Chess Olympiad 1939

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The 8th Chess Olympiad took place from August 24th to September 19th, 1939 in the Teatro Politeama in Buenos Aires . It was a chess tournament that was carried out as a round-robin tournament .

The Teatro Politeama was the venue for the tournament.

Tournament schedule

27  teams with 133 players took part, with the United States , who were considered favorites, canceled for financial reasons. Some US players had made demands such as the payment of travel expenses for wives, which neither the American Chess Federation nor the Argentine hosts could meet. The European players traveled across the Atlantic for three weeks on the Belgian ship “ Piriapolis ”. Bulgaria was the only debutant from Europe to take part for the first time. In addition, ten teams from the American continent made their Olympic debut.

In Buenos Aires a total of 1012 games were scheduled (four per match), 928 of which were played and 24 were decided without a fight because of the outbreak of war. The number of board points should be decisive for victory. In the event of a tie, the team points should be taken into account. The reflection period is still unknown today.

The most prominent players included ex-world champion José Raúl Capablanca , who plays for Cuba, and world -champion Alexander Alekhine, who plays for France . Max Euwe , who had lost his world title two years earlier, did not take part.

A preliminary round was held from 23 to 31 August. The teams were divided into four groups, of which the four best teams should advance to final group A, the rest should play out final group B among themselves, which was officially known as the Copa Argentina . On September 1st, when the final began, World War II broke out, which is why some players no longer wanted to participate. Although many teams initially wanted to cancel the Olympics, the organization managed to persuade them to complete the remaining rounds. Due to the politically motivated failure of three English players, the English team, which was qualified for final group A, ended participation and left early. Three players on this team, Conel Hugh O'Donel Alexander , Harry Golombek and Philip Stuart Milner-Barry , took on vital tasks in deciphering the German key machine Enigma after their return to Bletchley Park . Six competitions, including Germany against Poland, were not played, but rated 2-2 without a fight. The German team management initially refused to agree to a tie without a fight against the Palestine team. It was only when the Jewish players announced that they did not want to compete and that the Germans would de facto win the tournament that delegation leader Albert Becker agreed to agree. In order to avoid a distortion of competition, the Argentine team, which was still playing for the tournament victory at the time, also agreed a draw against Palestine. Alexander Alekhine did not appear in the competitions against Poland and Argentina to express his protest against the Germans.

In the end, the German team won just ahead of Poland - this was the only German victory in a chess Olympiad and the last German victory in an international team tournament until winning the European Championship in 2011.

In the bulletins, a silver cup was awarded for the best game. It could not be researched whether this was awarded. For the only time, the prizes for individual services were awarded without taking the preliminary rounds into account.

Final score

Medalist

# team Chess player
1 German Empire Erich Eliskases , Paul Michel , Ludwig Engels , Albert Becker , Heinrich Reinhardt
2 Poland Savielly Tartakower , Mieczysław Najdorf , Paulin Frydman , Teodor Regedziński , Franciszek Sulik
3 Estonia Paul Keres , Ilmar Raud , Paul Felix Schmidt , Gunnar Friedemann , Johannes Türn

Preliminary rounds

The first four of each preliminary round qualified for the A final, the remaining teams for the B final.

Preliminary group 1
Rg team 1 2 3 4th 5 6th 7th BP MP + = -
1 Poland ● 2 3 3½ 2½ 4th 3½ 18½ 11 5 1 0
2 Bohemia and Moravia 2 ● 2½ 3½ 3 4th 3½ 18½ 11 5 1 0
3 England 1 1½ ● 3 2½ 2½ 3 13½ 08th 4th 0 2
4th Brazil ½ ½ 1 ● 3 3½ 4th 12½ 06th 3 0 3
5 Canada 1½ 1 1½ 1 ● 3½ 2½ 11 04th 2 0 4th
6th Peru 0 0 1½ ½ ½ ● 2½ 05 02 1 0 5
7th Paraguay ½ ½ 1 0 1½ 1½ ● 05 00 0 0 6th
Preliminary group 2
Rg team 1 2 3 4th 5 6th 7th BP MP + = -
1 Latvia ● 1½ 3½ 2½ 3 3 4th 17½ 10 5 0 1
2 German Empire 2½ ● 2½ 2 3 2½ 3½ 16 11 5 1 0
3 Chile ½ 1½ ● 2½ 3 3 3½ 14th 08th 4th 0 2
4th France 1½ 2 1½ ● 2 3 3½ 13½ 06th 2 2 2
5 Bulgaria 1 1 1 2 ● 3 2 10 04th 1 2 3
6th Uruguay 1 1½ 1 1 1 ● 3 08½ 02 1 0 5
7th Bolivia 0 ½ ½ ½ 2 1 ● 04½ 01 0 1 5
Preliminary group 3
Rg team 1 2 3 4th 5 6th 7th BP MP + = -
1 Argentina ● 2½ 3 2½ 2½ 3½ 4th 18th 12 6th 0 0
2 Lithuania 1½ ● 1½ 3 2½ 4th 4th 16½ 08th 4th 0 2
3 Netherlands 1 2½ ● 2 2½ 3½ 3½ 15th 09 4th 1 1
4th Denmark 1½ 1 2 ● 2 4th 3 13½ 06th 2 2 2
5 Iceland 1½ 1½ 1½ 2 ● 3½ 3 13 05 2 1 3
6th Ireland ½ 0 ½ 0 ½ ● 3 04½ 02 1 0 5
7th Ecuador 0 0 ½ 1 1 1 ● 03½ 00 0 0 6th
Preliminary group 4
Rg team 1 2 3 4th 5 6th BP MP + = -
1 Sweden ● 1 2½ 2½ 4th 4th 14th 8th 4th 0 1
2 Estonia 3 ● 1½ 2½ 2 4th 13 7th 3 1 2
3 Palestine 1½ 2½ ● 1 3½ 2½ 11 6th 3 0 2
4th Cuba 1½ 1½ 3 ● 1 3 10 4th 2 0 3
5 Norway 0 2 ½ 3 ● 2½ 08th 5 2 1 2
6th Guatemala 0 0 1½ 1 1½ ● 04th 0 0 0 5

Finals

Final group A as a cross table

Rg team code 1 2 3 4th 5 6th 7th 8th 9 10 11 12 13 14th 15th BP MP + = -
1 German Empire GER ● 2 2½ 3 3 3 3 2 2 2 3½ 3 2 2½ 2½ 36 24 9 5 0
2 Poland POLE 2 ● 2½ 1½ 2½ 2 2 1½ 2 4th 3½ 4th 2 2½ 3½ 35½ 20th 7th 5 2
3 Estonia EST 1½ 1½ ● 2 1½ 3 1½ 2½ 2 2 3 3½ 3 3½ 3 33½ 18th 7th 3 4th
4th Sweden SWE 1 2½ 2 ● 3½ 1½ 1½ 1½ 2 3 3½ 2½ 3 1½ 4th 33 17th 7th 2 5
5 Argentina ARG 1 1½ 2½ ½ ● 3½ 2½ 1½ 2 2½ 2½ 3 3½ 3½ 2½ 32½ 20th 9 1 4th
6th Bohemia and Moravia CSR 1 2 1 2½ ½ ● 3½ 3½ 2½ 2 3 2 2½ 3½ 2½ 32 20th 8th 3 3
7th Latvia LAT 1 2 2½ 2½ 1½ ½ ● 2 3 2½ 2½ 3 3½ 2½ 2½ 31½ 21st 9 2 3
8th Netherlands NED 2 2½ 1½ 2½ 2½ ½ 2 ● 1½ 2 2 2 3 2½ 4th 30½ 18th 6th 5 3
9 Palestine ISR 2 2 2 2 2 1½ 1 2½ ● 2½ 3 1½ 1 2½ ½ 26th 14th 4th 5 5
10 France FRA 2 0 2 1 1½ 2 1½ 2 1½ ● 2 2 1 2 4th 24½ 10 1 7th 6th
11 Cuba CUB ½ ½ 1 ½ 1½ 1 1½ 2 1 2 ● 3 3 2½ 2½ 22½ 11 4th 2 8th
12 Lithuania LTU 1 0 ½ 1½ 1 2 1 2 2½ 2 1 ● 2½ 2 3 22nd 11 3 4th 7th
13 Chile CHI 2 2 1 1 ½ 1½ ½ 1 3 3 1 1½ ● 2½ 1½ 22nd 09 3 2 9
14th Brazil BRA 1½ 1½ ½ 2½ ½ ½ 1½ 1½ 1½ 2 1½ 2 1½ ● 2½ 21st 07th 2 2 10
15th Denmark THE 1½ ½ 1 0 1½ 1½ 1½ 0 3½ 0 1½ 1 2½ 1½ ● 17½ 05 2 0 12
  • Germany's encounters against Poland, France and Palestine were rated 2-2 without a game. Likewise, the games of the team from Bohemia and Moravia against Poland and France and the duel Argentina - Palestine were rated 2-2.
  • England had qualified for the A-final, but did not appear because of the outbreak of war.
  • The table adopted by olimpbase gives one team point too many for each team. Maybe a point was included here for the failed game against England.

Final group B as a cross table

Rg team code 16 17th 18th 19th 20th 21st 22nd 23 24 25th 26th BP MP + = -
16 Iceland ISL ● 2½ 2 3 2½ 3 3½ 2½ 2 4th 3 28 18th 8th 2 0
17th Canada CAN 1½ ● 3 2 3 3 2 3½ 3½ 3½ 3 28 16 7th 2 1
18th Norway NOR 2 1 ● 2½ 1½ 3 4th 2 3½ 3½ 4th 27 14th 6th 2 2
19th Uruguay URU 1 2 1½ ● 3 2 3½ 3½ 2½ 3 4th 26th 14th 6th 2 6th
20th Bulgaria BUL 1½ 1 2½ 1 ● 3 4th 2½ 3½ 3½ 3 25½ 14th 7th 0 3
21st Ecuador ECU 1 1 1 2 1 ● 3 2½ 3 3½ 3 21st 11 5 1 4th
22nd Guatemala GUA ½ 2 0 ½ 0 1 ● 2½ 3 3 3 15½ 09 4th 1 5
23 Ireland IRISHMAN 1½ ½ 2 ½ 1½ 1½ 1½ ● 1½ 2½ 2½ 15½ 05 2 1 7th
24 Peru BY 2 ½ ½ 1½ ½ 1 1 2½ ● 2 2½ 14th 06th 2 2 6th
25th Bolivia BOL 0 ½ ½ 1 ½ ½ 1 1½ 2 ● 2½ 10 03 1 1 8th
26th Paraguay PAR 1 1 0 0 1 1 1 1½ 1½ 1½ ● 09½ 00 0 0 10

Team lineups

Consequences for the chess world

After the Chess Olympiad, many players did not want to return to Europe, which was now at war. The Argentine government offered them that they could support chess in Argentina and stay there for it. The entire German team as well as many other players (including Miguel Najdorf , Paulino Frydman , Gideon Ståhlberg , Moshe Czerniak , Jorge Pelikan ) accepted the offer. This led to a chess boom in Argentina that later won five medals at Chess Olympiads.

The return home of the returning players to Europe took place on September 28th on the ship "Copacabana".

Poland never returned to its old strength due to the emigration of its top players Najdorf, Frydman and Tartakower , who played for France in the future. After the war, largely unaffected by the Olympics, the decades of Soviet dominance of the chess world began.

Due to the war, the next Chess Olympiad did not take place until 1950.

Women's World Championship

Frieda (Friedl) Rinder, also by
mistake Elfriede

At the same time, the tournament for the women's chess world championship took place in Buenos Aires , won by defending champion Vera Menchik (England) ahead of Sonja Graf (stateless, formerly Germany) and Berna Carrasco (Chile). The other German player Frieda Rinder came in fourth. A total of twenty women took part in the world championship. Again, several players did not return to Europe.

literature

  • Justin Corfield: Pawns in a Greater Game. The Buenos Aires Chess Olympiad August - September 1939 . Gentext Publications, Lara, Victoria 2015. ISBN 978-1-876586-24-9 .
  • Ariel Magnus : The Chess Players of Buenos Aires . Novel. German by Silke Kleemann. Kiepenheuer & Witsch, Cologne 2018, ISBN 978-3-462-05005-9 . (Novel with real and fictional references to the Olympics and Women's World Cup in 1939)

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Letter from Albert Becker to Max Blümich dated October 5, 1939 (PDF; 25 kB).
  2. ↑ Cross table of the women's world championship