CHESS PLAYERS from Armenia

Top 10

The following people are considered by Pantheon to be the top 10 most legendary Armenian Chess Players of all time. This list of famous Armenian Chess Players is sorted by HPI (Historical Popularity Index), a metric that aggregates information on a biography’s online popularity. Visit the rankings page to view the entire list of Armenian Chess Players.

1. Levon Aronian (b. 1982)

With an HPI of 51.29, Levon Aronian is the most famous Armenian Chess Player.  His biography has been translated into 50 different languages on wikipedia.

Levon Grigori Aronian (Armenian: Լևոն Գրիգորի Արոնյան, romanized: Levon Grigori Aronyan; born 6 October 1982) is an Armenian-American chess grandmaster. A chess prodigy, he earned the title of grandmaster in 2000, at age 17. He is a former world rapid and blitz champion and has held the No. 2 position in the March 2014 FIDE world chess rankings with a rating of 2830, becoming the fourth highest-rated player in history. Aronian won the FIDE World Cup in 2005 and 2017. He led the Armenian national team to the gold medals in the Chess Olympiads of 2006 (Turin), 2008 (Dresden) and 2012 (Istanbul) and at the World Team Chess Championship in Ningbo 2011. He won the FIDE Grand Prix 2008–2010, qualifying him for the Candidates Tournament for the World Chess Championship 2012. He was also world champion in Chess960 in 2006 and 2007, in rapid chess in 2009, and in blitz chess in 2010. Aronian has been the leading Armenian chess player since the early 2000s. His popularity in Armenia has led to him being called a celebrity and a hero. He was named the best sportsman of Armenia in 2005 and was awarded the title of Honoured Master of Sport of the Republic of Armenia in 2009. In 2012, he was awarded the Order of St. Mesrop Mashtots. In 2016, CNN called Aronian the "David Beckham of chess". Aronian announced his decision to transfer from the Armenian chess federation to the United States federation in late February 2021, citing a decline in government support for the sport as his motivation. The transfer was completed in December 2021.

2. Rafael Vaganian (b. 1951)

With an HPI of 45.52, Rafael Vaganian is the 2nd most famous Armenian Chess Player.  Her biography has been translated into 18 different languages.

Rafael Artemovich Vaganian (Armenian: Ռաֆայել Արտյոմի Վահանյան, Rrafayel Artyomi Vahanyan, Russian: Рафаэль Артёмович Ваганян, Rafael Artemovich Vaganyan; born 15 October 1951) is an Armenian chess player holding the title of grandmaster (GM). He was Soviet champion in 1989.

3. Ashot Anastasian (1964 - 2016)

With an HPI of 42.98, Ashot Anastasian is the 3rd most famous Armenian Chess Player.  His biography has been translated into 20 different languages.

Ashot Anastasian (Armenian: Աշոտ Անաստասյան; 16 July 1964 – 26 December 2016) was an Armenian chess Grandmaster. He won two team bronze medals and one individual gold medal at Chess Olympiads. On the March 2011 FIDE list, he had an Elo rating of 2556, making him ranked number 14 in Armenia. Anastasian won the Armenian Chess Championship in 1983, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1992, 1994, and 2005. He received his International Master title in 1988 and Grandmaster title in 1993. In 1993 he placed first in Katowice. In 2007, he tied for first with Bassem Amin in the Abu Dhabi Chess Festival. In September 2009 FIDE rating list he was ranked 325th in the world among active players. In 2010, he was appointed coach of the Armenian national women's team. On 26 December 2016, Armenpress reported that Anastasian had died.

4. Smbat Lputian (b. 1958)

With an HPI of 42.16, Smbat Lputian is the 4th most famous Armenian Chess Player.  His biography has been translated into 19 different languages.

Smbat Gariginovich Lputian (also transliterated as Lputyan; Armenian: Սմբատ Լպուտյան; born 14 February 1958) is an Armenian chess grandmaster.

5. Gabriel Sargissian (b. 1983)

With an HPI of 37.33, Gabriel Sargissian is the 5th most famous Armenian Chess Player.  His biography has been translated into 24 different languages.

Gabriel Eduardi Sargissian (Armenian: Գաբրիել Էդուարդի Սարգսյան, Gabriel Eduardi Sargsyan; born 3 September 1983) is an Armenian chess grandmaster. He was a member of the gold medal-winning Armenian team at the Chess Olympiads in 2006, 2008 and 2012 and at the World Team Chess Championship in 2011. Sargissian was awarded the Movses Khorenatsi medal in June 2006 and awarded the Honoured Master of Sport of the Republic of Armenia title in 2009.

6. Karen Asrian (1980 - 2008)

With an HPI of 37.12, Karen Asrian is the 6th most famous Armenian Chess Player.  His biography has been translated into 23 different languages.

Karen Asrian (Armenian: Կարեն Ասրյան; 24 April 1980 – 9 June 2008) was an Armenian chess player. Awarded the title of Grandmaster by FIDE in 1998, he was a three-time Armenian champion. Asrian was a member of the gold medal-winning Armenian team in the 37th Chess Olympiad.

7. Artashes Minasian (b. 1967)

With an HPI of 37.10, Artashes Minasian is the 7th most famous Armenian Chess Player.  His biography has been translated into 18 different languages.

Artashes Minasian (also transliterated as Minasyan; Armenian: Արտաշես Մինասյան; born 21 January 1967) is an Armenian chess grandmaster. He tied for first in the 1991 USSR Chess Championship and is a six-time Armenian Chess Champion.

8. Tigran L. Petrosian (b. 1984)

With an HPI of 32.24, Tigran L. Petrosian is the 8th most famous Armenian Chess Player.  His biography has been translated into 17 different languages.

Tigran Levoni Petrosian (Armenian: Տիգրան Լևոնի Պետրոսյան; born 17 September 1984) is an Armenian chess player who holds the title of grandmaster, which FIDE awarded him in 2004. A two-time national champion, he competed in two Chess Olympiads, winning team gold in 2008 and 2012.

9. Lilit Mkrtchian (b. 1982)

With an HPI of 31.50, Lilit Mkrtchian is the 9th most famous Armenian Chess Player.  Her biography has been translated into 22 different languages.

Lilit Mkrtchian (Armenian: Լիլիթ Մկրտչյան; born 9 August 1982) is an Armenian chess player. She holds the titles of International Master (IM) and Woman Grandmaster (WGM), which FIDE awarded her in 2003 and 1998 respectively. Mkrtchian is a four-time Armenian women's chess champion.

10. Varuzhan Akobian (b. 1983)

With an HPI of 24.21, Varuzhan Akobian is the 10th most famous Armenian Chess Player.  His biography has been translated into 16 different languages.

Varuzhan Akobian (Armenian: Վարուժան Հակոբյան, born 19 November 1983 in Yerevan, Soviet Union) is an Armenian-born American chess Grandmaster. Originally from Armenia, he now resides in St. Louis. He played on the bronze-medal-winning U.S. team in the 2006 and 2008 Chess Olympiads.