Krikor Sevag Mekhitarian (Armenian: Գրիգոր Սևակ Մխիթարեան; born 15 November 1986) is a Brazilian chess grandmaster, streamer, and the current Director of Portuguese Content for Chess.com. He is a two-time Brazilian Chess Champion.

Krikor Mekhitarian
Krikor Sevag Mekhitarian at the XXI Open Internacional de Ajedrez Moratalaz (2008).
Full nameKrikor Sevag Mekhitarian
CountryBrazil
Born (1986-11-15) 15 November 1986 (age 38)
São Paulo, Brazil
TitleGrandmaster (2010)
FIDE rating2562 (November 2024)
Peak rating2589 (July 2015)

Early life

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Born to a Brazilian mother and a Lebanese father, both of Armenian descent, he learned to play chess aged seven.[1]

Career

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Mekhitarian achieved his Grandmaster title within the space of eight months, securing his first norm at the 26th Brazilian Championships held in 2009, tying for third place with a score of 7.5/11. His second norm came with an eighth-place finish and a 6/9 score in the La Laguna tournament held in April 2010. His final GM norm came in June 2010, with a 9th-place finish in the International Chess Festival Eforie, held in Romania, where he scored 8/11.[2][3]

He took part in the Tata Steel Chess Tournament C Group 2013, finishing in 4th place with 8/13.

Boycott of the 2016 Chess Olympiad

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The 2016 Chess Olympiad was held in Baku, Azerbaijan. Armenia, which was involved in an armed conflict with the host country, boycotted the event, claiming that its delegation was at risk.[4] Being of Armenian descent, Krikor Mekhitarian, then the Brazilian chess champion, decided not to participate in the event as a way of supporting the Armenian team and protesting against the violence against Armenians in Azerbaijan.[5][6]

Team chess results

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He has represented Brazil at five Chess Olympiads as follows: [7] [8] [9] [10]

References

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  1. ^ Martirosyan, Vera (30 January 2013). "Fighting spirit plays a crucial role in Armenian chess players' victories- Krikor Sevag Mekhitarian". sport.news.am.
  2. ^ International Chess Festival Eforie - June 17 to 27, 2010
  3. ^ International Chess Festival Eforie Nord 2010 - Ranking
  4. ^ "Armenian chess team not to participate in World Chess Olympiad in Baku". armenpress.am. 2016-07-25.
  5. ^ Seto, Guilherme (2016-07-27). "Brasileiro larga Olimpíada de xadrez em repúdio à violência no Azerbaijão". Folha de S.Paulo. Retrieved 2023-02-03.
  6. ^ "Campeão Brasileiro abre mão de compor equipe brasileira na Olimpíada de Xadrez no Azerbaijão". Estação Armênia (in Brazilian Portuguese). 2016-03-30. Retrieved 2023-02-03.
  7. ^ Krikor Mekhitarian Olimpbase. Accessed 29 July 2014
  8. ^ Brazil team performance Tromso 2014 Chess-Results.com. Accessed 16 August 2014
  9. ^ Brazil team performance Batumi 2018 Chess-Results.com. Accessed 12 August 2022
  10. ^ Brazil team performance Chennai 2022 Chess-Results.com. Accessed 12 August 2022
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