GM Tigran Nalbandian Passes Away At 50

Armenian chess is in mourning following the passing of GM Tigran Nalbandian, a beloved coach and player who played a central role in the rise of chess in his nation over the last two decades. 

Nalbandian died of a heart attack last week in Yerevan, just weeks after celebrating his 50th birthday. The Armenian Chess Federation confirmed the news on Saturday. Nalbandian’s funeral was held in the capital on Sunday and was widely covered by national media.

The grandmaster played a vital role in shaping Armenian chess over the last two decades. He founded the Kaissa Chess Academy in 2012 and served as the head coach of the Armenian national team from 2004 to 2008. That period saw some of the nation’s greatest triumphs, with two Olympiad gold medals, achievements that made their grandmasters national heroes.

But Nalbandian was more than just a grandmaster and coach, with friends and colleagues describing him to Chess.com as a generous, beloved, and caring person who left a lasting impact on the people around him.

Nalbandian represented the former Soviet republic of Armenia in numerous youth events in the 1990s and 2000s. His first international triumph was winning the Belavenets Memorial in Moscow in 1990. In 1991, he won the bronze medal in the U16 USSR Youth Championship. He eventually scored International Master norms in 1992 and 1993, fulfilling the IM title.

Over the board, he was known for his fearlessness and creativity, rather than reliance on home preparation. A great example of that can be found in what is likely Nalbandian’s greatest victory over the board, taking down none other than GM Veselin Topalov in just 22 moves.

It would take him another ten years to achieve the grandmaster title, scoring his final norm in the Cappelle la Grande Open in 2003. The first norm came through his second-place finish in the 1998 Armenian Championship, behind GM Smbat Lputian.

In the following years, he scored several impressive tournament victories, such as his win in the 13-round Alushta Open in Ukraine.

He also experienced remarkable success in open tournaments in Dortmund, with some of the events organized as part of the prestigious super tournament. Having first won the event in 2002, where he also achieved his second grandmaster norm, he continued to return to Germany. He won it again in 2007 and then again in 2010, both with 7/9.

And that wasn’t the end of it. He returned to Dortmund in 2018, where he played his last FIDE-rated tournament. He won it for the fourth time, this time with 7.5/9.

Speaking to Chess.com, Lputian, among Armenia’s strongest players in the 90s, described Nalbandian as a multifaceted person who pursued many interests besides chess, such as international law and various sports such as football.

Lputian said his lack of hard work may have prevented him from reaching higher than 2527, which is his peak rating from 2005, placing him among the top-12 players in the country at the time.

Nalbandian’s true impact came as a coach, where he earned the FIDE Senior Trainer (FST) title in 2014. In 2001, he joined GM Vladimir Kramnik’s team of seconds, assisting the 14th world champion during several events, such as the super tournaments in Dortmund. He was also in his team of seconds during the match with Deep Fritz in Bahrain in 2002.

From 2004 to 2008, Nalbandian served as head coach of the Armenian men’s national team, guiding them to some of their greatest triumphs: successive gold medals at the Olympiads in Turin in 2006 and Dresden in 2008. The national team also took silver in the European Team Championship in 2007, a remarkable achievement for the small nation where chess is regarded as a national sport. 

Over the years, Nalbandian worked with a number of talented players who eventually became international masters and grandmasters, shaping a golden generation of Armenian chess. Among his most successful students is IM Elina Danielian, who is the most accomplished woman player in the country. She shared her deep sorrow following the loss of a dear friend.

“I will remember him as a great friend who was always ready to support and give me advice,” she told Chess.com. “I could talk to him about any kinds of difficulties I faced, not only related to chess, but also besides chess. We lost a very good friend.”

I will remember him as a great friend who was always ready to support and give me advice.
—Elina Danielian

She added: “I have learned a lot from him. The attitude to chess, to life, to accept the situation as it is, to make accurate conclusions from bad results and benefit from it, along with many other things. In the period of working with Tigran, I reached my peak rating,” she said.

She also recalled a humorous story from a tournament. “I had 1.5 out of 6 points. It was not a good result, and on the free day Tigran came to my room. He noticed the book I was reading, which was a philosophical book about life and death. ‘Remind me, how many points do you have?’ he asked while silently standing by the window. When I answered 1.5 points, he just threw the book out of the window!”

When I answered 1.5 points, he just threw the book out of the window!
—Elina Danielian

“I was shocked: ‘Why did you do that?!’ He calmly said, ‘I’ll bring you the book to read for the rest of the tournament.’ He brought me Alice in Wonderland. I scored 6 points in the remaining 7 games. He was showing me how the right approach to things can change things.”

Another student of Nalbandian was GM Zaven Andriasian, who described a close relationship with Nalbandian since his childhood years in the 2000s. The grandmaster, now 35, became the World Junior Champion in 2006, his greatest achievement to date.

“Tigran played a pivotal role in both my chess career and my personal development. He was much more than a coach—he was a true mentor and a trusted friend,” he told Chess.com.

He was much more than a coach—he was a true mentor and a trusted friend.
—Zaven Andriasian

“During some of the most formative years of my growth as a chess player, his guidance was invaluable. His support was always thoughtful and deeply meaningful. I knew I could count on him, not only for chess advice, but also for the challenges in life.”

“I will always remember Tigran as a joyful, warm-hearted, and generous person. He had a remarkable energy and a great sense of humor. No matter what was happening, he always knew exactly what to say to bring clarity or support. He was someone I could turn to during life’s most difficult moments—and I always received from him the best and wisest advice,” Andriasian said.

Another student, GM Hovhannes Gabuzyan, credited Nalbandian for his grandmaster title, telling Chess.com: “Tigran was one of the smartest and nicest people I have ever known.”

“Every time I asked him a question, he was taking a pause and then he provided such a clever answer it’s even hard to imagine. I will be forever thankful for what he has done for me.”

 I will be forever thankful for what he has done for me

—Hovhannes Gabuzyan

The author of this obituary was fortunate enough to meet Nalbandian during a visit to Yerevan in 2003. He made an impression with his kindness and warmth, having invited me to an Armenian kebab place where he shared stories of his work for Kramnik. We kept in touch for years after that. 

Tigran Nalbandian is survived by his wife and son.