“The Armenian chess team is again the strongest in the world. Armenian chess players beat the Chinese team with the score 2.5:1.5 at the World Chess Olympiad held in Dresden, thus retaining the Champions title. Armenia had first gained the title in 2006.” A1plus blog has commented on the national team’s victory, adding – “It turns out that our tiny Armenia is in fact a Chess Superpower. Well done our boys…”
The 2008 Chess Olympiad was constantly in the center of Pataphysicus blog’s attention, which kept its readers updated with the latest news and analyses on the course of the games. The blog had special coverage on the 11th – final round of the Olympiad – providing fresh updates nearly every 20 minutes. No wonder that at 17:50, it was one of the first to announce with joy: “Armenia is the Olympic Champion. Congratulations to us all”.
Over the next hours Armenian bloggers flooded the internet with congratulations and highlighted the names of victorious generals of bloodless chess-wars: Levon Aronian, Vladimir Hakobian, Tigran Petrossian, Gabriel Sargsian.
Naysaikus also noted the victory of Geogian women’s team. “We are the best among men, Georgians – among women. Together we can claim the title of “world’s smartest piece of land”, the blog has remarked.
The victory of Armenian chess team has a greater significance for Infernoarm in terms of internal political developments in Armenia. The Armenian society, deeply divided by bitter political confrontation and post-election violence as a result of 2008 February presidential elections,l had not been so united for months. The Olympic gold, for once, made many forget their differences. “We won, despite the March 1 violence and all the negative developments in the country throughout the past year. Perhaps this is one of the reasons, why this Olympic gold is more valuable than the previous one. We were waiting for ourselves. We were able to withstand. We won the fight against ourselves”,- Infernoarm has commented exactly on this aspect of Chess victory. So has Nazarian, noting: “There is a depressing deficit of good news coming out of Armenia. But fortunately we sometimes come across occasions that should be celebrated.”
At least one Armenian blogger – Macbeck, has taken time to visit the scene of Olympiad in Dresden. The blogger has posted photos and brilliant comments, showing the Armenian team at play on the 10-th, pre-final round of Olympic games, which were recognized by many as the best, most vivid coverage of this years Chess Olympics. This Russian langauge entry by Macbeck is a must for those, wishing to get the feel of what its like to be at the center of Chess Olympic games and warrying, along with players and trainers and fans, for the victory of our national team.
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Artur Papyan
Journalist, blogger, digital security and media consultant