Krikor Sevag Mekhitarian

Overview

Krikor Sevag Mekhitarian (born November 15, 1986) is a Brazilian Grandmaster of Armenian descent who represents the Brazilian Chess Federation (BRA). He achieved his International Master (IM) title in 2006 and was awarded the Grandmaster (GM) title in 2010. Mekhitarian reached his career-high classical FIDE rating of 2589 in July 2015. His competitive career is highlighted by winning two Brazilian national championships and representing Brazil in five Chess Olympiads. He is also highly active as a coach, professional streamer, and currently serves as the Director of Portuguese Content for Chess.com.

Biography & Major Career Milestones

Mekhitarian learned to play chess in São Paulo, Brazil, at the age of six or seven, coached by his father. He found early success in junior competitions, winning the São Paulo State Championship across various age categories and securing the Brazilian Junior (U20) Championship in 2003 and 2004.

Mekhitarian achieved his three Grandmaster norms within a rapid eight-month period spanning 2009 and 2010:

• First GM Norm: Earned at the 26th Brazilian Chess Championship in 2009, where he tied for third place with a score of 7.5/11.
• Second GM Norm: Secured in April 2010 at the La Laguna tournament in Spain, finishing in eighth place with a score of 6/9.
• Third GM Norm: Achieved in June 2010 at the International Chess Festival Eforie Nord in Romania, scoring 8/11.

Mekhitarian won his first national title at the 79th Brazilian Chess Championship (held in early 2013), finishing with 8.5/11 (+7 =3 -1). He secured his second national championship victory in 2015.

Among his other notable individual achievements, Mekhitarian shared first place at the Pan-Armenian Chess Olympiad in 2010. In 2013, he finished fourth in the Tata Steel Chess Tournament C Group with 8/13. In January 2022, he won the Floripa Chess Open. Mekhitarian has also qualified for and participated in multiple FIDE World Cups: in the 2019 World Cup, he was eliminated in the first round by Dmitry Andreikin; in 2021, he faced Juan Carlos González Zamora; and in the 2025 World Cup, he was defeated in the first round by Martin Petrov.

Elite Team & Event Performance

Mekhitarian has represented Brazil at five Chess Olympiads:

• 39th Chess Olympiad (Khanty-Mansiysk, 2010): Played on board 4, scoring 3.5/8 (+1 =5 -2).
• 40th Chess Olympiad (Istanbul, 2012): Acted as the reserve player, scoring 3/6 (+1 =4 -1).
• 41st Chess Olympiad (Tromsø, 2014): Played on board 3, scoring 6.5/10 (+5 =3 -2).
• 43rd Chess Olympiad (Batumi, 2018): Played on board 4, scoring 5.5/8 (+4 =3 -1).
• 44th Chess Olympiad (Chennai, 2022): Played on board 3, scoring 7.5/11 (+7 =1 -3).

Mekhitarian sat out the 2016 Chess Olympiad in Baku, Azerbaijan, boycotting the event in solidarity with the Armenian delegation during a period of geopolitical conflict.

Playing Style, Material Tendencies & Endgame Profiling

Mekhitarian is characterized by a dynamic, active, and tactically alert style. He is comfortable navigating double-edged positions and seeking direct counterplay rather than passive defense. His classical foundation allows him to handle highly technical or hypermodern setups, and he possesses a deep understanding of standard pawn structures and opening transitions. This versatility is demonstrated by his ability to execute quick tactical victories—such as a 17-move win over Walter Arencibia Rodriguez—alongside slow positional struggles, exemplified by his hypermodern victory over Henrique Mecking in 2018.

Mekhitarian's approach is marked by precise calculation and concrete preparation. Defensively, he seeks to complicate the game when facing structural damage, often utilizing tactical resources to hold endgames, such as rook and pawn structures.

Opening Repertoire & Theoretical Move Orders

1. As White

Mekhitarian relies on a diverse set of systems starting with both 1.e4 and flank openings beginning with 1.Nf3 or 1.c4.

Against the Sicilian Defence, he frequently plays the highly theoretical English Attack variation:

Against the Accelerated Dragon or other early g6 configurations, he establishes central dominance with the Maroczy Bind:

When employing closed or Queen's Pawn openings, he frequently relies on the Exchange Variation of the Queen's Gambit Declined:

He also favors hypermodern setups using the Reti Opening to transition into flexible middlegames:

2. As Black

As Black, Mekhitarian chooses ambitious, counter-attacking defenses designed to challenge White's center early.

Against 1.e4, his primary response is the Sicilian Najdorf, aiming for sharp, unbalanced play:

Against 1.d4, he heavily relies on the Grünfeld Defence, meeting the Exchange Variation with active piece play:

He also deploys the Nimzo-Indian Defence to fight for central squares through piece control:

Against 1.c4, his primary weapon is the Symmetrical English, striving for dynamic equality:

Links

• FIDE: https://ratings.fide.com/profile/2107660
• Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Krikor_Mekhitarian