Viet Nam's men's and women's teams won their first matches at the 40th World Chess Olympiad in Turkey on Tuesday.

The men's team beat Nicaragua 3-1 with two wins and two draws. Grandmasters Le Quang Liem and Nguyen Ngoc Truong Son defeated William Bravo and Ernesto Fonseca Cabrera in the first and second boards, but Nguyen Van Huy and Nguyen Duc Hoa were forced into stalemate in the final two games.

They will play against Bosnia & Herzegovina in the second round.

The women's team had an impressive win over Ireland, with Pham Le Thao Nguyen, Nguyen Thi Mai Hung, Le Kieu Thien Kim and Hoang Thi Nhu Y all emerging victorious.

They will next compete against Hungary.

The tournament has attracted a record 158 teams from around the world, and will wrap up on September 10.-VNS