46th FIDE Chess Olympiad gets underway in Samarkand

The 46th FIDE Chess Olympiad is getting underway in the Uzbek city of Samarkand and will run through September 28, with Armenia represented in both the women’s and men’s competitions.

Armenia’s men’s team at the 46th World Chess Olympiad will consist of Haik Martirosyan, Shant Sargsyan, Robert Hovhannisyan, Gabriel Sargsyan, and Manuel Petrosyan.

The women’s team includes Mariam Mkrtchyan, Elina Danielian, Lilit Mkrtchyan, Susanna Gaboyan, and Anahit Mkrtchyan. Anahit Mkrtchyan will be participating in the FIDE Chess Olympiad for the first time.

The Olympiad consists of 11 rounds and is held under the Swiss-system format. The defending champions are the Indian national team.

Last year, FIDE named Armenia’s men’s chess team the best team of the century. The Armenian team has won the FIDE Chess Olympiad three times.