32nd Chess Olympiad

File:1996 Chess Olympiad Armenian stamp 2.jpg

Armenian stamp featuring the logo of the 32nd Chess Olympiad

File:AM 100 dram Ag 1996 Chess1 b.png

Commemorative coin of Armenia

File:AM 100 dram Ag 1996 Chess b.png

Commemorative coin of Armenia

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

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

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

Open event

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

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

Open event

#	Country	Players	Average rating	Points	Buchholz
1	Template:Flagu	Kasparov, Kramnik, Dreev, Svidler, Bareev, Rublevsky	2714	38½
2		Ivanchuk, Malaniuk, Romanyshyn, Novikov, Onyschuk, Savchenko	2633	35
3	Template:Flagu	Gulko, Yermolinsky, De Firmian, Kaidanov, Benjamin, Christiansen	2595	34	448.0
4	Template:Flagu	Short, Adams, Speelman, Sadler, Hodgson, Conquest	2655	34	447.5
5		Akopian, Vaganian, Lputian, Minasian, Anastasian, Petrosian	2593	33½	452.0
6	Template:Flagu	Shirov, Illescas, Magem, García, San Segundo, Izeta	2605	33½	451.5
7	Template:Flagcountry	Sokolov, Nikolić, Kurajica, Dizdarević, Kelecević, Sinanović	2584	33½	439.5
8	Template:Flagcountry	Azmaiparashvili, Giorgadze, Sturua, Zaichik, Janjgava, Supatashvili	2590	33	446.0
9		Topalov, K. Georgiev, Spasov, Dimitrov, V. Georgiev, Chatalbashev	2619	33	443.0
10	Template:Flagu	Yusupov, Hübner, Dautov, Lobron, Hickl, Lutz	2619	33	440.0

#	Country	Average rating	Points	Buchholz	MP
11	Template:Flagu	2544	33	434.0
12		2549	33	426.5
13	Template:Flagu	2518	32½	448.5
14	Template:Flagu	2564	32½	436.5
15		2529	32½	430.0
=16	Template:CRO	2564	32	443.5	17
=16		2600	32	443.5	17
18		2643	32	440.5
19		2510	32	434.5
20		2515	32	424.5
21		2536	31½	438.5
22	Template:Flagcountry	2540	31½	423.0
23		2509	31½	419.5
24		2563	31½	412.5
25	Template:Flagu	2541	31	438.0
26	Template:Flagcountry	2470	31	431.5
27		2478	31	412.0
28	Template:Flagu	2465	31	411.5
29	Template:Flagu	2454	31	397.5
30		2511	30½	436.0
31		2528	30½	434.5
32		2555	30½	432.5
33	Template:Flagcountry	2570	30½	426.5
34		2508	30½	422.0
35		2478	30½	421.5
36	Template:Flagu	2545	30½	420.0
37	Template:Flagcountry	2546	30½	419.5
38		2519	30½	404.0
39	Template:Country data Turkmenistan	2445	30½	390.0
40		2535	30	409.0
41		2476	30	407.5
42	"C"	2400	30	404.0
43		2450	30	402.0
44		2414	29½	426.5
45		2514	29½	411.5
46		2419	29½	401.5
47		2283	29	398.5
48		2408	29	393.5
49		2549	28½	438.5
50	"B"	2456	28½	413.0
51	Template:Flagu	2446	28½	408.5
52		2451	28½	408.0
53		2479	28½	395.5
54	Template:Flagu	2391	28½	391.0
55		2395	28½	389.5
56		2436	28½	381.0
57	Template:Flagu	2468	28	404.5
58	Template:Flagu	2448	28	400.0
59	Template:Flagu	2449	28	397.0
60		2080	28	364.5
61		2423	27½	411.5
62	Template:Flagu	2338	27½	395.0
63		2355	27½	388.0
64		2274	27½	387.0
65		2254	27½	361.0
66		2384	27	393.5
67		2278	27	379.5
68	Template:Flagu	2433	26½	405.0
69		2318	26½	396.5
70	Template:Flagcountry	2369	26½	393.0
71	Template:Country data Venezuela	2258	26½	386.0
72		2238	26½	382.5
73	IBCA	2236	27½	380.0
74		2285	27½	379.5
75		2301	27½	376.5
76	Template:Flagcountry	2241	27½	375.5
77		2261	26	375.5
78	Template:Flagcountry	2220	26	369.5
79		2240	26	368.5
80		2291	26	367.0
81		2256	26	361.5
82	Template:Flagu	2311	25½	377.0
83		2231	25½	371.0
84		2183	25½	363.5
85		2145	25½	363.0
86		2239	25½	356.0
87	Template:Flagcountry	2100	25½	351.5
88	Template:Flagcountry	2328	25	379.0
89		2179	25	368.0
90		2219	25	358.5
91		2204	25	346.5
92		2058	24½	378.5
93		2165	24½	372.5
94		2210	24½	357.5
95		2113	24½	354.5
96		2140	24½	348.5
97		2094	24½	346.0
98	Template:Flagcountry	2086	24½	344.0
99		2086	24	341.5
100	Template:Flagcountry	2144	24	338.5
101	Template:Flagcountry	2030	23½	325.0
102	Template:Country data Macau	2053	23½	304.5
103		2000	23
104		2094	22½	335.0
105		2140	22½	319.0
106	Template:Flagcountry	2000	22	323.5
107		2031	22	317.5
108		2000	21½	328.0
109		2000	21½	305.5
110		2024	20
111		2000	18½
112	Template:Country data Afghanistan	2000	17
113		2033	16
114		2000	9

Individual medals

• Performance rating: Template:Flagicon Garry Kasparov 2873
• Board 1: Template:Flagicon Mohamad Al-Modiahki 8 / 10 = 80.0%
• Board 2: Template:Flagicon Richard Robinson 8 / 10 = 80.0%
• Board 3: Template:Flagicon Saidali Iuldachev 11 / 14 = 78.6%
• Board 4: Template:Flagicon Matthew Sadler 10½ / 13 = 80.8%
• 1st reserve: Template:Flagicon ("B") Karen Asrian 10 / 12 = 83.3%
• 2nd reserve: Template:Flagicon Geoffrey Makumbi 7½ / 8 = 93.8%

Best game

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

Women's event

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

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

#	Country	Players	Average rating	Points	Buchholz
1	Template:Flagcountry	Chiburdanidze, Ioseliani, Arakhamia-Grant, Gurieli	2498	30
2	Template:Flagu	Xie Jun, Zhu Chen, Wang Lei, Wang Pin	2425	28½	347.0
3	Template:Flagu	Galliamova, Matveeva, Prudnikova, Zaitseva	2443	28½	345.5
4		Gaponenko, Litinskaya, Sedina, Zhukova	2343	26½
5		Polgár, Mádl, Medvegy, Lakos	2387	26
6		Foișor, Corina Peptan, Radu-Cosma, Olărașu	2355	25½
7		Klinova, Segal, Tsifanskaya, Pitam	2310	25
8		Sakhatova, Uskova, Girkiyan-Klink, Sergeeva	2305	24½	340.5
9	Template:Flagu	Brustman, Bobrowska, Dworakowska, Zielińska	2330	24½	339.5
10	Template:Flagu	Lalic, Hunt, Sheldon, Bellin	2303	24	346.0

#	Country	Average rating	Points	Buchholz	MP
11		2178	24	309.5
12		2258	24	305.5
13	Template:Flagcountry	2395	23½	335.5
=14		2322	23½	332.5	15
=14	Template:Flagu	2348	23½	332.5	15
16		2335	23½	331.5
17	Template:Flagcountry	2222	23½	321.5
18		2252	23½	321.0
=19		2253	23½	316.5	16
=19		2233	23½	316.5	16
21		2258	23½	312.5
22		2198	23½	291.5
23		2250	23	328.0
24		2197	23	321.0
25	Template:Flagu	2152	23	316.0
26	Template:Flagu	2211	23	314.0
27		2115	23	275.5
28		2195	22½	311.5
29	"B"	2138	22½	310.5
30	Template:Flagu	2210	22½	301.5
31	Template:CRO	2242	22	312.0
32	Template:Flagcountry	2252	22	304.0
33	Template:Flagcountry	2110	22	303.5
34		2245	21½
35	Template:Flagu	2312	21½	314.0
36	Template:Flagu	2245	21½	299.5
37	Template:Flagu	2108	21½	299.0
38	Template:Flagu	2145	21½	298.0
39	Template:Flagu	2123	21½	286.5
40		2112	21½	285.5
41		2048	21½	283.0
42		2112	20½	309.0
43		2105	20½	291.5
44	Template:Flagcountry	2015	20½	282.0
45		2083	20½	280.5
46	Template:Flagu	2080	20½	278.0
47		2065	20	290.5
48	Template:Country data Turkmenistan	2048	20	287.0
49	Template:Flagu	2010	20	282.0
50	Template:Country data Venezuela	2043	20	280.5
51	Template:Flagu	2162	20	278.5
52		2093	20	274.5
53	Template:Flagu	2140	19½	297.0
54		2022	19½	282.0
55		2133	19	282.0
56		2017	19	262.5
57	IBCA	2000	19	245.5
58		2002	19	240.0
59		2060	18½	277.0
60		2033	18½	266.5
61		2000	18½	229.0
62		2000	18½	217.5
63		2067	18	285.0
64		2050	18	259.0
65		2007	18	232.5
66	Template:Flagu	2000	18	223.0
67		2002	17½	264.5
68		2017	17½	240.5
69		2002	16½
70		2000	15	229.5
71		2000	15	228.5
72		2013	14½
73	Template:Flagcountry	2000	8
74		2000	2

Individual medals

• Performance rating: Template:Flagicon Zhu Chen 2561
• Board 1: Template:Flagicon Mähri Ovezova 10½ / 14 = 75.0%
• Board 2: Template:Flagicon Zhu Chen 10 / 13 = 76.9%
• Board 3: Template:Flagicon Ketevan Arakhamia-Grant 8 / 10 = 80.0%
• Reserve: Template:Flagicon Marta Zielińska 6 / 7 = 85.7%

See also

• Chess in Armenia

External links

• 32nd Chess Olympiad: Yerevan 1996 OlimpBase