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32nd Chess Olympiad

Official logo of the Olympiad

The 32nd Chess Olympiad, organized by FIDE and comprising an open and a women's tournament, took place between September 15 and October 2, 1996, in Yerevan, Armenia. Both tournament sections were officiated by international arbiter Alesha Khachatrian of Armenia.

The Russian team won their third consecutive title, captained by PCA world champion Kasparov. Once again, due to a dispute with the national federation, FIDE champion Anatoly Karpov was not present. Ukraine, led by Ivanchuk, took the silver, and the United States returned to the medal ranks for the first time since the fall of the Iron Curtain, beating England by half a point on tie break - somewhat ironically, half of the US team were born in Eastern Europe.

In addition to the overall medal winners, the teams were divided into seeding groups, with the top finishers in each group receiving special prizes.

Open event

The open division was contested by 114 teams representing 111 nations plus Armenia "B" and "C" as well as the International Braille Chess Association. Mali were signed up but didn't show up and were disqualified. Due to an odd number of participants, the hosts were allowed to field an additional third squad, but when team Yemen arrived after the second round, the number became odd again. However, Afghanistan set a new Olympic record by not showing up until round 8 and once again brought the total number of teams an even one.

The time control for each game permitted each player 2 hours to make the first 40 of his or her moves, then an additional 1 hour to make the next 20 moves. In the event of a draw, the tie-break was decided by 1. The Buchholz system; and 2. Match points.

Open event
# Country Players Average
rating		 Points Buchholz
1 Russia Kasparov, Kramnik, Dreev, Svidler, Bareev, Rublevsky 2714 38½
2 Ukraine Ivanchuk, Malaniuk, Romanyshyn, Novikov, Onyschuk, Savchenko 2633 35
3 United States Gulko, Yermolinsky, De Firmian, Kaidanov, Benjamin, Christiansen 2595 34 448.0
4 England Short, Adams, Speelman, Sadler, Hodgson, Conquest 2655 34 447.5
5 Armenia Akopian, Vaganian, Lputian, Minasian, Anastasian, Petrosian 2593 33½ 452.0
6 Spain Shirov, Illescas, Magem, Garcia, San Segundo, Izeta 2605 33½ 451.5
7 Bosnia and Herzegovina Sokolov, Nikolić, Kurajica, Dizdarević, Kelecević, Sinanović 2584 33½ 439.5
8 Georgia Azmaiparashvili, Giorgadze, Sturua, Zaichik, Janjgava, Supatashvili 2590 33 446.0
9 Bulgaria Topalov, K. Georgiev, Spasov, Dimitrov, V. Georgiev, Chatalbashev 2619 33 443.0
10 Germany Yusupov, Hübner, Dautov, Lobron, Hickl, Lutz 2619 33 440.0
# Country Average
rating		 Points Buchholz MP
11 Sweden 2544 33 434.0
12 Iceland 2549 33 426.5
13 China 2518 32½ 448.5
14 Netherlands 2564 32½ 436.5
15 Argentina 2529 32½ 430.0
=16 Croatia 2564 32 443.5 17
=16 Israel 2600 32 443.5 17
18 Hungary 2643 32 440.5
19 Uzbekistan 2510 32 434.5
20 Latvia 2515 32 424.5
21 Cuba 2536 31½ 438.5
22 Yugoslavia 2540 31½ 423.0
23 Slovenia 2509 31½ 419.5
24 Greece 2563 31½ 412.5
25 France 2541 31 438.0
26 Philippines 2470 31 431.5
27 Vietnam 2478 31 412.0
28 Australia 2465 31 411.5
29 Canada 2454 31 397.5
30 Kazakhstan 2511 30½ 436.0
31 Romania 2528 30½ 434.5
32 Czech Republic 2555 30½ 432.5
33 Belarus 2570 30½ 426.5
34 Slovakia 2508 30½ 422.0
35 Macedonia 2478 30½ 421.5
36 Poland 2545 30½ 420.0
37 Lithuania 2546 30½ 419.5
38 Denmark 2519 30½ 404.0
39 Turkmenistan 2445 30½ 390.0
40 Norway 2535 30 409.0
41 Peru 2476 30 407.5
42 Armenia "C" 2400 30 404.0
43 Colombia 2450 30 402.0
44 Indonesia 2414 29½ 426.5
45 Moldova 2514 29½ 411.5
46 Finland 2419 29½ 401.5
47 Tajikistan 2283 29 398.5
48 Austria 2408 29 393.5
49 Estonia 2549 28½ 438.5
50 Armenia "B" 2456 28½ 413.0
51 Brazil 2446 28½ 408.5
52 Portugal 2451 28½ 408.0
53 Kyrgyzstan 2479 28½ 395.5
54 Belgium 2391 28½ 391.0
55 Ireland 2395 28½ 389.5
56 Scotland 2436 28½ 381.0
57 Italy 2468 28 404.5
58 Switzerland 2448 28 400.0
59 India 2449 28 397.0
60 Syria 2080 28 364.5
61 Bangladesh 2423 27½ 411.5
62 South Africa 2338 27½ 395.0
63 Luxembourg 2355 27½ 388.0
64 Malaysia 2274 27½ 387.0
65 United Arab Emirates 2254 27½ 361.0
66 Egypt 2384 27 393.5
67 Morocco 2278 27 379.5
68 Chile 2433 26½ 405.0
69 Turkey 2318 26½ 396.5
70 Tunisia 2369 26½ 393.0
71 Venezuela 2258 26½ 386.0
72 Iran 2238 26½ 382.5
73 IBCA 2236 27½ 380.0
74 Wales 2285 27½ 379.5
75 Ecuador 2301 27½ 376.5
76 Japan 2241 27½ 375.5
77 Uruguay 2261 26 375.5
78 Hong Kong 2220 26 369.5
79 Puerto Rico 2240 26 368.5
80 Singapore 2291 26 367.0
81 Faroe Islands 2256 26 361.5
82 New Zealand 2311 25½ 377.0
83 Angola 2231 25½ 371.0
84 Andorra 2183 25½ 363.5
85 Yemen 2145 25½ 363.0
86 Liechtenstein 2239 25½ 356.0
87 Cyprus 2100 25½ 351.5
88 Paraguay 2328 25 379.0
89 Barbados 2179 25 368.0
90 Lebanon 2219 25 358.5
91 Qatar 2204 25 346.5
92 El Salvador 2058 24½ 378.5
93 Thailand 2165 24½ 372.5
94 Zimbabwe 2210 24½ 357.5
95 Nicaragua 2113 24½ 354.5
96 Uganda 2140 24½ 348.5
97 Malta 2094 24½ 346.0
98 Bahrain 2086 24½ 344.0
99 Botswana 2086 24 341.5
100 Netherlands Antilles 2144 24 338.5
101 San Marino 2030 23½ 325.0
102 Macau 2053 23½ 304.5
103 Haiti 2000 23
104 Sri Lanka 2094 22½ 335.0
105 Monaco 2140 22½ 319.0
106 Mauritania 2000 22 323.5
107 Bermuda 2031 22 317.5
108 Mozambique 2000 21½ 328.0
109 Honduras 2000 21½ 305.5
110 Jersey 2024 20
111 Guernsey 2000 18½
112 Afghanistan 2000 17
113 Seychelles 2033 16
114 United States Virgin Islands 2000 9

Individual medals

Best game

The 'Best game' prize went to Zurab Sturua (Georgia) - Rolando Kutirov (Macedonia) from round 3.

Women's results

The women's division was contested by 74 teams representing 72 nations plus Armenia "B" and the International Braille Chess Association. The time control for each game permitted each player 2 hours to make the first 40 of his or her moves, then an additional 1 hour to make the next 20 moves. In the event of a draw, the tie-break was decided by 1. The Buchholz system; and 2. Match points.

The Georgian team, led by one former world champion (Chiburdanidze), won their third consecutive title. China, led by another former world champion (Xie Jun), took the silver, and Russia the bronze. Newly crowned champion Susan Polgar did not take part in the event for her new country, so a second-rate US team finished as low as 35th.

# Country Players Average
rating		 Points Buchholz
1 Georgia Chiburdanidze, Ioseliani, Arakhamia-Grant, Gurieli 2498 30
2 China Xie Jun, Zhu Chen, Wang Lei, Wang Pin 2425 28½ 347.0
3 Russia Galliamova, Matveeva, Prudnikova, Zaitseva 2443 28½ 345.5
4 Ukraine Gaponenko, Litinskaya, Sedina, Zhukova 2343 26½
5 Hungary Polgár, Mádl, Medvegy, Lakos 2387 26
6 Romania Foişor, Corina Peptan, Radu-Cosma, Olǎraşu 2355 25½
7 Israel Klinova, Segal, Tsifanskaya, Pitam 2310 25
8 Kazakhstan Sakhatova, Uskova, Girkiyan-Klink, Sergeeva 2305 24½ 340.5
9 Poland Brustman, Bobrowska, Dworakowska, Zielińska 2330 24½ 339.5
10 England Lalic, Hunt, Sheldon, Bellin 2303 24 346.0
# Country Average
rating		 Points Buchholz MP
11 Indonesia 2178 24 309.5
12 Czech Republic 2258 24 305.5
13 Yugoslavia 2395 23½ 335.5
=14 Moldova 2322 23½ 332.5 15
=14 Germany 2348 23½ 332.5 15
16 Bulgaria 2335 23½ 331.5
17 Lithuania 2222 23½ 321.5
18 Greece 2252 23½ 321.0
=19 Cuba 2253 23½ 316.5 16
=19 Armenia 2233 23½ 316.5 16
21 Estonia 2258 23½ 312.5
22 Uzbekistan 2198 23½ 291.5
23 Slovakia 2250 23 328.0
24 Vietnam 2197 23 321.0
25 India 2152 23 316.0
26 France 2211 23 314.0
27 Mongolia 2115 23 275.5
28 Slovenia 2195 22½ 311.5
29 Armenia "B" 2138 22½ 310.5
30 Netherlands 2210 22½ 301.5
31 Croatia 2242 22 312.0
32 Belarus 2252 22 304.0
33 Bosnia and Herzegovina 2110 22 303.5
34 Latvia 2245 21½
35 United States 2312 21½ 314.0
36 Spain 2245 21½ 299.5
37 Sweden 2108 21½ 299.0
38 Australia 2145 21½ 298.0
39 Canada 2123 21½ 286.5
40 Austria 2112 21½ 285.5
41 Denmark 2048 21½ 283.0
42 Kyrgyzstan 2112 20½ 309.0
43 Macedonia 2105 20½ 291.5
44 Philippines 2015 20½ 282.0
45 Norway 2083 20½ 280.5
46 Brazil 2080 20½ 278.0
47 Finland 2065 20 290.5
48 Turkmenistan 2048 20 287.0
49 Italy 2010 20 282.0
50 Venezuela 2043 20 280.5
51 Mexico 2162 20 278.5
52 Bangladesh 2093 20 274.5
53 Switzerland 2140 19½ 297.0
54 Scotland 2022 19½ 282.0
55 Portugal 2133 19 282.0
56 Ireland 2017 19 262.5
57 IBCA 2000 19 245.5
58 Puerto Rico 2002 19 240.0
59 Colombia 2060 18½ 277.0
60 Iran 2033 18½ 266.5
61 Syria 2000 18½ 229.0
62 Netherlands Antilles 2000 18½ 217.5
63 Ecuador 2067 18 285.0
64 Malaysia 2050 18 259.0
65 Sri Lanka 2007 18 232.5
66 New Zealand 2000 18 223.0
67 Turkey 2002 17½ 264.5
68 United Arab Emirates 2017 17½ 240.5
69 Zambia 2002 16½
70 Angola 2000 15 229.5
71 Lebanon 2000 15 228.5
72 Seychelles 2013 14½
73 Japan 2000 8
74 United States Virgin Islands 2000 2

Individual medals

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