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11th Chess Olympiad

The 11th Chess Olympiad (Dutch: De 11e Schaakolympiade), 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 September 4 and September 25, 1954, in Amsterdam, Netherlands.

The official logo of the Olympiad

30 teams had applied, but only 26 took part. The most notable absentees were the United States, who couldn't afford the travelling expenses due to financial difficulties in the USCF.

The Soviet team once again won the event, followed by Argentina and Yugoslavia. Unlike the previous Olympiad, however, they dominated this one completely and crushed all opposition, winning the final by an astounding seven points. Keres' amazing score of 96.4% was an all-time record; he drew his first game (against Nilsson of Sweden) and won the rest.

Results

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Award ceremony at the 1954 Chess Olympiad. Left-right: Kotov, Geller, Smyslov, Bronstein, Keres, Botvinnik, and Bondarevsky (carrying the Hamilton-Russell Cup)

Preliminaries

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A total of 26 teams entered the competition and were divided into four preliminary groups of six or seven teams. The top three from each group advanced to Final A, and the rest to Final B. All groups and finals were played as round-robin tournaments.

Group 1 was won by the Soviet Union, well ahead of the Dutch hosts and Iceland. Austria, Finland, and Greece finished in the bottom half.

Argentina took first place in group 2, ahead of Bulgaria and Czechoslovakia. Canada, Italy, and Ireland made up the rest of the group.

Group 3 was won by Israel, ahead of Yugoslavia and Sweden. Denmark, Norway, France, and Saar had to settle for a place in the consolation final.

Hungary clinched group 4, ahead of West Germany and England. Switzerland, Colombia, Belgium, and Luxembourg rounded up the group.

Group 1

Final Country 1 2 3 4 5 6 + − = Points
«A» Soviet Union - 2 3½ 3 4 4 4 0 1 16½
«A» Netherlands 2 - 2½ 3 3 2½ 4 0 1 13
«A» Iceland ½ 1½ - 3 3½ 2½ 3 2 0 11
«B» Austria 1 1 1 - 3 3½ 2 3 0 9½
«B» Finland 0 1 ½ 1 - 3 1 4 0 5½
«B» Greece 0 1½ 1½ ½ 1 - 0 5 0 4½

Group 2

Final Country 1 2 3 4 5 6 + − = Points
«A» Argentina - 2 2 3 3 4 3 0 2 14
«A» Bulgaria 2 - 2 2½ 3½ 3½ 3 0 2 13½
«A» Czechoslovakia 2 2 - 2½ 3 4 3 0 2 13½
«B» Canada 1 1½ 1½ - 2½ 3½ 2 3 0 10
«B» Italy 1 ½ 1 1½ - 3½ 1 4 0 7½
«B» Ireland 0 ½ 0 ½ ½ - 0 5 0 1½

Group 3

Final Country 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 + − = Points
«A» Israel - 1½ 3 2½ 3 3 3 5 1 0 16
«A» Yugoslavia 2½ - 2 3 2½ 2½ 1½ 4 1 1 14
«A» Sweden 1 2 - 2 2½ 2½ 4 3 1 2 14
«B» Denmark 1½ 1 2 - 1½ 3½ 2 1 3 2 11½
«B» Norway 1 1½ 1½ 2½ - 2 2½ 2 3 1 11
«B» France 1 1½ 1½ ½ 2 - 3 1 4 1 9½
«B» Saar 1 2½ 0 2 1½ 1 - 1 4 1 8

Group 4

Final Country 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 + − = Points
«A» Hungary - 2½ 1½ 3 4 3 4 5 1 0 18
«A» West Germany 1½ - 2½ 3 2 3½ 4 4 1 1 16½
«A» England 2½ 1½ - 2½ 1½ 1½ 4 3 3 0 13½
«B» Switzerland 1 1 1½ - 2½ 3½ 4 3 3 0 13½
«B» Colombia 0 2 2½ 1½ - 2½ 4 3 2 1 12½
«B» Belgium 1 ½ 2½ ½ 1½ - 3 2 4 0 9
«B» Luxembourg 0 0 0 0 0 1 - 0 6 0 1

Final

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Final A
# Country Players Points MP
1   Soviet Union Botvinnik, Smyslov, Bronstein, Keres, Geller, Kotov 34
2   Argentina Najdorf, J. Bolbochán, Panno, Guimard, Rossetto, Pilnik 27
3   Yugoslavia Pirc, Gligorić, Trifunović, Rabar, Fuderer, Matanović 26½
4   Czechoslovakia Pachman, Filip, Zíta, Šajtar, Fichtl, Ujtelky 24½
5   West Germany Unzicker, Schmid, Pfeiffer, Rellstab, Darga, Joppen 23½
6   Hungary Szabó, Kluger, Barcza, Sándor, Gereben 23
7   Israel Porath, Czerniak, Oren, Aloni, Kniazer 22
8   Netherlands Euwe, Donner, Cortlever, Prins, Kramer, Van Scheltinga 21
9   England Alexander, Penrose, Golombek, Wade, Barden, Clarke 17 7
10   Bulgaria Minev, Neikirch, Milev, Tsvetkov, Bobotsov, Bobekov 17 6
11   Sweden Ståhlberg, Lundin, Stoltz, Hörberg, Nilsson, Goode 15
12   Iceland Friðrik Ólafsson, Guðmundur Guðmundsson, Guðmundur Pálmason,
Guðmundur Ágústsson, Ingi Randver Jóhannsson, Guðmundur Arnlaugsson		 13½
Final B
# Country Players Points MP Head-to-head
13    Switzerland Kupper, Blau, Nievergelt, Bhend, Zimmermann, Walther 37
14   Canada Yanofsky, Anderson, Vaitonis, Bohatyrchuk, Fox, Divinsky 36 21 3
15   Austria Robatsch, Beni, Prameshuber, Lokvenc, Kovács 36 21 1
16   Denmark Larsen, Nielsen A., Nielsen P., Nielsen V., Enevoldsen, Andersen B. 34½
17   Italy Paoli, Porreca, Norcia, Scafarelli, Calà 28½
18   Colombia Cuéllar, de Greiff, Sánchez, Rivera, Tejada H., Hernández G. 27½
19   Belgium O'Kelly, Dunkelblum, Gobert, Lemaire, Franck, Thibaut 27
20   Finland Salo, Vesterinen, Katajisto, Fred, Rantanen 26½
21   France Bernstein, Raizman, Thiellement, Bergraser, Noradounguian, Burstein 26
22   Saar Benkner, Lorson, Morena, Kastel, Weichselbaumer, Haas 24
23   Norway Morcken, Vestøl, Lindblom, Støre, Flater, Ramm 22
24   Greece Parliaros, Anagnostou, Panagopoulos, Papapavlou 21
25   Ireland Reilly, Kelly, Maher, Walsh, Nash, Rohan 11
26   Luxembourg Doerner, Neu, Philippe, Schneider, Kremer, Jerolim J. 7

Final A

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Place Country 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 + − = Points
1 Soviet Union - 3½ 2½ 2½ 3 3 2 3½ 3½ 3 3½ 4 10 0 1 34
2 Argentina ½ - 1½ 3 2½ 2 3 2½ 3 2½ 3 3½ 8 2 1 27
3 Yugoslavia 1½ 2½ - 2 2½ 1½ 3 3 3½ 2 2½ 2½ 7 2 2 26½
4 Czechoslovakia 1½ 1 2 - 3 2 1½ 2 3 2½ 3½ 2½ 5 3 3 24½
5 West Germany 1 1½ 1½ 1 - 2 2½ ½ 2½ 4 4 3 5 5 1 23½
6 Hungary 1 2 2½ 2 2 - 1 3 2 2 2 3½ 3 2 6 23
7 Israel 2 1 1 2½ 1½ 3 - 3 ½ 3 2 2½ 5 4 2 22
8 Netherlands ½ 1½ 1 2 3½ 1 1 - 3 2½ 3 2 4 5 2 21
9 England ½ 1 ½ 1 1½ 2 3½ 1 - 2½ 1 2½ 3 7 1 17
10 Bulgaria 1 1½ 2 1½ 0 2 1 1½ 1½ - 2½ 2½ 2 7 2 17
11 Sweden ½ 1 1½ ½ 0 2 2 1 3 1½ - 2 1 7 3 15
12 Iceland 0 ½ 1½ 1½ 1 ½ 1½ 2 1½ 1½ 2 - 0 9 2 13½

Final B

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Place Country 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 + − = Points
13 Switzerland - 3 3 2 3 3½ 2½ 2½ 3 2½ 4 1 3½ 3½ 11 1 1 37
14 Canada 1 - 3 2 3 3½ 2 2½ 3½ 3 3½ 2 3 4 9 1 3 36
15 Austria 1 1 - 3 3 3 2 3 2½ 3 3 3½ 4 4 10 2 1 36
16 Denmark 2 2 1 - 2 1½ 3 3½ 3 2 3½ 3½ 4 3½ 7 2 4 34½
17 Italy 1 1 1 2 - 2 3 1½ 1 2 3½ 3½ 4 3 5 5 3 28½
18 Colombia ½ ½ 1 2½ 2 - 2 2½ 1 3½ 3 2½ 2½ 4 7 4 2 27½
19 Belgium 1½ 2 2 1 1 2 - 1½ 3 2½ 2 2 2½ 4 4 4 5 27
20 Finland 1½ 1½ 1 ½ 2½ 1½ 2½ - 2½ 2 2½ 1½ 4 3 6 6 1 26½
21 France 1 ½ 1½ 1 3 3 1 1½ - 3 1½ 3 2½ 3½ 6 7 0 26
22 Saar 1½ 1 1 2 2 ½ 1½ 2 1 - 1 2½ 4 4 3 7 3 24
23 Norway 0 ½ 1 ½ ½ 1 2 1½ 2½ 3 - 2½ 4 3 5 7 1 22
24 Greece 3 2 ½ ½ ½ 1½ 2 2½ 1 1½ 1½ - 1½ 3 3 8 2 21
25 Ireland ½ 1 0 0 0 1½ 1½ 0 1½ 0 0 2½ - 2½ 2 11 0 11
26 Luxembourg ½ 0 0 ½ 1 0 0 1 ½ 0 1 1 1½ - 0 13 0 7

Individual medals

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Notes and references

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  1. ^ Although commonly referred to as the men's division, this section is open to both male and female players.
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