33rd Chess Olympiad
Encyclopedia
The 33rd Chess Olympiad
, organized by the Fédération Internationale des Échecs
and comprising an open and women's tournament, took place between September 26 and October 13, 1998, in Elista
, Kalmykia
, (Russia). In the open tournament there were 110 teams, and in the women's, 72 teams.
. Construction of Chess City was not complete by the start of the tournament, and some FIDE members were concerned that the facilities would not be ready in time, including the airport, telephone system, player housing, and the Chess Palace to be used as the main playing hall. Reported human rights abuses by Republic of Kalmykia President Kirsan Ilyumzhinov
lead to calls for a boycott from Valery Borshchev, a deputy in the Duma
from the Russian social-liberal party Yabloko
. The British government did not call for a boycott but confirmed "reliable reports of human rights problems" and suggested that Kalmykian authorities might use publicity from Olympiad participation by foreign teams for its own purposes.
The opening ceremony took place as scheduled, but the Chess Palace was covered in scaffolding and was missing many windows. The first round was delayed, one free day was eliminated, and the tournament was shortened to 13 rounds from the planned 14. The organizers worked around the clock and playing conditions improved as the tournament progressed, although the main playing hall was not properly heated. Living conditions, food and drink, and telephone service were generally reported to be acceptable.
Geurt Gijssen (NED
). Teams were paired across the 13 rounds of competition according to the Swiss system
(due to late start of the Olympiad the last round was cancelled); the open division was played over four boards per round, whilst the women's was played over three. The time control
for each game permitted each player 100 minutes to make the first 40 of his or her moves, then additional 50 minutes to make the next 20 moves, then 10 minutes to finish the game, with an additional 30 seconds devolving on each player after each move, beginning with the first.
provided one squad.
, as hosts, fielded three teams, whilst the International Braille Chess Association
entered one squad.
Chess Olympiad
The Chess Olympiad is a biennial chess tournament in which teams from all over the world compete against each other. The event is organised by FIDE, which selects the host nation.-Birth of the Olympiad:The first Olympiad was unofficial...
, organized by the Fédération Internationale des Échecs
Fédération Internationale des Échecs
The Fédération Internationale des Échecs or World Chess Federation is an international organization that connects the various national chess federations around the world and acts as the governing body of international chess competition. It is usually referred to as FIDE , its French acronym.FIDE...
and comprising an open and women's tournament, took place between September 26 and October 13, 1998, in Elista
Elista
-Twin towns/sister cities:Elista is twinned with the following sister cities. Howell, New Jersey, United States Lhasa, Tibet, China. Ulan-Ude, Buryat Republic, Russia-See also:*Geden Sheddup Choikorling Monastery*Burkhan Bakshin Altan Sume-External links:...
, Kalmykia
Kalmykia
The Republic of Kalmykia is a federal subject of Russia . Population: It is the only Buddhist region in Europe. It has also become well-known as an international chess mecca because its former President, Kirsan Ilyumzhinov, is the head of the International Chess Federation .-Geography:*Area:...
, (Russia). In the open tournament there were 110 teams, and in the women's, 72 teams.
Chess City
The Olympiad was the first international chess event to be held at Chess CityChess City
Chess City is a large complex devoted to chess and chess competitions located east of Elista, Kalmykia, in Russia. The neighborhood-size development consists of a central, four-story domed City Chess Hall surrounded by an Olympic-style village of Californian-Mediterranean Revival Style architecture...
. Construction of Chess City was not complete by the start of the tournament, and some FIDE members were concerned that the facilities would not be ready in time, including the airport, telephone system, player housing, and the Chess Palace to be used as the main playing hall. Reported human rights abuses by Republic of Kalmykia President Kirsan Ilyumzhinov
Kirsan Ilyumzhinov
Kirsan Nikolayevich Ilyumzhinov is a Kalmyk multi-millionaire businessman and politician. He was the President of the Republic of Kalmykia in the Russian Federation from 1993 to 2010, and he has been the President of FIDE , the world's pre-eminent international chess organization, since 1995...
lead to calls for a boycott from Valery Borshchev, a deputy in the Duma
Duma
A Duma is any of various representative assemblies in modern Russia and Russian history. The State Duma in the Russian Empire and Russian Federation corresponds to the lower house of the parliament. Simply it is a form of Russian governmental institution, that was formed during the reign of the...
from the Russian social-liberal party Yabloko
Yabloko
The Russian United Democratic Party "Yabloko" The Russian United Democratic Party "Yabloko" The Russian United Democratic Party "Yabloko" (Russian: Росси́йская объединённая демократи́ческая па́ртия «Я́блоко» Rossiyskaya obyedinyonnaya demokraticheskaya partiya "Yabloko"; is a Russian social...
. The British government did not call for a boycott but confirmed "reliable reports of human rights problems" and suggested that Kalmykian authorities might use publicity from Olympiad participation by foreign teams for its own purposes.
The opening ceremony took place as scheduled, but the Chess Palace was covered in scaffolding and was missing many windows. The first round was delayed, one free day was eliminated, and the tournament was shortened to 13 rounds from the planned 14. The organizers worked around the clock and playing conditions improved as the tournament progressed, although the main playing hall was not properly heated. Living conditions, food and drink, and telephone service were generally reported to be acceptable.
Chess competition
Both tournament sections were officiated by international arbiterInternational Arbiter
In chess, International Arbiter is a title awarded by FIDE to individuals deemed capable of acting as arbiter in important chess matches . The title was established in 1951....
Geurt Gijssen (NED
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
). Teams were paired across the 13 rounds of competition according to the Swiss system
Swiss system tournament
A Swiss-system tournament is a commonly used type of tournament where players or teams need to be paired to face each other for several rounds of competition. This type of tournament was first used in a Zurich chess tournament in 1895, hence the name "Swiss system". The Swiss system is used when...
(due to late start of the Olympiad the last round was cancelled); the open division was played over four boards per round, whilst the women's was played over three. The time control
Time control
A time control is a mechanism in the tournament play of almost all two-player board games so that each round of the match can finish in a timely way and the tournament can proceed. Time controls are typically enforced by means of a game clock...
for each game permitted each player 100 minutes to make the first 40 of his or her moves, then additional 50 minutes to make the next 20 moves, then 10 minutes to finish the game, with an additional 30 seconds devolving on each player after each move, beginning with the first.
Open tournament
The open division was contested by 110 teams representing 106 nations and territories; Russia, as hosts, fielded four teams, whilst the International Braille Chess AssociationInternational Braille Chess Association
The International Braille Chess Association is organization for blind and visually impaired chess players. The IBCA is a FIDE-affiliated chess organization as well as a part of the International Blind Sports Federation. The International Braille Chess Association was formed in 1948 by Reginald...
provided one squad.
Team results
The teams finishing first through third overall receive medals, as do those finishing in the top three amongst teams organized by seed; overall medal winners are not eligible to receive group prizes.Top ten overall finishers
| Place of finish | Team | Players | Seed | Average July 1998 1998 in sports 1998 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.-Alpine skiing:* Alpine Skiing World Cup** Men's overall season champion: Hermann Maier, Austria** Women's overall season champion: Katja Seizinger, Germany-American football:... FIDE rating |
Matches won | Matches drawn | Matches lost | Total score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| First Gold medal A gold medal is typically the medal awarded for highest achievement in a non-military field. Its name derives from the use of at least a fraction of gold in form of plating or alloying in its manufacture... |
 Russia ARussia Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects... |
Peter Svidler Peter Svidler Peter Veniaminovich Svidler is a Russian chess grandmaster.He is six-time Russian champion .... , Sergei Rublevsky Sergei Rublevsky Sergei Rublevsky is a Russian chess grandmaster . He won the prestigious Aeroflot Open in 2004, and became the 58th Russian chess champion after winning the Russian Superfinal in Moscow , one point clear from Dmitry Jakovenko and Alexander Morozevich.He finished in the top 10 in the 2005 FIDE... , Evgeny Bareev Evgeny Bareev Evgeny Bareev is a Russian chess Grandmaster and chess coach. In October 2003, he was in fourth place in the world rankings, with an Elo rating of 2739.... , Alexander Morozevich Alexander Morozevich Alexander Morozevich is a Russian chess Grandmaster. In the November 2011 FIDE list, he had an Elo rating of 2762, making him the 9th-highest rated player in the world, although he has previously ranked as high as second, in the July 2008 list.... , Vadim Zvjaginsev Vadim Zvjaginsev Cifuentes-Parada-Zvjaginsev, Wijk aan Zee Open 1995 1.d4 e6 2.Nf3 d5 3.c4 Nf6 4.Nc3 c6 5.e3 Nbd7 6.Qc2 b6 7.Be2 Bb7 8.O-O Be7 9.Rd1 O-O 10.e4 dxe4 11.Nxe4 Qc7 12.Nc3 c5 13.d5 exd5 14.cxd5 a6 15.Nh4 g6 16.Bh6 Rfe8 17.Qd2 Bd6 18.g3 b5 19.Bf3 b4 20.Ne2 Ne4 21.Qc2 Ndf6 22.Ng2 Qd7 23.Ne3 Rad8 24.Bg2? ... , Konstantin Sakaev Konstantin Sakaev Konstantin Sakaev is a Russian chess Grandmaster , from St Petersburg and Russian Champion in 1999. He is also a chess writer. Sakaev is on the staff of the Grandmaster Chess School in St... |
1 | 2684 | 11 | 1 | 1 | 35½ |
| Second Silver medal A silver medal is a medal awarded to the second place finisher of contests such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, and contests with similar formats.... |
 United States of America |
Alex Yermolinsky Alex Yermolinsky Alex Yermolinsky is an American chess Grandmaster. In 1993, Yermolinsky won the U.S. Chess Championship, tying for first place with Alexander Shabalov... , Alexander Shabalov Alexander Shabalov Alexander Shabalov is an American chess grandmaster, the multiple winner of the U.S. Chess Championships; he was the 2007 US Champion. He was born in Latvia, and like his fellow Latvians Alexei Shirov and Mikhail Tal he is known for courting complications even at the cost of objective soundness... , Yasser Seirawan, Boris Gulko, Nick De Firmian Nick de Firmian Nicholas Ernest de Firmian , is a chess grandmaster and three-time U.S. chess champion, winning in 1987 , 1995, and 1998. He also tied for first in 2002, but Larry Christiansen won the playoff... , Gregory Kaidanov Gregory Kaidanov Gregory Kaidanov is a Grandmaster of chess.As of April 2007, his Elo rating was 2587, making him the #9 player in the US and the 179th-highest rated player in the world. His peak rating was 2646 in 2002.... |
4 | 2631 | 8 | 4 | 1 | 34½ |
| Third Bronze medal A bronze medal is a medal awarded to the third place finisher of contests such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, etc. The practice of awarding bronze third place medals began at the 1904 Olympic Games in St... |
 UkraineUkraine Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia... |
Vasyl Ivanchuk Vasyl Ivanchuk Vasyl Mykhaylovych Ivanchuk, also transliterated as Vasyliy or Vasyl , is a Ukrainian chess grandmaster.... , Alexander Onischuk Alexander Onischuk Alexander Onischuk is an American chess grandmaster. Originally from Ukraine, he immigrated to the US in 2001 and currently lives in Northern Virginia. He was the 2006 U.S. Chess Champion... , Oleg Romanishin Oleg Romanishin Oleg Mikhailovich Romanishin is a Ukrainian chess grandmaster and former European junior champion.Many honours and awards were bestowed on him as a young man. After winning the European Junior Championship in 1973, he became an International Master the same year... , Vladimir Malaniuk Vladimir Malaniuk Vladimir Pavlovich Malaniuk is a Ukrainian chess Grandmaster.... , Stanislav Savchenko Stanislav Savchenko Stanislav Savchenko is a Ukrainian chess grandmaster . He took part in the FIDE World Chess Championship 2002, but was knocked out in the first round by Francisco Vallejo Pons.... , Ruslan Ponomariov Ruslan Ponomariov Ruslan Olegovich Ponomariov is a Ukrainian chess player and former FIDE World Champion.-Early career:Ponomariov was born in Horlivka in Ukraine. In 1994 he placed third in the World Under-12 Championship at the age of ten. In 1996 he won the European Under-18 Championship at the age of just... |
3 | 2638 | 7 | 4 | 2 | 32½ |
| Fourth |  IsraelIsrael The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea... |
Boris Alterman Boris Alterman Boris Alterman is an Israeli chess Grandmaster, FIDE Senior Trainer , advisor of the Junior chess program.... , Ilia Smirin, Emil Sutovsky Emil Sutovsky Emil Sutovsky is an Israeli chess Grandmaster. He is one of the several top chess grandmasters who were born in Baku, Azerbaijan .-Successes:... , Lev Psakhis Lev Psakhis Lev Borisovich Psakhis is a naturalised Israeli chess grandmaster, trainer and author. Born in Siberia, he is also a two-time former champion of the Soviet Union.-Biography:... , Yona Kosashvili Yona Kosashvili Dr. Yona Kosashvili is a Georgian-born chess Grandmaster and physician, who now lives in Canada.He was born in Tbilisi, Georgia, moved to Israel as a child, and now lives in Toronto, Canada.... , Boris Avrukh Boris Avrukh Boris Leonidovich Avrukh is an Israeli chess grandmaster. He was the World Under-12 champion in 1990.He has played for Israel six times in Chess Olympiads.* In 1998, at second reserve board at the 33rd Chess Olympiad in Elista ;... |
12 | 2593 | 8 | 2 | 3 | 32½ |
| Fifth |  People's Republic of ChinaPeople's Republic of China China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres... |
Peng Xiaomin Peng Xiaomin Peng Xiaomin is a Chinese chess grandmaster. In 1997, he became China's 6th Grandmaster. Peng Xiaomin is married to WGM Qin Kanying.-Career:Peng has been a grandmaster since 1997... , Ye Jiangchuan Ye Jiangchuan Ye Jiangchuan is a veteran Chinese chess player and has been one of China's leading players in modern history.In 1993, Ye became China's third Grandmaster, after Ye Rongguang and Xie Jun. On 1 January 2000, he became the first ever Chinese player to cross the 2600 elo rating mark... , IM Zhang Zhong Zhang Zhong Zhang Zhong is a Chinese chess grandmaster who now plays for Singapore.In 1998, he became China's 9th Grandmaster.-Career:Among Zhang's more notable results are silver medals at the 1996 and 1998 World Junior Chess Championships, first in the 2001 Chinese Championship, 8.5/12 at the 2002 Chess... , FM Yu Shaoteng Yu Shaoteng Yu Shaoteng is a Chinese chess Grandmaster, and is the personal trainer of chess prodigy Hou Yifan. He took part in the FIDE World Chess Championship 2002, but was knocked out in the first round by Zhang Zhong. In 2004, he became China's 17th Grandmaster at the age of 25.-Grandmaster title:He... , IM Wu Wenjin Wu Wenjin Wu Wenjin is a Chinese chess Grandmaster.In 2000, he became China's 11th Grandmaster.-Career:In October 1999, Wu came joint first with 6 pts at the Qingdao Daily Cup. In November 2003, Wu came joint second at the Chinese Men's Individual Chess Championship in Shan Wei... , FM Wang Rui |
35 | 2498 | 8 | 3 | 2 | 31½ |
| Sixth |  Germany |
Artur Yusupov Artur Yusupov Artur Mayakovich Yusupov is a German International Grandmaster of chess, and a chess writer.-Chess career:... , Rustem Dautov Rustem Dautov Rustem Hazitovich Dautov is a German chess Grandmaster of Tatar origin.In 1983 he won the USSR U18 youth championship and in 1986 the Belarusian Chess Championship. He completed his military service in the 1980s in the sports department of the Soviet army, which was stationed in East Germany... , Christopher Lutz Christopher Lutz Christopher Lutz is a German chess grandmaster and the German chess champion in 1995 and 2001. In 2000 he was a member of the German team that won a silver medal in the 34th Chess Olympiad in Istanbul.... , Robert Hübner Robert Hübner Robert Hübner is a respected German chess Grandmaster, chess writer, and papyrologist . At eighteen, he was joint winner of the West German Chess Championship... , Christian Gabriel, Thomas Luther Thomas Luther Thomas Luther is a German chess player and International Grandmaster of Chess. In 2000 he was a member of the German team that won the silver medal in the 34th Chess Olympiad in Istanbul.... |
7 | 2610 | 9 | 2 | 2 | 31½ |
| Seventh |  GeorgiaGeorgia (country) Georgia is a sovereign state in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded to the west by the Black Sea, to the north by Russia, to the southwest by Turkey, to the south by Armenia, and to the southeast by Azerbaijan. The capital of... |
Zurab Azmaiparashvili Zurab Azmaiparashvili Zurab Azmaiparashvili is a chess Grandmaster from Georgia. In the September 2010 FIDE list, he has an Elo rating of 2637, making him 114th in the world and Georgia's number two.-Career:He became a Grandmaster in 1988... , Giorgi Giorgadze, Zurab Sturua Zurab Sturua Zurab Sturua is a Georgian chess grandmaster .He won the Georgian Chess Championship in 1975, 1977, 1981, 1984 and 1985 and played for Georgia in the Chess Olympiads of 1992, 1994, 1996, 1998, 2002 and 2004.... , IM Giorgi Bagaturov Giorgi Bagaturov Giorgi Bagaturov is a Georgian-Armenian chess grandmaster.He won the Georgian Chess Championship in 1989, 1995 and 1999 and played for Georgia in the Chess Olympiad of 1998.... , IM Khvicha Supatashvili, Lasha Janjgava |
9 | 2601 | 6 | 3 | 4 | 31½ |
| Eighth | Russia B Russia Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects... |
Alexey Dreev Alexey Dreev Alexey Dreev is a chess grandmaster from Russia. His career peak Elo rating was 2705, attained in October 2003 and again in April 2005.He qualified for the Candidates Tournament in 1991, but lost his Quarter Final match to Viswanathan Anand in Madras .Then in the FIDE World Championship... , Valery Filippov, IM Sergei Volkov, Mikhail Kobalia Mikhail Kobalia Mikhail Kobalia is a Russian chess Grandmaster .In 1994 he won European Youth Chess Championship in Guarapuava. In 2001 was clear first in the Chigorin Memorial at St. Petersburg. In 2005 came first in the Masters Open Tournament in Biel... , Vasily Yemelin, Andrey Shariyazdanov |
11 | 2594 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 31 |
| Ninth |  Hungary |
Zoltán Almási Zoltan Almasi Zoltán Almási is a Grandmaster of chess from Hungary. He is a seven-time Hungarian Chess Champion, winning in 1995, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2003, 2006 and 2008... , József Pintér József Pintér József Pintér is a Hungarian chess Grandmaster and chess writer. He won the Hungarian Chess Championship in 1978 and 1979. Pinter gained his grandmaster title in 1982... , Csaba Horváth, Jozsef Horvath, Zoltán Varga Zoltán Varga (chess player) Zoltán Varga is a Hungarian chess grandmaster. On the July 2009 FIDE list his Elo rating is 2473.-External links:*... , Zoltan Gyimesi Zoltan Gyimesi Zoltán Gyimesi is a Hungarian chess player. He has participated in 4 Chess Olympiads 1998, 2002-2006 with a record of +11=18-4. In 2002 at the 35th Chess Olympiad, the Hungarian team won the silver medal with Gyimesi on the fourth board... |
14 | 2588 | 7 | 2 | 4 | 31 |
| Tenth |  RomaniaRomania Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea... |
Andrei Istrăţescu Andrei Istratescu Andrei Istrăţescu is a chess grandmaster .For the national Romanian team he took part in six Chess Olympiads with a record of 17 wins, 33 draws and 11 losses. He also took part in three European Team Chess Championships with a record of 3 wins, 14 draws and 2 losses... , Mihail Marin Mihail Marin Mihail Marin is a Romanian chess Grandmaster. As of July 2011, his FIDE rating is 2548. Marin's first major success in international chess was in qualifying for the Interzonal in 1987. He has won three Romanian Championships and has played in the Chess Olympiads ten times, winning a bronze... , Liviu-Dieter Nisipeanu Liviu-Dieter Nisipeanu Liviu-Dieter Nisipeanu is a Romanian chess grandmaster. His peak FIDE rating was 2707 in October 2005, when he was ranked fifteenth in the world, and the highest ranked Romanian player ever... , Constantin Ionescu Constantin Ionescu - External links :* -Notes:... , Vladislav Nevednichy Vladislav Nevednichy Vladislav Nevednichy is a Romanian chess Grandmaster and Romanian champion in 2008. He took part in the FIDE World Chess Championship 2000, but was knocked out in the second round by Jeroen Piket.... , IM Levente Vajda |
22 | 2548 | 7 | 3 | 3 | 30½ |
Women's tournament
The women's division was contested by 72 teams representing 69 nations and territories; ArmeniaArmenia
Armenia , officially the Republic of Armenia , is a landlocked mountainous country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia...
, as hosts, fielded three teams, whilst the International Braille Chess Association
Braille
The Braille system is a method that is widely used by blind people to read and write, and was the first digital form of writing.Braille was devised in 1825 by Louis Braille, a blind Frenchman. Each Braille character, or cell, is made up of six dot positions, arranged in a rectangle containing two...
entered one squad.
External links
- Carol Jarecki, "Reports from the 33rd Olympiad, Elista, Kalmyk Republic", Chess Life Online