|p=2}}
* [[Tbilisi]] Open, [[Georgia (country)|Georgia]], 1996: 1st;<ref>{{cite web
 | url=http://www.365chess.com/tournaments/Tbilisi_op_1996
 | title=Tbilisi 1996
 | publisher=365Chess.com
 | access-date=28 June 2009
}}</ref>
* [[Pasanauri]] Open, Georgia, 1997: 1st–2nd;<ref>{{cite web
 | url=http://www.chessville.com/AN/Gurgenidze_v_Nadanian_Tbilisi1996.htm
 | title=Chessville – Annotated Games – Bukhuti Gurgenidze vs Ashot Nadanian, Tbilisi 1996
 | publisher=Chessville
 | access-date=29 November 2017
| url-status=usurped
 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101230022957/http://www.chessville.com/AN/Gurgenidze_v_Nadanian_Tbilisi1996.htm
 | archive-date=30 December 2010
}}</ref>
* [[New York City]] Open Championship (Tournament B), United States, 1998: 4th–7th;<ref>{{cite web
 | url=http://www.anusha.com/nyopen98.htm
 | title=Armenians Sweep 1998 New York Open Chess Tournament
 | last=Sloan
 | first=Sam
 | publisher=Anusha.com
 | access-date=28 June 2009
}}</ref>
* [[Aeroflot Open]] (Tournament A), [[Moscow]], Russia, 2002: 35th;<ref>{{cite web
 | url=http://www.brasilbase.pro.br/to2002ms.htm
 | title=Moscou 2002 – Aeroflot Open
 | publisher=BrasilBase
 | access-date=20 October 2010
|language=pt}}</ref>
* [[Yakov Estrin|Estrin]] Memorial, Moscow, Russia, 2002: 5th;<ref>{{cite web
 | url=http://ratings.fide.com/tournament_report.phtml?event16=22250
 | title=FIDE Archive – Tournament report July 2002: Final 4 Estrin Memorial
 | publisher=World Chess Federation
 | access-date=17 December 2011
}}</ref>
* Aeroflot Open (Tournament B), Moscow, Russia, 2004: 5th–15th;<ref>{{cite web
 | url=http://ratings.fide.com/tournament_report.phtml?event16=37113
 | title=FIDE Archive – Tournament report April 2004: Aeroflot Open 2004 B
 | publisher=World Chess Federation
 | access-date=17 December 2011
}}</ref>
* Goldberg Memorial, Moscow, Russia, 2004: 2nd–3rd;<ref>{{cite web
 | url=http://ratings.fide.com/tournament_report.phtml?event16=30765
 | title=FIDE Archive – Tournament report April 2005: 20th Goldberg Memorial
 | publisher=World Chess Federation
 | access-date=28 June 2009
}}</ref>
* IGB Dato Arthur Tan Malaysia Open, [[Kuala Lumpur]], [[Malaysia]], 2006: 6th–10th;<ref>{{cite web
 | url=http://www.chessbase.com/newsdetail.asp?newsid=3350
 | title=Dao slices his way past Dimakilling
 | last=Lam Choong Wai
 | first=Edwin
 | date=18 September 2006
| publisher=ChessBase
 | access-date=28 June 2009
}}</ref>
* [[ASEAN]] Masters Circuit GMB, [[Tarakan, East Kalimantan|Tarakan]], [[Indonesia]], 2008: 2nd–3rd;<ref>{{cite web
 | url=http://ratings.fide.com/tournament_report.phtml?event16=11109
 | title=FIDE Archive – Tournament report April 2008: 1st Leg ASEAN Circuit Chess Tournament 2008 (GMB)
 | publisher=World Chess Federation
 | access-date=28 June 2009
}}</ref>
* IGB Dato Arthur Tan Malaysia Open, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 2008: 3rd–7th;<ref>{{cite web
 | url=http://www.chessbase.com/newsdetail.asp?newsid=4883
 | title=5th Dato' Arthur Tan Open – Li Chao wins again
 | last=Lam Choong Wai
 | first=Edwin
 | date=2 September 2008
| publisher=ChessBase
 | access-date=28 June 2009
}}</ref>
* Korea Open chess tournament, [[Seoul]], [[South Korea]], 2008: 6th–10th;<ref>{{cite web
 | url=http://chess-results.com/tnr17669.aspx?art=1&lan=1&m=-1&wi=1000
 | title=1st Korea Open Chess Tournament 2008
 | date=5 December 2008
| publisher=Chess-Results.com
 | access-date=28 June 2009
}}</ref>
* Singapore Rapid Chess Championship, [[Singapore]], 2010: 2nd;<ref>{{cite web
 | url=http://www.chess-results.com/tnr36017.aspx?art=1&lan=1&m=-1&wi=1000
 | title=22nd National Rapid Chess Championships 2010
 | publisher=Chess-Results.com
 | access-date=11 September 2010
}}</ref>
* [[Yerevan]] City Chess Championship, [[Armenia]], 2011: 2nd–4th;<ref>{{cite web|url=http://chess-results.com/tnr50280.aspx?art=4&lan=1|title=81st Yerevan Ch. Final|publisher=Chess-results.com|access-date=8 June 2011}}</ref>
* [[Karen Asrian]] Memorial, [[Jermuk]], Armenia, 2011: 7th–13th;<ref>{{cite web
 | url=http://tournaments.chessdom.com/news-2011/karen-asrian-memorial
 | title=4th Karen Asrian Memorial
 | publisher=Chessdom.com
 | access-date=28 June 2011
| archive-date=5 October 2011
| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111005014549/http://tournaments.chessdom.com/news-2011/karen-asrian-memorial
 | url-status=dead
 }}</ref>
* [[Andranik Margaryan]] Memorial, Yerevan, Armenia, 2012: 2nd–4th;<ref>{{cite web
 | url=http://chess-results.com/tnr64175.aspx?art=4&lan=1
 | title=Andranik Margaryan Memorial 2012 – Round robin
 | date=17 January 2012
| publisher=Chess-Results.com
 | access-date=22 January 2012
}}</ref>
* Armenian [[Fast chess|Rapid]] Chess Championship, Yerevan, Armenia, 2012: 7th–10th;<ref>{{cite web
 | url=http://chess-results.com/tnr66350.aspx?art=1&lan=1
 | title=2012 Armenian Rapid Championship
 | date=18 February 2012
| publisher=Chess-Results.com
 | access-date=19 February 2012
}}</ref>
* Batumi Municipality Cup, [[Batumi]], Georgia, 2016: 5th–8th;<ref>{{cite web
 | url=http://chess-results.com/tnr229257.aspx?lan=1&art=4&flag=30&wi=821
 | title=2nd International Chess Festival Batumi Municipality Cup-2016
 | date=10 July 2016
| publisher=Chess-Results.com
 | access-date=10 July 2016
}}</ref>
* Armenian Rapid Chess Championship, Yerevan, Armenia, 2017: 6th–11th.<ref>{{cite web
 | url=http://chess-results.com/tnr258864.aspx?lan=1&art=4&wi=821
 | title=2017 Armenian Ch./Rapid
 | date=21 January 2017
| publisher=Chess-Results.com
 | access-date=7 April 2017
}}</ref>
{{colend}}

==Playing strength and style==
Nadanian reached his best [[Elo rating]] in July 1997 with 2475 Elo points.<ref>{{cite web
 | url=http://chesstempo.com/gamedb/player/145774
 | publisher=Chess Tempo
 | access-date=3 April 2011
| title=Ashot Nadanian – Chess Games
}}</ref>  His best single performance was at Moscow [[Aeroflot Open]], 2002, where he scored five of nine possible points (56%), exceeding his first [[grandmaster norm]] by half a point.<ref>{{cite web
 | url=http://www.chessville.com/AN/Bologan-Nadanian.htm
 | publisher=Chessville
 | title=Bologan vs Nadanian
 | access-date=29 November 2017
| url-status=usurped
 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101231075640/http://www.chessville.com/AN/Bologan-Nadanian.htm
 | archive-date=31 December 2010
}}</ref> His second norm came at Moscow 2004, where he scored eight points out of eleven with a performance rating of 2630.<ref>{{cite web
 | url=http://ratings.fide.com/title_norms.phtml?details=1&id=13300393&title=gm
 | publisher=FIDE
 | access-date=20 December 2011
| title=FIDE Title Norms: Grandmaster (GM)
}}</ref>
His [[United States Chess Federation]] (USCF) rating, based on nine games from 1998 New York Open, is 2655.<ref>{{cite web
 | url=http://www.uschess.org/assets/msa_joomla/MbrDtlMain.php?12741616
 | title=USCF MSA - Member Details - 12741616: Ashot Nadanian
 | publisher=US Chess Federation
 | access-date=31 October 2017
}}</ref>

Nadanian has an imaginative and adventurous style of playing, and even his mistakes, according to [[Tibor Károlyi (chess player)|Tibor Karolyi]], "contain elements of creativity".{{sfn|Karolyi|Aplin|2009|p=205}} He likes to create fresh, atypical positions straight from the opening, often employing bizarre maneuvers to achieve his goals. Uncommon chess openings have always been a part of his repertoire (e.g. [[Sokolsky Opening]], [[Budapest Gambit]]).<ref name="MegaData">{{cite book|title=Mega Database 2017|year=2017|publisher=ChessBase|isbn=978-3-86681-572-8}}</ref>

[[Kingpin (chess magazine)|''Kingpin'']] magazine called him "a brilliant eccentric".<ref name="Kingpin">"Hack Attack", ''Kingpin'', No. 39, Spring 2007, p. 43</ref> [[Tibor Károlyi (chess player)|Tibor Karolyi]] devoted a chapter to him in his 2009 book ''Genius in the Background'' and jokingly called him "Kasparov's Half-Brother", as [[Garry Kasparov|Kasparov]] and Nadanian were both coached by [[Alexander Shakarov]], and there were similarities in their playing styles. In particular, Karolyi emphasizes their ability to implement effective ideas on the edge of the [[Chessboard|board]], attributing this to the influence of their common chess "father".{{sfn|Karolyi|Aplin|2009|p=197}} As an example of flank pawn advances versus a solid centre, [[John L. Watson]] in his 2003 book ''Chess Strategy in Action'' brings attention to the game Nadanian – [[Ruslan Ponomariov|Ponomariov]], Kyiv 1997<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1345092 |title=Ashot Nadanian vs. Ruslan Ponomariov (1997) |website=[[Chessgames.com]] |access-date=21 May 2011}}</ref> and calls it "almost satire on rule-breaking", as nine of White's first thirteen moves have been pawn moves and only one of those has been with a [[Glossary of chess#Central pawn|central pawn]], yet Black's position was extremely difficult.{{sfn|Watson|2003|pp=252–254}}

The [[Chess World Cup 2005|2005 World Cup]] winner [[Levon Aronian]] said of Nadanian: "His passion for beauty, his devotion to the romantic chess school has always been inspiring." Grandmaster [[Valery Chekhov]] noted that "along with his positive qualities like very subtle understanding of dynamic positions, very good sense of initiative and quick thinking, Ashot’s play has a few negative facets like weak opening repertoire, bad defence, and the psychological element of the game as well."{{sfn|Karolyi|Aplin|2009|p=219}}

[[Mark Dvoretsky]] in his book ''Chess Lessons: Solving Problems & Avoiding Mistakes'' wrote: "Ashot Nadanian is a multi-talented man, and I have read his book ''Moyi Shakmaty (My Chess)'' with great pleasure. He is an interesting player, and an informative and objective commentator, and his writing style is "savory". While demonstrating his best games and unexpected and spectacular ideas he has carried over the board, Nadanian never tries to convince us that all his novelties are impeccably correct and supplies his readers with the results of an objective analysis."{{sfn|Dvoretsky|2018|p=97}}

==Chess theoretician==
{{AN chess|pos=secright}}

{{Chess diagram small
| tright
| Grünfeld Defence <br />Nadanian Variation   
|rd|nd|bd|qd|kd|bd|  |rd
|pd|pd|pd|  |pd|pd|  |pd
|  |  |  |  |  |  |pd|  
|  |  |  |nd|  |  |  |  
|nl|  |  |pl|  |  |  |  
|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  
|pl|pl|  |  |pl|pl|pl|pl
|rl|  |bl|ql|kl|bl|nl|rl
| 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.cxd5 Nxd5 5.Na4
}}
Nadanian has contributions to [[Chess opening|opening theory]], with two variations [[List of chess openings named after people|named]] after him: the [[Grünfeld Defence, Nadanian Variation|Nadanian Variation in the Grünfeld Defence]] (after the moves 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.cxd5&nbsp;Nxd5 5.Na4)<ref>{{cite web
 | url=http://www.newinchess.com/Ashot_Nadanian-sa-133.html
 | title=Ashot Nadanian – Yearbook Surveys
 | publisher=New In Chess
 | access-date=29 November 2017
| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081012043743/http://www.newinchess.com/Ashot_Nadanian-sa-133.html
 | archive-date=12 October 2008
}}</ref><ref>{{cite web
 | url=https://www.chess.com/openings/Grunfeld-Defense-Exchange-Nadanian-Attack
 | title=Gruenfeld Defense: Exchange Variation, Nadanian Attack
 | publisher=Chess.com
 | access-date=27 August 2022
}}</ref> and the Nadanian Attack in the [[Queen's Pawn Opening]] (after the moves 1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 h6 3.c4&nbsp;g5).<ref>{{cite web
 | url=http://www.newinchess.com/Archives/SOSList.aspx?&IssueID=7
 | title=SOS - Secrets of Opening Surprises 5
 | last=Bosch
 | first=Jeroen
 | year=2006
 | publisher=New In Chess
 | access-date=30 November 2017
| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120321220149/http://www.newinchess.com/Archives/SOSList.aspx?&IssueID=7
 | archive-date=21 March 2012
}}</ref>{{sfn|New in Chess Editorial Team|2006|p=6, p. 17}} The first variation has been used by many strong [[Grandmaster (chess)|GMs]] such as [[Viktor Korchnoi]], [[Maxime Vachier-Lagrave]], [[Bu Xiangzhi]], [[Alexander Riazantsev (chess player)|Alexander Riazantsev]], [[Walter Browne]], [[Smbat Lputian]], [[Jonathan Rowson]], [[Andrei Kharlov]], [[Bogdan Lalić]], [[Igor Lysyj]], while the second has never enjoyed popularity among top-flight players.<ref name="MegaData"/>

Described by [[William John Donaldson|John Donaldson]] as "the ever inventive creator of novelties",<ref>{{cite web
 | url=http://www.jeremysilman.com/book_reviews_jd/Genius_in_the_Background.html
 | title=Book review: Genius in the Background
 | last=Donaldson
 | first=John
 | publisher=JeremySilman.com
 | access-date=13 May 2010
| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120728152358/http://www.jeremysilman.com/book_reviews_jd/Genius_in_the_Background.html
 | archive-date=28 July 2012
}}</ref> he  has made a number of other notable innovations, including:
* 1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Be7 4.Nf3 Nf6 5.Bf4 0–0 6.e3 c5 7.dxc5 Bxc5 8.Qc2 Nc6 9.a3 Qa5 10.Ra2;<ref>{{cite web
 | url=http://www.chesscafe.com/text/hansen40.pdf
 | title=Checkpoint
 | last=Hansen
 | first=Carsten
 | date=9 February 2002
| publisher=ChessCafe.com
 | access-date=29 November 2017
| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20031208085026/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/hansen40.pdf
 | archive-date=8 December 2003
}}</ref>
* 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 b6 4.g3 Ba6 5.b3 Bb4+ 6.Bd2 Be7 7.Bg2 c6 8.Bc3 d5 9.Ne5 Nfd7 10.Nd3;{{sfn|Matanović|2000|p=260}}
* 1.c4 e5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.Nf3 Nc6 4.g3 e4 5.Ng5 Ng4;{{sfn|New in Chess Editorial Team|2010|pp=11–12}}
* 1.Nf3 c5 2.c4 Nc6 3.Nc3 e5 4.e3 Nf6 5.d4 e4 6.d5 exf3 7.dxc6 bxc6 8.e4. Aronian, who played this novelty against [[Fabiano Caruana|Caruana]] in Stavanger 2012 and won a pawn on move 19, said after the game: "This is a move that my second Ashot Nadanian has invented."<ref>{{cite web
 | url=http://www.chessvibes.com/?q=karjakin-in-sole-lead-in-norway-after-beating-kramnik
 | title=Karjakin in Sole Lead in Norway After Beating Kramnik
 | date=12 June 2014
| publisher=Chessvibes.com
 | access-date=28 November 2014
}}</ref>

Nadanian has contributed analysis to many chess publications throughout the world including the ''[[Chess Informant]]'', ''[[New In Chess|New In Chess Yearbook]]'', ''[[Europe Échecs]]'', ''[[64 (chess magazine)|64]]'', ''[[:de:Kaissiber|Kaissiber]]'' and ''Szachy Chess''.{{sfn|Matanović|1991|p=329}}<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.newinchess.com/Archives/AuthorsList.aspx?AuthorsOf=Surveys&PageID=222|title=Yearbook Contributors|publisher=New in Chess|access-date=6 April 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110514041838/http://www.newinchess.com/Archives/AuthorsList.aspx?AuthorsOf=Surveys&PageID=222|archive-date=14 May 2011|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DSNCwysX0AIWo6a.jpg|title=Le joueur de l'année 2017: Levon Aronian. Sous le sceau de l'émotion|publisher=Europe Échecs|language=fr|access-date=4 January 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://lib.sportedu.ru/Document.idc?DocID=104208&DocQuerID=NULL&DocTypID=2&QF=&Pg=20&Cd=detqpdmexwrbjyz&Tr=0&On=0&DocQuerItmID= |script-title=ru:Наданян А. – Подставка для фантазии |publisher=Sportedu.ru |language=ru |access-date=28 March 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110928152059/http://lib.sportedu.ru/Document.idc?DocID=104208&DocQuerID=NULL&DocTypID=2&QF=&Pg=20&Cd=detqpdmexwrbjyz&Tr=0&On=0&DocQuerItmID= |archive-date=28 September 2011 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.kaissiber.de/Kaissiber_Index_1_32.pdf|title=Kaissiber Index|publisher=Kaissiber.de|language=de|access-date=6 April 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|year=1997|title=Nowinka|journal=Szachy = Chess|location=Poland|volume=10|pages=14–17|issn=1425-106X|language=pl}}<!--|access-date=7 April 2011--></ref> He was a columnist for the Chessville.com website<ref>{{cite web
 | url=http://www.chessville.com/columnists.htm
 | title=Chessville Columnists
 | publisher=Chessville
 | access-date=29 November 2017
| url-status=usurped
 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110810180713/http://www.chessville.com/columnists.htm
 | archive-date=10 August 2011
}}</ref> and has also written for [[ChessBase]]<ref>{{cite web
 | url=http://chessbase.com/newsdetail.asp?newsid=7426
 | title=Jobava wins volcanic event
 | last=Nadanian
 | first=Ashot
 | date=2 August 2011
| publisher=ChessBase.com
 | access-date=11 November 2011
}}</ref> and the Armenian Chess Academy website.<ref>{{cite web
 | url=http://www.sevan.chessacademy.am/index.php?Page=allgames&Lang=1
 | title=Lake Sevan 2011
 | publisher=Chess Academy of Armenia
 | access-date=29 November 2017
| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110726195223/http://www.sevan.chessacademy.am/index.php?Page=allgames&Lang=1
 | archive-date=26 July 2011
}}</ref>

According to Russian grandmaster [[Igor Zaitsev]], Nadanian is "one of the most profound opening researchers".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hzv3xKRrgX4/UpCjWMUn8MI/AAAAAAAAASc/LKz4e42FP7M/s1600/Cover+JPG.jpg|title=Cover of the book ''My chess'' by Ashot Nadanian|date=23 November 2013|language=ru|access-date=1 December 2017}}</ref>

==Chess coach and second==
After Nadanian graduated from the [[Armenian State Institute of Physical Culture]] in 1994, he became a chess trainer.<ref name="Interview"/> At 26 he became the youngest [[Unified Sports Classification System of the USSR|Honoured Coach of Armenia]].<ref>"Подставка для фантазии", ''[[64 (chess magazine)|64 – Шахматное обозрение]]'', No. 10, 1998, pp. 55–57 {{in lang|ru}}</ref> Among his students are Grandmasters [[Gabriel Sargissian]],{{sfn|Karolyi|Aplin|2009|p=219}} [[Varuzhan Akobian]]<ref>{{cite web
 | url=http://akobian.com/biography/
 | title=GM Varuzhan Akobian Biography
 | publisher=The Official Site of GM Varuzhan Akobian
 | access-date=20 October 2010
| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20100925015036/http://akobian.com/biography/| archive-date= 25 September 2010 | url-status= live}}</ref> and [[Davit G. Petrosian]].<ref name="Interview in Russian"/> He has also occasionally helped GM [[Tigran L. Petrosian]].<ref>{{cite web
 | url=http://www.chesscafe.com/text/misha19.pdf
 | title=Interview with Tigran L. Petrosian
 | last=Savinov
 | first=Misha
 | publisher=[[ChessCafe.com]]
 | access-date=1 December 2017
| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050222204100/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/misha19.pdf
 | archive-date=22 February 2005
}}</ref>

{{Quote box | width=30% | bgcolor=#c6dbf7 | align=left | quote= "Ashot played an important role in shaping me as a chess player – and not only in that. The level of my play had fallen back considerably when I started to train with him in 1997. I think back with a smile on my face how impatiently after the first lesson I waited for the next session. I got the impression that I had rediscovered our game. Ashot is a born trainer." |source= <small>[[Gabriel Sargissian]], twice Olympic gold medalist.{{sfn|Karolyi|Aplin|2009|p=219}} </small> }}

From December 1999 until August 2001, Nadanian worked as the [[National sports team|National Team Coach]] of [[Kuwait]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.golosarmenii.am/ru/20085/sports/8670/ |script-title=ru:Ашот Наданян в бригаде тренеров |newspaper=[[Golos Armenii]] |language=ru |access-date=2 April 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120317185608/http://www.golosarmenii.am/ru/20085/sports/8670/ |archive-date=17 March 2012 }}</ref> Between 2005 and 2010, he was the National Coach of [[Singapore]] Men's Team.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.singaporechessnews.com/nadanian_singapore_goodbye.html|title=Goodbye, Singapore!|last=Nadanian|first=Ashot|date=15 November 2010|publisher=S'pore Chess News|access-date=13 December 2010|url-status=usurped|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120312020844/http://www.singaporechessnews.com/nadanian_singapore_goodbye.html
|archive-date=12 March 2012}}</ref> There he also coached [[Daniel Fernandez (English chess player)|Daniel Fernandez]], who later became a grandmaster.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://en.chessbase.com/post/bisik-bisik-with-gm-daniel-fernandez|title=Bisik-bisik with GM Daniel Fernandez|last=Lam|first=Edwin|date=15 May 2019|publisher=ChessBase|access-date=9 June 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190519150138/https://en.chessbase.com/post/bisik-bisik-with-gm-daniel-fernandez|archive-date=19 May 2019}}</ref>

In 2007, Nadanian received the title of FIDE Trainer.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.fide.com/info/arbiters-trainers?task=arbiter&aid=2267|title=Arbiters and Trainers. Personal Card: Ashot Nadanian|publisher=FIDE|access-date=28 June 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120603165655/http://www.fide.com/info/arbiters-trainers?task=arbiter&aid=2267|archive-date=3 June 2012}}</ref> In 2017, he was awarded the title of [[FIDE]] Senior Trainer (FST), the highest chess trainer title.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://ratings.fide.com/card.phtml?event=13300393|title=Nadanian, Ashot FIDE Chess Profile - Players Arbiters Trainers|publisher=FIDE|access-date=31 October 2017}}</ref>

At the "Full English Breakfast" website (thefeb.com, podcast #7 Part 1), [[Levon Aronian]] refers to Nadanian as his friend and [[Glossary of chess#Second|second]]. Unable to accompany Aronian to the 2011 [[Tata Steel Chess Tournament|Wijk aan Zee tournament]], they maintained daily contact online.<ref>{{cite video
| people= Trent, Lawrence; Gordon, Stephen
| date=7 February 2011
| title=Tata Steel Chess Special – Part 1
| url=http://thefeb.podbean.com/2011/02/07/007-tata-steel-chess-special-part-1/
| medium=podcast
| publisher=The Full English Breakfast
| access-date=29 January 2012
| time=11:20
}}</ref>
During the entire month of February 2011, Nadanian, together with a team of five grandmasters—[[Wang Hao (chess player)|Wang Hao]], [[Sergei Movsesian|Movsesian]], [[Gabriel Sargissian|Sargissian]], [[Arman Pashikian|Pashikian]] and [[Hrant Melkumyan|Melkumyan]]—held training camp in [[Tsaghkadzor]], helping Aronian to prepare for the [[Candidates Tournament]] of the [[World Chess Championship 2012]] cycle.<ref>{{cite web
 | url=http://players.chessdom.com/levon-aronian/candidates-matches-2011
 | title=Levon Aronian starts preparing for Candidates Matches 2011
 | publisher=Chessdom
 | access-date=23 March 2011
 | archive-date=17 April 2019
 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190417164037/http://players.chessdom.com/levon-aronian/candidates-matches-2011
 | url-status=dead
 }}</ref> At the 2011 Crestbook KC-Conference Aronian noted: "Lots of players are involved in my team, but Ashot Nadanian is absolutely irreplaceable. Besides the work he does himself he manages the whole process, while also planning training sessions."<ref>{{cite web
 | url=http://www.crestbook.com/en/node/1547
 | title=KC-Conference with Levon Aronian Part 2
 | date=24 July 2011
| publisher=Crestbook
 | access-date=1 August 2011
}}</ref>
During the [[Tata Steel Chess Tournament]] 2012 in Wijk aan Zee Aronian referred to Nadanian as his permanent assistant.<ref>{{cite video
| people=Aronian, Levon
| date=26 January 2012
| title=Levon Aronian shows his win against Anish Giri
| url=http://chessvibes.com/reports/video-levon-aronian-shows-his-win-against-anish-giri
| publisher=Doggers, Peter
| access-date=29 January 2012
| time= 14:50
}}</ref>

Nadanian once said in an interview that one of the joyful events of his life was the ending of the [[37th Chess Olympiad|Turin Olympiad]] in 2006, when his student Sargissian became Olympic champion with the Armenian team and his other student Akobian won bronze with the U.S. team. At the next [[38th Chess Olympiad|Olympiad in Dresden]] the story repeated itself: Sargissian won team gold medal and Akobian won team bronze.<ref name="Interview"/>

==Personal life==

===Other chess activities and hobbies===
{{Chess diagram small
|tright
| Seven knights construction (2009)
|  |  |  |nl|  |  |  |  
|  |  |nd|  |nd|  |  |  
|  |nl|  |kd|  |nl|  |  
|  |  |nd|  |nd|  |  |  
|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  
|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  
|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  
|  |  |  |kl|  |  |  |  
|Black has {{chessgloss|material|material advantage}} and turn to move, but must allow mate on the next move due to [[zugzwang]].
}}
One of Nadanian's [[Hobby|hobbies]] along with [[Reading (process)|reading]], watching [[classical piano]] performances and writing [[aphorism]]s<ref>{{cite web
 | url=https://chesspro.ru/voice/voices_nadanian
 | script-title=ru:Лучше увидеть детский мат
 | last=Nadanian
 | first=Ashot
 | date=31 December 2012
| publisher=ChessPro
 | language=ru
 | access-date=29 November 2017
}}</ref><ref>{{cite web
 | url=http://www.miasin.by/2012/07/16/ashot-nadanyan-shaxmaty-eto-armyanskij-brend/
 | script-title=ru:Ашот Наданян: "Шахматы – это армянский брэнд"
 | last=Gradinar
 | first=Olga
 | date=16 July 2012
| publisher=Miasin.by
 | language=ru
 | access-date=3 August 2012
}}</ref> is [[chess composition]]. His first [[chess problem|puzzle]] appeared in 1986 and since that time he has composed about fifty studies and puzzles, of which he considers only ten or twelve to be good. He is particularly attracted by the problems where, in a final position, White wins with a king and knights only.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.chessbase.com/puzzle/christmas2009/chr09-05.htm |title=ChessBase Christmas Puzzles: A tale of seven knights |date=29 December 2009 |publisher=ChessBase |access-date=6 February 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100208185823/http://www.chessbase.com/puzzle/christmas2009/chr09-05.htm |archive-date=8 February 2010 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Whilst [[Two knights endgame|two knights]] cannot force [[checkmate]] against a lone king, they can do so in some exceptional cases when the defender has pawns or other pieces.{{sfn|Speelman|Tisdall|Wade|1993|p=11}} This idea is most clearly embodied in the highly original Nadanian's problem with seven knights (see diagram). In December 2009, [[ChessBase]] published three of Nadanian's puzzles on "knights theme", calling him "a [[wikt:hippophile|hippophile]] chess composer".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.chessbase.com/newsdetail.asp?newsid=6017|title=ChessBase.com – Chess News – A tale of seven knights|date=29 December 2009|publisher=ChessBase|access-date=6 February 2010| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20100115111023/http://www.chessbase.com/newsdetail.asp?newsid=6017| archive-date= 15 January 2010 | url-status= live}}</ref>

A chess book collector, Nadanian has a private [[Chess libraries|library]] of more than a thousand volumes.<ref name="Interview"/>
<!--
His handles on the [[Internet Chess Club]] are "SERGIRINA"<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.chessclub.com/finger/SERGIRINA|title=SERGIRINA|publisher=Internet Chess Club|access-date=3 March 2011}}</ref> and "April24-1915".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.chessclub.com/finger/April24-1915|title=April24-1915|publisher=Internet Chess Club|access-date=3 March 2011}}</ref> -->
He also plays [[correspondence chess]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.iecg.org/NormPageL-P.htm|title=IECG Title Norms (Player Names L–P)|publisher=International Email Chess Group|access-date=6 February 2010|archive-date=27 January 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210127184917/http://www.iecg.org/NormPageL-P.htm|url-status=usurped}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ficgs.com/player_6448.html|title=Informations (Chess statistics) on FICGS|publisher=Free Internet Correspondence Games Server|access-date=6 February 2010}}</ref>

===Family===
Nadanian lives in [[Yerevan]].<ref>{{cite web
 | url=http://chessfed.am/en/players/%D5%A1%D5%B7%D5%B8%D5%BF-%D5%B6%D5%A1%D5%A4%D5%A1%D5%B6%D5%B5%D5%A1%D5%B6-en/
 | title=Chess Federation of Armenia: Nadanian Ashot
 | publisher=[[Armenian Chess Federation]]
 | access-date=29 November 2017
| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171201040316/http://chessfed.am/en/players/%D5%A1%D5%B7%D5%B8%D5%BF-%D5%B6%D5%A1%D5%A4%D5%A1%D5%B6%D5%B5%D5%A1%D5%B6-en/
 | archive-date=1 December 2017
| url-status=dead
 }}</ref> He married Evelina Zakharian since 1999, and they have a daughter Kiti (born 2004 in Moscow) and a son Vigen (born 2010 in Singapore).<ref name="Interview"/> When asked in an interview whether being a father negatively affects his chess career, Nadanian replied, "I do not know, but even if that would be true, I'll never be sorry. Kiti and Vigen are more important to me than all my chess achievements put together."<ref name="Interview"/>

===Relationships===
In the same interview Nadanian said that he has "perfect relations with virtually all Armenian top players", stressing that the closest are [[Levon Aronian]], [[Gabriel Sargissian]], Ara Minasian, [[Varuzhan Akobian]] and Andranik Matikozian. Nadanian also said that during the [[Linares, Jaén|Linares]] Open of 1998 his friend Levon Aronian joked that Nadanian ate cat food. When in 2004 Nadanian named his daughter Kiti, Aronian replied, "See? I told you that it was 'Whiskas'!"<ref name="Interview"/>

==Notable games==
{{AN chess|pos=secright}}

===Nadanian vs. Sakaev, ICC 2001===
The game was played between Nadanian ([[White and Black in chess|White]]) and the former [[Russian Chess Championship|Russian champion]], [[Konstantin Sakaev]] (Black) on the [[Internet Chess Club]] server in 2001.<ref>The date 2005 given by Karolyi and Kavalek appears to be incorrect. According to the [[Internet Chess Club]]'s searchable [http://www.chessclub.com/helpcenter/tips/search.html database] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100107183841/http://www.chessclub.com/helpcenter/tips/search.html |date=7 January 2010 }}, the blitz game between [http://www.chessclub.com/help/IM-bio April24-1915] (Nadanian's ICC username) and [http://www.chessclub.com/help/GM-bio K–Sakaev] was played on 24 June 2001 with the time control of 3 minutes per player.</ref> It was annotated by Tibor Karolyi in his ''Genius in the Background'' book (2009) and by [[Lubomir Kavalek]] in ''[[The Washington Post]]'' on 4 January 2010:<ref name="Kavalek">{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/04/AR2010010400973.html |title=Chess |last=Kavalek |first=Lubomir |date=4 January 2010 |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|access-date=10 January 2010}}</ref>
{| align="right" 
|-valign="top" 
|+ Nadanian vs. Konstantin Sakaev, 2001
|
{{Chess diagram small
|tright
|
|rd|nd|bd|  |qd|rd|  |kd
|  |pd|pd|  |pd|  |bd|pd
|  |pd|  |  |  |  |  |  
|  |  |  |  |  |pd|nl|
|  |  |bl|pl|  |  |  |
|  |  |  |  |bl|  |  |
|pl|pl|  |  |  |pl|pl|pl
|rl|  |  |ql|kl|  |  |rl
|Position after 12...Qe8
}}
|
{{Chess diagram small
|tright
|
|rd|nd|  |  |qd|kd|  |  
|  |pd|pd|  |pd|rd|bd|ql
|  |pd|  |  |bd|  |  |bl
|  |  |  |  |  |pd|  |
|  |  |  |pl|  |  |  |  
|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  
|pl|pl|  |  |  |pl|pl|pl
|rl|  |  |  |kl|  |  |rl
|Final position after 17.Bh6!
}}
|}
'''1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 d5 4. cxd5 Nxd5 5. Na4''' The Nadanian Variation. White preventing c7–c5 and threatening 6.e4.<ref name="Kavalek" /> '''5... Bg7 6. e4 Nb6 7. Be3 0-0 8. Nf3 f5{{chesspunc|?!}}''' This weakens the {{chessgloss|kingside}}.<ref name="Kavalek" /> '''9. exf5&nbsp;gxf5 10. Nxb6 axb6 11. Bc4+ Kh8{{chesspunc|?}}''' Yet another mistake; 11...e6 is correct.{{sfn|Karolyi|Aplin|2009|p=197}}<ref name="Kavalek" /> '''12. Ng5{{chesspunc|!}}''' Opens the {{chessgloss|diagonal}} for the queen to reach the h-{{chessgloss|file}}.{{sfn|Karolyi|Aplin|2009|p=197}} '''12... Qe8 13. Bf7{{chesspunc|!!}}''' Kavalek writes, "A shocking deflection allowing the white queen to join the attack."<ref name="Kavalek" /> '''13... Rxf7 14. Qh5 Kg8''' After 14...Bf6 15.Nxf7+ Kg7 16.Qh6+! Kxf7 17.Qh5+ Kf8 18.Bh6+ White wins.{{sfn|Karolyi|Aplin|2009|p=197}}<ref name="Kavalek" /> '''15. Qxh7+ Kf8 16. Ne6+!!''' Karolyi writes, "This is a truly ferocious shot".{{sfn|Karolyi|Aplin|2009|p=198}} '''16... Bxe6 17. Bh6!''' Black has no defense against 18.Qh8 [[checkmate]].<ref name="Kavalek" /> '''{{chessAN|1–0}}'''<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1701533 |title=Ashot Nadanian vs. Konstantin Sakaev (2001) |website=[[Chessgames.com]] |access-date=14 November 2017}}</ref>

In 2012, the US National Master Frederick Rhine submitted this game to [[Chessgames.com]] and wrote: "A glorious [[Combination (chess)|combination]]! At the end, Black is up two pieces and has a boatload of pieces clustered around his king. White has only two pieces participating in the attack. However, Black's pieces are stepping on each other's toes and he is shockingly helpless against the [[Back-rank checkmate|back-rank mate]] 18.Qh8{{chessAN|#}}, e.g. 17...Bxh6 (going three pieces up) 18.Qh8#. Note that Black would be winning if almost any of his kingside pieces was on a different square."

Karolyi proclaims, "A particularly striking example to showcase Ashot's brilliant attacking play."{{sfn|Karolyi|Aplin|2009|p=197}}

===Wu Shaobin vs. Nadanian, Singapore 2006===
The following game was played between the former member of [[China at the Chess Olympiads|China's Olympiad team]] GM [[Wu Shaobin]] ([[White and Black in chess|White]]) and Nadanian (Black) at Singapore 2006:
{| align="right" 
|-valign="top" 
|+ Wu Shaobin vs. Nadanian, 2006
|{{Chess diagram small
|tright
|
|  |  |  |  |rd|  |kd|  
|  |pd|pd|  |  |pd|pd|pd
|  |bd|  |  |  |rd|  |
|  |  |  |pl|  |  |nl|
|pd|pl|  |  |  |  |nd| 
|  |  |  |  |  |  |pl|bd
|pl|  |  |  |bl|  |  |pl
|rl|ql|  |  |rl|  |  |kl
|Position after 27.Kh1 
|reverse=true
}}
|
{{Chess diagram small
|tright
|
|  |  |  |  |rd|  |kd|  
|  |pd|pd|  |  |pd|pd|  
|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
|  |  |  |pl|  |  |nl|pd
|pd|pl|  |  |  |kl|  |  
|  |  |  |  |bd|  |pl|  
|pl|  |  |  |bl|  |  |rd
|rl|ql|  |  |rl|  |  |  
|Final position after 31... Be3+
|reverse=true
}}
|}
'''1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e5 3. dxe5 Ng4 4. Nf3 Bc5 5. e3 Nc6 6. Be2&nbsp;Ncxe5 7. Nxe5 Nxe5 8. 0-0 0-0 9. b3 Re8 10. Bb2 a5''' Well-known plan in this position, introduced by the [[International Master|IM]] [[Dolfi Drimer]] in 1968,{{sfn|Moskalenko|2008|p=159}} with which Black {{chessgloss|develops}} the a8 rook along the sixth {{chessgloss|rank}} using the ...Ra8–a6–h6 [[Budapest gambit#Budapest rook|manoeuvre]].{{sfn|Lalić|1998|p=12}} Nadanian calls the pawn advance a7–a5 "the soul of the Budapest Gambit".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.chessville.com/AN/SoulBudapestGambit.htm |title=The Soul of the Budapest Gambit |last=Nadanian |first=Ashot |publisher=Chessville |access-date=31 December 2011 |archive-date=7 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210107001107/http://www.chessville.com/AN/SoulBudapestGambit.htm |url-status=usurped }}</ref> '''11. Nc3 Ra6 12. Ne4 Ba7 13. Ng3 Qh4 14. Nf5 Qg5{{chesspunc|!?}}''' This was a {{chessgloss|theoretical novelty|new move}}. Before had been played 14...Qe4. '''15. Nd4&nbsp;Rg6 16. g3 d5?!''' 18...Qh6 was stronger. '''17. cxd5?''' White should have played 17.Nb5! '''17... Bh3! 18. Re1 Ng4 19. Nf3 Qxe3!''' Karolyi writes, "This shows Kasparov-like aggression and ingenuity." '''20. Bd4 Qxf2+!! 21. Bxf2 Bxf2+ 22. Kh1 Bb6 23. Qb1?''' White should have defended with 23.Rf1! After 23...Ne3 24.Qd3 Bg2+ 25.Kg1 Bh3 White can either [[Threefold repetition|repeat moves]] with 26.Kh1, or try 26.Nd4. '''23... Nf2+ 24. Kg1 Rf6!''' Black has time to increase the pressure. '''25. b4!''' If 25.Qc2?, then 25...Ng4+ 26.Kh1 Bg2+! winning the queen. '''25... a4!''' But not 25...Rxf3? 26.bxa5 '''26. Ng5&nbsp;Ng4+! 27. Kh1 Bg2+!!''' "This is a marvellous move, and it must have been such a thrill to play it on the board." (Karolyi). '''28. Kxg2 Rf2+ 29. Kh3 Rxh2+ 30. Kxg4 h5+ 31. Kf4 Be3+ {{chessAN|0–1}}'''<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.chess.com/article/view/a-budapest-gambit-assault |title=Wu Shaobin vs. Nadanian, Singapore 2006 }}</ref>{{sfn|Karolyi|Aplin|2009|pp=198–203}}

===Others===
* Viktor Bologan vs. Nadanian, Aeroflot Open (Moscow 2002), Sicilian Defense: Paulsen–Basman Defense (B40), 0–1<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1249584 |title=Viktor Bologan vs. Ashot Nadanian, Aeroflot Open (Moscow 2002), Sicilian Defense: Paulsen–Basman Defense (B40), 0–1 |website=[[Chessgames.com]] |access-date=18 April 2018}}</ref>
* Nadanian vs. Boris Grachev, European Individual Championships (Yerevan 2014), Sicilian Defense: Paulsen Variation (B46), 1–0<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1747831 |title=Ashot Nadanian vs. Boris Grachev, European Individual Championships (Yerevan 2014), Sicilian Defense: Paulsen Variation (B46), 1–0 |website=[[Chessgames.com]] |access-date=18 April 2018}}</ref>
* Anton Korobov vs. Nadanian, 8th Asrian Memorial (Yerevan 2015), Bogo-Indian Defense, Grünfeld Variation (E11), 0–1<ref>{{cite web|url=https://chesstempo.com/gamedb/game/3819039|title=Anton Korobov vs. Ashot Nadanian, 8th Asrian Memorial (Yerevan 2015), Bogo-Indian Defense, Grünfeld Variation (E11), 0–1|publisher=ChessTempo|access-date=18 April 2018}}</ref>
{{Clear}}

==Books==
*{{cite book
 | script-title=ru:Мои шахматы
 | author=Nadanian, Ashot
 | language=ru
 |trans-title=My Chess 
 | year=2013
 | publisher=Дюаль
 | isbn=978-99941-2-910-2}}

==See also==
*[[Grünfeld Defence, Nadanian Variation]]

==Notes==
{{reflist|30em}}

==References==
* {{citation |last= Matanović |first= Aleksandar |author-link=Aleksandar Matanović |year=1991 |title=Chess Informant 52 |publisher= Chess Informant |isbn= 86-7297-025-X}}
* {{citation |last= Matlak |first=Jacek |year=1992 |title=III Miedzynarodowy Turniej Szachowy Czestochowa 92 – Open |language=pl }}
* {{citation |last1= Speelman|first1=Jon |author-link=Jon Speelman |last2=Tisdall |first2=Jon |author-link2=Jonathan Tisdall |last3=Wade |first3=Bob |author-link3=Robert Wade (chess player) |title=Batsford Chess Endings |year=1993 |publisher=B. T. Batsford |isbn= 0-7134-4420-7}}
* {{citation |last= Lalić |first=Bogdan |author-link= Bogdan Lalić |year=1998 |title=The Budapest Gambit |publisher= Batsford |isbn= 978-0-7134-8456-4}}
* {{citation |last= Matanović |first= Aleksandar |author-link=Aleksandar Matanović |year=2000 |title=Chess Informant 79 |publisher= Chess Informant }}
* {{citation |last= Watson |first=John L. |author-link= John L. Watson |year=2003 |title=Chess Strategy in Action |publisher= Gambit |isbn= 1-901983-69-2}}
* {{citation |last= New in Chess Editorial Team |year=2006 |title=New in Chess Yearbook 78 |publisher= New in Chess |isbn= 90-5691-160-0}}
* {{citation |last= Moskalenko |first=Viktor |year=2008 |title=The Fabulous Budapest Gambit |publisher= New In Chess |isbn= 978-90-5691-224-6}}
* {{citation |last1= Karolyi |first1=Tibor |author-link= Tibor Károlyi (chess player) |last2=Aplin |first2=Nick |author-link2= Nick Aplin | year=2009 |title=Genius in the Background |publisher= [[Quality Chess]] |isbn= 978-1-906552-37-4}}
* {{citation |last= New in Chess Editorial Team |year=2010 |title=New in Chess Yearbook 96 |publisher= New in Chess |isbn= 978-90-5691-303-8}}
* {{citation |last= Aagaard |first=Jacob |author-link= Jacob Aagaard |year=2010 |title=Attacking Manual 2 |publisher= [[Quality Chess]] |isbn= 978-9197600415}}
* {{citation |last= Dvoretsky |first=Марк |author-link=Mark Dvoretsky |year=2018 |title=Chess Lessons: Solving Problems & Avoiding Mistakes |publisher= Russell Enterprises |isbn= 9781941270707}}

==External links==
{{Wikiquote}}
{{Commons category|Ashot Nadanian}}
*{{Fide}}
*{{chessgames player|id=19905}}
*[https://www.365chess.com/players/Ashot_Nadanian Ashot Nadanian] chess games at 365Chess.com
*[http://chessmetrics.com/cm/CM2/PlayerProfile.asp?Params=199510SSSSS3S090809000000121102412300020210100 Chessmetrics Player Profile: Ashot Nadanian]
*{{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20141103051214/http://sgchess.net/2012/10/03/interviews-6-im-ashot-nadanian/ Interview with Ashot Nadanian]}}
*[http://nadanian.blogspot.com/ Ashot Nadanian's blog]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Nadanian, Ashot}}
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