A former chess champion who was married to an Armenian grandmaster described as the “David Beckham” of the sport has died after a car crash.
Arianne Caoili, 33, was born in the Philippines and later took Australian citizenship. She represented both countries at chess and held the Women’s International Master title. She was also a celebrity dancer in Australia’s version of the Dancing with the Stars TV show.
Her marriage to Levon Aronian in 2017 was a big event in Armenia, where chess is a national obsession. Mr Aronian, 37, is ranked No 7 in the world. The wedding was attended by the country’s political elite and established them as the sport’s glamour couple.
Ms Caoili died on Monday after two weeks in an induced