Sport: Armenian National Team 124 out of 198

Football

The FIFA rankings for November put Armenia in the 124th place. As compared to the previous month's rankings Armenia rolled five ranks down the scale. Azerbaijan are immediately ahead of Armenia, 123rd, after having climbed five ranks up since October.

For full rankings visit:
http://www.fifa.com/

National championship: The side that finished bottom in the Armenian premier league this season, Ulis, avoided relegation after beating the first division's second best side Dynamo Yerevan in a playoff match 7-0.
According to the rules of the championship, the last team in the premier league can defend its place in the top flight if it proves stronger than the first division side. By the level of its play Dynamo considerably yielded to Ulis.

Meanwhile, FC Dynamo Kiev looks interested in the services of Armenia midfielder Artavazd Karamyan. Currently, Karamyan plays for FC Rapid Bucharest (Romania) and has a contract with this club until December 31, 2006. Karamyan may join the Ukrainian club in the next transfer window that opens in winter.

Women: Armenia's women's national football team participated in the EURO 2009 preliminary round in Bosnia (November 17-23). In the first match Armenia drew with host nation Bosnia & Herzegovina 1-1, then lost to Israel 0-1, then beat Latvia in the last round 1-0.

With four points in three matches Armenian finished third in the group after Bosnia & Herzegovina. The group's winner is Israel.

(Source: Armenian Football Federation reports)

Chess

Armenian grandmaster Levon Aronyan came second in Mikhail Tal Blitz Memorial, a tournament held in Moscow after the main Tal Memorial.

Aronyan gained 21 points out of possible 34. The first prize went to GM Viswanathan Anand (India) who gained 23 points.

The third place was shared by Teimour Rajabov of Azerbaijan and Peter Svidler of Russia, who scored 20.5 points each.

Eighteen famous grandmasters were taking part in the event played on a double round robin basis over two days. The event had 11 players above 2700 ELO rating and none below the 2650 mark.

As part of the main 20th-category Mikhail Tal Memorial held in Moscow on November 6-16, Aronyan shared the first place with Peter Leko (Hungary and Ruslan Ponamariov (Ukraine). (www.armchess.am)

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