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National News:
US Men Capture Bronze Medal in Turin

1962 Elementary Chess Competitors Battled in Denver For National Titles

Former Chess Life Editor Burton Hochberg Dies

US Chess Seeks Senior Art Director, Editorial Assistant

2006 Burt Lerner National Elementary (K-6) Program Book now available!

USCF Seeks Endorsements, Sponsorships and Strategic Partnerships

American Chess Players Go For Olympiad Gold

World News:
Armenia, Ukraine Emerge as Olympiad Champions

Kirsan Ilyumzhinov Wins Reelection as FIDE President

Chess In the Media: Chess Stories Across the USA and Around the World

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Chess Around the World

Armenia, Ukraine Emerge as Olympiad Champions

Armenia, led by strong performances from Levon Aronian, Vladimir Akopian and an undefeated run by Gabriel Sargissian cruised to the gold medal at the 2006 Chess Olympiad in Turin, Italy. The Armenians scored 36 points, a full two points ahead of second place China, and needed only a quick draw with Hungary in the final round to clinch victory.

Ranked as the third seed in the tournament, Armenia was a strong contender for a medal from the beginning. They were the only team not to lose a single match throughout the event, winning ten and drawing just three.

As expected, Armenia received strong performances from their two strongest players: World Cup champion Aronian (7.0/11) and Akopian (9/12). More surprising was the performance of Sargissian, who was only the 5th highest rated player on the team. Playing mostly as the fourth board, Sargissian participated in every one of Armenia's 13 matches, scoring an impressive 10 points.

The United States, led by Gata Kamsky on first board, finished third to take the bronze medal. For full details on their accomplishment, see our National News section.

In the women's competition, three teams stood far above the field: Ukraine, Russia, and China were the clear medalists heading into the final round, with only their order in question.

In the end, the Ukrainian team took a well-deserved first place, scoring 29.5 points with 12 wins and one draw. Russia finished second at 28.0 points, with China in 3rd at 27.5.

Ukraine features a balanced attack, with each of their four players playing in at least nine matches. Natalia Zhukova (7.5/9) and Anna Ushenina (7.0/10) had especially strong performances, each going through the tournament undefeated.Katerina Lahno (8.0/10) and Inna Yanovska-Gaponenko (7/9) rounded out the strong performances for the winning team.

The top performers on the men's side including Vladimir Kramnik, with a 2847 performance rating, Yue Wang of China, with a 2837 performance, and Etienne Bacrot, who performed at a 2833 clip. Among the women, China's WGM Zhao Xue had the highest performance rating, at 2617.

Kirsan Ilyumzhinov Wins Reelection as FIDE President

Incumbent FIDE President Kirsan Ilyumzhinov defeated challenger Bessel Kok to earn another term as the President of the International Chess Federation. Ilyumzhinov received 96 votes, compared to just 54 for Kok.

The majority of the support for Kok came from North America, Western Europe and Australia, while Ilyumzhinov recieved the overwhelming amount of votes from Asia, Africa, Eastern Europe and the Middle East. Each national federation receives one vote, with all votes counting equally.

Ilyumzhinov has been FIDE President since 1995. He is also the president of the Republic of Kalmykia, part of the Russian Federation.