Robert Hovhannisyan beats Wesley So to earn Armenia a draw against the United States
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- Author: Vahe Hakobyan
- Sportaran
Armenia drew 2–2 with the United States in round seven of the 46th Chess Olympiad. Robert Hovhannisyan secured the crucial point, defeating world No. 5 Wesley So with the black pieces.
The match was a difficult one for Armenia. Hayk Martirosyan and Shant Sargsyan drew their games, while Gabriel Sargissian lost to Awonder Liang. Armenia therefore needed a win on board two to avoid defeat in the team match. Hovhannisyan delivered it after a hard-fought game against one of the world’s strongest players.
Armenia 2–2 United States
- Hayk Martirosyan (2664) ½–½ Fabiano Caruana (2789)
- Robert Hovhannisyan (2642) 1–0 Wesley So (2774)
- Shant Sargsyan (2630) ½–½ Hans Niemann (2725)
- Gabriel Sargissian (2610) 0–1 Awonder Liang (2693)
After seven rounds, Armenia has 12 match points out of a possible 14 and sits third in the official Olympiad standings.