As a promising young player, Harutjunyan was part of the Armenian team that won the World Under-16 Chess Olympiad twice consecutively (in 2006 and 2007). He won the Armenian Chess Championship twice, first in 2007 and then in 2012.

Harutjunyan is also known for his work as a chess trainer. He has trained several successful students including Luis Engel, a promising young mega-talent from Germany, who later became a GM himself in 2020.