10th Chess Olympiad
1952 chess tournament in Helsinki, Finland
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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 8â9 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 | + | â | = | 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 | + | â | = | 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 | + | â | = | 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 UnionKeres, Smyslov, Bronstein, Geller, Boleslavsky, Kotov 21 2 
ArgentinaNajdorf, J. Bolbochán, Eliskases, Pilnik, Rossetto 19½ 3 
YugoslaviaGligoriÄ, Rabar, TrifunoviÄ, Pirc, Fuderer, MiliÄ 19 4 
CzechoslovakiaFilip, Pachman, Å ajtar, Kottnauer, ZÃta, Pithart 18 5 
United StatesReshevsky, Evans, Robert Byrne, Bisguier, Koltanowski, Berliner 17 6 
HungarySzabó, Barcza, Szily, Flórián, Pogáts, Molnár 16 7 
SwedenStåhlberg, Stoltz, Lundin, Sköld, Johansson, Danielsson 13 8 
West GermanyTeschner, Schmid, Pfeiffer, Heinicke, Lange, Rellstab 10½ 9 
FinlandBöök, Ojanen, Kaila, Salo, Fred, Niemelä 10
Final B # Country Players Points MP 10 
NetherlandsVan Scheltinga, Prins, Donner, Cortlever, Kramer, Barendregt 21 11 
IsraelCzerniak, Oren, Porath, Aloni, Mandelbaum 19½ 12 
PolandTarnowski, Pytlakowski, Plater, Åliwa, Litmanowicz, Grynfeld 16½ 10 13 East GermanyKoch, Pietzsch, Platz, Müller 16½ 7 14 
DenmarkEnevoldsen J., Poulsen, Nielsen, Pedersen, Enevoldsen H. 16 15 
CubaAlemán, Planas, Gonzáles, Cobo Arteaga, Ortega 15 16 
EnglandGolombek, Penrose, Milner-Barry, Barden, Horne, Hooper 14 17 
AustriaLokvenc, Poschauko, Beni, Auer, Palda, Keller 13 18 
ItalyPorreca, Nestler, Scafarelli, Calà , Primavera 12½
Final C # Country Players Points MP Head-to-head 19 
BrazilGerman, Souza Mendes, Mangini, Carvalho jr., Cruz Filho, Vasconcellos 18½ 20 
GreeceGaitanaros, Tsiknopoulos, Mastihiadis, Anagnostou, Sakellaropoulos, Zografakis 13½ 21 
NorwayVestøl, Myhre, Morcken, Rojahn, Ramm, Madsen E. 13 6 2½ 22 
SwitzerlandGrob, Müller, Morel, Bachmann P., Bhend 13 6 1½ 23 
IcelandGilfer, Ãlafsson, Johnsen, Sigurðsson, GÃslason, Arnlaugsson 12½ 8 24 
SaarLorson, Benkner, Weichselbaumer, Jost F., Jacob 12½ 5 25 
LuxembourgDoerner, Levy, Lambert H., Kremer, Barbier 1
Final A
| Place | Country | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | + | â | = | 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 | + | â | = | 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 | + | â | = | 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: ÄenÄk Kottnauer 12½ / 15 = 83.3%
- 1st reserve: Héctor Rossetto 8 / 10 = 80.0%
- 2nd reserve: Ludwig Rellstab 6½ / 9 = 72.2%