Profile: Melikset Khachiyan
U.S. Chess Champs
May 2013
Title: Grandmaster
Rating: 2625
Residence: Glendale, California
Age: 43
Status: Accepted
Chess Highlights: Frank K. Berry 2007 U.S. Championship, tied for
first in the 2006 American Open, 1997 World Team Championship: Bronze
(Armenia)
Bio:
Melikset Khachiyan began playing chess at the age of 8, won the Baku
Junior Championship two years later and became a Soviet Candidate
Master two years after that. He began coaching early in his career and
has brought up three Junior World Champions. In 2001, he immigrated to
the U.S., where he participated in the National Open in Las Vegas. He
earned his Grandmaster title in 2006.
Khachiyan has been playing and coaching chess professionally since
1990. One of his students, GM Levon Aronian, said: ” … it was
Khachiyan who took me as a third-category player and made me an IM.”
When Melik was young, he had the distinct honor of being coached by
the 12th World Champion, Tigran Petrosian. Then, in 1995, he earned
the title of International Master.
Melik continued coaching strong players and playing in strong
tournaments, both of which he credits to the improvement of his
game. In 1996, he played for the Armenian team in the World Chess
Olympiad in Erevan, Armenia. The next year, Melik helped the Armenian
team earn a bronze medal at the World Team Championship.
Melik was extended a wildcard to the 2013 U.S. Championships primarily
because of his fantastic results over the past year. He has gained
almost 100 rating points since 2011, which demonstrates his remarkable
fighting spirit. Khachiyan is one of the more dynamic fighting players
at this year’s event, and his presence is sure to create some exciting
over-the-board struggles.