36th Chess Olympiad
Encyclopedia
The 36th Chess Olympiad
, organized by the Fédération Internationale des Échecs
(FIDE) and comprising an open and women's tournament, as well as several events designed to promote the game of chess
, took place between October 14 and October 31, 2004, in Calvià
on the Spanish island of Majorca.
Ignatius Leong
. Teams were paired across the 14 round
s of competition according to the Swiss system
; 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 90 minutes to make all of his or her moves, with an additional 30 seconds devolving on each player after each move, beginning with the first.
and the International Physically Disabled Chess Association
each provided one squad.
Led by first board Grandmaster
(GM) Vasyl Ivanchuk
, the seventh highest-rated player at the tournament, who recorded nine-and-one-half points over 13 rounds, and second reserve GM Sergey Karjakin
who, aged just 14 years, won six of his seven games, surrendering a draw
only to American GM Gregory Kaidanov
, Ukraine
scored all four possible points in each of their first three matches before defeating Russia, 2½-1½, in the fourth round
, eventually accumulating a nearly insurmountable three-point lead after the penultimate round; the Ukrainian team nevertheless scored three points against France and claimed the gold medal
three points ahead over silver medal
lists Russia, who had entered the tournament as the top seed, having brought four of the tournament's nine highest-rated players, and as defending champions.
Armenia
, one of just four teams to draw a match with Ukraine, paced by second board GM Levon Aronian
, who did not lose in twelve games, and third board GM Rafael Vaganian
, who scored eight-and-one-half points over in 11 games, lost to Russia, 2½-1½, in the eighth round and ultimately, on the strength of a 3½-½ final round defeat of Georgia
, tied Russia's 36½ points; Armenia were placed after Russia, though, on the Buchholz tiebreak
system employed by the Olympiad, and finished, as in the 35th Chess Olympiad
, with the bronze medal
.
Cuba
, seeded 18th, and Bulgaria
, seeded 20th, each finished in the top ten, led respectively by second board GM Lazaro Bruzon
(eight points over 11 games) and first board GM Kiril Georgiev
(eight points in 13 games, including a final round defeat of the tournament's top rated player, Indian GM Viswanathan Anand
), while France, seeded 12th, and England, seeded eighth, performed below expectations, finishing in 23rd and 30th, respectively.
Group A (from amongst teams seeded 1st to 25th)
Group B (from amongst teams seeded 26th to 51st)
Group C (from amongst teams seeded 52nd to 77th)
Group D (from amongst teams seeded 78th to 103rd)
Group E (from amongst teams seeded 104th to 129th)
s are resolved in favor of the player who played more games; where ties remain, the player with a better rating performance is awarded the superior placing.
First board
Second board
Third board
Fourth board
Fifth (first reserve) board
Sixth (second reserve) board
and the International Physically Disabled Chess Association each entered one squad.
People's Republic of China
, led by first board Grandmaster
(GM) and former women's world champion
Xie Jun
and second board Woman Grandmaster (WGM) Xu Yuhua, who would become women's world champion in 2006
, entered the competition as top seed and defending champion and quickly took the tournament lead, conceding just two draw
in their first five matches (comprising fifteen games) and then defeating 35th Chess Olympiad
silver medal
lists Russia and bronze medal
lists Poland (each 2-1) in the sixth and eighth rounds, respectively, later carrying a six-point lead into a tenth round
match with second place United States.
GM Zsuzsa Polgar, who entered the tournament as the second highest-rated player and achieved the best performance rating of any player in the tournament, drew Jun, while International Master (IM) Irina Krush
won her second board game against Yuhua; a draw by WGM Anna Zatonskih
against WGM Zhao Xue
gave the Americans a 2-1 win over the Chinese team. In rounds eleven and twelve, China drew Hungary and lost to Georgia
, whilst the United States defeated Slovakia and then scored a 2½-½ victory of Hungary, drawing, along with Georgia, to within three points of China with two rounds remaining. China, though, defeated sixth-seeded India and 12th-seeded Slovakia
in the final two rounds, scoring four points to preserve what was ultimately a three-point win over the United States side and to clinch the Vera Menchik Trophy
.
Second-seeded Russia, led by fourth board WGM Nadezhda Kosintseva
, who won top honors on the first reserve board for scoring 10 points in 12 rounds, sat in eighth place after ten rounds but rallied to fourth place entering the penultimate round, where they faced Georgia, whom they trailed by one half-point. Although first board GM Maya Chiburdanidze and second board WGM Nana Dzagnidze
, each of whom scored eight-and-one-half points for her team over the event, drew their matches, third board WGM Lela Javakhishvili lost to Kosintseva, giving the Russian team a one half-point lead over Georgia; although Georgia defeated Ukraine
, 2½-½, in the final round, Russia managed two points against France, equalling Georgia's 27½ total and winning third place on tiebreaks
.
Thirteenth-seeded Hungary, paced by second board IM Szidonia Vajda
, who recorded two wins and a draw against three players ranked in the top seven of those participating, and 27th-seeded England, for whom IM Harriet Hunt
scored nine-and-one-half points in 13 games, finished a surprising sixth and eighth respectively, while Ukraine
, the fifth-seeded team, tallied only eight points in 19 games played by first board WGM Natalia Zhukova
and fourth board IM Olga Alexandrova, ultimately finishing in 18th place.
Group A (from amongst teams seeded 1st to 17th)
Group B (from amongst teams seeded 18th to 34th)
Group C (from amongst teams seeded 35th to 51st)
Group D (from amongst teams seeded 52nd to 69th)
Group E (from amongst teams seeded 70th to 87th)
s are resolved in favor of the player who played more games; where ties remain, the player with a better rating performance is awarded the superior placing.
First board
Second board
Third board
Fourth (reserve) board
Trophy is awarded to the entity the average place of finish of which in the open and women's division is the best (where two or more teams are tied, they are ordered by single-best finish in either division and then by total points scored); with an average finish of two-and-one-half, the Russia won the 2004 trophy.
Top ten finishers
, two international organizations, two special administrative regions
, two insular area
s, and one overseas territory
were entered into the Olympiad, comprising 1204 players (some registered players, though, did not play).
Entering teams in the open and women's division were
Zurab Azmaiparashvili
was arrested by Palmanovan law enforcement
as he attempted to ascend the stage. Security officers, in conjunction with local police, did not permit Azmaiparashvili access to tournament organizers, and a struggle ensued, after which Azmaiparashvili, having sustained several injuries, was arrested; he secured his release on bail
for €
500 after having been held for 40 hours, and the charges against him were later dropped.
Azmaiparashvili, a Georgia
n undertook to inform the presenter of the Nona Gaprindashvili
Trophy that the latter ought more clearly to explain Gaprindashvili's contributions to the game of chess (Gaprindashvili had been women's world chess champion
), but was barred by security. Azmaiparashvili and FIDE averred that Azmaiparashvili was detained and physically accosted despite his having properly and clearly [displayed] his VIP credentials http://web.archive.org/web/20041204023615/http://www.fide.com/news.asp?id=584, whilst representatives of the Spanish chess federation (the Federación Española de Ajedrez) and tournament organizers blamed Azmaiparashvili for the incident, saying that he without any previous provocation, assaulted [an] agent with a head butt to [the] mouth http://www.chesscenter.com/twic/event/calvia04/azmai.html.
in 1999
, in preparation for prospective inclusion in future iterations of the Olympic Games
, FIDE, in 2001, implemented doping
restrictions consistent with those adopted by the World Anti-Doping Agency
. Two players, Shaun Press of Papua New Guinea
and Bobby Miller of Bermuda
, refused, for various reasons, to submit urine samples for analysis
. Both players appeared before a FIDE disciplinary panel, which decided to cancel the players' performances (Press had scored seven-and-one-half points over fourteen games, while Miller had scored three-and-one-half points over nine games), reducing the final score of Papua New Guinea to 15.5 (from 23.0) and that of Bermuda to 18.5 (from 22.0).
s, game demonstrations and lectures by top Spanish players, and several chess tournaments, including one for amateur players, one for players aged under 16 years (a speed chess event), and one for senior players.
Chess classes were introduced into the primary and secondary school
s, as well as senior centers
, in and around Calvià, in an effort to promote chess generally, and chess films were screened on the beach
es of Calvià each weeknight.
Chess-oriented art was displayed at an International Chess Fair, with prizes for top works awarded by a jury.
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...
(FIDE) and comprising an open and women's tournament, as well as several events designed to promote the game of chess
Chess
Chess is a two-player board game played on a chessboard, a square-checkered board with 64 squares arranged in an eight-by-eight grid. It is one of the world's most popular games, played by millions of people worldwide at home, in clubs, online, by correspondence, and in tournaments.Each player...
, took place between October 14 and October 31, 2004, in Calvià
Calvià
Calvià is a municipality on the island of Majorca, part of the Spanish autonomous community of the Balearic Islands. It is located in the southwestern part of the island of Majorca, between the Serra de Tramuntana and the Serra de Na Burguesa. The municipal seat is the town of Vila Calvia.Calvià...
on the Spanish island of Majorca.
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....
Ignatius Leong
Ignatius Leong
Ignatius Leong is a professional chess organizer in Singapore and has been one of Asia's leading organizers for more than 20 years. He is FIDE Secretary-General and President of the ASEAN Chess Confederation, a 14-country zone, geographically the largest in the world...
. Teams were paired across the 14 round
Round
Round or rounds can mean:* The shape of a closed curve with no sharp corners, such as an ellipse, circle, rounded rectangle, or sphere* Roundness , the smoothness of clastic particles...
s 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...
; 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 90 minutes to make all of his or her moves, with an additional 30 seconds devolving on each player after each move, beginning with the first.
Open tournament
The open division was contested by 129 teams representing 125 nations and territories; Spain, as hosts, fielded three 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...
and the International Physically Disabled Chess Association
Disability
A disability may be physical, cognitive, mental, sensory, emotional, developmental or some combination of these.Many people would rather be referred to as a person with a disability instead of handicapped...
each provided one squad.
Led by first board Grandmaster
International Grandmaster
The title Grandmaster is awarded to strong chess players by the world chess organization FIDE. Apart from World Champion, Grandmaster is the highest title a chess player can attain....
(GM) Vasyl Ivanchuk
Vasyl Ivanchuk
Vasyl Mykhaylovych Ivanchuk, also transliterated as Vasyliy or Vasyl , is a Ukrainian chess grandmaster....
, the seventh highest-rated player at the tournament, who recorded nine-and-one-half points over 13 rounds, and second reserve GM Sergey Karjakin
Sergey Karjakin
Sergey Alexandrovich Karjakin is a Russian chess grandmaster. He was a chess prodigy and holds the record for both the youngest International Master, eleven years and eleven months, and grandmaster in history, at the age of twelve years and seven months...
who, aged just 14 years, won six of his seven games, surrendering a draw
Draw (chess)
In chess, a draw is when a game ends in a tie. It is one of the possible outcomes of a game, along with a win for White and a win for Black . Usually, in tournaments a draw is worth a half point to each player, while a win is worth one point to the victor and none to the loser.For the most part,...
only to American GM 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....
, Ukraine
Ukraine
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...
scored all four possible points in each of their first three matches before defeating Russia, 2½-1½, in the fourth round
Round
Round or rounds can mean:* The shape of a closed curve with no sharp corners, such as an ellipse, circle, rounded rectangle, or sphere* Roundness , the smoothness of clastic particles...
, eventually accumulating a nearly insurmountable three-point lead after the penultimate round; the Ukrainian team nevertheless scored three points against France and claimed the gold medal
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...
three points ahead over silver medal
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....
lists Russia, who had entered the tournament as the top seed, having brought four of the tournament's nine highest-rated players, and as defending champions.
Armenia
Armenia
Armenia , officially the Republic of Armenia , is a landlocked mountainous country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia...
, one of just four teams to draw a match with Ukraine, paced by second board GM Levon Aronian
Levon Aronian
Levon Grigor Aronian is an Armenian chess Grandmaster and the reigning World Blitz Chess Champion. On the September 2011 FIDE list, he has an Elo rating of 2807, making him number three in the world and Armenia's number one...
, who did not lose in twelve games, and third board GM Rafael Vaganian
Rafael Vaganian
Rafael Artemovich Vaganian, also transliterated Vahanyan is an Armenian chess grandmaster known for his sharp tactical style of play...
, who scored eight-and-one-half points over in 11 games, lost to Russia, 2½-1½, in the eighth round and ultimately, on the strength of a 3½-½ final round defeat of Georgia
Georgia (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...
, tied Russia's 36½ points; Armenia were placed after Russia, though, on the Buchholz tiebreak
Tiebreaker
In games and sports, a tiebreaker or tiebreak is used to determine a winner from among players or teams that are tied at the end of a contest, or a set of contests.-In matches:In some situations, the tiebreaker may consist of another round of play...
system employed by the Olympiad, and finished, as in the 35th Chess Olympiad
35th Chess Olympiad
The 35th Chess Olympiad took place from October 25th to November 11th, 2002, in Bled, . In the men's tournament there were 136 teams, and in the women's, 92 teams...
, with the bronze medal
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...
.
Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
, seeded 18th, and Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
, seeded 20th, each finished in the top ten, led respectively by second board GM Lazaro Bruzon
Lázaro Bruzón
Lázaro Bruzón Batista is a chess grandmaster from Cuba. On the January 2011 FIDE list his Elo rating is 2686. Bruzón was the 2000 World Junior Chess Champion. In 2004 he finished first at the XII Torneo "Guillermo Garcia" in Memoriam in Villa Clara...
(eight points over 11 games) and first board GM Kiril Georgiev
Kiril Georgiev
Kiril Dimitrov Georgiev is a Bulgarian chess master and three times the national champion. He should not be confused with fellow Bulgarian chess player Krum Georgiev....
(eight points in 13 games, including a final round defeat of the tournament's top rated player, Indian GM Viswanathan Anand
Viswanathan Anand
V. Anand or Anand Viswanathan, usually referred as Viswanathan Anand, is an Indian chess Grandmaster, the current World Chess Champion, and currently second highest rated player in the world....
), while France, seeded 12th, and England, seeded eighth, performed below expectations, finishing in 23rd and 30th, respectively.
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 2004 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... |
 Ukraine |
Vasyl Ivanchuk Vasyl Ivanchuk Vasyl Mykhaylovych Ivanchuk, also transliterated as Vasyliy or Vasyl , is a Ukrainian chess grandmaster.... , 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... , Andrei Volokitin Andrei Volokitin Andriy Volokitin is a Ukrainian chess player and International Grandmaster of Chess.As a junior, he was twice a medallist at the World Youth Chess Championship, taking silver in 1998 at Oropesa del Mar at under-12 level, and bronze at the same venue a year later in the under-14 category... , Alexander Moiseenko Alexander Moiseenko Alexander Moiseenko is a Ukrainian chess Grandmaster. He was a member of the gold-medal winning Ukrainian team at the chess Olympiad in 2004.... , Pavel Eljanov Pavel Eljanov Pavel Eljanov is a Ukrainian chess grandmaster.In 1999, he was a member of the Ukrainian national youth team, which won the U-16 Chess Olympiad in Artek, Ukraine.Eljanov won the Corus B 2007 in Wijk aan Zee, Holland with a score of 9/13... , Sergey Karjakin Sergey Karjakin Sergey Alexandrovich Karjakin is a Russian chess grandmaster. He was a chess prodigy and holds the record for both the youngest International Master, eleven years and eleven months, and grandmaster in history, at the age of twelve years and seven months... |
2 | 2680 | 10 | 4 | 0 | 39½ |
| 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.... |
 Russia |
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.... , Peter Svidler Peter Svidler Peter Veniaminovich Svidler is a Russian chess grandmaster.He is six-time Russian champion .... , Alexander Grischuk Alexander Grischuk Alexander Igorevich Grischuk is a Russian chess grandmaster and Russian Champion in 2009.-Chess career:In the FIDE World Chess Championship 2000, Grischuk he made it to the semifinals, losing to Alexei Shirov.... , 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... , Alexander Khalifman Alexander Khalifman Alexander Valeryevich Khalifman is a Soviet and Russian chess Grandmaster of Jewish descent; he is also a former FIDE champion.When Khalifman was 6 years old, he was taught chess by his father.... , 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? ... |
1 | 2718 | 11 | 0 | 3 | 36½ |
| 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... |
 Armenia |
Vladimir Akopian, Levon Aronian Levon Aronian Levon Grigor Aronian is an Armenian chess Grandmaster and the reigning World Blitz Chess Champion. On the September 2011 FIDE list, he has an Elo rating of 2807, making him number three in the world and Armenia's number one... , Rafael Vaganian Rafael Vaganian Rafael Artemovich Vaganian, also transliterated Vahanyan is an Armenian chess grandmaster known for his sharp tactical style of play... , Smbat Lputian Smbat Lputian Smbat Gariginovich Lputian is an Armenian chess Grandmaster. He was first at tournament in Berlin 1982, shared first at Athens 1983 and at Irkutsk 1983, first at Sarajevo 1985 and at Irkutsk 1986, shared first at Hastings 1986-87 and first at Dortmund 1988... , Gabriel Sargissian, Artashes Minasian Artashes Minasian Artashes Minasian is an Armenian chess Grandmaster.-Chess career:He participated in eight Chess Olympiads with a record of +23,=28,-12. In 2006 the Armenian team took the first place at the 37th Chess Olympiad... |
4 | 2660 | 8 | 4 | 2 | 36½ |
| Fourth |  United States |
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... , 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... , Alexander Goldin Alexander Goldin Alexander Goldin is a chess grandmaster from the USSR, who is now resident in the United States.He was a joint winner of the Soviet Championship semifinal at Sevastopol in 1986... , 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.... , Igor Novikov Igor Novikov (chess player) Igor A. Novikov is a chess Grandmaster and former Chess Champion of Ukraine. He has American citizenship and is currently registered with the US Chess Federation who lists him as one of their top players. While living in Brooklyn he won the Marshall Chess Club Championship in 2002... , Boris Gulko |
10 | 2623 | 7 | 4 | 3 | 35 |
| Fifth |  Israel |
Boris Gelfand Boris Gelfand Boris Abramovich Gelfand is a Belarus-born Israeli chess Grandmaster. He won the 2011 Candidates Tournament and will challenge Viswanathan Anand for the World Chess Championship 2012.-Biography:... , 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:... , Ilia Smirin, 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 ;... , Alexander Huzman Alexander Huzman Alexander Huzman is an Israeli Chess Grandmaster and trainer., his Elo rating was 2596, making him the # 9 player in Israel and the 188th-highest rated player in the world... , Michael Roiz Michael Roiz Michael Roiz is an Israeli chess Grandmaster.He learned to play chess at the age of 7. At the age of 9, he finished 2nd in the national championship under-10 category... |
3 | 2670 | 7 | 5 | 2 | 34½ |
| Sixth |  India |
Viswanathan Anand Viswanathan Anand V. Anand or Anand Viswanathan, usually referred as Viswanathan Anand, is an Indian chess Grandmaster, the current World Chess Champion, and currently second highest rated player in the world.... , Krishnan Sasikiran Krishnan Sasikiran Krishnan Sasikiran is an Indian chess Grandmaster. Among Indians, he is second, after Viswanathan Anand, No. 6 in Asia & ranked 56th in the world in FIDE rating as on September 2011.... , Pendyala Harikrishna Pendyala Harikrishna Pentala Harikrishna is a chess player from Guntur, Andhra Pradesh, India. Harikrishna became the youngest grandmaster from India in 2001. He is No. 3 in India after Viswanathan Anand & Krishnan Sasikiran, No. 9 in Asia & ranked 71st in the world as per FIDE rating as on November 2011.In November... , Surya Shekhar Ganguly Surya Shekhar Ganguly Surya Shekhar Ganguly is an Indian chess Grandmaster and a chess prodigy from Kolkata. He started playing chess at the age of 5 and achieved great successes at National Junior and World Junior Championships since the age of 8. He also set a record of being the youngest player to beat a Grandmaster... , Abhijit Kunte Abhijit Kunte Abhijit Kunte is an Indian chess Grandmaster.He has participated many times in the Indian Chess Championship, winning two gold medals and four bronze medals... , Chanda Sandipan Chanda Sandipan Chanda Sandipan is a chess Grandmaster hailing from the city of Kolkata in the Indian state of West Bengal. Chanda became grandmaster in 2003. He played for India in the Chess Olympiads of 2004, 2006 and 2008.. He is No. 4 in India after Viswanathan Anand, Krishnan Sasikiran, and Pendyala... |
5 | 2655 | 10 | 0 | 4 | 34 |
| Seventh |  Cuba |
Leinier Domínguez, Lazaro Bruzon Lázaro Bruzón Lázaro Bruzón Batista is a chess grandmaster from Cuba. On the January 2011 FIDE list his Elo rating is 2686. Bruzón was the 2000 World Junior Chess Champion. In 2004 he finished first at the XII Torneo "Guillermo Garcia" in Memoriam in Villa Clara... , Neuris Delgado, Jesus Nogueiras Jesus Nogueiras Jesus Nogueiras is a Cuban chess Grandmaster. He was a World Championship Candidates in 1985–87. Major tournament victories include winning the Cuban Chess Championship five times the Capablanca Memorial in 1984 and the Torre Memorial in 1997.-External links:... , Walter Arencibia Walter Arencibia Walter Arencibia is a Cuban chess grandmaster. He learned chess at the age of eight and has won various tournaments, including the 1986 World Junior Chess Championship, for which he automatically gained the International Master title. He was awarded the title of Grandmaster in 1990... , IM Yuniesky Quezada Yuniesky Quezada Yuniesky Quezada Pérez is a Cuban chess grandmaster. He was the fourth Cuban chess player that surpass the 2600 Elo rating mark on the July 2010 FIDE list.He won the Cuban Chess Championship in 2008 and 2011.... |
18 | 2596 | 8 | 2 | 4 | 33½ |
| Eighth |  Netherlands |
Loek Van Wely Loek van Wely Loek van Wely is a chess Grandmaster from the Netherlands. He won the Dutch Chess Championship six times straight from 2000 through 2005. He was rated among the world's top ten in 2001. In 2002, in Maastricht, Netherlands, van Wely took on the computer program Rebel in a four-game match. The... , Ivan Sokolov Ivan Sokolov Ivan Sokolov is a chess grandmaster born in Jajce, SFR Yugoslavia, who currently resides in the Netherlands. Sokolov won the 1988 Yugoslav Championship.... , Sergei Tiviakov Sergei Tiviakov Sergei Tiviakov is a naturalised Dutch chess Grandmaster.Tiviakov won the Dutch Chess Championship in 2006 and 2007. In 2008, in Plovdiv, he won the European Individual Chess Championship with 8.5/11.... , Jan Timman Jan Timman Jan Timman is a Dutch chess Grandmaster who was one of the world's leading players from the late 1970s to the early 1990s. At the peak of his career he was considered to be the best non-Soviet player and was known as "The Best of the West"... , Erik Van Den Doel, Friso Nijboer Friso Nijboer Friso Nijboer is a Dutch chess player. He achieved the title of Grandmaster in 1996.Nijboer won the Vlissingen Chess Tournament in 2002 and 2005, and won the 3rd Nancy Chess Festival in 2005. He participated in six Chess Olympiad with an overall performance of +18 −14 =21.-Friso Nijboer vs... |
8 | 2641 | 9 | 1 | 4 | 33 |
| Ninth |  Kingdom of Bulgaria |
Kiril Georgiev Kiril Georgiev Kiril Dimitrov Georgiev is a Bulgarian chess master and three times the national champion. He should not be confused with fellow Bulgarian chess player Krum Georgiev.... , Aleksandr Delchev, IM Ivan Cheparinov Ivan Cheparinov Ivan Cheparinov is a Bulgarian chess player, who won the Bulgarian Chess Championship in 2005.-Topalov's second:Until 2007, he was best known as the second of former FIDE World Champion Veselin Topalov... , Vasil Spasov Vasil Spasov Vasil Spasov is a Bulgarian chess grandmaster. Spasov won the 1989 World Junior Chess Championship. Spasov has been Bulgarian Champion several times: 1990, 1997, 2000, 2003 and 2008.... , Boris Chatalbashev, IM Julian Radulski |
20 | 2584 | 9 | 1 | 4 | 32½ |
| Tenth | Alexei Shirov Alexei Shirov Alexei Dmitrievich Shirov is a Soviet-born Latvian chess grandmaster. He has consistently ranked among the world's top players since the early 1990s, and reached a ranking as high as number four in 1998... , Francisco Vallejo Pons Francisco Vallejo Pons Francisco Vallejo Pons is a chess Grandmaster from Spain. He was a chess prodigy, achieving the grandmaster title at the age of 16 years and 9 months, which makes him the 20th youngest player to ever become a grandmaster... , Miguel Illescas Córdoba, Roberto Cifuentes Parada, Alfonso Romero Holmes, IM Julien Arizmendi Martinez |
7 | 2643 | 8 | 3 | 3 | 32½ |
Group prizes
Group A (from amongst teams seeded 1st to 25th)
| Team | Overall place of finish | Seed | Average July 2004 FIDE rating | Total score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States |
4 | 10 | 2623 | 35 |
| Israel |
5 | 3 | 2670 | 34½ |
| India |
6 | 5 | 2655 | 34 |
Group B (from amongst teams seeded 26th to 51st)
| Team | Overall place of finish | Seed | Average July 2004 FIDE rating | Total score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Switzerland |
13 | 29 | 2559 | 32 |
 Uzbekistan |
14 | 30 | 2533 | 32 |
 Serbia and Montenegro |
15 | 26 | 2568 | 32 |
Group C (from amongst teams seeded 52nd to 77th)
| Team | Overall place of finish | Seed | Average July 2004 FIDE rating | Total score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Republic of Ireland |
43 | 54 | 2454 | 30 |
 Indonesia |
48 | 65 | 2397 | 29½ |
 Finland |
49 | 53 | 2456 | 29½ |
Group D (from amongst teams seeded 78th to 103rd)
| Team | Overall place of finish | Seed | Average July 2004 FIDE rating | Total score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Tajikistan |
61 | 83 | 2303 | 28½ |
 Bolivia |
65 | 79 | 2371 | 28½ |
 Pakistan |
69 | 84 | 2298 | 28 |
Group E (from amongst teams seeded 104th to 129th)
| Team | Overall place of finish | Seed | Average July 2004 FIDE rating | Total score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Japan |
87 | 112 | 2125 | 26½ |
 Botswana |
94 | 105 | 2174 | 25½ |
 Kenya |
95 | 119 | 2121 | 25½ |
Individual results
Individual medals are awarded to the three players to achieve the best rating performance having played at least eight games. Medals are also awarded to the top three finishers, by percentage of points won from total points possible, from amongst those to have played primarily on each of boards one through four (having played at least eight games) as well as to those reserves who have otherwise played at least seven games across all boards, who are classified as playing on boards five and six. Teams typically feature their better players on the lower-numbered boards, but illness, fatigue, and absence often affect playing rotations. TieTie (draw)
To tie or draw is to finish a competition with identical or inconclusive results. The word "tie" is usually used in North America for sports such as American football. "Draw" is usually used in the United Kingdom, Ireland and the Commonwealth of Nations and it is usually used for sports such as...
s are resolved in favor of the player who played more games; where ties remain, the player with a better rating performance is awarded the superior placing.
Best rating performance
| Player | Team represented | July 2004 FIDE rating | Principal board played | Games played | Points scored | Rating performance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baadur Jobava Baadur Jobava Baadur Jobava is a Georgian chess grandmaster. His first major achievement on the international scene was winning the Dubai Open 2003 with 7/9. He took the gold medal at the 2004 36th Chess Olympiad, scoring 8½/10. He has taken part in the Olympiads 2000, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2008 and 2010... |
 Georgia (country) |
2614 | 4 | 10 | 8½ | 2842 |
| Viswanathan Anand Viswanathan Anand V. Anand or Anand Viswanathan, usually referred as Viswanathan Anand, is an Indian chess Grandmaster, the current World Chess Champion, and currently second highest rated player in the world.... |
India |
2781 | 1 | 11 | 8 | 2824 |
| Vasyl Ivanchuk Vasyl Ivanchuk Vasyl Mykhaylovych Ivanchuk, also transliterated as Vasyliy or Vasyl , is a Ukrainian chess grandmaster.... |
Ukraine |
2705 | 1 | 13 | 9½ | 2819 |
| Rafael Vaganian Rafael Vaganian Rafael Artemovich Vaganian, also transliterated Vahanyan is an Armenian chess grandmaster known for his sharp tactical style of play... |
Armenia |
2640 | 3 | 11 | 8½ | 2818 |
| Peter Svidler Peter Svidler Peter Veniaminovich Svidler is a Russian chess grandmaster.He is six-time Russian champion .... |
Russia |
2735 | 2 | 9 | 6½ | 2811 |
| Michael Adams |  Kingdom of England |
2740 | 1 | 13 | 10 | 2773 |
| Andrei Volokitin Andrei Volokitin Andriy Volokitin is a Ukrainian chess player and International Grandmaster of Chess.As a junior, he was twice a medallist at the World Youth Chess Championship, taking silver in 1998 at Oropesa del Mar at under-12 level, and bronze at the same venue a year later in the under-14 category... |
Ukraine |
2652 | 3 | 12 | 8½ | 2771 |
| Lazaro Bruzon Lázaro Bruzón Lázaro Bruzón Batista is a chess grandmaster from Cuba. On the January 2011 FIDE list his Elo rating is 2686. Bruzón was the 2000 World Junior Chess Champion. In 2004 he finished first at the XII Torneo "Guillermo Garcia" in Memoriam in Villa Clara... |
Cuba |
2637 | 2 | 11 | 8 | 2771 |
| 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.... |
United States |
2611 | 4 | 10 | 8 | 2763 |
| Leinier Domínguez | Cuba |
2645 | 1 | 11 | 7½ | 2749 |
Board prizes
First board
| Player | Team represented | July 2004 FIDE rating | Games played | Points scored | Percentage attained |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GMEvgenij Ermenkov Evgenij Ermenkov Evgenij Petkov Ermenkov is a chess Grandmaster . Born in Sofia, Bulgaria, he now plays for Palestine.Ermenkov won the Bulgarian Championship in 1973, 1975 , 1976, 1979 and 1984 .... |
 Palestinian territories |
2454 | 12 | 10½ | 87.5 |
| GM Andres Rodríguez |  Uruguay |
2533 | 10 | 8 | 80.0 |
| GM Michael Adams | Kingdom of England |
2740 | 13 | 10 | 76.9 |
Second board
| Player | Team represented | July 2004 FIDE rating | Games played | Points scored | Percentage attained |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IM Mohamed Tissir |  Morocco |
2394 | 9 | 7½ | 83.3 |
| GM Anh Dung Nguyen |  Vietnam |
2567 | 11 | 8½ | 77.3 |
| GM Bazar Hatanbaatar |  Mongolia |
2427 | 12 | 9 | 75.0 |
Third board
| Player | Team represented | July 2004 FIDE rating | Games played | Points scored | Percentage attained |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GMRafael Vaganian Rafael Vaganian Rafael Artemovich Vaganian, also transliterated Vahanyan is an Armenian chess grandmaster known for his sharp tactical style of play... |
Armenia |
2640 | 11 | 8½ | 77.3 |
| GM Vladimir Georgiev Vladimir Georgiev (chess player) Vladimir Georgiev is a Bulgarian chess Grandmaster. He became an International Master in 1995 and a Grandmaster in 2000.Vladimir Georgiev first caught the eye of the chess world in 1992, when he became silver on the European Champion.... |
 Republic of Macedonia |
2512 | 12 | 9 | 75.0 |
| IMGarcia Jose Gonzalez |  Mexico |
2447 | 10 | 7½ | 75.0 |
Fourth board
| Player | Team represented | July 2004 FIDE rating | Games played | Points scored | Percentage attained |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GMBaadur Jobava Baadur Jobava Baadur Jobava is a Georgian chess grandmaster. His first major achievement on the international scene was winning the Dubai Open 2003 with 7/9. He took the gold medal at the 2004 36th Chess Olympiad, scoring 8½/10. He has taken part in the Olympiads 2000, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2008 and 2010... |
Georgia (country) |
2614 | 10 | 8½ | 85.0 |
| GM 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.... |
United States |
2611 | 10 | 8 | 80.0 |
| GM Gadir Guseinov |  Azerbaijan |
2552 | 10 | 8 | 80.0 |
Fifth (first reserve) board
| Player | Team represented | July 2004 FIDE rating | Games played | Points scored | Percentage attained |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IMVaidas Sakalauskas |  Lithuania |
2464 | 7 | 6 | 85.7 |
| GMSerik Temirbaev |  Kazakhstan |
2468 | 7 | 5½ | 78.6 |
| GM Jean-Marc Degraeve Jean-Marc Degraeve Jean-Marc Degraeve is a Grandmaster of chess from France.-Accomplishments:Degraeve won the French Junior Championship in 1987, and had attained the title of International Master in 1991, followed by the Grandmaster title in 1998. He played for France in various international tournaments,... |
 Early Modern France |
2551 | 9 | 7 | 77.8 |
Sixth (second reserve) board
| Player | Team represented | July 2004 FIDE rating | Games played | Points scored | Percentage attained |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GM Sergey Karjakin Sergey Karjakin Sergey Alexandrovich Karjakin is a Russian chess grandmaster. He was a chess prodigy and holds the record for both the youngest International Master, eleven years and eleven months, and grandmaster in history, at the age of twelve years and seven months... |
Ukraine |
2576 | 7 | 6½ | 92.9 |
| FMIbrahim Chahrani |  Libya |
2273 | 7 | 6½ | 92.9 |
| William Bermudez Adams |  Puerto Rico |
2138 | 8 | 6½ | 81.3 |
Women's tournament
The women's division was contested by 87 teams representing 84 nations and territories; Spain, as hosts, fielded two teams, whilst the International Braille Chess AssociationBraille
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...
and the International Physically Disabled Chess Association each entered one squad.
People's Republic of China
People'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...
, led by first board Grandmaster
International Grandmaster
The title Grandmaster is awarded to strong chess players by the world chess organization FIDE. Apart from World Champion, Grandmaster is the highest title a chess player can attain....
(GM) and former women's world champion
Women's World Chess Championship
The Women's World Chess Championship is played to determine the women's world champion in chess. Like the World Chess Championship, it is administered by FIDE....
Xie Jun
Xie Jun
Xie Jun is a chess grandmaster from China. She had two reigns as Women's World Chess Champion, from 1991 to 1996 and again from 1999 to 2001. Xie is only the second woman to have two reigns, the other being Elisabeth Bykova....
and second board Woman Grandmaster (WGM) Xu Yuhua, who would become women's world champion in 2006
2006 in sports
2006 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.-American football:* January 2, Fiesta Bowl – Ohio State 34-20 Notre Dame* January 2, Sugar Bowl – West Virginia 38-35 Georgia...
, entered the competition as top seed and defending champion and quickly took the tournament lead, conceding just two draw
Draw (chess)
In chess, a draw is when a game ends in a tie. It is one of the possible outcomes of a game, along with a win for White and a win for Black . Usually, in tournaments a draw is worth a half point to each player, while a win is worth one point to the victor and none to the loser.For the most part,...
in their first five matches (comprising fifteen games) and then defeating 35th Chess Olympiad
35th Chess Olympiad
The 35th Chess Olympiad took place from October 25th to November 11th, 2002, in Bled, . In the men's tournament there were 136 teams, and in the women's, 92 teams...
silver medal
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....
lists Russia and bronze medal
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...
lists Poland (each 2-1) in the sixth and eighth rounds, respectively, later carrying a six-point lead into a tenth round
Round
Round or rounds can mean:* The shape of a closed curve with no sharp corners, such as an ellipse, circle, rounded rectangle, or sphere* Roundness , the smoothness of clastic particles...
match with second place United States.
GM Zsuzsa Polgar, who entered the tournament as the second highest-rated player and achieved the best performance rating of any player in the tournament, drew Jun, while International Master (IM) Irina Krush
Irina Krush
Irina Krush is an American chess player who won the U.S. Women's Chess Championship in 1998, 2007, and 2010. Born in Odessa, USSR , she is widely known for her series of chess training videos, the "Krushing Attacks" series.Krush learned to play chess at age five, emigrating with her parents to...
won her second board game against Yuhua; a draw by WGM Anna Zatonskih
Anna Zatonskih
Anna Zatonskih is a chess player from the United States. She is a Woman Grandmaster, as well as an International Master. She is a chess professional, who coaches players and competes in tournaments. Zatonskih is the 2006, 2008, 2009 and 2011 U.S. Women's Chess Champion.Zatonskih learned chess at...
against WGM Zhao Xue
Zhao Xue
Zhao Xue is a Chinese chess player who holds the Woman Grandmaster and Grandmaster titles. In 2008, she became China's 24th Grandmaster.-Career:...
gave the Americans a 2-1 win over the Chinese team. In rounds eleven and twelve, China drew Hungary and lost to Georgia
Georgia (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...
, whilst the United States defeated Slovakia and then scored a 2½-½ victory of Hungary, drawing, along with Georgia, to within three points of China with two rounds remaining. China, though, defeated sixth-seeded India and 12th-seeded Slovakia
Slovakia
The Slovak Republic is a landlocked state in Central Europe. It has a population of over five million and an area of about . Slovakia is bordered by the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south...
in the final two rounds, scoring four points to preserve what was ultimately a three-point win over the United States side and to clinch the Vera Menchik Trophy
Vera Menchik
Vera Menchik was a British-Czech chess player who gained renown as the world's first women's chess champion. She also competed in chess tournaments with some of the world's leading male chess masters, defeating many of them, including future World Champion Max Euwe.The daughter of a Czech father...
.
Second-seeded Russia, led by fourth board WGM Nadezhda Kosintseva
Nadezhda Kosintseva
Nadezhda Anatolyevna Kosintseva is a Russian chess player. She holds the title of Grandmaster....
, who won top honors on the first reserve board for scoring 10 points in 12 rounds, sat in eighth place after ten rounds but rallied to fourth place entering the penultimate round, where they faced Georgia, whom they trailed by one half-point. Although first board GM Maya Chiburdanidze and second board WGM Nana Dzagnidze
Nana Dzagnidze
Nana Dzagnidze is a chess player from Georgia, who achieved the title of International Grandmaster in 2008.-Youth success:As a junior player, she showed early promise by winning the World Girls Under-12 Championship in 1999...
, each of whom scored eight-and-one-half points for her team over the event, drew their matches, third board WGM Lela Javakhishvili lost to Kosintseva, giving the Russian team a one half-point lead over Georgia; although Georgia defeated Ukraine
Ukraine
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...
, 2½-½, in the final round, Russia managed two points against France, equalling Georgia's 27½ total and winning third place on tiebreaks
Tiebreaker
In games and sports, a tiebreaker or tiebreak is used to determine a winner from among players or teams that are tied at the end of a contest, or a set of contests.-In matches:In some situations, the tiebreaker may consist of another round of play...
.
Thirteenth-seeded Hungary, paced by second board IM Szidonia Vajda
Szidonia Vajda
Szidonia Vajda is an Romanian-Hungarian chess Woman Grandmaster and International Master. In 1995 she won the European Youth Chess Championship ....
, who recorded two wins and a draw against three players ranked in the top seven of those participating, and 27th-seeded England, for whom IM Harriet Hunt
Harriet Hunt
Harriet Vaughan Hunt is an English chess player and four times British Ladies' champion.-Biography:A high profile player from an early age, she won five British Junior Girls titles between 1989 and 1991...
scored nine-and-one-half points in 13 games, finished a surprising sixth and eighth respectively, while Ukraine
Ukraine
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...
, the fifth-seeded team, tallied only eight points in 19 games played by first board WGM Natalia Zhukova
Natalia Zhukova
Natalia Zhukova is a Ukrainian Grandmaster of chess. She won several age-group titles as a teenager, both at the European and World levels. She has also triumphed in several international women's tournaments...
and fourth board IM Olga Alexandrova, ultimately finishing in 18th place.
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 2004 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... |
 Mainland China |
GMXie Jun Xie Jun Xie Jun is a chess grandmaster from China. She had two reigns as Women's World Chess Champion, from 1991 to 1996 and again from 1999 to 2001. Xie is only the second woman to have two reigns, the other being Elisabeth Bykova.... , WGM Xu Yuhua, WGM Zhao Xue Zhao Xue Zhao Xue is a Chinese chess player who holds the Woman Grandmaster and Grandmaster titles. In 2008, she became China's 24th Grandmaster.-Career:... , WIM Huang Qian Huang Qian Huang Qian is a Chinese WGM-titled chess player.She is currently the 47th ranked female chess player in the world. She had previously been in the FIDE Top 20 Girls List from 2003–2006, having reached a peak of 9th position on the April 2006 list.... |
1 | 2514 | 11 | 1 | 2 | 31 |
| 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 |
GM Zsuzsa Polgar, IMIrina Krush Irina Krush Irina Krush is an American chess player who won the U.S. Women's Chess Championship in 1998, 2007, and 2010. Born in Odessa, USSR , she is widely known for her series of chess training videos, the "Krushing Attacks" series.Krush learned to play chess at age five, emigrating with her parents to... , WGM Anna Zatonskih Anna Zatonskih Anna Zatonskih is a chess player from the United States. She is a Woman Grandmaster, as well as an International Master. She is a chess professional, who coaches players and competes in tournaments. Zatonskih is the 2006, 2008, 2009 and 2011 U.S. Women's Chess Champion.Zatonskih learned chess at... , WIM Jennifer Shahade Jennifer Shahade Jennifer Shahade is an American chess player and writer. She is a two-time American women's chess champion and, as of October 2007, has a FIDE rating of 2322. She has the FIDE title of Woman Grandmaster. Jennifer is the author of the book Chess Bitch... |
3 | 2490 | 10 | 3 | 1 | 28 |
| 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... |
Russia |
IM Alexandra Kosteniuk Alexandra Kosteniuk Alexandra Konstantinovna Kosteniuk is a Russian chess Grandmaster and a former Women's World Chess Champion.-Chess career:Kosteniuk learned to play chess at the age of five after being taught by her father... , WGM Tatiana Kosintseva Tatiana Kosintseva Tatiana Anatolyevna Kosintseva is a Russian chess player who has achieved the FIDE title of Grandmaster... , IM Ekaterina Kovalevskaya Ekaterina Kovalevskaya Ekaterina Kovalevskaya is a Russian chess player with the titles International Master and Woman Grandmaster . She won the Russian women's championship in 1994 and 2000. and was runner-up in the Women's World Chess Championship 2004.-External links:... , WGM Nadezhda Kosintseva Nadezhda Kosintseva Nadezhda Anatolyevna Kosintseva is a Russian chess player. She holds the title of Grandmaster.... |
2 | 2491 | 9 | 3 | 2 | 27½ |
| Fourth | Georgia (country) |
GM Maya Chiburdanidze, WGM Nana Dzagnidze Nana Dzagnidze Nana Dzagnidze is a chess player from Georgia, who achieved the title of International Grandmaster in 2008.-Youth success:As a junior player, she showed early promise by winning the World Girls Under-12 Championship in 1999... , WGM Lela Javakhishvili, IM Maria Lomineishvili |
4 | 2470 | 10 | 1 | 3 | 27½ |
| Fifth | Early Modern France |
IM Almira Skripchenko Almira Skripchenko Almira Skripchenko is a French chess player who has achieved the FIDE International Master and Woman Grandmaster titles... , IM Marie Sebag Marie Sebag Marie Sebag is a French chess player, who won the French Chess Championship for women in 2000 and 2002.-Tournament results:... , WGM Silvia Collas, WIM Sophie Milliet Sophie Milliet Sophie Milliet is a French chess player and the current national women's champion.She was raised in the French town of Castelnau-le-Lez and learned to play chess at the age of four. Her endeavours at junior level showed good promise and catapulted her Elo rating over the 2100 mark by the time she... |
8 | 2417 | 8 | 2 | 4 | 25½ |
| Sixth |  Hungary |
IM Ildikó Mádl Ildiko Madl Ildikó Mádl is a Hungarian chess player.Madl learned to play chess from her father. In 1978 she became a pupil of the chess school Mereszjev that helped to promote talented Hungarian children and teenagers.... , IM Szidonia Vajda Szidonia Vajda Szidonia Vajda is an Romanian-Hungarian chess Woman Grandmaster and International Master. In 1995 she won the European Youth Chess Championship .... , WGM Anita Gara Anita Gara Anita Gara is a Hungarian chess woman grandmaster and three time Hungarian Chess Championship winner.... , WGM Nikoletta Lakos Nikoletta Lakos Nikoletta Lakos is a Hungarian chess woman grandmaster. She is a three-time Hungarian Chess Championship winner, having taken the title in 1997, 2002 and 2005.... |
13 | 2376 | 8 | 3 | 3 | 25 |
| Seventh |  Slovakia |
WGM Eva Repkova, WGM Regina Pokorna, IM Zuzana Hagarova, Zuzana Borošová | 12 | 2377 | 8 | 2 | 4 | 25 |
| Eighth | Kingdom of England |
IM Harriet Hunt Harriet Hunt Harriet Vaughan Hunt is an English chess player and four times British Ladies' champion.-Biography:A high profile player from an early age, she won five British Junior Girls titles between 1989 and 1991... , WGM Jovanka Houska Jovanka Houska Jovanka Houska is an English chess player with the titles International Master and Woman Grandmaster .-Formative years:... , WIM Heather Richards, Melanie Buckley |
27 | 2293 | 7 | 2 | 5 | 25 |
| Ninth | India |
GM Humpy Koneru, IM Subbaraman Vijayalakshmi Subbaraman Vijayalakshmi Vijayalakshmi Subbaraman is a chess player of international repute from India. Vijayalakshmi is currently ranked 20th amongst women chess players in the world. She is the first Woman Grandmaster from India and is a six-time national champion.She has won more medals than any other player for India... , WGM Dronavalli Harika Dronavalli Harika Dronavalli Harika is an Indian chess player. She was born on January 12, 1991 in Guntur district, Andhra Pradesh, and learned to play chess at age 7. She holds the titles of Grandmaster, Woman Grandmaster and International Master.... , WGM Nisha Mohota |
6 | 2435 | 8 | 3 | 3 | 24½ |
| Tenth |  Poland |
IM Iweta Radziewicz, IM Monika Soćko Monika Socko Monika Soćko is a Polish chess player. She won the Polish women's chess championship four times . She is married to Polish GM Bartosz Soćko.... , IM Joanna Dworakowska Joanna Dworakowska Joanna Dworakowska is a Polish chess player. She won the Polish women's championship three times , and holds the FIDE ranks of International Master and Woman Grandmaster.... , WGM Marta Zielinska |
7 | 2427 | 7 | 3 | 4 | 24½ |
Group prizes
Group A (from amongst teams seeded 1st to 17th)
| Team | Overall place of finish | Seed | Average July 2004 FIDE rating | Total score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Georgia (country) |
4 | 4 | 2470 | 27½ |
| Early Modern France |
5 | 8 | 2417 | 25½ |
| Hungary |
6 | 13 | 2376 | 25 |
Group B (from amongst teams seeded 18th to 34th)
| Team | Overall place of finish | Seed | Average July 2004 FIDE rating | Total score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kingdom of England |
8 | 27 | 2293 | 25 |
| Lithuania |
13 | 20 | 2311 | 24 |
 Sweden |
15 | 24 | 2301 | 24 |
Group C (from amongst teams seeded 35th to 51st)
| Team | Overall place of finish | Seed | Average July 2004 FIDE rating | Total score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Uzbekistan |
32 | 37 | 2235 | 22½ |
 Iran |
34 | 41 | 2189 | 22 |
 Estonia |
36 | 38 | 2229 | 22 |
Group D (from amongst teams seeded 52nd to 69th)
| Team | Overall place of finish | Seed | Average July 2004 FIDE rating | Total score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Colombia |
37 | 55 | 2107 | 21½ |
 Malaysia |
40 | 56 | 2084 | 21½ |
 Canada |
41 | 52 | 2123 | 21½ |
Group E (from amongst teams seeded 70th to 87th)
| Team | Overall place of finish | Seed | Average July 2004 FIDE rating | Total score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Kyrgyzstan |
58 | 75 | 2080 | 20 |
| Indonesia |
59 | 72 | 2125 | 20 |
 Guatemala |
60 | 77 | 2043 | 20 |
Individual results
Individual medals are awarded to the three players to achieve the best rating performance having played at least eight games. Medals are also awarded to the top three finishers, by percentage of points won from total points possible, from amongst those to have played primarily on each of boards one through three (having played at least eight games) as well as to those reserves who have otherwise played at least seven games across all boards, who are classified as playing on board four. Teams typically feature their better players on the lower-numbered boards, but illness, fatigue, and absence often affect playing rotations. TieTie (draw)
To tie or draw is to finish a competition with identical or inconclusive results. The word "tie" is usually used in North America for sports such as American football. "Draw" is usually used in the United Kingdom, Ireland and the Commonwealth of Nations and it is usually used for sports such as...
s are resolved in favor of the player who played more games; where ties remain, the player with a better rating performance is awarded the superior placing.
Best rating performance
| Player | Team represented | July 2004 FIDE rating | Principal board played | Games played | Points scored | Rating performance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GM Zsuzsa Polgar | United States |
2567 | 1 | 14 | 10½ | 2622 |
| GM Xie Jun Xie Jun Xie Jun is a chess grandmaster from China. She had two reigns as Women's World Chess Champion, from 1991 to 1996 and again from 1999 to 2001. Xie is only the second woman to have two reigns, the other being Elisabeth Bykova.... |
Mainland China |
2569 | 1 | 10 | 7 | 2597 |
| WGM Zhao Xue Zhao Xue Zhao Xue is a Chinese chess player who holds the Woman Grandmaster and Grandmaster titles. In 2008, she became China's 24th Grandmaster.-Career:... |
Mainland China |
2487 | 3 | 12 | 10 | 2596 |
| IM Harriet Hunt Harriet Hunt Harriet Vaughan Hunt is an English chess player and four times British Ladies' champion.-Biography:A high profile player from an early age, she won five British Junior Girls titles between 1989 and 1991... |
Kingdom of England |
2385 | 1 | 13 | 9½ | 2558 |
| WGM Nadezhda Kosintseva Nadezhda Kosintseva Nadezhda Anatolyevna Kosintseva is a Russian chess player. She holds the title of Grandmaster.... |
Russia |
2446 | 4 | 12 | 10 | 2550 |
| IM Viktorija Čmilytė Viktorija Cmilyte Viktorija Čmilytė is a Lithuanian chess player with the titles of Woman Grandmaster and Grandmaster . She won the gold medal at the Women's European Individual Chess Championship in 2011... |
Lithuania |
2442 | 1 | 11 | 8½ | 2550 |
| IM Szidonia Vajda Szidonia Vajda Szidonia Vajda is an Romanian-Hungarian chess Woman Grandmaster and International Master. In 1995 she won the European Youth Chess Championship .... |
Hungary |
2369 | 2 | 12 | 9 | 2541 |
| IM Alexandra Kosteniuk Alexandra Kosteniuk Alexandra Konstantinovna Kosteniuk is a Russian chess Grandmaster and a former Women's World Chess Champion.-Chess career:Kosteniuk learned to play chess at the age of five after being taught by her father... |
Russia |
2508 | 1 | 11 | 7 | 2539 |
| GM Maya Chiburdanidze | Georgia (country) |
2503 | 1 | 13 | 8½ | 2531 |
| GM Humpy Koneru | India |
2503 | 1 | 14 | 8½ | 2521 |
Board prizes
First board
| Player | Team represented | July 2004 FIDE rating | Games played | Points scored | Percentage attained |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IM Viktorija Čmilytė Viktorija Cmilyte Viktorija Čmilytė is a Lithuanian chess player with the titles of Woman Grandmaster and Grandmaster . She won the gold medal at the Women's European Individual Chess Championship in 2011... |
Lithuania |
2442 | 11 | 8½ | 77.3 |
| GM Zsuzsa Polgar | United States |
2567 | 14 | 10½ | 75.0 |
| WGM Elvira Berend |  Luxembourg |
2307 | 12 | 9 | 75.0 |
Second board
| Player | Team represented | July 2004 FIDE rating | Games played | Points scored | Percentage attained |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IM Szidonia Vajda Szidonia Vajda Szidonia Vajda is an Romanian-Hungarian chess Woman Grandmaster and International Master. In 1995 she won the European Youth Chess Championship .... |
Hungary |
2369 | 12 | 9 | 75.0 |
| IM Corina-Isabela Peptan |  Kingdom of Romania |
2429 | 12 | 9 | 75.0 |
| WGM Barbara Hund | Switzerland |
2240 | 11 | 8 | 72.7 |
Third board
| Player | Team represented | July 2004 FIDE rating | Games played | Points scored | Percentage attained |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WGM Zhao Xue Zhao Xue Zhao Xue is a Chinese chess player who holds the Woman Grandmaster and Grandmaster titles. In 2008, she became China's 24th Grandmaster.-Career:... |
Mainland China |
2487 | 12 | 10 | 83.3 |
| Irine Kharisma Sukandar | Indonesia |
No rating | 12 | 10 | 83.3 |
| WIM Tuvshintogs Batceceg | Mongolia |
2209 | 12 | 9 | 75.0 |
Fourth (reserve) board
| Player | Team represented | July 2004 FIDE rating | Games played | Points scored | Percentage attained |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WGM Nadezhda Kosintseva Nadezhda Kosintseva Nadezhda Anatolyevna Kosintseva is a Russian chess player. She holds the title of Grandmaster.... |
Russia |
2446 | 12 | 10 | 83.3 |
| WGM Maria Velcheva | Kingdom of Bulgaria |
2299 | 10 | 8 | 80.0 |
| WGM Marta Zielinska | Poland |
2395 | 10 | 7½ | 75.0 |
Overall title
The Nona GaprindashviliNona Gaprindashvili
Nona Gaprindashvili is a Georgian chess player, the sixth women's world chess champion , and first female Grandmaster. Born in Zugdidi, Georgia , she was the strongest female player of her generation....
Trophy is awarded to the entity the average place of finish of which in the open and women's division is the best (where two or more teams are tied, they are ordered by single-best finish in either division and then by total points scored); with an average finish of two-and-one-half, the Russia won the 2004 trophy.
Top ten finishers
| Team | Open division placing | Women's division placing | Average placing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Russia |
2 | 3 | 2½ |
| United States |
4 | 2 | 3 |
| Armenia |
3 | 11 | 7 |
| India |
6 | 9 | 7½ |
| Ukraine |
1 | 18 | 9½ |
| Netherlands |
8 | 12 | 10 |
| Poland |
12 | 10 | 11 |
| Kingdom of Bulgaria |
9 | 14 | 11½ |
| Mainland China |
24 | 1 | 12½ |
| Georgia (country) |
21 | 4 | 12½ |
Participating teams
Squads representing 119 nations, five constituent countries, two autonomous entities, two crown dependenciesCrown dependency
The Crown Dependencies are British possessions of the Crown, as opposed to overseas territories of the United Kingdom. They comprise the Channel Island Bailiwicks of Jersey and Guernsey in the English Channel, and the Isle of Man in the Irish Sea....
, two international organizations, two special administrative regions
Special administrative region (People's Republic of China)
A special administrative region is a provincial-level administrative division of the People's Republic of China, for which creation is provided by Article 31 of the 1982 Constitution of the People's Republic of China Article 31 reads "The state may establish special administrative regions when...
, two insular area
Insular area
An insular area is a United States territory, that is neither a part of one of the fifty U.S. states nor the District of Columbia, the federal district of the United States...
s, and one overseas territory
British overseas territories
The British Overseas Territories are fourteen territories of the United Kingdom which, although they do not form part of the United Kingdom itself, fall under its jurisdiction. They are remnants of the British Empire that have not acquired independence or have voted to remain British territories...
were entered into the Olympiad, comprising 1204 players (some registered players, though, did not play).
Entering teams in the open and women's division were
- International Braille Chess AssociationBlindnessBlindness is the condition of lacking visual perception due to physiological or neurological factors.Various scales have been developed to describe the extent of vision loss and define blindness...
- International Physically Disabled Chess Association
Azmaiparashvili incident
Prior to the closing ceremonies of the Olympiad, FIDE vice president GrandmasterInternational Grandmaster
The title Grandmaster is awarded to strong chess players by the world chess organization FIDE. Apart from World Champion, Grandmaster is the highest title a chess player can attain....
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...
was arrested by Palmanovan law enforcement
Law enforcement agency
In North American English, a law enforcement agency is a government agency responsible for the enforcement of the laws.Outside North America, such organizations are called police services. In North America, some of these services are called police while others have other names In North American...
as he attempted to ascend the stage. Security officers, in conjunction with local police, did not permit Azmaiparashvili access to tournament organizers, and a struggle ensued, after which Azmaiparashvili, having sustained several injuries, was arrested; he secured his release on bail
Bail
Traditionally, bail is some form of property deposited or pledged to a court to persuade it to release a suspect from jail, on the understanding that the suspect will return for trial or forfeit the bail...
for €
Euro
The euro is the official currency of the eurozone: 17 of the 27 member states of the European Union. It is also the currency used by the Institutions of the European Union. The eurozone consists of Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg,...
500 after having been held for 40 hours, and the charges against him were later dropped.
Azmaiparashvili, a Georgia
Georgia (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...
n undertook to inform the presenter of the Nona Gaprindashvili
Nona Gaprindashvili
Nona Gaprindashvili is a Georgian chess player, the sixth women's world chess champion , and first female Grandmaster. Born in Zugdidi, Georgia , she was the strongest female player of her generation....
Trophy that the latter ought more clearly to explain Gaprindashvili's contributions to the game of chess (Gaprindashvili had been women's world chess champion
Women's World Chess Championship
The Women's World Chess Championship is played to determine the women's world champion in chess. Like the World Chess Championship, it is administered by FIDE....
), but was barred by security. Azmaiparashvili and FIDE averred that Azmaiparashvili was detained and physically accosted despite his having properly and clearly [displayed] his VIP credentials http://web.archive.org/web/20041204023615/http://www.fide.com/news.asp?id=584, whilst representatives of the Spanish chess federation (the Federación Española de Ajedrez) and tournament organizers blamed Azmaiparashvili for the incident, saying that he without any previous provocation, assaulted [an] agent with a head butt to [the] mouth http://www.chesscenter.com/twic/event/calvia04/azmai.html.
Drug testing
Having been formally recognized by the International Olympic CommitteeInternational Olympic Committee
The International Olympic Committee is an international corporation based in Lausanne, Switzerland, created by Pierre de Coubertin on 23 June 1894 with Demetrios Vikelas as its first president...
in 1999
1999 in sports
1999 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.-Alpine skiing:* Alpine Skiing World Cup** Men's overall season champion: Lasse Kjus, Norway** Women's overall season champion: Alexandra Meissnitzer, Austria-American football:...
, in preparation for prospective inclusion in future iterations of the Olympic Games
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
, FIDE, in 2001, implemented doping
Doping (sport)
The use of performance-enhancing drugs in sport is commonly referred to by the term "doping", particularly by those organizations that regulate competitions. The use of performance enhancing drugs is mostly done to improve athletic performance. This is why many sports ban the use of performance...
restrictions consistent with those adopted by the World Anti-Doping Agency
World Anti-Doping Agency
The World Anti-Doping Agency , , is an independent foundation created through a collective initiative led by the International Olympic Committee . It was set up on November 10, 1999 in Lausanne, Switzerland, as a result of what was called the "Declaration of Lausanne", to promote, coordinate and...
. Two players, Shaun Press of Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea , officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, is a country in Oceania, occupying the eastern half of the island of New Guinea and numerous offshore islands...
and Bobby Miller of Bermuda
Bermuda
Bermuda is a British overseas territory in the North Atlantic Ocean. Located off the east coast of the United States, its nearest landmass is Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, about to the west-northwest. It is about south of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, and northeast of Miami, Florida...
, refused, for various reasons, to submit urine samples for analysis
Drug test
A drug test is a technical analysis of a biological specimen – for example urine, hair, blood, sweat, or oral fluid / saliva – to determine the presence or absence of specified parent drugs or their metabolites...
. Both players appeared before a FIDE disciplinary panel, which decided to cancel the players' performances (Press had scored seven-and-one-half points over fourteen games, while Miller had scored three-and-one-half points over nine games), reducing the final score of Papua New Guinea to 15.5 (from 23.0) and that of Bermuda to 18.5 (from 22.0).
Associated events
Concomitant to the tournaments were several chess-related events planned by the organizing committee of the Olympiad, some under the auspices of FIDE; the events were known collectively as the First Chess Festival Calvià 2004. Within the festival were held simultaneous exhibitionSimultaneous exhibition
A simultaneous exhibition or simultaneous display is a board game exhibition in which one player plays multiple games at a time with a number of other players. Such an exhibition is often referred to simply as a "simul".In a regular simul, no chess clocks are used...
s, game demonstrations and lectures by top Spanish players, and several chess tournaments, including one for amateur players, one for players aged under 16 years (a speed chess event), and one for senior players.
Chess classes were introduced into the primary and secondary school
Secondary school
Secondary school is a term used to describe an educational institution where the final stage of schooling, known as secondary education and usually compulsory up to a specified age, takes place...
s, as well as senior centers
Community centre
Community centres or community centers or jumping recreation centers are public locations where members of a community tend to gather for group activities, social support, public information, and other purposes. They may sometimes be open for the whole community or for a specialised group within...
, in and around Calvià, in an effort to promote chess generally, and chess films were screened on the beach
Beach
A beach is a geological landform along the shoreline of an ocean, sea, lake or river. It usually consists of loose particles which are often composed of rock, such as sand, gravel, shingle, pebbles or cobblestones...
es of Calvià each weeknight.
Chess-oriented art was displayed at an International Chess Fair, with prizes for top works awarded by a jury.