Haik Martirosyan has emerged victorious at the 19th Agzamov Memorial in Tashkent, securing the coveted title on tiebreak. The Armenian Grandmaster finished the tournament tied with 16-year-old prodigy Artem Uskov, both accumulating an impressive 7½ points from nine rounds.
The decisive moments unfolded in the latter stages of the event. Martirosyan and Uskov, the two frontrunners, played to a draw in their crucial direct encounter during round seven. Martirosyan then gained a temporary lead by winning his round eight game. However, Uskov demonstrated remarkable resilience, clinching a vital win against Abhimanyu Puranik in the final round. This victory allowed the young contender to draw level on points with Martirosyan, but it wasn’t enough to surpass the Armenian GM on tiebreak criteria. The closely fought competition also saw a cluster of six players finish just half a point behind the leaders, highlighting the intense nature of the event.
