Chess: Indian Grandmaster Aravindh Chithambaram wins 6th Stepan Avagyan Memorial

Indian Grandmaster Aravindh Chithambaram has won the 6th Stepan Avagyan Memorial chess tournament held in Jermuk, Armenia. He scored 6.5 points in 9 rounds. Although he tied with fellow Indian Grandmaster R. Praggnanandhaa, Aravindh was declared the winner based on the tiebreak system.

What is the Tiebreak System?

The winner was decided using the Sonneborne-Berger system. This tiebreak method looks at the strength of the players each competitor has beaten. Aravindh’s opponents had stronger records, so he got the edge over Praggnanandhaa.

Aravindh’s Performance

Aravindh Chithambaram played very well in this 10-player round-robin event. He remained unbeaten, winning 4 games and drawing 5. In the final round, he played with black pieces and defeated Armenia’s Aram Hakobyan.

Praggnanandhaa’s Impressive Performance

Grandmaster R. Praggnanandhaa also had a strong tournament. He finished with the same score as Aravindh and won his final round against Robert Hovhannisyan of Armenia. However, the tiebreak gave the title to Aravindh.

A Great Year for Aravindh

This victory adds to Aravindh’s great run in 2025. Earlier this year, he also won the Prague Chess Festival Masters. At just 25 years old, the Chennai-based player is showing excellent form on the international chess stage.

About the Tournament

The Stepan Avagyan Memorial is becoming a major event in international chess. Each year, it attracts top players from around the world. The 2025 edition in Armenia saw exciting games and strong competition.