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25th Chess Olympiad

The 25th 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 October 29 and November 16, 1982, in Lucerne, Switzerland.

The Soviet team with three world champions (reigning champion Karpov, future champion Kasparov and former champion Tal) were back in their usual form and this time left no doubt about the outcome. In the end, they only drew one match (against the Netherlands; and won the rest) and finished no less than 6½ points ahead of runners-up Czechoslovakia. The United States took the bronze medals.

Off the board, FIDE elected a new president at its congress held concurrently with the Olympiad. Friðrik Ólafsson of Iceland was succeeded by Florencio Campomanes of the Philippines.

Open event

A total of 91 nations played a 14-round Swiss system tournament - 93 had applied, but Gambia and Mauretania never showed up. To make for an even number of teams, the Swiss hosts also fielded a "B" team. For the first time, the two British Channel Islands, Guernsey and Jersey, participated with a joint 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
1 Soviet Union Karpov, Kasparov, Polugaevsky, Beliavsky, Tal, Yusupov 2651 42½
2 Czechoslovakia Hort, Smejkal, Ftáčnik, Jansa, Plachetka, Ambrož 2539 36
3 United States Browne, Seirawan, Alburt, Kavalek, Tarjan, Christiansen 2580 35½
# Country Average
rating
Points Buchholz MP
4 Yugoslavia 2554 35
5 Hungary 2579 33½ 461.5
6 Bulgaria 2475 33½ 431.5
7 Poland 2459 33
8 Denmark 2433 32½ 442.5
9 Cuba 2483 32½ 432.5
10 England 2561 32 456.5
11 Argentina 2458 32 447.0
12 Romania 2488 32 442.0
13 Israel 2475 32 432.0
14 Austria 2396 32 421.5
15 West Germany 2518 31½ 456.5
16 Sweden 2518 31½ 451.0
17 Netherlands 2546 31½ 448.0
18 Canada 2453 31½ 441.0
19 Philippines 2428 31½ 411.5
20 Colombia 2371 31½ 402.5
21 Chile 2425 31
22 Australia 2355 30½ 432.5
23 Iceland 2446 30½ 415.0
24 Norway 2383 30½ 414.0
25 Finland 2394 30½ 398.0
26 Switzerland 2479 30 451.0
27 Indonesia 2320 30 430.5
28 Spain 2425 30 418.5 20
29 France 2414 30 418.5 17
30 Wales 2310 30 407.5
31 Ireland 2243 30 398.5
- Switzerland "B" 2303 30 397.0
32 Scotland 2324 29½ 422.5
33 Greece 2343 29½ 412.5
34 Mongolia 2294 29½ 409.5
35 Dominican Republic 2334 29½ 408.5
36 Venezuela 2344 29½ 399.0
37 China 2395 29 426.5
38 Brazil 2424 29 412.5
39 Mexico 2426 29 409.0 16
40 Albania 2285 29 409.0 13
41 India 2390 28½ 419.0
42 Italy 2323 28½ 397.0
43 Singapore 2306 28½ 396.5
44 Uruguay 2218 28½ 390.0
45 New Zealand 2289 28 412.5
46 Egypt 2253 28 393.0
47 Turkey 2265 28 388.5
48 Guatemala 2293 28 378.0 17
49 Sri Lanka 2214 28 378.0 14
50 Belgium 2303 27½ 403.5
51 Portugal 2353 27½ 386.5
52 Paraguay 2294 27½ 378.0
53 Syria 2248 27½ 375.5
54 Thailand 2328 27 390.0
55 Pakistan 2256 27 387.5
56 Faroe Islands 2200 27 368.5
57 Malaysia 2226 26½ 385.0
58 Hong Kong 2251 26½ 374.0
59 Lebanon 2211 26½ 372.5
60 Puerto Rico 2208 26 383.5
61 Japan 2200 26 365.5
62 Tunisia 2240 25½ 389.5
63 Trinidad and Tobago 2204 25½ 369.0
64 Ecuador 2214 25½ 364.5
65 Algeria 2200 25½ 363.5
66 Cyprus 2213 25½ 363.0
67 Andorra 2200 25½ 362.5
68 Zimbabwe 2200 25½ 360.5
69 Suriname 2200 25½ 354.5
70 Guernsey-Jersey 2200 25½ 352.0
71 Papua New Guinea 2200 25½ 351.5
72 Malta 2205 25½ 347.5
73 United Arab Emirates 2200 25½ 345.5
74 Monaco 2200 25½ 341.5
75 Nigeria 2200 25 367.5
76 Luxembourg 2211 25 346.5
77 Uganda 2200 25 334.5
78 Zaire 2200 25 330.5
79 Libya 2200 24½
80 Jamaica 2200 24 364.5
81 Jordan 2200 24 348.0
82 Senegal 2200 24 334.0
83 British Virgin Islands 2209 23
84 Honduras 2200 22½ 325.5
85 United States Virgin Islands 2201 22½ 320.5
86 Bahrain 2200 22½ 316.0
87 Angola 2200 22 319.5
88 Kenya 2200 22 289.5
89 Bermuda 2200 19½
90 Botswana 2200 14½ 325.0
91 Zambia 2200 14½ 322.5

Individual medals

Women's results

45 nations were signed up, and to make for an even number of teams, the Swiss hosts also fielded a "B" team. However, the Dominican Republic never showed up, so the competition ended up consisting of an odd 45 teams after all.

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 was dominated by the Soviet Union, captained by world champion Chiburdanidze, who won the gold medals by a three point margin. Romania and Hungary took silver and bronze, respectively.

# Country Players Average
rating
Points
1 Soviet Union Chiburdanidze, Alexandria, Gaprindashvili, Ioseliani 2360 33
2 Romania Mureşan, Pogorevici, Nuţu-Terescenko, Polihroniade 2297 30
3 Hungary Verőci-Petronić, Ivánka, Porubszky-Angyalosine, Csonkics 2205 26
# Country Average
rating
Points Buchholz
4 Poland 2153 25½
5 China 2090 24½ 342.5
6 West Germany 2185 24½ 340.0
7 Sweden 2122 24
8 Netherlands 2058 23½ 321.0
9 India 2007 23½ 299.5
10 Spain 2112 23 341.0
11 England 2083 23 337.0
12 Yugoslavia 2165 23 333.5
13 France 1927 23 297.5
14 Bulgaria 2143 22½ 335.5
15 Colombia 1975 22½ 311.5
16 Brazil 1892 22½ 303.5
17 United States 2110 22 339.0
18 Italy 1875 22 306.0
19 Canada 1953 22 302.5
20 Mongolia 1800 22 299.5
21 Australia 1885 22 292.0
22 Greece 1802 22 235.0
23 Argentina 1953 21½ 305.5
24 Indonesia 1802 21½ 287.0
25 Iceland 1813 21 306.0
26 Switzerland 1905 21 294.5
27 Philippines 1833 21 265.5
28 New Zealand 1800 21 219.5
29 Austria 1945 20½ 301.0
30 Israel 1928 20½ 297.0
31 Scotland 1820 20½ 294.5
32 Finland 1923 20½ 254.0
33 Mexico 1843 20½ 231.5
34 Belgium 1800 20
35 Japan 1860 19½ 294.0
- Switzerland "B" 1848 19½ 279.0
36 Turkey 1838 19½ 253.5
37 Venezuela 1853 19½ 244.5
38 Wales 1815 18½ 248.0
39 Norway 1800 18½ 243.5
40 Ireland 1800 18½ 220.0
41 Egypt 1800 16½
42 Trinidad and Tobago 1800 11½
43 Zambia 1800
44 United States Virgin Islands 1800 4

Individual medals

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