Armenia's men's chess team has defended its title by winning the 38th World Chess Olympiad in Germany, while Georgia's women's team also took the gold.
The head of the Armenian chess delegation, Vanik Zakarian, told RFE/RL's Armenian Service from Dresden that the win was a "fantastic result for a small country like Armenia."
He added that President Serzh Sarkisian, who is also the chairman of the country's Chess Federation, flew to Dresden to support the team before its final match against China, which it won 2.5 to 1.5.
Armenia's victory caused elation throughout the country, where chess is very popular. The chess team will receive a heroes' welcome in Armenia, where team members are quite popular.
In the women's competition, Georgia beat Serbia for the gold.
In all, 156 teams from 152 countries participated in the Olympiad, with most of the top players from each country present. The biggest upset at the tournament was the U.S. team beating Ukraine 3.5-0.5.
The head of the Armenian chess delegation, Vanik Zakarian, told RFE/RL's Armenian Service from Dresden that the win was a "fantastic result for a small country like Armenia."
He added that President Serzh Sarkisian, who is also the chairman of the country's Chess Federation, flew to Dresden to support the team before its final match against China, which it won 2.5 to 1.5.
Armenia's victory caused elation throughout the country, where chess is very popular. The chess team will receive a heroes' welcome in Armenia, where team members are quite popular.
In the women's competition, Georgia beat Serbia for the gold.
In all, 156 teams from 152 countries participated in the Olympiad, with most of the top players from each country present. The biggest upset at the tournament was the U.S. team beating Ukraine 3.5-0.5.
