35th Chess Olympiad
# 35th Chess Olympiad

The 35th Chess Olympiad (Slovene: 35. Šahovska olimpijada), organized by the Fédération Internationale des Échecs and comprising an open and women's tournament, took place between October 25 and November 11, 2002, in Bled, Slovenia. There were 135 teams in the open event and 90 in the women's event.

Both tournament sections were officiated by international arbiter Geurt Gijssen (Netherlands). Teams were paired across the 14 rounds 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. In the event of a draw, the tie-break was decided by 1. The Buchholz system; and 2. Match points.

The time control for each game permitted each player 90 minutes for all their moves, with an additional 30 seconds increment for each player after each move, beginning with the first.

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 135 teams representing 130 nations. Slovenia, as hosts, fielded three teams, whilst the International Braille Chess Association (IBCA), the International Physically Disabled Chess Association (IPCA), and the International Committee of Silent Chess (ICSC) each provided one squad. Sudan were signed up but never arrived.

Both reigning world champions, Vladimir Kramnik (classical) and Viswanathan Anand (FIDE), were absent from the tournament. Meanwhile, the Russian team with two ex-champions, Kasparov and Khalifman, won their sixth consecutive title. Hungary and Armenia took silver and bronze, respectively.

    Open event #CountryPlayersAverage ratingPointsBuchholz 1 RussiaKasparov, Grischuk, Khalifman, Morozevich, Svidler, Rublevsky273438½ 2 HungaryLékó, Polgár, Almási, Gyimesi, Ruck, Ács267437½ 3 ArmeniaAkopian, Lputian, Asrian, Sargissian, Minasian, Anastasian262035 4 GeorgiaAzmaiparashvili, Sturua, Mchedlishvili, Jobava, Izoria, Gagunashvili259034 5 ChinaYe Jiangchuan, Xu Jun, Zhang Zhong, Bu Xiangzhi, Ni Hua, Zhang Pengxiang263333½456.5 6 NetherlandsVan Wely, Sokolov, Tiviakov, Van den Doel, Nijboer, Ernst264833½454.5 7 EnglandAdams, Short, Speelman, McShane, Conquest, Emms264033½450.5 8 SlovakiaMovsesian, Ftáčnik, Timoščenko, Markoš, Maník, Plachetka256133445.0 9 IsraelGelfand, Smirin, Sutovsky, Psakhis, Avrukh, Huzman266033439.5 10 FR YugoslaviaLjubojević, Damljanović, Ivanišević, Kovačević, Ilinčić, Pikula254833436.0
    #CountryAverage ratingPointsBuchholzMP 11 North Macedonia254333430.5 12 Switzerland256133427.5 13 Poland260032½451.0 14 Ukraine266532½459.5 15 Bosnia and Herzegovina257632½447.5 16 Germany262632½446.5 17 Belarus257032½442.0 18 Czech Republic257832½438.5 19 Spain256732½433.5 20 Uzbekistan256632½431.0 21 Lithuania254832435.0 22 Iceland249832422.0 23 Croatia255831½445.0 24 France261031½441.5 25 Greece254031½433.5 26 Denmark255431½425.5 27 Bulgaria254531½421.5 28 Romania259031448.5 29 India256131441.0 30 Azerbaijan257531436.0 31 Moldova254331431.0 32 Sweden258331430.0 33 Canada249231423.5 34 Bangladesh245331414.5 35 Brazil256131411.0 36 Ireland245831408.0 37 Cuba257630½433.0 38 Italy247030½426.017 39 Philippines250230½426.014 40 Slovenia259130½425.0 41 United States262030½422.0 42 Latvia254030½416.5 43 Estonia253030½414.5 44 Belgium242530½414.0 45 Finland244230½411.0 46 Kazakhstan251630428.5 47 Vietnam251330415.0 48 Norway251130412.5 49 Scotland249130412.0 50 Indonesia242530409.5 51 Mexico242030399.5 52 Colombia245229½408.5 53 Australia248229½407.0 54 Egypt240329½402.0 55 Qatar236729½399.0 56 Iraq231029½394.5 57 Portugal245929½389.5 58 Tajikistan242129½337.0 59 Peru243029406.5 60 Chile241929394.014 61 Iran242929394.011 62 Slovenia "B"235129390.0 63 Argentina253428½421.5 64 Austria239128½411.5 65 Venezuela237328½401.0 66 Paraguay240528½397.0 67 Ecuador238628½396.0 68 Luxembourg227328½394.5 69 Turkmenistan240228418.5 70 Costa Rica238028394.0 71 Andorra233928390.5 72 Kyrgyzstan240428387.5 73 Albania241128384.0 74 Lebanon228228383.0 75 Malaysia222427½390.015 76 Turkey234827½390.013 77 Bolivia232527½389.5 78 Cyprus230427½383.0 79 Singapore239927½373.5 80 Slovenia "C"241627399.5 81 Wales228027393.0 82 Zambia230327390.5 83 Dominican Republic233627385.0 84 Mongolia237227381.0 85 Uruguay230927380.5 86ICSC237127376.5 87IBCA229627368.0 88 New Zealand233527366.5 89 Angola224726½387.0 90 Thailand222726½372.0 91 Ethiopia206726½350.0 92 United Arab Emirates228926386.0 93 Faroe Islands230426383.0 94 Algeria229026382.0 95IPCA233626381.5 96 Yemen214826357.0 97 Nigeria212526326.5 98 Trinidad and Tobago221025½361.0 99 Liechtenstein206525½350.0 100 Tunisia232325382.0 101 Sri Lanka221325368.5 102 Zimbabwe204925367.5 103 South Africa230325366.0 104 Barbados222725357.0 105 Libya205425347.5 106 Malta218425345.0 107 Bahrain212225344.0 108 Monaco222024½364.0 109 Japan203724½351.5 110 Netherlands Antilles208924½326.5 111 Botswana214624368.0 112 Mauritania203424346.5 113 Suriname220324345.5 114 Jamaica223023½361.5 115 Uganda206923½360.5 116 Palestine213623½351.5 117 Jersey208623½332.5 118 Nicaragua222523354.5 119 Honduras201423347.5 120 Namibia205923340.513 121 Hong Kong204323340.511 122 Panama201723317.0 123 Kenya205423300.0 124 Afghanistan200023278.0 125 Brunei200022½327.5 126 Aruba200022½323.5 127 San Marino202422½275.5 128 British Virgin Islands200522 129 Somalia200021½302.0 130 Papua New Guinea204421½287.5 131 Macau217921½282.5 133 Bermuda200717½ 133 Guernsey204817 134 Rwanda200015½ 135 United States Virgin Islands200011½

### Individual medals

* Performance rating: Garry Kasparov 2933
* Board 1: Robert Gwaze 9 / 9 = 100.0%
* Board 2: Jean-Philippe Gentilleau 7 / 9 = 77.8%
* Board 3: Cerdas Barus 8½ / 10 = 85.0%
* Board 4: Maher Ayyad 8 / 10 = 80.0%
* 1st reserve: Jassim Saleh 6½ / 7 = 92.9%
* 2nd reserve: Sam Collins 7½ / 8 = 93.8%

Gwaze is one of two players to have recorded the "highest" perfect score at an Olympiad with 9 points in 9 games (the other was Alexander Alekhine in 1930).

## Women's event

The women's division was contested by 90 teams representing 85 nations. Slovenia, as hosts, fielded three teams, whilst the International Braille Chess Association (IBCA), the International Physically Disabled Chess Association (IPCA), and the International Committee of Silent Chess (ICSC) each provided one squad. Afghanistan and Tunisia were signed up but never arrived.

China were only narrow favourites on rating this time but still won their third consecutive title, led by reigning world champion Zhu Chen and future champion Xu Yuhua. Russia and Poland took the silver and bronze medals, respectively.

    #CountryPlayersAverage ratingPointsBuchholz 1 ChinaZhu Chen, Xu Yuhua, Wang Pin, Zhao Xue248529½ 2 RussiaKovalevskaya, Matveeva, Kosteniuk, T. Kosintseva246229 3 PolandRadziewicz, Dworakowska, Soćko, Kądziołka238828 4 GeorgiaChiburdanidze, Ioseliani, Khurtsidze, Arakhamia-Grant248127½ 5 HungaryVajda, Dembo, Lakos, Gara236325½343.0 6 UkraineZhukova, Vasilevich, Zatonskih, Gaponenko242425½334.5 7 FR YugoslaviaBojković, Prudnikova, Chelushkina, Benderać240325½334.0 8 AzerbaijanVelikhanli, Shukurova, Z. Mamedyarova, T. Mamedyarova226925½317.0 9 United StatesKrush, Baginskaite, Shahade, Donaldson-Akhmilovskaya238125349.0 10 Czech RepublicJacková, Krupková, Sikorová, Ptáčníková231625341.0
    #CountryAverage ratingPointsBuchholzMP 11 Bulgaria241224½348.5 12 Vietnam235724½346.5 13 Israel228324½309.5 14 Romania240424347.5 15 Armenia234524335.0 16 Germany238224334.0 17 Slovakia231024332.5 18 England236424318.5 19 India232523½338.5 20 Netherlands235323½317.5 21 Iran217623½307.0 22 Turkmenistan221423½297.5 23 Greece230223335.0 24 France239623328.5 25 Croatia223323322.0 26 Argentina221823309.0 27 Spain227323302.0 28 Sweden217223301.0 29 Kazakhstan223922½328.0 30 Cuba230422½313.5 31 Belarus226422½312.0 32 Moldova234422½311.015 33 Mongolia224822½311.014 34 Lithuania220222½309.5 35 Australia219122½301.5 36 Uzbekistan221322310.5 37 Switzerland219522301.0 38 Slovenia224522296.5 39 Bosnia and Herzegovina214721½310.5 40 Ecuador227021½298.5 41 Bangladesh210021½291.5 42 Finland217121304.0 43 Estonia220721303.5 44 Norway209821296.0 45 Slovenia "C"212221297.0 46 Colombia203221293.5 47 Mexico209121290.0 48 Singapore205221286.5 49 Kyrgyzstan210821285.516 50 Austria211221285.514 51 Turkey208021283.0 52 Denmark215520½305.0 53 Venezuela218520½289.514 54 Slovenia "B"216920½289.513 55 Scotland207920½287.5 56 Brazil209220½282.5 57 Peru198620301.5 58 Canada213220300.5 59 North Macedonia212720293.0 60IBCA204620291.0 61 Wales202320280.5 62 Malaysia199520276.5 63 Albania180020272.0 64 Philippines217419½293.5 65 Sri Lanka180019½271.5 66 Iceland201619282.5 67 Algeria198119277.0 68 Barbados187319234.0 69 South Africa180018½285.0 70 Iraq190318½263.0 71 Italy205518271.5 72 Dominican Republic193218270.0 73IPCA216518267.0 74 Costa Rica180018260.5 75 Lebanon190118253.5 76 Ireland204718246.5 77 Puerto Rico180018242.5 78 Jamaica180018240.0 79 Luxembourg189917½269.0 80ICSC180017½258.5 81 Brunei180017½242.0 82 Chile201917249.5 83 Zimbabwe180017225.5 84 Nigeria188116½ 85 Botswana196315½ 86 New Zealand187315 87 Japan195614233.0 88 Angola180014231.5 89 Zambia180013 90 Yemen18008

### Individual medals

* Performance rating: Zhao Xue 2707
* Board 1: Hoàng Thanh Trang 8½ / 11 = 77.3%
* Board 2: Svetlana Prudnikova and Leili Pärnpuu 9½ / 13 = 73.1%
* Board 3: Monika Soćko 10½ / 13 = 80.8%
* Reserve: Zhao Xue and Tatiana Kosintseva 11 / 12 = 91.7%

## Overall title

The Nona Gaprindashvili Trophy is awarded to the nation that has the best average rank in the open and women's divisions. Where two or more teams are tied, they are ordered by best single finish in either division and then by total number of points scored.

The trophy, named after the former women's world champion (1961–78), was created by FIDE in 1997.

| # | Team | Open division | Women's division | Average |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| 1 | Russia | 1 | 2 | 1½ |
| 2 | China | 5 | 1 | 3 |
| 3 | Hungary | 2 | 5 | 3½ |
