Armenia is to make chess a compulsory subject in primary schools in a bid to turn the country into a global force in the game.
Children from the age of six will learn chess as a separate subject on the curriculum for two hours a week, the country's education ministry said.
The authorities led by President Serzh Sarkisian, an enthusiastic supporter of the game, have committed around $US1.5 million to the scheme - a large sum in the impoverished but chess-mad country.
"Teaching chess in schools will create a solid basis for the country to become a chess superpower," ministry official Arman Aivazian told the AFP news agency.
Mr Aivazian said the lessons, which start later this year, would "foster schoolchildren's intellectual development" and teach them to "think flexibly and wisely".
The game is hugely popular in Armenia, a country of 3.2 million people, where chess grandmasters are stars and important match results make headline news.
The country has already established itself as a serious competitor in global tournaments.
The national team won gold at the biennial International Chess Olympiad in both 2006 and 2008, and the country's top player, Levon Aronian, is currently ranked No.3 in the world, according to the World Chess Federation.