10th Chess Olympiad
The 10th Chess Olympiad (Finnish: 10. Shakkiolympialaiset; Swedish: Den 10:e Schackolympiad), organized by the FIDE and comprising an open[1] team tournament, as well as several other events designed to promote the game of chess, took place between August 9 and August 31, 1952, in Helsinki, Finland.
The Olympiad was especially notable for the debut of the Soviet team, who instantly won their first gold medals and went on to completely dominate the Olympiads for the next four decades.
After the tournament, it was generally agreed that the small preliminary and final groups of only 8–9 teams left too much open to chance, since a single blunder would have an impact too big on the final standings. Consequently, FIDE decided that in the future, no final should have less than 12 participants.
Results
Preliminaries
Twenty-five teams entered the competition and were divided into three preliminary groups of eight or nine teams. The top three from each group advanced to Final A, the teams placed fourth-sixth to Final B, and the rest to Final C. All groups and finals were played as round-robin tournaments.
Group 1 was won by Argentina, ahead of West Germany and Czechoslovakia. England, Denmark, and Cuba took the following places, while Iceland, Saar, and Luxembourg finished in the bottom third.
Sweden took first place in group 2, ahead of Hungary and Yugoslavia. East Germany, Austria, and Italy took places four through six, while Brazil and Norway finished seventh and eighth.
Group 3 was won by the Soviet Union, well ahead of the United States and the Finnish hosts. Israel, the Netherlands, and Poland took the following places, while Switzerland and Greece finished at the bottom.
Group 1
Final | Country | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | + | − | = | Points | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
«A» | Argentina | - | 2 | 2 | 3½ | 3½ | 3½ | 3½ | 3½ | 4 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 25½ | |
«A» | West Germany | 2 | - | 2 | 2½ | 2½ | 3½ | 2½ | 4 | 4 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 23 | |
«A» | Czechoslovakia | 2 | 2 | - | 2½ | 3 | 3½ | 2½ | 3 | 4 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 22½ | |
«B» | England | ½ | 1½ | 1½ | - | 2 | 2 | 2½ | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 18 | |
«B» | Denmark | ½ | 1½ | 1 | 2 | - | 2 | 1½ | 3 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 15½ | |
«B» | Cuba | ½ | ½ | ½ | 2 | 2 | - | 2½ | 2½ | 3½ | 3 | 3 | 2 | 14 | |
«C» | Iceland | ½ | 1½ | 1½ | 1½ | 2½ | 1½ | - | 1½ | 2 | 1 | 6 | 1 | 12½ | |
«C» | Saar | ½ | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1½ | 2½ | - | 4 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 10½ | |
«C» | Luxembourg | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ½ | 2 | 0 | - | 0 | 7 | 1 | 2½ |
Group 2
Final | Country | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | + | − | = | Points | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
«A» | Sweden | - | 2 | 2 | 3½ | 2 | 3½ | 4 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 21 | |
«A» | Hungary | 2 | - | 2½ | 2½ | 4 | 3 | 4 | 2½ | 6 | 0 | 1 | 20½ | |
«A» | Yugoslavia | 2 | 1½ | - | 3 | 2½ | 3 | 3 | 3½ | 5 | 1 | 1 | 18½ | |
«B» | East Germany | ½ | 1½ | 1 | - | 3 | 1½ | 2½ | 3½ | 3 | 4 | 0 | 13½ | |
«B» | Austria | 2 | 0 | 1½ | 1 | - | 2½ | 2 | 2½ | 2 | 3 | 2 | 11½ | |
«B» | Italy | ½ | 1 | 1 | 2½ | 1½ | - | 1 | 3½ | 2 | 5 | 0 | 11 | |
«C» | Brazil | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1½ | 2 | 3 | - | 3 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 10½ | |
«C» | Norway | 0 | 1½ | ½ | ½ | 1½ | ½ | 1 | - | 0 | 7 | 0 | 5½ |
Group 3
Final | Country | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | + | − | = | Points | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
«A» | Soviet Union | - | 3 | 2½ | 3 | 3½ | 4 | 3½ | 4 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 23½ | |
«A» | United States | 1 | - | 1½ | 4 | 1½ | 2 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 18 | |
«A» | Finland | 1½ | 2½ | - | 1½ | 1½ | 3 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 17 | |
«B» | Israel | 1 | 0 | 2½ | - | 2½ | 2 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 16 | |
«B» | Netherlands | ½ | 2½ | 2½ | 1½ | - | 1½ | 1½ | 3½ | 3 | 4 | 0 | 13½ | |
«B» | Poland | 0 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2½ | - | 2½ | 2½ | 3 | 2 | 2 | 12½ | |
«C» | Switzerland | ½ | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2½ | 1½ | - | 3 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 7½ | |
«C» | Greece | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ½ | ½ | 1 | - | 0 | 7 | 0 | 4 |
Final
Final A # Country Players Points 1 Soviet Union Keres, Smyslov, Bronstein, Geller, Boleslavsky, Kotov 21 2 Argentina Najdorf, J. Bolbochán, Eliskases, Pilnik, Rossetto 19½ 3 Yugoslavia Gligorić, Rabar, Trifunović, Pirc, Fuderer, Milić 19 4 Czechoslovakia Filip, Pachman, Šajtar, Kottnauer, Zíta, Pithart 18 5 United States Reshevsky, Evans, Robert Byrne, Bisguier, Koltanowski, Berliner 17 6 Hungary Szabó, Barcza, Szily, Flórián, Pogáts, Molnár 16 7 Sweden Ståhlberg, Stoltz, Lundin, Sköld, Johansson, Danielsson 13 8 West Germany Teschner, Schmid, Pfeiffer, Heinicke, Lange, Rellstab 10½ 9 Finland Böök, Ojanen, Kaila, Salo, Fred, Niemelä 10
Final B # Country Players Points MP 10 Netherlands Van Scheltinga, Prins, Donner, Cortlever, Kramer, Barendregt 21 11 Israel Czerniak, Oren, Porath, Aloni, Mandelbaum 19½ 12 Poland Tarnowski, Pytlakowski, Plater, Śliwa, Litmanowicz, Grynfeld 16½ 10 13 East Germany Koch, Pietzsch, Platz, Müller 16½ 7 14 Denmark Enevoldsen J., Poulsen, Nielsen, Pedersen, Enevoldsen H. 16 15 Cuba Alemán, Planas, Gonzáles, Cobo Arteaga, Ortega 15 16 England Golombek, Penrose, Milner-Barry, Barden, Horne, Hooper 14 17 Austria Lokvenc, Poschauko, Beni, Auer, Palda, Keller 13 18 Italy Porreca, Nestler, Scafarelli, Calà, Primavera 12½
Final C # Country Players Points MP Head-to-head 19 Brazil German, Souza Mendes, Mangini, Carvalho jr., Cruz Filho, Vasconcellos 18½ 20 Greece Gaitanaros, Tsiknopoulos, Mastihiadis, Anagnostou, Sakellaropoulos, Zografakis 13½ 21 Norway Vestøl, Myhre, Morcken, Rojahn, Ramm, Madsen E. 13 6 2½ 22 Switzerland Grob, Müller, Morel, Bachmann P., Bhend 13 6 1½ 23 Iceland Gilfer, Ólafsson, Johnsen, Sigurðsson, Gíslason, Arnlaugsson 12½ 8 24 Saar Lorson, Benkner, Weichselbaumer, Jost F., Jacob 12½ 5 25 Luxembourg Doerner, Levy, Lambert H., Kremer, Barbier 1
Final A
Place | Country | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | + | − | = | Points | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Soviet Union | - | 2½ | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2½ | 3 | 3½ | 3½ | 5 | 0 | 3 | 21 | |
2 | Argentina | 1½ | - | 2½ | 1½ | 1½ | 3 | 3½ | 2½ | 3½ | 5 | 3 | 0 | 19½ | |
3 | Yugoslavia | 2 | 1½ | - | 2½ | 2 | 3 | 2½ | 3 | 2½ | 5 | 1 | 2 | 19 | |
4 | Czechoslovakia | 2 | 2½ | 1½ | - | 2 | 1½ | 2 | 3 | 3½ | 3 | 2 | 3 | 18 | |
5 | United States | 2 | 2½ | 2 | 2 | - | 2 | 1½ | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 17 | |
6 | Hungary | 1½ | 1 | 1 | 2½ | 2 | - | 2½ | 2 | 3½ | 3 | 3 | 2 | 16 | |
7 | Sweden | 1 | ½ | 1½ | 2 | 2½ | 1½ | - | 2 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 13 | |
8 | West Germany | ½ | 1½ | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | - | 1½ | 0 | 6 | 2 | 10½ | |
9 | Finland | ½ | ½ | 1½ | ½ | 2 | ½ | 2 | 2½ | - | 1 | 5 | 2 | 10 |
Final B
Place | Country | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | + | − | = | Points | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
10 | Netherlands | - | 2 | 1½ | 2½ | 2½ | 3½ | 3 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 21 | |
11 | Israel | 2 | - | 2 | 3 | 2½ | 3 | 2½ | 2 | 2½ | 5 | 0 | 3 | 19½ | |
12 | Poland | 2½ | 2 | - | 2½ | 1½ | 2½ | 1 | 2 | 2½ | 4 | 2 | 2 | 16½ | |
13 | East Germany | 1½ | 1 | 1½ | - | 2 | 3 | 1½ | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 16½ | |
14 | Denmark | 1½ | 1½ | 2½ | 2 | - | 1½ | 2½ | 3 | 1½ | 3 | 4 | 1 | 16 | |
15 | Cuba | ½ | 1 | 1½ | 1 | 2½ | - | 3 | 3½ | 2 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 15 | |
16 | England | 1 | 1½ | 3 | 2½ | 1½ | 1 | - | 1½ | 2 | 2 | 5 | 1 | 14 | |
17 | Austria | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | ½ | 2½ | - | 3 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 13 | |
18 | Italy | 1 | 1½ | 1½ | 1 | 2½ | 2 | 2 | 1 | - | 1 | 5 | 2 | 12½ |
Final C
Place | Country | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | + | − | = | Points | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
19 | Brazil | - | 2½ | 2 | 2½ | 4 | 3½ | 4 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 18½ | |
20 | Greece | 1½ | - | 2½ | 1½ | 1½ | 2½ | 4 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 13½ | |
21 | Norway | 2 | 1½ | - | 2½ | 1½ | 2 | 3½ | 2 | 2 | 2 | 13 | |
22 | Switzerland | 1½ | 2½ | 1½ | - | 1½ | 2½ | 3½ | 3 | 3 | 0 | 13 | |
23 | Iceland | 0 | 2½ | 2½ | 2½ | - | 1 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 12½ | |
24 | Saar | ½ | 1½ | 2 | 1½ | 3 | - | 4 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 12½ | |
25 | Luxembourg | 0 | 0 | ½ | ½ | 0 | 0 | - | 0 | 6 | 0 | 1 |
Individual medals
- Board 1: Miguel Najdorf 12½ / 16 = 78.1%
- Board 2: Vassily Smyslov 10½ / 13 = 80.8%
- Board 3: David Bronstein 8 / 10 = 80.0%
- Board 4: Čeněk Kottnauer 12½ / 15 = 83.3%
- 1st reserve: Héctor Rossetto 8 / 10 = 80.0%
- 2nd reserve: Ludwig Rellstab 6½ / 9 = 72.2%
References
- ^ Although commonly referred to as the men's division, this section is open to both male and female players.
- 10th Chess Olympiad: Helsinki 1952 OlimpBase
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