“The Armenian Chess Federation is among the most active ones in the world, and can serve an example for many others,” FIDE President Kirsan Ilyumzhinov has said, speaking within the framework of the Candidates Tournament in Moscow.

“Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan and his team are doing a lot for the popularization of chess, and it’s no coincidence that Armenia has been crowned Olympic Champion thrice,” Ilyumzhinov said.

“Armenia is doing a targeted work to bring up professional chess players,” FIDE President said. He reminded that “Armenia was the first country to introduce chess as compulsory discipline in schools.”