The Armenian national team beat Madagascar in the first round of the 44th World Chess Olympiad under way in Chennai, India.

Hrant Melkumyan, Samvel Ter-Sahakyan, Manuel Petrosyan and Robert Hovhannisyan beat their rivals in the first round. The Armenian team is set to face Andorra in the second round.

The 44th World Chess Olympiad will be held in Swiss format, with 11 rounds. The teams of Russia and Belarus have been banned from participating in the event.

Teams from 186 countries are participating in the men’s tournament. India, as the organizer of the Olympics, is represented by three teams.

The Armenian national team ranks 12th among the participants with the average rating of chess players (2642). The list is headed by the USA team (2771), in which Levon Aronian will play on the 2nd board.

The Armenian men’s team is a three-time Olympic champion. Our chess players became champions in 2006, 2008 and 2012, and won bronze prizes three times.