Armenia’s women beat Uzbekistan to finish sixth at Chess Olympiad

Armenia’s women defeated hosts Uzbekistan 3–1 in the 11th and final round of the Chess Olympiad in Samarkand. The win took Armenia to 17 match points and sixth place in the final standings. India, the United States and Poland, who finished third through fifth, also earned 17 points but placed ahead of Armenia on tiebreaks.

Lilit and Mariam Mkrtchyan won their games in the final round, while Elina Danielian and Susanna Gaboyan drew theirs.

Armenia 3–1 Uzbekistan:

• Lilit Mkrtchyan vs. Afruza Khamdamova — 1–0
• Mariam Mkrtchyan vs. Gulrukhbegim Tokhirjonova — 1–0
• Elina Danielian vs. Umida Omonova — ½–½
• Susanna Gaboyan vs. Guldona Karimova — ½–½

Across 11 rounds, Armenia recorded eight wins, one draw and two defeats. The team beat Hong Kong, Singapore, Croatia, Peru, Latvia, Azerbaijan, the United States and Uzbekistan, drew with Greece, and lost to Kazakhstan and China.

Mariam Mkrtchyan, 22, produced Armenia’s best individual result. Playing on board two, she appeared in all 11 rounds and scored 9 points. Her tournament performance rating was 2544, well above her own rating of 2374. Victory over Tokhirjonova capped her campaign.