Russia defeated Armenia by 3.5 - .5 in the 12th round of the 34th chess Olympiad here to open up a three-point lead over the rest of the field.
This convincing victory has enabled Russia to take a step closer to defending the championship title. Germany is in second spot with 31 points.
Taleb Moussa won the gold medal in the reserve board with a score of six points from seven games. Taleb defeated Aziz of Iraq in 52 moves from a Sicilian defence. Taleb played a solid positional game to attain a superior position. The UAE lost to Iraq by 1.5 to 2.5 However, the crucial point for Taleb ensured the gold medal and the board prize.
The UAE women's team had success when Jawahar Hassan and Noora Hassan qualified for the International ELO rating. The women's team lost to Italy by 1-2.
