Aram Hakobyan on Passion, Pressure and Modern Chess - Interview

by Arne Kaehler
5/18/2026 – Aram Hakobyan speaks about his journey from a passionate chess obsessed child in Armenia to becoming a world under 12 champion, studying at Webster University in the United States, and eventually returning home to continue pursuing professional chess. He reflects on the importance of passion over pressure, explains how mentors like Levon Aronian shaped his mindset, and shares honest thoughts about sponsorship struggles, modern chess preparation, and why enjoying the process matters more than chasing rating goals. Aram also discusses his upcoming ChessBase training course on the Ruy Lopez Opening from Black’s perspective, while offering practical advice on studying openings, experimenting with different training methods, and developing genuine curiosity for chess.
EXPAND YOUR CHESS HORIZONS
Data, plans, practice – the new Opening Report In ChessBase there are always attempts to show the typical plans of an opening variation. In the age of engines, chess is much more concrete than previously thought. But amateurs in particular love openings with clear plans, see the London System. In ChessBase ’26, three functions deal with the display of plans. The new opening report examines which piece moves or pawn advances are significant for each important variation. In the reference search you can now see on the board where the pieces usually go. If you start the new Monte Carlo analysis, the board also shows the most common figure paths.

“Nowadays it’s still fun for me to work on chess, but it’s not the same as it used to be.”

Aram Hakobyan visited the ChessBase studio in Hamburg during the Bundesliga finals to record his very first ChessBase training course, dedicated to the Ruy Lopez Opening and Marshall related structures from Black’s perspective. The Armenian grandmaster explained that he aims to recommend fresh and practical ideas which help players surprise their opponents rather than simply following the most heavily analyzed main lines.

In the interview, Hakobyan reflected on his chess journey from a passionate child in Yerevan to becoming Under 12 World Champion and later studying at Webster University alongside several elite grandmasters. He spoke candidly about growing up in Armenia’s rich chess culture, working with legendary coaches and players such as Levon Aronian and Vladimir Akopian, and how pure fascination for the game shaped his early development far more than external pressure or ambition.

Hakobyan also shared honest thoughts about the realities of professional chess today, including sponsorship difficulties, modern opening preparation, and the psychological side of improvement. One of the central themes of the conversation was his evolving mindset toward competition. Rather than obsessing over ratings and results, Hakobyan explained how learning to simply enjoy playing good chess has helped him produce stronger performances in recent years. The interview offers a fascinating look into the life, philosophy, and working methods of one of Armenia’s leading grandmasters.

EXPAND YOUR CHESS HORIZONS
Data, plans, practice – the new Opening Report In ChessBase there are always attempts to show the typical plans of an opening variation. In the age of engines, chess is much more concrete than previously thought. But amateurs in particular love openings with clear plans, see the London System. In ChessBase ’26, three functions deal with the display of plans. The new opening report examines which piece moves or pawn advances are significant for each important variation. In the reference search you can now see on the board where the pieces usually go. If you start the new Monte Carlo analysis, the board also shows the most common figure paths.

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Topics: Aram Hakobyan, Interview
Arne Kaehler, a creative mind who is passionate about board games in general, was born in Hamburg and learned to play chess at a young age. By teaching chess to youth teams and creating chess-related videos on YouTube, Arne was able to expand this passion and has even created an online course for anyone who wants to learn how to play chess. Arne writes for the English and German news sites, but focuses mainly on content for the ChessBase media channels.
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60m English Anti-Bayonet

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