# 12th Chess Olympiad

The 12th Chess Olympiad (12-я Шахматная олимпиада, 12-ya Shakhmatnaya olimpiada), organized by the FIDE and comprising an open 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

* Board 1: Bent Larsen 14 / 18 = 77.8%
* Board 2: Andreas Dückstein 13 / 17 = 76.5%
* Board 3: Paul Keres 9½ / 12 = 79.2%
* Board 4: David Bronstein 11 / 13 = 84.6%
* 1st reserve: Raúl Sanguineti 9 / 11 = 81.8%
* 2nd reserve: Efim Geller 7½ / 10 = 75.0%
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).