Armenia’s leading grandmaster Haik Martirosyan has beaten world No. 1 Magnus Carlsen in a classical game at the Total Chess World Championship Tour Pilot in Budapest, the Chess Federation of Armenia announced, reports Zartonk Sports.
Playing with the white pieces, Martirosyan defeated the world’s highest-rated player in the first game of the third round of the group stage, contested in the Fast Classic format. The two meet again in the return game later today, with Martirosyan playing Black.
The win carried a measure of revenge. In the tournament’s opening blitz competition on Tuesday, Carlsen had beaten Martirosyan in the final round on his way to winning that event. This time, over the board and at a longer time control, the Armenian turned the result around.
Martirosyan is competing in Group C alongside Carlsen, Ian Nepomniachtchi, Anish Giri, Shakhriyar Mamedyarov and Abhimanyu Mishra. The pilot event, which runs through November 20 and brings together 24 of the world’s best players, is the forerunner of the full Total Chess Tour launching in 2027.
