Melikset Khachiyan is an Armenian chess Grandmaster (GM) who is known for his accomplishments and contributions to the chess world as a player and coach. He was born in Baku, Azerbaijan SSR, on March 6, 1970. He became an International Master in 1995 and a Grandmaster in 1998.
Khachiyan began playing chess at the age of 5 and was a student of GM Varuzhan Arkovich Akobian, Armenian Grandmaster. In 1990, he won the Armenian Junior Championship and the following year was honored as the rated No.1 Junior player in Armenia. Khachiyan competed in several international chess tournaments in the 1990s and early 2000s and registered notable performances at the Gibraltar Chess Festival in 2005.
He has been living in Los Angeles, California, since 2001, having moved from Yerevan, Armenia. After relocating to the United States, Khachiyan shifted his focus from competing to coaching. He has coached numerous players who have made notable achievements. Notable among his students is Tatev Abrahamyan, a top-ranked female chess player in the US. He also trained and developed 7-time US Women's Champion, WGM Irina Krush.