The 15th Chess Olympiad (Bulgarian: 15-ата Шахматна олимпиада, 15-ata Shahmatna olimpiada), organized by FIDE and comprising an open[1] team tournament, as well as several other events designed to promote the game of chess, took place between September 15 and October 10, 1962, in Varna, Bulgaria.

The official poster of the Olympiad.

The Soviet team with six GMs, led by world champion Botvinnik, lived up to expectations and won their sixth consecutive gold medals, with Yugoslavia and Argentina taking the silver and bronze, respectively.

Results

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Preliminaries

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A total of 37 teams entered the competition and were divided into four preliminary groups of eight to ten teams each. The top three from each group advanced to Final A, the teams placed 4th-6th to Final B, and the rest to Final C, where they were joined by a Bulgarian "B" team that played outside the contest. All preliminary groups as well as Finals A and B were played as round-robin tournaments, while Final C with 14 teams was played as an 11-round Swiss system tournament.

The Soviet Union took first place in group 1, well ahead of the two German teams, East with half a point more than West. Sweden, Belgium, and Spain took the places 4–6, while Norway, Turkey, and Greece finished at the bottom of the group.

Group 2 was won by the United States, while the Bulgarian hosts and Romania were tied for second place. Israel, Mongolia, and Switzerland made up the middle part of the group, while Puerto Rico and Tunisia had to settle for Final C.

Yugoslavia clinched group 3, ahead of the Netherlands and Czechoslovakia. Poland, Iceland, and Finland had to settle for Final B. Meanwhile, France, Uruguay, Luxembourg, and Cyprus finished at the bottom of the group.

Group 4 was won by Argentina, ahead of Hungary and Austria. Denmark, Cuba, and England made up the middle part of the group, while Albania, India, Iran, and Ireland completed the field.

  • Group 1:
Final Country 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 + = Points
«A»   Soviet Union - 3 3 3 4 3 4 4 8 0 0 27½
«A»   East Germany 1 - 2 4 6 1 1 21½
«A»   West Germany ½ 2 - 3 4 4 6 1 1 21
«B»   Sweden 1 - 2 3 3 4 3 1 17
«B»   Belgium 1 1 2 - 2 3 3 2 16
«B»   Spain 0 1 - 4 4 3 5 0 16
«C»   Norway 1 ½ 1 2 - 3 2 5 1 13
«C»   Turkey 0 ½ 0 0 1 - 3 1 7 0
«C»   Greece 0 0 0 ½ 0 1 - 0 8 0
  • Group 2:
Final Country 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 + = Points
«A»   United States - 2 4 4 4 4 6 0 1 24
«A»   Bulgaria 2 - 2 3 3 3 5 0 2 20
«A»   Romania 2 - 2 4 4 1 2 20
«B»   Israel ½ ½ 2 - 3 3 3 3 1 13
«B»   Mongolia 0 ½ ½ 1 - 3 3 4 0 11
«B»   Switzerland 0 1 0 1 - 3 3 4 0 10
«C»   Puerto Rico 0 1 ½ ½ 1 - 3 1 6 0
«C»   Tunisia 0 1 ½ 1 1 - 0 7 0
  • Group 3:
Final Country 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 + = Points
«A»   Yugoslavia - 2 3 3 4 4 4 8 0 1 27½
«A»   Netherlands 2 - 2 4 3 4 6 1 2 25
«A»   Czechoslovakia 2 - 4 4 6 2 1 25
«B»   Poland 0 - 4 4 4 4 6 3 0 25
«B»   Iceland 1 - 2 4 5 3 1 21
«B»   Finland 0 2 - 4 4 4 4 1 19½
«C»   France 1 1 ½ ½ - 4 3 6 0 17
«C»   Uruguay 0 ½ ½ 0 ½ ½ - 4 3 6 0 12
«C»   Luxembourg 0 0 0 0 0 ½ - 3 1 8 0
«C»   Cyprus 0 0 0 0 0 0 ½ 0 1 - 0 9 0
  • Group 4:
Final Country 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 + = Points
«A»   Argentina - 2 3 4 3 4 4 8 0 1 29½
«A»   Hungary 2 - 3 3 3 4 3 4 8 0 1 28
«A»   Austria ½ 1 - 2 3 3 3 6 2 1 21
«B»   Denmark 1 - 3 5 4 0 19½
«B»   Cuba 1 - 2 3 5 3 1 19
«B»   England ½ 1 2 - 2 4 3 3 4 2 19
«C»   Albania 0 0 1 2 - 3 3 3 5 1 14½
«C»   India 1 1 1 0 - 4 3 2 7 0 14½
«C»   Iran 0 ½ 1 ½ 2 1 1 0 - 1 7 1
«C»   Ireland 0 0 ½ 1 1 ½ 1 1 - 0 9 0

Final

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Final A
# Country Players Points MP
1   Soviet Union Botvinnik, Petrosian, Spassky, Keres, Geller, Tal 31½
2   Yugoslavia Gligorić, Trifunović, Matanović, Ivkov, Parma, Minić 28
3   Argentina Najdorf, Bolbochán, Panno, Sanguineti, Rossetto, Foguelman 26
4   United States Fischer, Benko, Evans, R. Byrne, D. Byrne, Mednis 25
5   Hungary Portisch, Szabó, Bilek, Barcza, Lengyel, Honfi 23
6   Bulgaria Padevsky, Tringov, Minev, Kolarov, Milev, Popov 21½
7   West Germany Unzicker, Darga, Schmid, Tröger, Hecht, Mohrlok 21
8   East Germany Uhlmann, Pietzsch, Malich, Zinn, Fuchs, Liebert 20½ 10
9   Romania Ciocâltea, Ghițescu, Gheorghiu, Soós, Radovici, Günsberger 20½ 9
10   Czechoslovakia Filip, Pachman, Hort, Fichtl, Blatný, Trapl 18½
11   Netherlands Euwe, Donner, Bouwmeester, Langeweg, Prins, Kramer 18
12   Austria Robatsch, Dückstein, Beni, Gragger, Kinzel, Lokvenc 10½
Final B
# Country Players Points MP MW HTH
13   Spain Pomar, del Corral, Puig Pulido, Franco Raymundo, Ridameya Tatche, Serra Olives 26½ 16
14   England Penrose, Clarke, Golombek, Littlewood, Barden, Wade 26½ 14
15   Israel Porat, Aloni, Czerniak, Kraidman, Domnitz, Szapiro 25
16   Cuba Jiménez, Cobo Arteaga, García, Ortega, Calero 22½ 12
17   Sweden Johansson, Sköld, Nilsson, Buskenström, Olsson, Söderborg 22½ 11 4
18   Poland Śliwa, Balcerowski, Doda, Tarnowski, Schmidt, Filipowicz 22½ 11 4
19   Belgium O'Kelly, Dunkelblum, Limbos, Boey, De Rijcke 22
20   Finland Ojanen, Raisa, Rantanen, Niemelä, Westerinen, Fred 20½
21   Mongolia Purevzhav, Möömöö, Myagmarsuren, Chalkhasuren, Tsagan T., Namzhil 20 9 3
22   Switzerland Blau, Castagna, Roth, Gebauer, Luginbühl 20 9 2
23   Iceland Ólafsson, Guðmundsson, Pálsson, Thorsteinsson, Torvaldsson, Kristinsson 19
24   Denmark Kølvig, Holm, From, Søby, Korning, Brinck-Claussen 17
Final C
# Country Players Points MP
25   Norway Johannessen, Lindblom, Hoen, Vinje-Gulbrandsen, Zwaig, Stensholt 32½
-   Bulgaria "B" Filipov, Karastoichev, Daskalov, Bogdanov, Chipev, Burkhanlarsky 29½
26   Albania Pustina, Duraku, Konçi, Veizaj, Siliqi, Omari 28½ 17
27   Tunisia Belkadi, Lagha, Kchouk, Kahia, Mohsen, Ennigrou 28½ 16
28   India Aaron, Sakhalkar, Ali, Hassan, Nawab, Shukla 26½
29   Iran Hemmasian, Farboud, Parniani, Safvat, Zandifar 25
30   France Boutteville, Bergraser, Thiellement, Noradounguian, Ferry, Ravinet P. 23½
31   Puerto Rico Colón Romero A., Rivera D., Navas, Reissmann, Colón Romero M., Prieto Azúar, Rabell Méndez[2] 22½
32   Uruguay Estrada Degrandi, Etcheverry, Alvarez del Monte, Bauzá, Silva Nazzari 22
33   Greece Kokkoris, Anastasopoulos, Papapostolou, Vizantiadis, Paidousis, Hadziotis 18½
34   Luxembourg Conrady, Philippe, Schneider, Zeyen, Aloyse Neu, Leners 18
35   Turkey Süer, Boysan, Akakinci, Günsav 17
36   Ireland Reid, Murphy P., Reilly, Loughrey, O'Hare, Cassidy 14½
37   Cyprus Kleopas, Lantsias, Ioannidis, Fieros

Final «A»

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Country 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 + = Points
1   Soviet Union - 2 4 10 0 1 31½
2   Yugoslavia - 2 3 2 3 3 8 1 2 28
3   Argentina 2 - 1 3 3 2 3 4 6 3 2 26
4   United States 1 3 - 2 2 2 6 2 3 25
5   Hungary 2 - 2 2 2 3 3 4 4 23
6   Bulgaria 1 2 - 2 3 2 2 3 4 4 21½
7   West Germany ½ ½ ½ 2 - 2 3 4 5 2 21
8   East Germany ½ 2 2 - 1 3 4 5 2 20½
9   Romania 2 2 1 2 1 ½ - 3 3 5 3 20½
10   Czechoslovakia ½ 1 2 2 2 - 2 3 1 6 4 18½
11   Netherlands ½ 1 2 ½ 3 1 2 - 3 6 2 18
12   Austria 0 1 0 2 1 1 1 ½ 1 - 0 10 1 10½

Final «B»

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Country 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 + = Points
13   Spain - ½ 3 3 3 3 2 2 7 2 2 26½
14   England - 2 2 6 3 2 26½
15   Israel 1 - 2 3 1 3 6 4 1 25
16   Cuba 1 - 2 1 2 2 2 4 3 4 22½
17   Sweden 2 - 2 2 1 3 3 4 4 3 22½
18   Poland 1 ½ 2 - 3 2 4 2 4 4 3 22½
19   Belgium 3 2 1 - 1 3 5 5 1 22
20   Finland 1 ½ 1 2 2 2 - 2 3 4 4 20½
21   Mongolia 3 2 3 0 - 2 2 1 3 5 3 20
22   Switzerland 2 2 ½ 2 - 2 2 2 4 5 20
23   Iceland ½ 2 ½ 2 1 2 3 2 2 - 2 4 5 19
24   Denmark 2 ½ 1 ½ 1 1 2 3 2 - 2 6 3 17

Final «C»

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Country 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 + = Points
25   Norway 4 3 2 2 3 4 9 0 2 32½
33 34 27 26 # 30 31 36 28 35 32
#   Bulgaria 2 2 3 2 4 2 4 7 1 3 29½
32 26 31 33 25 27 28 36 30 29 37
26   Albania 2 3 2 3 2 3 7 1 3 28½
29 # 34 25 27 28 32 31 35 36 33
27   Tunisia 3 3 2 1 1 4 2 4 7 2 2 28½
36 31 25 29 26 # 37 28 33 34 30
28   India 2 2 1 2 2 2 1 4 4 2 5 26½
30 29 32 34 35 26 # 27 25 37 36
29   Iran 2 2 2 4 4 3 25
26 28 35 27 32 37 36 25 34 # 31
30   France 2 2 1 ½ 4 4 5 2 23½
28 32 33 36 34 25 35 37 # 31 27
31   Puerto Rico 3 1 2 4 ½ 4 6 1 22½
35 27 # 32 37 33 25 26 36 30 29
32   Uruguay 2 3 2 2 1 4 1 ½ 4 4 3 22
# 30 28 31 29 35 26 34 37 33 25
33   Greece 0 4 3 ½ 2 ½ 2 0 3 1 4 5 2 18½
25 37 30 # 36 31 34 35 27 32 26
34   Luxembourg 4 1 ½ ½ ½ 3 ½ 4 7 0 18
37 25 26 28 30 36 33 32 29 27 35
35   Turkey 1 ½ 4 ½ 2 2 ½ 0 3 6 2 17
31 36 29 37 28 32 30 33 26 25 34
36   Ireland 1 3 ½ 2 1 0 2 ½ 1 8 2 14½
27 35 37 30 33 34 29 # 31 26 28
37   Cyprus 0 0 1 0 0 ½ 0 0 0 0 0 0 11 0
34 33 36 35 31 29 27 30 32 28 #

Individual medals

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At the other end of the spectrum, Milton Ioannidis of Cyprus lost all of his 20 games, the worst score ever of any player at any Olympiad.

References

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  1. ^ Although commonly referred to as the men's division, this section is open to both male and female players.
  2. ^ The extra team-member was allowed to replace withdrawn player on a basis of special permission granted by organizing committee.