Armenian Weekly reports that the opening ceremonies of the 40thWorld Chess Olympiad were held yesterday in Istanbul, in the presence of more than a thousand chess players representing around 150 countries.
This Olympiad, organized by the International Chess Federation (FIDE), is one of the most prestigious team competitions in the chess world.
The favorites are seeded by the following order: Russia, Ukraine, Armenia, Hungary, Azerbaijan, China, and the U.S.
As reported, Armenian national team is represented by Levon Aronian, Sergei Movsesian, Vladimir Akopian, Gabriel Sargissian, and Tigran Petrosian.
The women’s team representing Armenia comprises of Elina Danielian, Lilit Mkrtchian, Lilit Galoian, Maria Kursova, and Anna Hairapetian.
The Olympiad consists of 11 rounds and will conclude on Sept. 10.
The first round will be played today, Aug. 28.
Note, Armenia won the 2006 and 2008 Olympiads and came 7th in 2010 and we hope that this year’s competition will also be successful for our teams.
