Haik Martirosyan Defeats Magnus Carlsen to Take Sole Lead of Group at Total Chess World Championship 2026

Armenian grandmaster Haik Martirosyan secured a sensational victory over five-time world chess champion Magnus Carlsen in the third round of the Total Chess World Championship Tour Pilot 2026, an international chess tournament taking place in Budapest, Hungary.

On November 13, Martirosyan faced the Norwegian grandmaster in the group stage of the competition. Playing with the white pieces in the first game, the Armenian chess player managed to defeat one of the greatest players in chess history. In the second game, Martirosyan played with Black and secured a draw.

As a result, the Armenian representative earned four out of a possible six points across the two games. Under the tournament regulations, players receive three points for a win and one point for a draw.

After three rounds, Haik Martirosyan leads Group C outright with 10 points, one point ahead of Dutch grandmaster Anish Giri, who has nine. Ian Nepomniachtchi and Shakhriyar Mamedyarov have both collected seven points.

Notably, Martirosyan split his games against Shakhriyar Mamedyarov and Anish Giri in the opening two rounds, winning one game and losing the other against each opponent. He has now added an impressive victory over Magnus Carlsen.

In the fourth round on November 14, Martirosyan will face Ian Nepomniachtchi, a two-time World Chess Championship challenger who competed for the world title in 2021 and 2023.

The Total Chess World Championship Tour Pilot 2026 is being held in Budapest with 24 players participating. The tournament features multiple chess disciplines, while the group stage consists of two games against each opponent, with players alternating colors.