Gabriel Sargissian decides Armenia vs Iran clash

Armenia claimed its fifth victory at the 46th Chess Olympiad in Samarkand. In Round 6, the Armenian team defeated Iran 2.5–1.5 after a hard-fought match.

The decisive game came on board four, where experienced grandmaster Gabriel Sargissian defeated Reza Mahdavi. The other three games ended in draws.

Armenia — Iran — 2.5–1.5

• Haik Martirosyan (2664) — Amin Tabatabaei (2737) — 0.5–0.5
• Robert Hovhannisyan (2642) — Bardiya Daneshvar (2572) — 0.5–0.5
• Shant Sargsyan (2630) — Mahdi Gholami Orimi (2553) — 0.5–0.5
• Gabriel Sargissian (2610) — Reza Mahdavi (2485) — 1–0

It was a difficult match for the Armenian team. On the top board, Haik Martirosyan had an advantage but was unable to convert it and eventually settled for a draw. As a result, the outcome of the team match was decided on board four.

There, Gabriel Sargissian once again played a key role for Armenia. The experienced grandmaster overcame his young Iranian opponent and secured the decisive point for the team.

After six rounds, Armenia sits in third place in the standings.

Next up: the United States

In Round 7, Armenia faces one of its toughest tests of the tournament — a match against the United States, which has the highest average rating among the Olympiad participants and features several players from the world elite.

One of the main points of intrigue is the possible participation of former Armenia team leader Levon Aronian, who now represents the United States. At the 2022 Olympiad, Aronian did not play against Armenia.

If the coaches field the expected lineups and board order, the matchups could look as follows.

Board one: Haik Martirosyan (2664) — Fabiano Caruana (2789)

Martirosyan and Caruana have never faced each other in classical chess. They have played three rapid games, producing all three possible results — a win, a draw and a loss.

Board two: Robert Hovhannisyan (2642) — Wesley So (2774)

The two players have met once in classical chess. Hovhannisyan had White on that occasion, and the game ended in a draw. Robert has been performing confidently at this Olympiad and enters the important match in good form.

Board three: Shant Sargsyan (2630) — Hans Niemann (2725)

Sargsyan and Niemann have already faced each other three times. Shant had White in all three games, and each of them ended in a draw.

Board four: Gabriel Sargissian (2610) — Awonder Liang (2693)

Sargissian and Liang have met twice in classical chess, with both games ending in draws. The Armenian grandmaster has also beaten the American with White in rapid chess.

Gabriel heads into the next round in excellent form. At the Olympiad, he has scored 4.5 points out of 5 with a 2737 performance rating. Liang currently has 1.5 points out of 4 with a 2296 performance rating.

The United States has a significant advantage over Armenia in terms of individual player ratings, but the American team has endured a difficult start to the tournament. Armenia, meanwhile, is once again demonstrating its traditionally strong team play.

Armenia women defeat Latvia

Round 6 was also successful for the Armenian women’s team, which defeated Latvia 3–1 and recorded its fifth victory of the tournament.

Armenia — Latvia — 3–1

• Lilit Mkrtchian (2353) — Laura Rogule (2256) — 1–0
• Mariam Mkrtchyan (2374) — Maria Kuznetsova (2257) — 1–0
• Elina Danielian (2382) — Agnesa Ter-Avetisyan (2193) — 1–0
• Susanna Gaboyan (2179) — Ilze Berzina (2177) — 0–1

Despite Susanna Gaboyan’s defeat on board four, Lilit Mkrtchian, Mariam Mkrtchyan and Elina Danielian all won their games to secure two match points for Armenia.

The game on board three was particularly notable, as long-time Armenian team leader Elina Danielian faced Latvia’s Armenian-born player Agnesa Ter-Avetisyan.

After six rounds, Armenia’s women’s team has climbed to seventh place. In the next round, the Armenian team will face Azerbaijan.