The twelfth seed Chinese men's team claimed a silver medal at the 37th Chess Olympiad--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 standings. The gold medal went to Armenia.
In 1998 and 2002 the Chinese men's team got their previous highest ranking of 5th place. The women's team, four-times winners of the tournament, failed to defend their title despite a 2.5-0.5 win over Belarus.
They finished third with a score of 27.5, two points behind gold medallist Ukraine and 0.5 point behind silver winner Russia. China won their last title in Spain in October 2004.
The Chinese men's team
The Chinese women's team
(CRI June 5, 2006)
