Chess as a Compulsory Subject

A few months I featured The National Sport of Azerbaijan on my Video Friday series. The description for the following clip starts, 'Armenia is a country facing many problems. Its ceasefire with neighboring Azerbaijan is rocky, and its economy is struggling. Now Armenia is hoping chess could help improve its fortunes.'

Armenia: Compulsory Chess | European Journal (6:32) • 'Armenian schools are introducing chess as a compulsory subject. The idea comes from chess Grandmaster Smbat Lputian, who founded a chess academy in Yerevan.'

It's ironic that these two chess-crazy countries can't get along with each other.