https://www.learning-maya.com./t_rope.php

Although the way you described will also work. What you can do is create each one of you torus' so that they intersect correctly. Then parent a nurbs circle to the middle of each one. Then loft a nurbs surface along the circles thus creating a rope. Make the torus' active rigid bodies, apart from the one you want to move around and affect the others (probably one of the end ones). make that one a passive rigid body. Now key the passive rigid body and your chain should work and if you hide the torus's you will only render the rope.... see it's easy

Alan