news.am, Armenia
Nov 7 2009

Armenia and Azerbaijan fight for supremacy on the board: The Guardian

12:15 / 11/07/2009Though World Chess Federation FIDE comprises over
150 nations, `team supremacy on the board is currently being fought
out by two small Caucasian republics,’ reads The Guardian, adding that
`In the process the pair have humilated their big neighbour Russia.’

The daily comments on recent victories of Armenian chess players, such
as Olympiad 2006 that was nothing but `a surprise one-off’, however it
did not seem so after the victory of Armenian team in 2008. `On both
occasions the top-seeded Russians failed,’ the article reads.

At the last week’s European championship Russia was again seeded
first, however `they blew it yet again. Russia managed only 2-2 with
Spain and the Azeris clinched the gold medals when a Dutch GM
blundered in a drawn rook ending.’

The Guardian recalls about both countries’ `chess traditions from
Soviet times.’ `The battle now moves to next year’s world title
candidate matches,’ the Guardian concludes.