GM Melik Khachiyan
The Player

Biography of Grandmaster Melik Khachiyan

I was born in the former Soviet Union, where I began playing chess at the age of eight. My progress was swift—by ten, I had won the Baku Junior Championship and achieved the First Category in Chess, which is roughly equivalent to a USCF rating of 2000 (Expert level). (Baku, by the way, is also Garry Kasparov's hometown and Teimour Radjabov's hometown.)

At age twelve, I reached the rank of Soviet Candidate Master, corresponding to a USCF rating above 2200. It took another six years to become a full master, and in 2005, I was awarded the title of Grandmaster.

Throughout my journey, I’ve been fortunate to meet and learn from some of the greatest minds in chess. I studied at the chess school of the 9th World Champion, Tigran Petrosian, from 1983 to 1984. I also had the honor of working with two legendary coaches, Alexander Nikitin and Alexander Shakarov, known for their work with the 13th World Champion, Garry Kasparov. Their mentorship made a lasting impact on my chess career.

Although I took a break from competitive play at one point, this led me to begin coaching at a relatively young age. Since becoming a Soviet chess master in 1990, I have been coaching professionally. Here are a few highlights from my coaching career:

Professional Coach since 1990
Armenian Chess Federation Coach from 1990 to 2001
Trainer of Levon Aronian (1990–1997). In 1995, I was awarded the title of Honored Coach of Armenia in recognition of his successes
Helped develop numerous young talents in Armenia, including:
- GM Arman Pashikian
- GM Tigran Petrosian
- GM Tigran Gharamian
Worked with WGM Elina Danielian and WIM Narine Aghinian
Moved to the United States in 2001, where I continue to coach today

Some of my notable students in the U.S. include:

GM Steven Zierk, World U18 Champion (2010)
GM Kayden Troff, whom I coached for two years, helped him reach 2300+ and win Silver and Gold at the World Youth Championships
IM Christopher Hilby, WIM Sophie Liao
Current students: IM Arthur Wang, FM Ruiyang Yan, FM Brian Lin, Alexander Jasinski, Jasmine Su, Carter Ho

Additional highlights:

Teaching on Chess.com since 2009
Head Coach of the U.S. Women’s Olympic Team since 2010; Team Captain since 2017
Appointed Counselor for the FIDE Trainers’ Commission (TRG) in 2018

While coaching remains my passion, I believe staying active in tournament play is essential for any coach. I earned the International Master title in 1995 and competed in major events such as:

1996 World Chess Olympiad in Yerevan, Armenia
1997 World Team Championship as a member of the Armenian National Team (Bronze Medal)
In 1995, I was honored with the title of Honored Chess Coach of the Republic of Armenia and also of Moldova

If you’re ready to take your chess to the next level, join my school—you won’t regret it.

Grandmaster Melik Khachiyan

Special thanks to Mike Zaloznky for the translation and Joshua E. Gutman, the original webmaster.

More information: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melikset_Khachiyan