BEIJING, June 6 -- Chinese men have claimed a silver medal at the 37th Chess Olympiad in Turin, Italy, their first-ever medal in the tournament's 79-year history.

China upset European powerhouse the Netherlands 2.5-1.5 in the last round to finish second in the final standings.

The gold medal went to Armenia.

Armenia has proved beyond doubt what a spirited team effort can do.

The Armenian men's team garnered 36 out of 42 points and was recognized the winner of the Tournament of Nations. The Armenian chess players were leading from the 5th round and headed the tournament table up to the end. It is remarkable that the Armenian team was among the favorites along with Russia, France and China.

The Armenian men's team included international grand masters Levon Aronyan (the winner of the FIDE world cup), Vladimir Hakobyan, Karen Asryan, Smbar Lputyan, Gabriel Sargsyan and Artashes Minasyan.

The United States and Israeli men's teams shared the third position with 33 points. They are followed by Hungary (32.3), Russia, Spain, France, Ukraine and Bulgaria (32 points).

Chinese women's team, four-time winner of the tournament, failed to defend its title despite a 2.5-0.5 win over Belarus.

It finished third with a score of 27.5, two points behind gold medalist Ukraine.

(Source: Shenzhen Daily/Agencies)