The Stepan Avagyan Memorial chess tournament is currently underway in Jermuk, Armenia, featuring a tightly contested round-robin format with ten players. As of now, Nihal Sarin, Ray Robson, and Vladislav Artemiev share the lead with 3.5 points each after six rounds. Nihal, the top seed and the only player rated above 2700, has maintained his unbeaten streak with one victory and five draws. Artemiev has matched this performance, also remaining undefeated, while Robson has achieved his score through two wins, three draws, and one loss. Close behind them are four players, including Sam Sevian and Aravindh Chithambaram, both of whom have drawn all their games thus far. The tournament, organized by the Chess Academy of Armenia in collaboration with the Jermuk Ashkhar Health Centre, runs from May 28 to June 6, 2026, with a total prize fund of approximately $26,000. The event's structure allows for one game per day without rest days, adding to the competitive intensity as the final rounds approach.