8th Chess Olympiad

The 8th Chess Olympiad, organised by the Fédération Internationale des Échecs (FIDE), comprised an 'open'[1] tournament, as well as a Women's World Championship contest. The main team event took place between August 21 and September 19, 1939, in the Politeama theatre in Buenos Aires, Argentina and coincided with the outbreak of World War II. The Olympiad is the subject of the book: Pawns in a Greater Game which was published in March 2015.

Following the end of the 8th Olympiad, the Chess Olympiad was suspended indefinitely due to economic concerns in conjunction with World War II; the next Chess Olympiad would not be held until 1950.

Background

There was a record number of entries, with twenty-seven teams taking part. This compared with the nineteen nations participating at the previous Olympiad; the substantial increase being mostly due to the interest shown by other Central and South American nations, including Cuba, led by former World Champion José Raúl Capablanca on the top board.

Due to certain political events, prominent Austrian players Erich Eliskases and Albert Becker were playing under the German flag and official sources referred to the Czechoslovak team as 'Bohemia & Moravia'. Two of the teams that did not compete were those that finished first and second at Stockholm, namely the United States and Hungary. Indeed, some nations found the cost of sending a team such a distance for a lengthy period prohibitively expensive.

Following the Preliminaries, the teams were split into Final Group A or Final Group B, with the former contesting the Hamilton-Russell Cup and the latter playing for the 'Copa Argentina', a consolation trophy presented by the Argentine President.

Preliminaries

The preliminaries were played from August 21–31, 1939. There were three groups of 7 teams and a group of 6. From a round-robin format, the top four in each group then went forward to Final A, the remainder to Final B. Group winners were Bohemia & Moravia (tied with Poland, Group 1), Latvia (Group 2), Argentina (Group 3) and Sweden (Group 4).

Finals

The finals commenced on September 1, the very date of the outbreak of World War II. This led to much confusion amongst the European teams, although most players wanted to continue. The England team, despite having qualified for Final A, were the only team to return home immediately and their place was not filled. Three of five English representatives: Conel Hugh O'Donel Alexander, Stuart Milner-Barry, and Harry Golombek were soon recruited into Bletchley Park, the British codebreaking centre during World War II.

Concerning the remaining delegations, a crisis assembly was called to vote on how to proceed; this comprised team captains, the hosts and organisers. Leading roles were reportedly taken by World Champion Alexander Alekhine (France), Savielly Tartakower (Poland), Albert Becker (Germany) and the president of the Argentine Chess Federation, Augusto de Muro. The verdict was to continue with the Olympiad.[2]

The political ramifications continued, however, when it became apparent that six of the scheduled finals matches could not be played due to tensions aroused by the war. After considerable deliberation and negotiation, a total of six matches (GER-POL, GER-FRA, GER-PAL, B&M-POL, B&M-FRA, and ARG-PAL) were declared drawn 2–2 by mutual forfeit and this allowed the remainder of the competition to be played out to a conclusion.[3]

Aftermath

At the conclusion of events, many participants decided to stay in Argentina or moved elsewhere in South America, rather than face an uncertain future by returning to a Europe in the midst of war. The players affected included Miguel Najdorf, Paulino Frydman, Gideon Ståhlberg, Erich Eliskases, Paul Michel, Ludwig Engels, Albert Becker, Heinrich Reinhardt, Jiří Pelikán, Karel Skalička, Markas Luckis, Movsas Feigins, Ilmar Raud, Moshe Czerniak, Meir Rauch, Victor Winz, Aristide Gromer, Franciszek Sulik, Adolf Seitz, Chris De Ronde, John Francis O'Donovan, Zelman Kleinstein, Sonja Graf and Paulette Schwartzmann.[4] Most of them were Jewish and had come to Buenos Aires in August 1939 on the Belgian steamer "Piriapolis".[5] The ship has therefore come to be regarded as the epitome of Noah's Ark for a generation of chess players.[6][7] Significantly, all five members of the German team (Eliskases, Michel, Engels, Becker, Reinhardt) also chose not to return to Nazi Germany.

Results

Final A
#CountryPlayersPoints
1 GermanyEliskases, Michel, Engels, Becker, Reinhardt36
2 PolandTartakower, Najdorf, Frydman, Regedziński, Sulik35½
3 EstoniaKeres, Raud, Schmidt, Friedemann, Türn33½
4 SwedenStåhlberg, Lundin, Bergkvist, Danielsson, Ekenberg33
5 ArgentinaGrau, Piazzini, Bolbochán Jac., Guimard, Pleci32½
6 Protectorate of Bohemia and MoraviaOpočenský, Foltys, Pelikán, Skalička, Zíta32
7 LatviaPetrovs, Apšenieks, Feigins, Endzelīns, Melngailis31½
8 Netherlandsvan Scheltinga, Cortlever, De Groot, Prins, De Ronde30½
9 PalestineCzerniak, Foerder, Winz, Kleinstein, Rauch26
10 FranceAlekhine, Gromer, Kahn, Rometti, Dez24½
11 CubaCapablanca, López, Alemán, Blanco, Planas22½
12 ChileCastillo, Flores, Letelier, Salas Romo, Reed22
13 LithuaniaMikėnas, Vaitonis, Luckis, Tautvaišas, Andrašiūnas22
14 BrazilTrompowsky, Silva Rocha, Cruz W., Souza Mendes, Cruz Filho21
15 DenmarkEnevoldsen, Poulsen, Christensen, Sørensen, Larsen17½
16 EnglandAlexander, Thomas, Milner-Barry, Golombek, Wood-

Prizes for best individual performances (based on results in the final only) went to:

Final B
#CountryPlayersPoints
17 IcelandMöller, Ásgeirsson, Guðmundsson, Thorvaldsson, Arnlaugsson28
18 CanadaMorrison, Yanofsky, Opsahl, Holowach, Helman28
19 NorwayRojahn, Larsen, Rebnord, Austbø27
20 UruguayRotunno, Hounie Fleurquin, Gulla, Roux Cabral, Olivera26
21 BulgariaTsvetkov, Neikirch, Kiprov, Kantardzhiev, Karastoichev25½
22 EcuadorPonce, Morales, Sierra, Suarez Dávila, Ayala21
23 GuatemalaVassaux, Asturias, Cruz Bulnes, Salazar15½
24 IrelandO'Hanlon, O'Donovan, Kerlin, Minnis, Nash15½
25 PeruIsmodes, Pinzón Solis, Castro de Mendoza, Soto, Cayo14
26 BoliviaCordova, Baender, Rodríguez Hurtado, Zavala, Reyes Velasco10
27 ParaguayDíaz Pérez, Espínola, Laterza, Boettner, Aponte9½

Prizes for best individual performances (based on results in the final only) went to:

Team results

Group 1

Place Country 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 + − = Points
1—2  Poland - 2 3 3½ 2½ 4 3½ 5 0 1 18½
1—2  Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia 2 - 2½ 3½ 3 4 3½ 5 0 1 18½
3  England 1 1½ - 3 2½ 2½ 3 4 2 0 13½
4  Brazil ½ ½ 1 - 3 3½ 4 3 3 0 12½
5  Canada 1½ 1 1½ 1 - 3½ 2½ 2 4 0 11
6  Peru 0 0 1½ ½ ½ - 2½ 1 5 0 5
7  Paraguay ½ ½ 1 0 1½ 1½ - 0 6 0 5

Group 2

Place Country 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 + − = Points
1  Latvia - 1½ 3½ 2½ 3 3 4 5 1 0 17½
2  Germany 2½ - 2½ 2 3 2½ 3½ 5 0 1 16
3  Chile ½ 1½ - 2½ 3 3 3½ 4 2 0 14
4  France 1½ 2 1½ - 2 3 3½ 2 2 2 13½
5  Bulgaria 1 1 1 2 - 3 2 1 3 2 10
6  Uruguay 1 1½ 1 1 1 - 3 1 5 0 8½
7  Bolivia 0 ½ ½ ½ 2 1 - 0 5 1 4½

Group 3

Place Country 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 + − = Points
1  Argentina - 2½ 3 2½ 2½ 3½ 4 6 0 0 18
2  Lithuania 1½ - 1½ 3 2½ 4 4 4 2 0 16½
3  Netherlands 1 2½ - 2 2½ 3½ 3½ 4 1 1 15
4  Denmark 1½ 1 2 - 2 4 3 2 2 2 13½
5  Iceland 1½ 1½ 1½ 2 - 3½ 3 2 3 1 13
6  Ireland ½ 0 ½ 0 ½ - 3 1 5 0 4½
7  Ecuador 0 0 ½ 1 1 1 - 0 6 0 3½

Group 4

Place Country 1 2 3 4 5 6 + − = Points
1  Sweden - 1 2½ 2½ 4 4 4 1 0 14
2  Estonia 3 - 1½ 2½ 2 4 3 1 1 13
3  Palestine 1½ 2½ - 1 3½ 2½ 3 2 0 11
4  Cuba 1½ 1½ 3 - 1 3 2 3 0 10
5  Norway 0 2 ½ 3 - 2½ 2 2 1 8
6  Guatemala 0 0 1½ 1 1½ - 0 5 0 4

Final A

Place Country 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 + − = Points
1  Germany - 2 2½ 3 3 3 3 2 2 2 3½ 2 3 2½ 2½ 9 0 5 36
2  Poland 2 - 2½ 1½ 2½ 2 2 1½ 2 4 3½ 2 4 2½ 3½ 7 2 5 35½
3  Estonia 1½ 1½ - 2 1½ 3 1½ 2½ 2 2 3 3 3½ 3½ 3 7 4 3 33½
4  Sweden 1 2½ 2 - 3½ 1½ 1½ 1½ 2 3 3½ 3 2½ 1½ 4 7 5 2 33
5  Argentina 1 1½ 2½ ½ - 3½ 2½ 1½ 2 2½ 2½ 3½ 3 3½ 2½ 9 4 1 32½
6  Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia 1 2 1 2½ ½ - 3½ 3½ 2½ 2 3 2½ 2 3½ 2½ 8 3 3 32
7  Latvia 1 2 2½ 2½ 1½ ½ - 2 3 2½ 2½ 3½ 3 2½ 2½ 9 3 2 31½
8  Netherlands 2 2½ 1½ 2½ 2½ ½ 2 - 1½ 2 2 3 2 2½ 4 6 3 5 30½
9  Palestine 2 2 2 2 2 1½ 1 2½ - 2½ 3 1 1½ 2½ ½ 4 5 5 26
10  France 2 0 2 1 1½ 2 1½ 2 1½ - 2 1 2 2 4 1 6 7 24½
11  Cuba ½ ½ 1 ½ 1½ 1 1½ 2 1 2 - 3 3 2½ 2½ 4 8 2 22½
12  Chile 2 2 1 1 ½ 1½ ½ 1 3 3 1 - 1½ 2½ 1½ 3 9 2 22
13  Lithuania 1 0 ½ 1½ 1 2 1 2 2½ 2 1 2½ - 2 3 3 7 4 22
14  Brazil 1½ 1½ ½ 2½ ½ ½ 1½ 1½ 1½ 2 1½ 1½ 2 - 2½ 2 10 2 21
15  Denmark 1½ ½ 1 0 1½ 1½ 1½ 0 3½ 0 1½ 2½ 1 1½ - 2 12 0 17½
  • Matches in italics in black have not been played.

Final B

Place Country 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 + − = Points
16  Iceland - 2½ 2 3 2½ 3 3½ 2½ 2 4 3 8 0 2 28
17  Canada 1½ - 3 2 3 3 2 3½ 3½ 3½ 3 7 1 2 28
18  Norway 2 1 - 2½ 1½ 3 4 2 3½ 3½ 4 6 2 2 27
19  Uruguay 1 2 1½ - 3 2 3½ 3½ 2½ 3 4 6 2 2 26
20  Bulgaria 1½ 1 2½ 1 - 3 4 2½ 3½ 3½ 3 7 3 0 25½
21  Ecuador 1 1 1 2 1 - 3 2½ 3 3½ 3 5 1 4 21
22  Guatemala ½ 2 0 ½ 0 1 - 2½ 3 3 3 4 5 1 15½
23  Ireland 1½ ½ 2 ½ 1½ 1½ 1½ - 1½ 2½ 2½ 2 1 7 15½
24  Peru 2 ½ ½ 1½ ½ 1 1 2½ - 2 2½ 2 6 2 14
25  Bolivia 0 ½ ½ 1 ½ ½ 1 1½ 2 - 2½ 1 8 1 10
26  Paraguay 1 1 0 0 1 1 1 1½ 1½ 1½ - 0 10 0 9½

Notes
  1. Although commonly referred to as the men's division, this section is open to both male and female players.
  2. Gawlikowski, Stanisław (1978). Olimpiady szachowe 1924–1974, Wyd. Sport i Turystyka, Warszawa.
  3. 8th Chess Olympiad: Buenos Aires 1939—Information–Basic data–Tournament review–Individual medals–Interesting games–Trivia
  4. "List of players who remained in Argentina in 1939 (notes in Spanish)". Archived from the original on 2004-02-09.
  5. Compagnie Maritime Belge
  6. "Michael Negele, Pogromcy Enigmy". Archived from the original on 2010-12-17. Retrieved 2010-11-27.
  7. "Tomasz Lissowski, Frydman i Gombrowicz". Archived from the original on 2011-07-19. Retrieved 2010-11-27.

References
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