08/12/2026 1918
August 13, 2026•461 words
Following a rough start in the first round, and a break in round three, Aleks Manukyan anchored Team Armenia to win the 2026 International Interuniversity Team Chess Tournament for the ACF Cup a rapid event held in Moscow earlier this summer. Manukyan (2216) playing black gave up a draw to Roman Arihpov (1933, Belarus) in the first round. Starting in round four, Manukyan won six straight to lead Team Armenia's effort with 7.5 points, including a win against Grigori Symonyan (2116, MSU) in round nine. Team Belarus came second, while MSU (3 Russians and an Armenian), third. Alexander Bakh directed this 9 team round robin event with a 1994 average rating.
Arhipov,Roman (1933) - Manukyan,Aleks (2216) [B90]
International Interuniversity Team Chess Tournament for the ACF Cup (1.4), 18.06.2026
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Bd3 e5 7.Nf3 Be7 8.0-0 0-0 9.a4 h6 10.h3 Be6 11.Qe2 Nc6 12.Rd1 Rc8 13.Be3 Qc7 14.Rd2 Rfd8 15.Rad1 Nb4 16.Re1 Nxd3 17.cxd3 d5 18.exd5 Nxd5 19.Nxd5 Rxd5 20.Rdd1 Qd7 21.d4 e4 22.Ne5 Qxa4 23.Rc1 Rdd8 24.Qh5 Qe8 25.Ng4 f5 26.Qxe8+ Rxe8 27.Ne5 Bb4 28.Rf1 a5 29.f3 exf3 30.Rxf3 Rxc1+ 31.Bxc1 Rc8 32.Be3 g5 33.d5 Bxd5 34.Rxf5 Rc2 35.Ng4 Rxg2+ 36.Kf1 Bc6 37.Nxh6+ Kh7 38.Ng4 Rxb2 39.Rf7+ Kg6 40.Rf6+ Kg7 41.Bd4 Rb1+ 42.Kf2 Rd1 43.Be5 Kg8 44.Rg6+ Kf7 45.Rxg5 Rh1 46.Rg7+ Ke6 47.Rg6+ Kf5 48.Rf6+ Ke4 49.Kg3 Be1+ 50.Kg2 Bh4 51.Rxc6 bxc6 52.Kxh1 a4 53.Bd6 Kd4 54.Kg2 c5 55.Be5+ Ke4 56.Kf1 Kd3 57.Nf2+ Kc2 58.Ne4 c4 59.Ke2 a3 60.Bd6 a2 61.Be5 Be7 62.Ba1 Ba3 63.Nc3 Bb2 64.Nxa2 Bxa1 65.Nb4+ Kc3 66.Nd5+ Kd4 67.Ne3 Bb2 68.Nxc4 Kxc4 ½-½
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Manukyan,Aleks (2216) - Simonyan,Grigori (2116) [A56]
International Interuniversity Team Chess Tournament for the ACF Cup (9.4), 20.06.2026
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 d6 4.Nc3 g6 5.e4 e5 6.dxe6 fxe6 7.e5 dxe5 8.Qxd8+ Kxd8 9.Bg5 Be7 10.0-0-0+ Bd7 11.Nf3 Nc6 12.Bd3 a6 13.Rhe1 Kc7 14.h3 Rhf8 15.Bh6 Rfe8 16.Nxe5 Nxe5 17.Rxe5 Bd6 18.Re2 Bc6 19.Ne4 Nxe4 20.Bxe4 b5 21.Bd2 Bxe4 22.Rxe4 Kc6 23.Rde1 bxc4 24.Rxc4 Kd5 25.Rh4 Ra7 26.Bc3 Rf8 27.f3 Bf4+ 28.Kc2 h5 29.Rd1+ Kc6 30.Re1 Re7 31.Be5 Bxe5 32.Rxe5 Rf5 33.Re2 Kd5 34.Ra4 Ra7 35.Rae4 Re7 36.b3 g5 37.Rd2+ Kc6 38.Rd8 Rf4 39.Kd3 e5 40.Ke3 a5 41.Rg8 Rf5 42.Rg6+ Kd5 43.g4 hxg4 44.hxg4 Rf8 45.Rxg5 Rh8 46.Rh5 Rg8 47.Rh2 Rf8 48.Rd2+ Kc6 49.Kf2 Ref7 50.Rd3 Re7 51.Kg3 Rg8 52.Rde3 Kd5 53.Rd3+ Kc6 54.Rc3 Kd5 55.Rec4 Rc7 56.a3 Rg6 57.Rd3+ Kc6 58.Re3 Kd5 59.Re2 Rb7 60.Rd2+ Kc6 61.Rdc2 Rxb3 62.Rxc5+ Kd7 63.Rc7+ Kd8 64.Rc8+ Kd7 65.R2c7+ Kd6 66.Rc6+ Kd7 67.R8c7+ Kd8 68.Rc8+ Kd7 69.Rxg6 Kxc8 70.Re6 Re3 71.Kf2 Rxa3 72.Rxe5 Kd7 73.Kg3 Kd6 74.Re8 Rc3 75.Ra8 Rc5 76.f4 Ke6 77.Kh4 Kd5 78.g5 Ke4 79.Kg4 Rc1 80.Re8+ Kd4 81.g6 a4 82.Ra8 Ra1 83.Kf5 1-0
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