3rd Chess Olympiad — Hamburg 1930

Incomplete record. This archive holds 366 games of this event; the others are missing, and the number played is not established.

The third Chess Olympiad, held in Hamburg over a fortnight in July 1930, was the largest yet, with eighteen nations. Poland — with Akiba Rubinstein leading the board — edged out three-time contender Hungary by a point and a half to win its first Olympiad gold, while the tournament is best remembered for Alexander Alekhine's perfect 9/9 on top board for France.

◇The largest Olympiad yet

Eighteen nations gathered in Hamburg for a four-board round robin, the title once more decided on total board points. Poland fielded a formidable line-up around Akiba Rubinstein — with Savielly Tartakower, Dawid Przepiórka, Kazimierz Makarczyk and Paulin Frydman — and it was Rubinstein's steady top board that carried the team.

Poland finished on 48½ points, a point and a half ahead of Hungary (47), the two-time champion, with host Germany third on 44½. Austria (43½), Czechoslovakia (42½) and the United States (41½) completed a closely bunched top six. These are the official final standings.

◇Alekhine's perfect score

The individual story belonged to the reigning World Champion. Playing board one for France, Alexander Alekhine won all nine of his games — a flawless 9/9, the first 100% board-one result in Olympiad history and a mark that stood as a benchmark for decades. France as a team finished well down the table, but Alekhine's perfect run remains one of the most celebrated individual performances the event has seen.

On the official percentage table Rubinstein won the individual gold with 15/17 (88.2%), ahead of Czechoslovakia's Salo Flohr on 14½/17 and the American Isaac Kashdan on 14/17.