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The 12th Chess Olympiad (12-я Шахматная олимпиада, 12-ya Shakhmatnaya olimpiada), organized by the FIDE and comprising an open[1] team tournament, as well as several other events designed to promote the game of chess, took place between August 31 and September 25, 1956, in Moscow, Soviet Union.

The host nation were double defending champions and naturally huge favourites, and they lived up to expectations. Although their victory margin wasn't as big as two years before, they still won comfortably, with Yugoslavia and Hungary taking home the silver and bronze medals, respectively.

Results

Preliminaries

A total of 34 teams entered the competition and were divided into four preliminary groups of eight or nine teams. The top three from each group advanced to Final A, the teams placed 4th–6th to Final B, and the rest to Final C. All groups and finals were played as round-robin tournaments.

Group 1 was won by the Soviet hosts, well ahead of Bulgaria and Switzerland. Poland, Sweden, and Norway took the places 4–6, while Puerto Rico and Saar finished at the bottom of the group.

Yugoslavia took first place in group 2, ahead of Israel and Denmark. Netherlands, Austria, and France made up the middle part of the group, while Mongolia and Scotland had to settle for the bottom.

Group 3 was won by Argentina, ahead of West Germany and England. Iceland, Chile, and Finland took the places 4–6, while India, Luxembourg, and Ireland finished at the bottom of the group.

Hungary clinched group 4, ahead of Romania and Czechoslovakia. East Germany, Colombia, and Belgium made up the middle part of the group, while the Philippines, Greece, and Iran completed the field.

  • Group 1
Final Country 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 + − = Points
«A»  Soviet Union - 2½ 2½ 4 3 4 4 3½ 7 0 0 23½
«A»  Bulgaria 1½ - 3 2½ 2½ 3 3½ 3½ 6 1 0 19½
«A»   Switzerland 1½ 1 - 3½ 2 3 4 3 4 2 1 18
«B»  Poland 0 1½ ½ - 3 3 3 4 4 3 0 15
«B»  Sweden 1 1½ 2 1 - 2½ 3 3½ 3 3 1 14½
«B»  Norway 0 1 1 1 1½ - 2 2½ 1 5 1 9
«C»  Puerto Rico 0 ½ 0 1 1 2 - 2½ 1 5 1 7
«C»  Saar ½ ½ 1 0 ½ 1½ 1½ - 0 7 0 5½
  • Group 2
Final Country 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 + − = Points
«A»  Yugoslavia - 2½ 3 3½ 3½ 3 4 4 7 0 0 23½
«A»  Israel 1½ - 1½ 2 3 2½ 4 3½ 4 2 1 18
«A»  Denmark 1 2½ - 2 2 2 4 3 3 1 3 16½
«B»  Netherlands ½ 2 2 - 2½ 3 3 3 4 1 2 16
«B»  Austria ½ 1 2 1½ - 1½ 2½ 4 2 4 1 13
«B»  France 1 1½ 2 1 2½ - 1½ 3 2 4 1 12½
«C»  Mongolia 0 0 0 1 1½ 2½ - 2½ 2 5 0 7½
«C»  Scotland 0 ½ 1 1 0 1 1½ - 0 7 0 5
  • Group 3
Final Country 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 + − = Points
«A»  Argentina - 2½ 1½ 2 3½ 2½ 4 4 4 6 1 1 24
«A»  West Germany 1½ - 2½ 2 2½ 3 4 3½ 4 6 1 1 23
«A»  England 2½ 1½ - 2 2½ 3½ 4 3 3½ 6 1 1 22½
«B»  Iceland 2 2 2 - 1 2½ 3 4 4 4 1 3 20½
«B»  Chile ½ 1½ 1½ 3 - 2½ 1½ 3½ 3½ 4 4 0 17½
«B»  Finland 1½ 1 ½ 1½ 1½ - 2 3½ 3 2 5 1 14½
«C»  India 0 0 0 1 2½ 2 - 3½ 3½ 3 4 1 12½
«C»  Luxembourg 0 ½ 1 0 ½ ½ ½ - 2½ 1 7 0 5½
«C»  Ireland 0 0 ½ 0 ½ 1 ½ 1½ - 0 8 0 4
  • Group 4
Final Country 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 + − = Points
«A»  Hungary - 2½ 2 2 2 3½ 3½ 3½ 4 5 0 3 23
«A»  Romania 1½ - 2 2½ 2½ 2½ 3½ 4 3 6 1 1 21½
«A»  Czechoslovakia 2 2 - 2 2½ 2 4 3 4 4 0 4 21½
«B»  East Germany 2 1½ 2 - 1 2½ 3 4 2½ 4 2 2 18½
«B»  Colombia 2 1½ 1½ 3 - 2 1½ 4 2½ 3 3 2 18
«B»  Belgium ½ 1½ 2 1½ 2 - 3 2½ 1½ 2 4 2 14½
«C»  Philippines ½ ½ 0 1 2½ 1 - 1½ 3 2 6 0 10
«C»  Greece ½ 0 1 0 0 1½ 2½ – 3 2 6 0 8½
«C»  Iran 0 1 0 1½ 1½ 2½ 1 1 - 1 7 0 8½

Final

Final A
#CountryPlayersPointsMP
1 Soviet UnionBotvinnik, Smyslov, Keres, Bronstein, Taimanov, Geller31
2 YugoslaviaGligorić, Matanović, Ivkov, Karaklajić, Milić, Đurašević26½17
3 HungarySzabó, Barcza, Benkő, Szilágyi, Bély, Portisch26½16
4 ArgentinaNajdorf, Bolbochán, Panno, Pilnik, Sanguineti, Wexler23
5 West GermanyUnzicker, Schmid, Darga, Pfeiffer, Niephaus, Teschner2212
6 BulgariaPadevsky, Minev, Kolarov, Tringov, Tsvetkov, Milev2210
7 CzechoslovakiaFilip, Pachman, Šefc, Rejfíř, Alster, Ježek20½
8 EnglandGolombek, Penrose, Wade, Milner-Barry, Clarke, Phillips20
9  SwitzerlandBlau, Bhend, Walther, Keller, Johner199
10 DenmarkLarsen, Poulsen, Pedersen, Ingerslev, Nielsen, Enevoldsen198
11 RomaniaBălănel, Ciocâltea, Troianescu, Soós, Ghițescu, Rădulescu197
12 IsraelCzerniak, Porat, Aloni, Oren, Dobkin, Smiltiner15½
Final B
#CountryPlayersPointsMP
13 AustriaRobatsch, Dückstein, Kinzel, Prameshuber, Lokvenc, Busek28
14 IcelandÓlafsson, Jóhannsson, Möller, Thorbergsson, Gíslason, Guðmundsson27
15 SwedenStåhlberg, Stenborg, Sköld, Backlund, Joffe, Ljungqvist26½
16 BelgiumO'Kelly, Dunkelblum, Limbos, Thibaut, Boey, Van den Broeck23½
17 FinlandOjanen, Salo, Rantanen, Fred, Hänninen, Niemelä22½
18 ColombiaCuéllar, Sánchez, De Greiff, Velandia, Restrepo, Reyes Larenas2111
19 NetherlandsPrins, Kramer, Bouwmeester, Mühring, Van Steenis2110
20 East GermanyUhlmann, Dittmann, Herrmann, Fuchs, Koch, Platz20½
21 FranceMuffang, Boutteville, Burstein, Noradounguian, Catozzi19½
22 ChileFlores, Letelier, Hausman, Jáuregui, Jiménez Rojas, Mallett199
23 PolandŚliwa, Plater, Dworzyński, Gromek, Szapiro, Balcarek197
24 NorwayVestøl, Morcken, Lindblom, Johannessen, Barda, Rojahn16½
Final C
#CountryPlayersPointsMP
25 PhilippinesBadilles, Campomanes, Benítez, Cardoso24
26 SaarBenkner, Lorson, Weichselbaumer, Folz V., Both G., Schmidt P.23
27 IndiaSapre, Gupta, Mhaiskar, Venkatraman S.20½
28 IranSafvat, Mostafavi-Kachani, Navabi, Lotfy, Assar, Nazarian19
29 Puerto RicoColón Romero A., Colón Romero M., Pla, Benítez, Borrás, Reissmann18½11
30 MongoliaZhugder, Zhamsaran, Möömöö, Tumurbator, Tserendagva, Namzhil18½9
31 ScotlandFairhurst, Fallone, McGowan, Thomson, Middleton, Rose M.17½
32 GreeceSiaperas, Angos, Loverdos, Anastasopoulos, Mastihiadis, Pavlatos17
33 IrelandMaher, Reilly, Walsh, Dunphy, Grogan, O'Riordan13
34 LuxembourgWantz, Conrady, Schneider, Schmitz F., Philippe, Kremer9

Final A

No. Country 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 + − = Points
1  Soviet Union - 2½ 1½ 2½ 3 2½ 3½ 4 3 3½ 2½ 2½ 10 1 0 31
2  Yugoslavia 1½ - 2 2 2½ 3 2½ 2½ 3 3 2 2½ 7 1 3 26½
3  Hungary 2½ 2 - 1½ 2 2 2½ 2 3 2½ 2½ 4 6 1 4 26½
4  Argentina 1½ 2 2½ - 1½ 1½ 3 2½ 2 1½ 1½ 3½ 4 5 2 23
5  West Germany 1 1½ 2 2½ - 2½ 1½ 2 1½ 2½ 2½ 2½ 5 4 2 22
6  Bulgaria 1½ 1 2 2½ 1½ - 2 1½ 3 2½ 1½ 3 4 5 2 22
7  Czechoslovakia ½ 1½ 1½ 1 2½ 2 - 2 1½ 2 3 3 3 5 3 20½
8  England 0 1½ 2 1½ 2 2½ 2 - 2½ 1½ 2½ 2 3 4 4 20
9   Switzerland 1 1 1 2 2½ 1 2½ 1½ - 2 2 2½ 3 5 3 19
10  Denmark ½ 1 1½ 2½ 1½ 1½ 2 2½ 2 - 3 1 3 6 2 19
11  Romania 1½ 2 1½ 2½ 1½ 2½ 1 1½ 2 1 - 2 2 6 3 19
12  Israel 1½ 1½ 0 ½ 1½ 1 1 2 1½ 3 2 - 1 8 2 15½

Final B

No. Country 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 + − = Points
13  Austria - 2 0 2 3 2½ 3½ 3 3 3 2½ 3½ 8 1 2 28
14  Iceland 2 - 2 1½ 2 3 3 3½ 3 2½ 3 1½ 6 2 3 27
15  Sweden 4 2 - 2½ 2½ 3½ 2½ 1½ 3 1½ 2 1½ 6 3 2 26½
16  Belgium 2 2½ 1½ - 3 2 1 1½ 2 3 2½ 2½ 5 3 3 23½
17  Finland 1 2 1½ 1 - 3 1½ 2½ 3 3 2 2 4 4 3 22½
18  Colombia 1½ 1 ½ 2 1 - 2 2½ 2½ 2 3 3 4 4 3 21
19  Netherlands ½ 1 1½ 3 2½ 2 - 3 2 3 1½ 1 4 2 5 21
20  East Germany 1 ½ 2½ 2½ 1½ 1½ 1 - 1½ 3 2½ 3 5 6 0 20½
21  France 1 1 1 2 1 1½ 2 2½ - 1½ 2 4 2 6 3 19½
22  Chile 1 1½ 2½ 1 1 2 1 1 2½ - 2½ 3 4 6 1 19
23  Poland 1½ 1 2 1½ 2 1 2½ 1½ 2 1½ - 2½ 2 6 3 19
24  Norway ½ 2½ 2½ 1½ 2 1 3 1 1 1 1½ - 3 7 1 16½

Final C

No. Country 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 + − = Points
25  Philippines - 1½ 1½ 3½ 3 2½ 2 3 3 4 6 2 1 24
26  Saar 2½ - 2 2½ 2 2 2½ 3 2½ 4 6 0 3 23
27  India 2½ 2 - 2 3½ 1½ 1½ 2½ 3 2 4 2 3 20½
28  Iran ½ 1½ 2 - 1½ 2½ 3 1½ 3 3½ 4 4 1 19
29  Puerto Rico 1 2 ½ 2½ - 2 3 3 2 2½ 4 2 3 18½
30  Mongolia 1½ 2 2½ 1½ 2 - 2 2 2 3 2 2 5 18½
31  Scotland 2 1½ 2½ 1 1 2 - 2½ 2 3 3 3 3 17½
32  Greece 1 1 1½ 2½ 1 2 1½ - 3 3½ 3 5 1 17
33  Ireland 1 1½ 1 1 2 2 2 1 - 1½ 0 6 3 13
34  Luxembourg 0 0 2 ½ 1½ 1 1 ½ 2½ - 1 7 1 9

Individual medals

Due to a special rule for the top board at Olympiads, Larsen's result automatically earned him the GM title (the rule has since been abolished).

References

  1. ↑ Although commonly referred to as the men's division, this section is open to both male and female players.
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