42nd Chess Olympiad

42nd Chess Olympiad

Logo of the 42nd Chess Olympiad
Dates run 1–14 September 2016
Competitors 1,587 (894 in open and 693 in women's event)
Teams 180 (Open)
142 (Women)
Nations 175 (Open)
138 (Women)
Venue Baku Crystal Hall
Location Baku, Azerbaijan
Team medalists
Open 1st place, gold medalist(s)  United States
2nd place, silver medalist(s)  Ukraine
3rd place, bronze medalist(s)  Russia
Women 1st place, gold medalist(s)  China
2nd place, silver medalist(s)  Poland
3rd place, bronze medalist(s)  Ukraine
Best players
Open Ukraine Andrei Volokitin
Women Russia Valentina Gunina
Other awards
Gaprindashvili Cup  Ukraine
Previous Tromsø 2014
Next Batumi 2018

The 42nd Chess Olympiad (Azerbaijani: 42-ci Şahmat Olimpiadası; also known as the Baku Chess Olympiad), organised by the Fédération Internationale des Échecs (FIDE) and comprising an open[note 1] and women's tournaments, as well as several events designed to promote the game of chess, was an international team chess event held in Baku, Azerbaijan, from 1 to 14 September 2016.[1] It was the first time that the Chess Olympiad had been hosted in Azerbaijan, the birthplace of former world champion Garry Kasparov; however, Azerbaijan had previously hosted strong tournaments, including the annual Shamkir Chess super-tournament in memory of Vugar Gashimov (1986–2014) and the Chess World Cup 2015.[2][3][4][5]

The total number of participants was 1,587, with 894 in the Open and 693 in the Women's event.[6] The number of registered teams was 180 from 175 countries in the Open section and 142 from 138 countries in the Women's section. Both sections set team participation records. Eritrea, Kosovo, and South Sudan competed in the tournament for the first time. The venue of the Chess Olympiad was the Baku Crystal Hall.[7] The Chief Arbiter of the event was Azerbaijan's International Arbiter Faiq Hasanov.[8]

The United States won the gold medal in the Open event for the first time since 1976 and for the sixth time overall, while China won their fifth gold medal in the Women's event and the first since 1994 after winning the silver medal in the last three Olympiads. Ukrainian player Andrei Volokitin, who played as a reserve player, was the best individual player in the Open event with 812 out of 9 points (eight wins and one draw), with a performance rating of 2992. Russian Valentina Gunina, playing on board two, was the best individual player in the Women's event with 8 out of 10 points (seven wins, two draws and one loss), with a performance rating of 2643.[9]


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  1. ^ "Chess Olympiad 2016 in Baku". Chessdom. 8 September 2012. Archived from the original on 5 July 2014. Retrieved 24 January 2014.
  2. ^ Crowther, Mark (19 April 2014). "Vugar Gashimov Memorial 2014". The Week in Chess.
  3. ^ Crowther, Mark (14 April 2015). "2nd Vugar Gashimov Memorial 2015". The Week in Chess.
  4. ^ Crowther, Mark (4 June 2015). "3rd Vugar Gashimov Memorial 2016". The Week in Chess.
  5. ^ Pein, Malcolm (10 September 2015). "Chess World Cup begins in Baku". The Telegraph.
  6. ^ Silver, Albert (2 September 2016). "2016 Baku Rd1: Bulgaria held to draw by Sudan". ChessBase.
  7. ^ Weeks, Manuel (26 August 2016). "Begins next Thursday: 42nd Chess Olympiad in Baku". ChessBase.
  8. ^ "Faik Hasanov was announced as the Chief Arbiter of Baku Olympiad". FIDE. 23 May 2016.
  9. ^ Doggers, Peter (13 September 2016). "USA Wins 1st Olympic Gold In 40 Years; China Takes Women's Section". Chess.com.