Chessbase Next Tuesday the 39th Chess Olympiad begins in Khanty Mansiysk, with Russia is the favourite in all categories. But wait – who won the last two? It was Armenia, a tiny country with a total population less than a third that of Moscow. How is that possible – is it something in the water? Gabriel Gatehouse of the BBC tries to answer this question in a wonderfully interesting BBC World Service broadcast.

Armenia: the cleverest nation on earth

Armenia, a tiny, poor country of around three million people, has won the chess Olympics twice in a row. In so doing, it has triumphed over giants like Russia, China and the US. Chess is pursued fanatically in many parts of the world, but nowhere more so than Armenia, where its over-the-board stars have become national celebrities.

But how has little Armenia created a nation of chess geniuses; is there something in the water? Assignment investigates.

Click to go to the original link and listen to this 20-minute broadcast: http://www.chessbase.com/newsdetail.asp?newsid=6679