Armenian Chess Championship 2026: Manuel Petrosyan and Anahit Mkrtchyan Win National Titles
Armenia has crowned two new chess champions! GM Manuel Petrosyan won the 86th Armenian National Chess Championship. Anahit Mkrtchyan won the 81st Armenian Women’s Chess Championship.
Petrosyan secured his second national title. Mkrtchyan celebrated her first-ever Armenian title. Both players have now earned the chance to represent Armenia in international team events.
Tournament Details (Yerevan, January 13–21, 2026)
The championships were held together in Yerevan, Armenia. The venue was the Tigran Petrosyan Chess House-Sports School.
Both events were played as 10-player round-robin tournaments. The games were played in classical time control, meaning long and serious battles.
Open Championship: Petrosyan Wins a Tough Fight
The Open Championship was extremely competitive. Not a single player finished undefeated.
Before the final round, three players were tied at the top with 5 points out of 8:
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GM Manuel Petrosyan
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IM Artur Davtyan
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GM Zaven Andriasian
The last round decided everything. Davtyan and Andriasian drew their final games. But Petrosyan won his final game at the perfect time.
He defeated IM Arsen Davtyan in the last round. That win gave Petrosyan the championship trophy.
Open Championship Final Results
Petrosyan finished first and became champion. Three players tied for second place with 5.5/9:
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IM Artur Davtyan
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GM Zaven Andriasian
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GM Aram Hakobyan
Tie-breaks were used to decide the medals. Artur Davtyan won silver. Zaven Andriasian won bronze.
Women’s Championship: Mkrtchyan Shines Under Pressure
The Women’s Championship turned into a thrilling head-to-head fight. The main battle was between:
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Anahit Mkrtchyan
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WFM Astghik Hakobyan
Both started the event strongly. Hakobyan took the lead after defeating Mkrtchyan in Round 6. At that moment, Hakobyan looked like the clear favorite.
But chess is full of surprises. Hakobyan struggled at the end of the event. She lost her last two games. That late collapse cost her the gold medal.
Women’s Championship Final Results
Mkrtchyan stayed calm in the final rounds. She drew her last two games. That was enough to win the championship with 6.5/9.
Hakobyan finished second with 6/9 and won silver.
Three players tied for third place with 5.5 points:
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WFM Sona Krkyasharyan
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Ani Avetisyan
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WFM Anna Khachatryan
Tie-breaks decided the bronze medal. WFM Sona Krkyasharyan won bronze.
Final Words
The Armenian Championships 2026 delivered exciting classical chess. The Open event stayed tense until the last round. The Women’s event had drama and momentum swings.
Congratulations to Manuel Petrosyan and Anahit Mkrtchyan for becoming Armenian champions! Chess fans will be excited to see them represent Armenia in future international events.
Photos: Armenian Chess Federation, FIDE_Chess
Source: FIDE CHESS NEWS
