2020 has been a forgettable year so far. The first three months witnessed the Australian bushfires, Kobe Bryant’s demise, and the COVID 19 pandemic, just to name a few. For the chess world, it all started with GM Bogdanovich passing away, followed by Radjabov’s withdrawal from the Candidates and eventual stoppage and postponement of this prestigious event. Just when you thought things couldn’t get any worse, the news of WIM Arianne Caoili’s death hit us on the 31st of March.
Arianne was a Filipino-Australian chess player and wife to the top Armenian GM Levon Aronian. While active chess had taken a backseat in her life, Arianne had blossomed wonderfully in other areas – she was an economist and worked as a Managing Director at the strategy consulting firm Akron. Her work involved advising such high-profile figures as the Armenian president and multiple world leaders. She co-founded a newspaper in Armenia and actively participated in numerous philanthropic activities. Her interests were varied – a quick glance at her Instagram bio showcases her love for music, boxing, and dance. The latter gave her popular recognition when she notably finished as a runner-up in the fifth season of Australia’s Dancing with the Stars. Arianne was truly an intelligent and well-rounded personality.
On 31st March, Aronian took to Twitter to share the sad news of Arianne’s demise. Arianne had been fighting serious injuries sustained while driving her SUV on the 15th of March. News reports suggest that she lost control and rammed into a concrete barrier under a bridge. She was immediately taken to the Astghik Medical Center. In the following days, her condition reportedly improved as she lay in an induced coma. However, the injuries proved severe and she breathed her last on March 31.
In these tough times, we pray for Levon Aronian and the families. The entire chess world mourns this loss – an incredibly wonderful soul taken away way too soon. What remains with us is her incredible work in multiple areas, and it’s time for us to appreciate it. As a parting note, we present two brilliant games played by Arianne.
Estensi 2001, 2001.06.10
4th London Classic Open 2012, 2012.12.01