Chess Olympiad 1952
The 10th Chess Olympiad took place in Helsinki ( Finland ) from August 9th to 31st, 1952 .
Overview
25 teams took part and determined the teams for the final groups A to C in three preliminary groups. 140 players took part in the competition, including 13 grandmasters and 38 international champions. Both the opening groups and the final groups were held as round-robin tournaments. The first three teams in each preliminary group qualified for final group A.
The Chess Olympiad was held in the Svenska Handelshögskolan in Helsinki. The main judge was Karel Opočenský from Czechoslovakia . The time to consider was two and a half hours for 40 trains, then one hour for 16 trains each time. The placements were determined based on the board points (BP) and team points (MP).
It was the first chess Olympiad with the participation of a team from the Soviet Union, which subsequently dominated the tournament until the state was dissolved. Luxembourg was also at the start for the first time. In addition to the team from the German Chess Federation , a selection from the GDR competed for the first time, as well as a team from Saarland. Israel made its debut under its current national name after a team from the Mandate Palestine had previously twice participated in the Chess Olympiads.
Results
Preliminary rounds
Initially, three preliminary round groups were formed. The teams in places 1 to 3 in each group made it to the A final, three more to the B final and the rest to the C final.
- Preliminary group 1
Rg | team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4th | 5 | 6th | 7th | 8th | 9 | BP | MP | + | = | - |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Argentina | ● | 2 | 2 | 3½ | 3½ | 3½ | 3½ | 3½ | 4th | 25½ | 14th | 6th | 2 | 0 |
2 | BR Germany | 2 | ● | 2 | 2½ | 2½ | 3½ | 2½ | 4th | 4th | 23 | 14th | 6th | 2 | 0 |
3 | Czechoslovakia | 2 | 2 | ● | 2½ | 3 | 3½ | 2½ | 3 | 4th | 22½ | 14th | 6th | 2 | 0 |
4th | England | ½ | 1½ | 1½ | ● | 2 | 2 | 2½ | 4th | 4th | 18th | 8th | 3 | 2 | 3 |
5 | Denmark | ½ | 1½ | 1 | 2 | ● | 2 | 1½ | 3 | 4th | 15½ | 6th | 2 | 2 | 4th |
6th | Cuba | ½ | ½ | ½ | 2 | 2 | ● | 2½ | 2½ | 3½ | 14th | 8th | 3 | 2 | 3 |
7th | Iceland | ½ | 1½ | 1½ | 1½ | 2½ | 1½ | ● | 1½ | 2 | 12½ | 3 | 1 | 1 | 6th |
8th | Saarland | ½ | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1½ | 2½ | ● | 4th | 10½ | 4th | 2 | 0 | 6th |
9 | Luxembourg | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ½ | 2 | 0 | ● | 2½ | 1 | 0 | 1 | 7th |
- Preliminary group 2
Rg | team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4th | 5 | 6th | 7th | 8th | BP | MP | + | = | - |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Sweden | ● | 2 | 2 | 3½ | 2 | 3½ | 4th | 4th | 21st | 11 | 4th | 3 | 0 |
2 | Hungary | 2 | ● | 2½ | 2½ | 4th | 3 | 4th | 2½ | 20½ | 13 | 6th | 1 | 0 |
3 | Yugoslavia | 2 | 1½ | ● | 3 | 2½ | 3 | 3 | 3½ | 18½ | 11 | 5 | 1 | 0 |
4th | GDR | ½ | 1½ | 1 | ● | 3 | 1½ | 2½ | 3½ | 13½ | 6th | 3 | 0 | 4th |
5 | Austria | 2 | 0 | 1½ | 1 | ● | 2½ | 2 | 2½ | 11½ | 6th | 2 | 2 | 3 |
6th | Italy | ½ | 1 | 1 | 2½ | 1½ | ● | 1 | 3½ | 11 | 4th | 2 | 0 | 5 |
7th | Brazil | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1½ | 2 | 3 | ● | 3 | 10½ | 5 | 2 | 1 | 4th |
8th | Norway | 0 | 1½ | ½ | ½ | 1½ | ½ | 1 | ● | 5½ | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7th |
- Preliminary group 3
Rg | team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4th | 5 | 6th | 7th | 8th | BP | MP | + | = | - |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Soviet Union | ● | 3 | 2½ | 3 | 3½ | 4th | 3½ | 4th | 23½ | 15th | 7th | 0 | 0 |
2 | United States | 1 | ● | 1½ | 4th | 1½ | 2 | 4th | 4th | 18th | 7th | 3 | 1 | 3 |
3 | Finland | 1½ | 2½ | ● | 1½ | 1½ | 3 | 4th | 3 | 17th | 8th | 4th | 0 | 3 |
4th | Israel | 1 | 0 | 2½ | ● | 2½ | 2 | 4th | 4th | 16 | 9 | 4th | 1 | 2 |
5 | Netherlands | ½ | 2½ | 2½ | 1½ | ● | 1½ | 1½ | 3½ | 13½ | 6th | 3 | 0 | 4th |
6th | Poland | 0 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2½ | ● | 2½ | 2½ | 12½ | 8th | 3 | 2 | 2 |
7th | Switzerland | ½ | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2½ | 1½ | ● | 3 | 7½ | 4th | 2 | 0 | 5 |
8th | Greece | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ½ | 1½ | 1 | ● | 4th | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7th |
Final rounds
- Final group A
Rg | team | code | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4th | 5 | 6th | 7th | 8th | 9 | BP | MP | + | = | - |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Soviet Union | URS | ● | 2½ | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2½ | 3 | 3½ | 3½ | 21st | 13 | 5 | 3 | 0 |
2 | Argentina | ARG | 1½ | ● | 2½ | 1½ | 1½ | 3 | 3½ | 2½ | 3½ | 19½ | 10 | 5 | 0 | 3 |
3 | Yugoslavia | YUG | 2 | 1½ | ● | 2½ | 2 | 3 | 2½ | 3 | 2½ | 19th | 12 | 5 | 2 | 1 |
4th | Czechoslovakia | CSR | 2 | 2½ | 1½ | ● | 2 | 1½ | 2 | 3 | 3½ | 18th | 9 | 3 | 3 | 2 |
5 | United States | United States | 2 | 2½ | 2 | 2 | ● | 2 | 1½ | 3 | 2 | 17th | 9 | 2 | 5 | 1 |
6th | Hungary | HUN | 1½ | 1 | 1 | 2½ | 2 | ● | 2½ | 2 | 3½ | 16 | 8th | 3 | 2 | 3 |
7th | Sweden | SWE | 1 | ½ | 1½ | 2 | 2½ | 1½ | ● | 2 | 2 | 13 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 4th |
8th | FRG | GER | ½ | 1½ | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | ● | 1½ | 10½ | 2 | 0 | 2 | 6th |
9 | Finland | FIN | ½ | ½ | 1½ | ½ | 2 | ½ | 2 | 2½ | ● | 10 | 4th | 1 | 2 | 5 |
- Final group B
Rg | team | code | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14th | 15th | 16 | 17th | 18th | BP | MP | + | = | - |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
10 | Netherlands | NED | ● | 2 | 1½ | 2½ | 2½ | 3½ | 3 | 3 | 3 | 21st | 13 | 6th | 1 | 1 |
11 | Israel | ISR | 2 | ● | 2 | 3 | 2½ | 3 | 2½ | 2 | 2½ | 19½ | 13 | 5 | 3 | 0 |
12 | Poland | POLE | 2½ | 2 | ● | 2½ | 1½ | 2½ | 1 | 2 | 2½ | 16½ | 10 | 4th | 2 | 2 |
13 | GDR | GDR | 1½ | 1 | 1½ | ● | 2 | 3 | 1½ | 3 | 3 | 16½ | 7th | 3 | 1 | 4th |
14th | Denmark | THE | 1½ | 1½ | 2½ | 2 | ● | 1½ | 2½ | 3 | 1½ | 16 | 7th | 3 | 1 | 4th |
15th | Cuba | CUB | ½ | 1 | 1½ | 1 | 2½ | ● | 3 | 3½ | 2 | 15th | 7th | 3 | 1 | 4th |
16 | England | CLOSELY | 1 | 1½ | 3 | 2½ | 1½ | 1 | ● | 1½ | 2 | 14th | 5 | 2 | 1 | 5 |
17th | Austria | AUT | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | ½ | 2½ | ● | 3 | 13 | 6th | 2 | 2 | 4th |
18th | Italy | ITA | 1 | 1½ | 1½ | 1 | 2½ | 2 | 2 | 1 | ● | 12½ | 4th | 1 | 2 | 5 |
- Final group C
Rg | team | code | 19th | 20th | 21st | 22nd | 23 | 24 | 25th | BP | MP | + | = | - |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
19th | Brazil | BRA | ● | 2½ | 2 | 2½ | 4th | 3½ | 4th | 18½ | 11 | 5 | 1 | 0 |
20th | Greece | GRE | 1½ | ● | 2½ | 1½ | 1½ | 2½ | 4th | 13½ | 6th | 3 | 0 | 3 |
21st | Norway | NOR | 2 | 1½ | ● | 2½ | 1½ | 2 | 3½ | 13 | 6th | 2 | 2 | 2 |
22nd | Switzerland | SUI | 1½ | 2½ | 1½ | ● | 1½ | 2½ | 3½ | 13 | 6th | 3 | 0 | 3 |
23 | Iceland | ISL | 0 | 2½ | 2½ | 2½ | ● | 1 | 4th | 12½ | 8th | 4th | 0 | 2 |
24 | Saarland | SAA | ½ | 1½ | 2 | 1½ | 3 | ● | 4th | 12½ | 4th | 2 | 1 | 3 |
25th | Luxembourg | LUX | 0 | 0 | ½ | ½ | 0 | 0 | ● | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6th |
Best individual percentage results
Board, place Name first Name code Size BP Lots % Board 1 1 Miguel Najdorf ARG A. 12½ 16 78.1 2 Gideon Ståhlberg SWE A. 10 13 76.9 3 László Szabó HUN A. 10½ 14th 75.0 Board 2 1 Vasily Smyslow URS A. 10½ 13 80.8 2 Lothar Schmid GER A. 9 12 75.0 3 Braslav Rabar YUG A. 8th 12 66.7 Board 3 1 David Bronstein URS A. 8th 10 80.0 2 Johannes Hendrikus Donner NED B. 10 13 76.9 3 Robert Byrne United States A. 10½ 15th 70.0 Board 4 1 Cenek Kottnauer CSR A. 12½ 15th 83.3 2 Efim Geller URS A. 10½ 14th 75.0 2 Bogdan Śliwa POLE B. 9 12 75.0 Reserve 1 1 Héctor Rossetto ARG A. 8th 10 80.0 2 Dennis Morton Horne CLOSELY B. 5½ 9 61.1 3 Wilfried Lange GER A. 5 10 50.0 Reserve 2 1 Ludwig Rellstab GER A. 6½ 9 72.2 2 Izaak Grynfeld POLE B. 7th 10 70.0
Note: Boleslavsky's score of 7 out of 8 on the second reserve board was ignored as he only played 8 games.
Team of the Soviet Union (Olympic Champion)
Results from preliminary group 3 and final group A.
board Name first Name BP Lots % space 1 Paul Keres 6½ 12 54.2 10. 2 Vasily Smyslow 10½ 13 80.8 1. 3 David Bronstein 8th 10 80.0 1. 4th Efim Geller 10½ 14th 75.0 2. Res 1 Isaak Efremowitsch Boleslavski 7th 8th 87.5 Res 2 Alexander Alexandrovich Kotov 2 3 66.7
Results of the West German players (FRG)
Results from preliminary group 1 and final group A.
board Name first Name BP Lots % space 1 Rudolf Teschner 5½ 13 42.3 18th 2 Lothar Schmid 9 12 75.0 2. 3 Gerhard Pfeiffer 4th 10 40.0 18th 4th Herbert Heinicke 3½ 10 35.0 19th Res 1 Wilfried Lange 5 10 50.0 3. Res 2 Ludwig Rellstab 6½ 9 72.2 1.
Results of the East German players (GDR)
Results from preliminary group 2 and final group B
board Name first Name BP Lots % space 1 Berthold Koch 5½ 15th 36.7 20th 2 Wolfgang Pietzsch 8th 15th 53.3 8th. 3 Hans place 7½ 15th 50.0 15th 4th Klaus Müller 9 15th 60.0 7th
Results of the Saarland players
Results from preliminary group 1 and final group C
board Name first Name BP Lots % space 1 Gerhard Lorson 4th 13 30.8 22nd 2 Otto Benkner 9 14th 64.3 5. 3 Ernst Weichselbaumer 4th 12 33.3 21st 4th Felix Jost 4th 13 30.8 21st Res Franz Jacob 2 4th 50.0
Team lineups
Web links
- 10th Chess Olympiad: Helsinki 1952 on Olimpbase (English)