24th Chess Olympiad — Valletta 1980

The Soviets reclaim the crown — by tie-break — as a 17-year-old Kasparov debuts
20 November – 6 December 1980 · Valletta, Malta
The Soviet Union regained the Olympic title at Valletta 1980, edging defending champion Hungary on Buchholz after both teams finished on 39 game points. Yugoslavia took bronze and the United States fourth. The Soviet squad was led by world champion Anatoly Karpov.
Incomplete record·games missing
Event Index 1318 GAMES

Incomplete record. This archive holds 1318 games of this event; the others are missing, and the number played is not established.

At the Mediterranean Conference Centre in Valletta, the Soviet Union regained the Olympic title it had lost to Hungary two years earlier — but only just. Both teams finished on 39 game points after fourteen rounds, and the gold was decided on Buchholz tie-break in the Soviets' favour. The squad was captained by reigning world champion Anatoly Karpov, and its second reserve board carried a 17-year-old making his Olympic debut: Garry Kasparov.

A tie decided on tie-break

Eighty-one nations contested the fourteen-round Swiss at Valletta, with the host country adding an extra reserve team, Malta "B," which played hors concours and is shown here unranked. It was the largest Olympiad field yet, spread across four boards.

The championship came down to a dead heat. The Soviet Union and defending champion Hungary each finished on 39 game points, and the gold was awarded to the Soviets on Buchholz — 449.5 to Hungary's 448.0. Yugoslavia took bronze on 35, and the United States were fourth on 34; Czechoslovakia and England completed the top six.

Karpov ill, Kasparov emerging

The Soviet team was captained by world champion Anatoly Karpov, but he fell ill during the event and did not play to his usual standard — making the recovery of the title all the more a collective effort. On the second reserve board sat a 17-year-old prodigy playing his first Olympiad, Garry Kasparov, who took an individual bronze medal for his board — an early glimpse of the champion he would become and the rivalry that would define the next decade.

Among the board golds, the tournament produced one of its perennial charms: Bill Hook of the British Virgin Islands scored 11½/14 for the best result on board one, ahead of far more celebrated names. Finland's Yrjö Rantanen won board two, Mexico's José Félix Villarreal board three, and Hungary's István Csom board four.

Final standings

39
The Soviet Union regained the Olympic title at Valletta 1980, edging defending champion Hungary on Buchholz after both teams finished on 39 game points. Yugoslavia took bronze and the United States fourth. The Soviet squad was led by world champion Anatoly Karpov.

Eighty-two nations — including a host Maltese reserve team, Malta "B" — contested a fourteen-round, four-board Swiss at the Mediterranean Conference Centre. Malta "B" played outside the competition (hors concours) and is shown unranked. The Soviet Union and Hungary both finished on 39 game points, the gold decided by Buchholz. The archive has 1,318 of the 2,296 games played.

This archive holds 1318 of the 2296 games played; the standings above are the official final result.

# Team Points
1 Soviet Union 39
2 Hungary 39
3 Yugoslavia 35
4 United States 34
5 Czechoslovakia 33
6 England 32½
7 Poland 32½
8 Israel 32
9 Canada 32
10 Netherlands 31½
11 Romania 31½
12 Sweden 31½
13 Cuba 31½
14 Argentina 31
15 The Philippines 31
16 Denmark 31
17 France 31
18 Wales 31
19 Bulgaria 30½
20 Finland 30½
21 Austria 30½
22 Italy 30½
23 Iceland 30
24 Norway 30
25 West Germany 30
26 Spain 30
27 Greece 30
28 Venezuela 30
29 Brazil 30
30 Syria 30
31 Switzerland 29½
32 Colombia 29
33 Albania 29
34 Australia 29
35 India 29
36 Chile 29
37 Mexico 29
38 China 28½
39 Portugal 28½
40 Belgium 28½
41 Ireland 28½
42 Thailand 28½
43 Pakistan 28½
44 Dominican Republic 28
45 Indonesia 28
46 Mongolia 27½
47 Paraguay 27½
48 Turkey 27½
49 Malaysia 27½
50 Trinidad & Tobago 27½
51 Scotland 27
52 Japan 27
53 Guyana 26½
54 Luxembourg 26½
55 Algeria 26½
56 New Zealand 26
57 Lebanon 26
58 Tunisia 26
59 Egypt 25½
60 United Arab Emirates 25½
61 Malta "A" 25½
62 Zimbabwe 25½
63 Puerto Rico 25½
— Malta "B" (hors concours) 25½
64 Jamaica 25½
65 U.S. Virgin Islands 25½
66 Hong Kong 25
67 Guernsey 25
68 Jordan 25
69 Cyprus 24½
70 Kenya 24½
71 Nigeria 23½
72 Faroe Islands 23½
73 Andorra 23½
74 Libya 23½
75 British Virgin Islands 23½
76 Bermuda 23
77 Zaire 23
78 Monaco 20½
79 Papua New Guinea 19½
80 Uganda 17½
81 Angola 13½
EXPLORE ALL 1318 GAMES