Levon Aronyan played a draw with Russian Maxim Matlakov in the first game of the 1/16 finals of the FIDE World Cup underway in Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia.

The second games will be played on September 17.
The other three Armenian representatives at the World Chess Cup have dropped out of the competition.
Robert Hovhannisyan and Armenia’s current champion Arman Pashikyan failed to overcome the first round and Sergei Movsesyan lost to Chinese Ding Liren in the second round.
Levon Aronyan is the current winner of the FIDE World Cup.