Though 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.