The Stepan Avagyan Memorial “Jermuk-2026” international chess tournament concluded in dramatic fashion, with American Grandmaster Samuel Sevian emerging as the champion after a thrilling nine-round battle.
Organized by the Chess Academy of Armenia, the elite 10-player round-robin event took place from May 28 to June 6, 2026, at the picturesque “Jermuk Ashkhar” Health Center in Armenia.
The tournament witnessed an incredibly tight race for the title. At the end of nine grueling rounds, GM Samuel Sevian (USA, 2696) and GM Vladislav Artemiev (RUS, 2641) tied for first place, both finishing with a score of 5.5/9 points.
Thanks to a superior tie-break score (calculated via Sonneborn-Berger, direct encounters, games with black, or total victories), Samuel Sevian was officially declared the winner of the tournament, taking home the prestigious title and the top prize of 3,200,000 AMD. Artemiev took a well-deserved second place, securing a 2,200,000 AMD prize.
Close behind the leading duo were GM Nihal Sarin (IND, 2723) and GM Ray Robson (USA, 2653), who both finished on 5.0/9 to share the 3rd and 4th spots.
Final standings:
1-2. GM Sevian Samuel USA 2696 and GM Artemiev Vladislav RUS 2641 – 5.5
3-4. GM Nihal Sarin IND 2723 and GM Robson Ray USA 2653 – 5.0
5-6. GM Sargsyan Shant ARM 2644 and GM Hakobyan Aram ARM 2635 – 4.5
7-8. GM Hovhannisyan Robert ARM 2629 and GM Donchenko Alexander GER 2645 – 4.0
9-10. GM Aravindh Chithambaram Vr. IND 2692 and GM Gumularz Szymon POL 2613 – 3.5
The event boasted a total prize fund of 10,050,000 AMD (approximately $26,000 USD). In addition to the monetary prizes, the tournament’s technical partner, Chessify, awarded special training bundles to all ten grandmasters to support their analytical preparation.
The local Armenian contingent, featuring GMs Shant Sargsyan, Aram Hakobyan, and Robert Hovhannisyan, put up a stout defense on home soil, holding the middle of the table against a formidable international field.
