Haik Martirosyan defeats Mamedyarov in Budapest to split opening-round encounter

BUDAPEST – Armenian grandmaster Haik Martirosyan recovered from an opening-game defeat to defeat Azerbaijani grandmaster Shakhriyar Mamedyarov at the Total Chess World Championship Tour Pilot 2026 in Budapest.

The two players finished their opening-round encounter level at 1–1 after exchanging victories on November 11.

Martirosyan lost the first game while playing with the white pieces but responded convincingly in the return encounter, securing victory with the black pieces.

The result earned both players three points under the tournament’s scoring format.

Martirosyan is competing in Group C against a formidable field that includes world-renowned grandmasters Magnus Carlsen, Ian Nepomniachtchi, Anish Giri, Mamedyarov and Abhimanyu Mishra.

Nepomniachtchi emerged as the group’s early leader after the opening day.

Martirosyan had also defeated Mamedyarov during the blitz competition held on November 10, adding to his positive results against the Azerbaijani grandmaster.

The Budapest tournament brings together some of the strongest players in international chess and features a demanding competition format.

Martirosyan’s recovery from an early defeat demonstrates his competitive resilience and reinforces his standing among Armenia’s leading representatives on the international chess circuit.

The tournament continues with further group-stage encounters against several of the world’s highest-ranked players.