YEREVAN. - Players of the Armenian national chess team are heroes, Deputy Head of Chess Federation of Armenia Smbat Lputyan told Armenian News-NEWS.am.

“Armenia twice became Olympic champion, world champion, but our team never won world team chess championship. It was very difficult to win the world’s strongest teams so brilliantly and confidently. It proves the Armenian chess team is one of the best in the world,” Lputyan noted.

“I am just proud Armenia is considered a powerful chess nation,” Lputyan emphasized, adding almost all the teams were strong and had equal chances to win the championship. “But our team was able to win a brilliant victory due to its solidarity and spirit,” Lputyan noted.

As Armenian News-NEWS.am reported earlier, the Armenian team won the World Chess Team Championship for the first time. Armenian and Ukrainian teams ended in a draw 2:2 at the last round in Ningbo team championship. All chess games registered draws. 

Armenia tops the standings with 14 points in nine rounds. It is ahead of Ukraine with two points. Armenia won bronze at previous three championships.