The third playing day of the Samarkand Olympiad was perfect for Armenia: both the men’s and the women’s teams won, and both have taken a full set of team points from three rounds. The men overcame Sweden 2½-1½, the women closed their match against Croatia 4-0 — and both Armenian squads now sit in the leading group without a single defeat.
Against Sweden the only win came from Gabriel Sargsyan — and his point proved decisive. Haik Martirosyan, Shant Sargsyan and Manuel Petrosyan signed draws, and 2½-1½ was enough for a third team point. For the women it came down to depth: Lilit Mkrtchyan, Mariam Mkrtchyan, Elina Danielyan and Susanna Gaboyan all won their games — 4-0, and the squad has not given away half a point in three rounds.
Armenia’s path to three wins: the men opened with a 4-0 rout of Barbados, then dispatched Scotland 3½-½ and now Sweden 2½-1½ — as the opponents get stronger the scores get tighter, but the points are the same. The women are marching even more confidently. Round four, where opponents become noticeably stronger, will show whether both teams are ready to fight for medals.
| Armenia in Samarkand | Result |
|---|---|
| Men, round 1 — Barbados | 4-0 |
| Men, round 2 — Scotland | 3½-½ |
| Men, round 3 — Sweden | 2½-1½ (G. Sargsyan won) |
| Women, round 3 — Croatia | 4-0 (all four boards) |
What's next. Round four comes as early as today, 19 September. Both Armenian teams approach it unbeaten, and we are following every match.
Sources
- News Armenia, accessed 19.09.2026
- Sputnik Armenia, accessed 19.09.2026
- Chess-Results, accessed 19.09.2026
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