Chess tournaments Chess strategy Computer chess Chess players FIDE Chess variants Chess rules and history
Home :: Chess :: Tournaments

24th Chess Olympiad

Official logo of the Olympiad.

The 24th Chess Olympiad, organized by FIDE and comprising an open and a women's tournament, as well as several other events designed to promote the game of chess, took place between November 20 and December 6, 1980, in Valletta, Malta.

Once again, the defending champions Hungary proved to be a real match for the Soviet favourites. The Hungarians led the table until the last round, but in the end the two teams tied for first place. The Soviet Union had a slightly better tie break score and took back the gold medals after six years. Yugoslavia completed the medal ranks.

The Soviet team was captained by the reigning world champion Karpov (who fell ill during the tournament and didn't perform to his usual standard) and featured a former champion (Tal) as well as a future one: 17-year-old Olympic debutant Kasparov, who in his first appearance took a bronze medal on the 2nd reserve board.

Open event

A total of 81 nations played a 14-round Swiss system tournament. To make for an even number of teams, the Maltese hosts also fielded a "B" team. In the event of a draw, the tie-break was decided first by using the Buchholz system, then by match points.

Open event
# Country Players Average
rating		 Points Buchholz
1 Soviet Union Karpov, Polugaevsky, Tal, Geller, Balashov, Kasparov 2666 39 449.5
2 Hungary Portisch, Ribli, Sax, Csom, Faragó, Pintér 2593 39 448.0
3 Yugoslavia Ljubojević, Ivkov, Parma, Kurajica, Marjanović, Nikolić 2541 35
Players in action at the game hall.

# Country Average
rating		 Points Buchholz MP
4 United States 2514 34
5 Czechoslovakia 2530 33
6 England 2520 32½ 453.0
7 Poland 2419 32½ 424.0
8 Israel 2474 32 439.0
9 Canada 2385 32 410.5
10 Netherlands 2533 31½ 449.5
11 Romania 2503 31½ 437.5
12 Sweden 2473 31½ 434.0
13 Cuba 2468 31½ 424.5
14 Argentina 2454 31 439.0
15 Philippines 2390 31 430.5
16 Denmark 2408 31 427.5
17 France 2381 31 415.0
18 Wales 2325 31 395.0
19 Bulgaria 2473 30½ 454.0
20 Finland 2401 30½ 431.0
21 Austria 2381 30½ 414.0
22 Italy 2334 30½ 409.0
23 Iceland 2474 30 434.5
24 Norway 2369 30 421.5
25 Germany 2451 30 420.0
26 Spain 2425 30 416.5
27 Greece 2365 30 402.5
28 Venezuela 2311 30 399.5
29 Brazil 2374 30 397.0
30 Syria 2235 30 394.5
31 Switzerland 2391 29½
32 Colombia 2423 29 419.0
33 Albania 2319 29 415.5
34 Australia 2361 29 410.5
35 India 2325 29 410.0
36 Chile 2388 29 408.5
37 Mexico 2359 29 396.0
38 China 2380 28½ 411.5
39 Portugal 2351 28½ 406.0
40 Belgium 2233 28½ 395.0
41 Ireland 2255 28½ 391.5
42 Thailand 2225 28½ 390.0
43 Pakistan 2238 28½ 372.5
44 Dominican Republic 2258 28 399.0
45 Indonesia 2354 28 397.5
46 Mongolia 2328 27½ 402.5
47 Paraguay 2255 27½ 387.0
48 Turkey 2259 27½ 384.5
49 Malaysia 2200 27½ 378.0
50 Trinidad and Tobago 2200 27½ 370.5
51 Scotland 2291 27 423.5
52 Japan 2213 27 373.0
53 Guyana 2203 26½ 369.0 13
54 Luxembourg 2230 26½ 369.0 12
55 Algeria 2200 26½ 351.0
56 New Zealand 2336 26 401.0
57 Lebanon 2243 26 389.5
58 Tunisia 2279 26 387.5
59 Egypt 2200 25½ 391.0
60 United Arab Emirates 2200 25½ 379.0
61 Malta 2226 25½ 376.5
62 Zimbabwe 2200 25½ 369.5
63 Puerto Rico 2201 25½ 357.0
- Malta "B" 2200 25½ 355.5
64 Jamaica 2200 25½ 348.5
65 United States Virgin Islands 2233 25½ 333.0
66 Hong Kong 2235 25 349.0
67 Guernsey 2200 25 345.0
68 Jordan 2200 25 323.5
69 Cyprus 2200 24½ 356.0
70 Kenya 2200 24½ 318.5
71 Nigeria 2200 23½ 361.0
72 Faroe Islands 2200 24½ 355.0
73 Andorra 2200 23½ 345.5
74 Libya 2200 23½ 344.0
75 British Virgin Islands 2216 23½ 326.0
76 Bermuda 2200 23 326.0
77 Zaire 2200 23 319.5
78 Monaco 2200 20½
79 Papua New Guinea 2200 19½
80 Uganda 2200 17½
81 Angola 2200 13½

Individual medals

Best game

The 'Best Game' prize went to Jonathan Mestel (England) - Nils Gustaf Renman (Sweden) from round 13.

Women's results

42 teams took part in the women's event which for the first time was played as a 14-round Swiss system tournament. In the event of a draw, the tie-break was decided first by using the Buchholz system, then by match points.

Like the open event, the women's tournament proved to be a tight affair between the Soviet Union and Hungary, with the Soviet team, captained by world champion Chiburdanidze, winning by half a point. Poland took the bronze.

# Country Players Average
rating		 Points
1 Soviet Union Chiburdanidze, Gaprindashvili, Alexandria, Ioseliani 2370 32½
2 Hungary Verőci-Petronić, Ivánka, Porubszky-Angyalosine, Csonkics 2232 32
3 Poland Ereńska-Radzewska, Szmacińska, Wiese, Brustman 2148 26½
# Country Average
rating		 Points Buchholz MP Head-
to-head
4 Romania 2200 26
5 West Germany 2152 24 339.5
6 China 1843 24 338.5
7 Israel 2113 23½ 339.5
8 Yugoslavia 2142 23½ 333.5
9 Bulgaria 2138 23 340.0
10 Brazil 1850 23 300.5
11 Spain 2122 22½ 331.0
12 Argentina 1913 22½ 314.0
13 United States 2092 22 334.0
14 England 2160 22 332.5
15 France 1942 22 312.5
16 Australia 1870 22 302.5
17 Netherlands 2092 21½ 323.0
18 Colombia 1888 21½ 311.0
19 Canada 1938 21½ 305.0 15 2½
20 Italy 1935 21½ 305.0 15 ½
21 Sweden 1962 21½ 297.5
22 Iceland 1800 21½ 279.0
23 Dominican Republic 1800 21½ 263.5
24 Greece 1800 21½ 253.0
25 India 2075 21 305.5
26 Ireland 1818 21 287.5
27 Wales 1930 21 277.0
28 Scotland 1817 20½ 286.0
29 New Zealand 1800 20½ 239.0
30 Denmark 1875 20 291.5
31 Switzerland 1907 20 279.0
32 Mexico 1827 20 233.0
33 Austria 1938 19½ 291.0
34 Finland 1900 19½ 283.0
35 Egypt 1800 19½ 234.0
36 Japan 1817 19 283.0
37 Belgium 1800 19 235.0
38 Malta 1800 15
39 Puerto Rico 1800 14½
40 United Arab Emirates 1800 13½
41 United States Virgin Islands 1800 4
42 Nigeria 1800 1

Individual medals

COMMENTS