Chess Olympiad
The Chess Olympiad is the most important team competition in chess .
Overview
The Chess Olympiad was launched by the world chess organization FIDE in 1926 as the Tournament of Nations and was held for the first time in London a year later . The tournament was initially irregular, but has been held every two years since 1950. Since 1957 there has been a chess Olympiad for women in addition to the open tournament (approved for men and women, de facto almost a purely men's tournament). The winning team of the Olympics in women's chess has received the so-called Vera Menchik Cup as a trophy (named after the first world chess champion Vera Menchik ) since 1957, and the Hamilton Russell Cup donated by Frederick Hamilton-Russell has been awarded as a challenge cup in open tournaments since 1927 . The Women's Chess Olympiad has been held together with the open tournament since 1976. In addition, so-called Children's Chess Olympiads (U16 Chess Olympiads) have been held since 1979.
National teams play on four boards. Initially, the game was played in the preliminary and final rounds, and since 1976 according to the Swiss system , in which teams with equal points play against each other. From 1952 the competition was dominated by the USSR or Russia , which achieved a total of 24 victories. This number is made up of two series of twelve victories each (1952-1974 and 1980-2002), which ended in 1976 with the failure of the USSR and in 2004 with the victory of Ukraine at the Chess Olympiad in Calvià .
The greatest successes of a team from the German-speaking countries so far have been the German Olympic victory in Buenos Aires in 1939 and the silver medal in Istanbul in 2000 . The Olympiad has so far taken place six times in Germany, most recently in Dresden in 2008 (the event in Munich 1936 is not counted as an official Olympiad, as Germany was not a member of FIDE at the time), and twice in Switzerland.
Efforts by FIDE to integrate chess into the Olympic Games have failed.
Records
The most successful country is the Soviet Union (since 1992 Russia) with 24 titles in two twelve-time series of victories in the years 1952 to 1974 and 1980 to 2002. The player with the most participations in the Chess Olympiads is the Philippine grandmaster Eugenio Torre , who participated 23 times (most recently 2016 in Baku) and was used in 270 competitions.
A total of 18 players won all their games at the Chess Olympiads, of which the Tunisian Elies Imed was the most popular with four games. If you only take into account players who have participated in at least three Chess Olympiads, Michail Tal was the most successful individual player based on percentage of wins with 82 points from 101 games. Most of the medals went to Svetozar Gligorić in the team ranking (1 gold, 6 silver, 5 bronze) and Garri Kasparow in the individual ranking (7 gold, 2 silver, 2 bronze).
The longest game was a draw after 190 moves between Yasser Seirawan and Xu Jun in Thessaloniki in 1988.
The shortest winning game only lasted four moves: 1. e2 – e4 c7 – c5 2. d2 – d4 c5xd4 3. Ng1 – f3 e7 – e5 4. Nf3xe5 Qd8 – a5 +. White gave up (Combe - Hasenfuss, Folkestone 1933).
Ratings to determine the placement
While the sum of the board points (1 point for each game won, half for a draw, 0 for a defeat) was decisive for the placement of the teams until the 2006 Chess Olympiad in Turin, the number of match points was the first decisive factor from the 2008 Olympics in Dresden (2 points for beating a team, 1 for a draw, 0 for a loss). If the match point tie then often occurs, the so-called Olympiad-Sonneborn-Berger rating (Olympiad Pairing Rules, Section G. Tie Breaking) decides as rating 2 . The board points achieved in each match are multiplied by the match points achieved by the respective opponent during the entire tournament and then added up; however, the opponent with the fewest match points is not included in this rating 2. After their application, the placement is almost always decided. If there is still a tie, the sum of the match points of all opponents except for the one with the fewest match points decides. This rating 3 can be called the Olympics-Buchholz rating . Only if the result is still a draw does the scoring that came first up to 2006 decide, namely who scored the most board points (score 4).
Final results open tournament
1st to 6th place
Medal table
The following table shows the medal table for all official Chess Olympiads up to and including 2018.
Medal table open tournament | ||||
space | country | gold | silver | bronze |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 |
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18th | 1 | - |
2 |
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6th | 6th | 8th |
3 |
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6th | 3 | 3 |
4th |
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3 | 7th | 2 |
5 |
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3 | - | 3 |
6th |
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2 | 2 | 3 |
7th |
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2 | 1 | - |
8th |
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1 | 6th | 6th |
9 |
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1 | 2 | 3 |
10 |
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1 | 1 | 3 |
11 |
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- | 3 | 3 |
12 |
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- | 3 | 2 |
13 |
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- | 2 | 1 |
14th |
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- | 1 | 1 |
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- | 1 | 1 | |
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- | 1 | 1 | |
17th |
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- | 1 | - |
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- | 1 | - | |
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- | 1 | - | |
20th |
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- | - | 1 |
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- | - | 1 | |
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- | - | 1 |
Placements of the German-speaking countries
1927 | 1928 | 1930 | 1931 | 1933 | 1935 | 1936 | 1937 | 1939 | 1950 | 1952 | 1954 | 1956 | 1958 | 1960 | 1962 | 1964 | 1966 | 1968 | 1970 | 1972 | 1974 | 1976 | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Teams | 16 | 17th | 18th | 19th | 15th | 20th | 21st | 19th | 27 | 16 | 25th | 26th | 34 | 36 | 40 | 37 | 50 | 52 | 53 | 60 | 63 | 75 | 48 |
Germany | 7th | 10. | 3. | 5. | / | / | 3. | / | 1. | 3. | 8th. | 5. | 5. | 7th | 8th. | 7th | 3. | / | 5. | 6th | 5. | 7th | 5. |
GDR | / | / | / | / | / | / | / | / | / | / | 13. | / | 20th | 6th | 9. | 9. | 15th | 9. | 10. | 9. | 10. | / | / |
Austria | 6th | 4th | 4th | 8th. | 6th | 7th | 7th | / | / | 7th | 17th | 15th | 13. | 12. | 15th | 12. | 20th | 17th | 17th | 22nd | 23. | 18th | 19th |
Switzerland | 8th. | 7th | / | 12. | / | 19th | 17th | / | / | / | 22nd | 13. | 9. | 8th. | / | 22nd | 30th | 18th | 21st | 37. | 16. | 27. | 7th |
Belgium | 15th | 12. | / | / | 13. | / | / | 17th | / | 6th | / | 19th | 16. | 24. | 33. | 19th | / | 25th | 26th | 33. | 30th | 30th | 24. |
Luxembourg | / | / | / | / | / | / | / | / | / | / | 25th | 26th | 34. | / | / | 34. | 48. | 42. | 39. | 46. | 53. | 51. | 36. |
Saarland | / | / | / | / | / | / | / | / | / | / | 24. | 22nd | 26th | / | / | / | / | / | / | / | / | / | / |
Bohemia and Moravia | / | / | / | / | / | / | / | / | 6th | / | / | / | / | / | / | / | / | / | / | / | / | / | / |
1978 | 1980 | 1982 | 1984 | 1986 | 1988 | 1990 | 1992 | 1994 | 1996 | 1998 | 2000 | 2002 | 2004 | 2006 | 2008 | 2010 | 2012 | 2014 | 2016 | 2018 | 2020 | 2022 | 2024 | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Teams | 66 | 82 | 92 | 88 | 108 | 107 | 107 | 102 | 124 | 116 | 110 | 126 | 135 | 129 | 148 | 147 | 149 | 157 | 177 | 170 | 184 | |||
Germany | 4th | 25th | 15th | 6th | 13. | 18th | 9. | 13. | 16. | 10. | 6th | 2. | 16. | 17th | 15th | 13. | 64. | 12. | 30th | 37. | 13. | |||
GDR | / | / | / | / | / | 17th | 25th | / | / | / | / | / | / | / | / | / | / | / | / | / | / | |||
Austria | 19th | 21st | 14th | 39. | 14th | 28. | 38. | 47. | 59. | 48. | 50. | 60. | 64. | 62. | 77. | 45. | 38. | 41. | 62. | 43. | 14th | |||
Switzerland | 10. | 31. | 26th | 49. | 29 | 20th | 35. | 15th | 31. | 58. | 31. | 10. | 12. | 13. | 27. | 51. | 65. | 70. | 51. | 40. | 34. | |||
Belgium | 47. | 40. | 50. | 40. | 30th | 34. | 53. | 50. | 46. | 54. | 54. | 54. | 44. | 58. | 70. | 70. | 60. | 89. | 67. | 53. | 71. | |||
Luxembourg | 45. | 54. | 76. | 68. | 71. | 53. | 60. | 71. | 63. | 63. | 60. | 74. | 68. | 81. | 81. | 75. | 97. | 112. | 100. | 96. | 88 | |||
Liechtenstein | / | / | / | / | / | 93. | 102. | 90. | 91. | 86. | / | 100. | 98 | 109. | 120. | 139. | / | 122. | 119. | 155. | 131. |
In 1982, Switzerland was allowed to host two teams. The corresponding column only shows the 26th place for the first team. The second team played out of competition, but would have finished 32nd.
In 2008, Germany was allowed to host three teams. The corresponding column only shows the 13th place from Germany 1. Germany 2 came in 42nd and Germany 3 in 35th place.
Final results women
1st to 6th place
(1) from 2008 Dresden: Match points / in the event of a tie, the Olympiad-Sonneborn-Berger score decides
Medal table
The following tables show the medal table for all official Chess Olympiads up to and including 2018.
Medal table women | ||||
space | country | gold | silver | bronze |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 |
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11 | 2 | - |
2 |
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6th | 4th | 4th |
3 |
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4th | 1 | 3 |
4th |
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3 | 3 | 3 |
5 |
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2 | 5 | 2 |
6th |
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1 | 3 | 3 |
7th |
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1 | - | - |
8th |
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- | 5 | 2 |
9 |
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- | 1 | 2 |
10 |
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- | 1 | 1 |
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- | 1 | 1 | |
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- | 1 | 1 | |
13 |
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- | 1 | - |
14th |
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- | - | 4th |
15th |
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- | - | 1 |
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- | - | 1 |
Placements of the German-speaking countries
1957 | 1963 | 1966 | 1969 | 1972 | 1974 | 1976 | 1978 | 1980 | 1982 | 1984 | 1986 | 1988 | 1990 | 1992 | 1994 | 1996 | 1998 | 2000 | 2002 | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Teams | 21st | 15th | 14th | 15th | 23 | 26th | 23 | 32 | 42 | 45 | 51 | 49 | 56 | 65 | 62 | 81 | 74 | 72 | 86 | 90 |
Germany | 8th. | 11. | 12. | 11. | 6th | 9. | 6th | 3. | 6th | 6th | 4th | 6th | 15th | 17th | 36. | 8th. | 15th | 16. | 8th. | 16. |
GDR | 3. | 3. | 3. | 6th | 7th | / | / | / | / | / | / | / | / | 11. | / | / | / | / | / | / |
Austria | 17th | 12. | 14th | 13. | 11. | 16. | 17th | / | 33. | 29 | 28. | 12. | 32. | 28. | 40. | 54. | 40. | 44. | 41. | 39. |
Switzerland | / | / | / | / | 17th | / | 18th | / | 32. | 26th | 14th | 23. | 21st | 27. | 19th | 37. | 53. | 53. | 44. | 37. |
Belgium | 20th | 14th | / | 14th | / | / | / | / | 37. | 34. | 37. | 27. | 35. | 42. | / | 70. | / | / | / | / |
Luxembourg | 21st | / | / | / | / | / | / | / | / | / | / | / | / | / | / | / | / | / | / | 79. |
2004 | 2006 | 2008 | 2010 | 2012 | 2014 | 2016 | 2018 | 2020 | 2022 | 2024 | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Teams | 87 | 103 | 111 | 115 | 127 | 136 | 134 | 149 | |||
Germany | 17th | 11. | 21st | 25th | 11. | 9. | 31. | 28. | |||
Austria | 55. | 58. | 27. | 55. | 37. | 42. | 29 | 40. | |||
Switzerland | 31. | 38. | 40. | 52. | 60. | 24. | 41. | 32. | |||
Belgium | / | / | / | / | 47. | 43. | 43. | 98 | |||
Luxembourg | 74. | 62. | / | / | 68. | 94. | 57. | 46. |
In 1982, Switzerland was allowed to host two women's teams. The corresponding column shows the 26th place of the first team. The second team played out of competition, but would have finished 36th.
In 2008, Germany was also allowed to host three women's teams. The corresponding column shows the 21st place of Germany 1; Germany 2 came in 34th and Germany 3 in 47th place.
useful information

- Professional players were officially admitted for the first time at the 1930 Olympic Games in Hamburg.
- Between 1933 and 1937 Germany, whose chess federation had withdrawn from FIDE, did not take part in the official Chess Olympiads. Instead, Germany organized a “ Chess Olympia ” in 1936 .
- World War II broke out during the 1939 Olympics in Buenos Aires. The English team therefore traveled back early, several players from the German team, but also other European players, stayed in South America after the tournament. Germany competed with a “Greater German Team”, in which players from Austria were integrated. Several states refused to compete against the German team. The team fights of Germany against Poland, Palestine and France were therefore given 2-2 without a fight.
- In 1950, Chantal Chaudé de Silans was the first woman to take part in a chess Olympiad.
- For political reasons, the USSR and other nations did not participate in 1976. Tripoli issued a counter-Olympics ( Against Israel Olympiad off), which took place at the same time as the official FIDE Olympiad. Nevertheless, members of FIDE were also admitted there. Italy and the Philippines took part in both championships, the USSR and other Eastern Bloc countries in neither. Uruguay lost three matches (a total of twelve games) because the team was late.
- Up to and including 2018, a total of almost 40 women took part in open competitions of the Chess Olympiad. The most frequently used was Judit Polgár (85 games in eight matches).
Individual evidence
- ↑ From the biography of Vera Menchik from www.koenig-plauen.de , accessed on August 30, 2018.
- ↑ Chess Olympiad at Chessbatumi.ge, accessed on September 24, 2018.
- ↑ Web links and references to earlier children's chess Olympiads (U16 chess Olympiads) on TeleSchach
- ↑ Torre, Fronda emerge as Philippine team top scorers in World Chess Olympiad on manilatimes.net, August 8, 2014 (English)
- ↑ Individual statistics for chess Olympiads at olimpbase.org (English)
- ^ Final results of the Chess Olympiad in Dresden; the ranking of the scores is given at the end.
- ↑ Actual Handbook, Olympiad Pairing Rules
- ↑ Chess Olympiad 2020 in Moscow on chessbase.de
- ↑ a b 45th World Chess Olympiad. FIDE , accessed September 25, 2019 .
- ↑ Final result of the 1982 Chess Olympiad at olimpbase.org (English)
- ↑ Chess Olympiad 2020 in Moscow on chessbase.de
- ↑ Final result of the 1982 Women's Chess Olympiad at olimpbase.org (English)
literature
- Árpád Földeák: Chess Olympiads , Corvina Verlag and Ten Have Verlag, Budapest and Amsterdam 1971.
- Mario Tal: brother kisses and tears of joy. A cultural history of the Chess Olympiads . PapyRossa Verlag, Cologne 2008. ISBN 978-3-89438-393-0 .
- Raj Tischbierek : Great moments of chess: 30 x Chess Olympics . Sportverlag, Berlin 1993, ISBN 3-328-00554-4 .
Web links
- Chess Olympiads and reports on this by Gerhard Hund
- Chess pages of the Wiener-Zeitung with detailed results of the Olympics
- Complete statistics of all Olympiads on Olimpbase (English)
- Caissa Schach Chronicle: Chess Olympiad since 1927 - reports and results of the Open ( Memento from April 15, 2012 in the Internet Archive ) by Rainer Osenberg