Levon Aronian advances to Biel Chess Festival final as overall leader

(Horizon Media / BIEL) — Grandmaster Levon Aronian has advanced to the final stage of the 2026 Biel International Chess Festival after finishing the qualifying phase at the top of the Masters Triathlon standings.

Aronian accumulated 25 points across the rapid, classical and blitz portions of the competition, building a four-point advantage over Azerbaijan’s Aydin Suleymanli. Turkish grandmaster Yagiz Kaan Erdogmus and Vietnam’s Le Quang Liem also secured places in the four-player final.

The former world No. 2 delivered particularly strong performances in the faster formats. He won the rapid section with four victories and one draw before scoring 8.5 points from 10 games in the blitz competition, extending his lead ahead of the decisive stage.

The finalists will play one classical game against each opponent in a round-robin format from July 21 to 23. With 12 points still available, organizers said the title race remains open, although Aronian will enter the final phase with a significant advantage.

Born in Yerevan, Aronian represented Armenia for most of his career before switching federations in 2021. He now competes internationally under the United States flag.