The Chess Federation of Armenia has announced both national squads for the 46th Olympiad in Samarkand. The open team travels in fighting shape: Haik Martirosyan, Shant Sargsyan, Robert Hovhannisyan, Gabriel Sargissian and Manuel Petrosyan, with Arman Pashikian named captain. The women’s team is still headed by Elina Danielian, joined by Mariam Mkrtchyan, Lilit Mkrtchyan, Susanna Gaboyan and Anahit Mkrtchyan.
A special page of this nomination is Gabriel Sargissian. He already owns three Olympic golds with the national team — 2006, 2008 and 2012 — and a whole era of Armenian team triumphs. Next to the veteran stands a generation still in its twenties: in recent years Haik Martirosyan has been consistently among the country’s strongest grandmasters. This blend of experience and youth is the classic formula of the Armenian school, where team spirit has always mattered more than individual names.
In the women’s team, as ever, the stake is on the leader: Elina Danielian’s rating (2382) is among the highest in the history of the women’s national side. Analysts note that the Armenian women’s team is built “top-heavy” in the best sense — three boards go in a tight group, and the depth of the lineup often decides the outcome of a match.
| Team | Line-up |
|---|---|
| Open | Martirosyan, Sargsyan, Hovhannisyan, Sargissian, Petrosyan (captain Pashikian) |
| Women | Danielian (2382), M. Mkrtchyan, L. Mkrtchyan, Gaboyan, A. Mkrtchyan |
What's next. The first round is on 16 September. We root for both of our teams and will follow every round from Samarkand.
Sources
- FIDE, accessed 16.09.2026
- Armenpress, accessed 16.09.2026
- Chess-Results, accessed 16.09.2026
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