The 12th Chess Olympiad (, 12-ya Shakhmatnaya olimpiada), organized by the FIDE and comprising a team tournament, 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»
2½ 2½ 4 3 4 4 3½ 7 0 0 23½ «A» 1½
3 2½ 2½ 3 3½ 3½ 6 1 0 19½ «A» 1½ 1
3½ 2 3 4 3 4 2 1 18 «B» 0 1½ ½
3 3 3 4 4 3 0 15 «B» 1 1½ 2 1
2½ 3 3½ 3 3 1 14½ «B» 0 1 1 1 1½
2 2½ 1 5 1 9 «C» 0 ½ 0 1 1 2
2½ 1 5 1 7 «C» 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»
2½ 3 3½ 3½ 3 4 4 7 0 0 23½ «A» 1½
1½ 2 3 2½ 4 3½ 4 2 1 18 «A» 1 2½
2 2 2 4 3 3 1 3 16½ «B» ½ 2 2
2½ 3 3 3 4 1 2 16 «B» ½ 1 2 1½
1½ 2½ 4 2 4 1 13 «B» 1 1½ 2 1 2½
1½ 3 2 4 1 12½ «C» 0 0 0 1 1½ 2½
2½ 2 5 0 7½ «C» 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»
2½ 1½ 2 3½ 2½ 4 4 4 6 1 1 24 «A» 1½
2½ 2 2½ 3 4 3½ 4 6 1 1 23 «A» 2½ 1½
2 2½ 3½ 4 3 3½ 6 1 1 22½ «B» 2 2 2
1 2½ 3 4 4 4 1 3 20½ «B» ½ 1½ 1½ 3
2½ 1½ 3½ 3½ 4 4 0 17½ «B» 1½ 1 ½ 1½ 1½
2 3½ 3 2 5 1 14½ «C» 0 0 0 1 2½ 2
3½ 3½ 3 4 1 12½ «C» 0 ½ 1 0 ½ ½ ½
2½ 1 7 0 5½ «C» 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»
2½ 2 2 2 3½ 3½ 3½ 4 5 0 3 23 «A» 1½
2 2½ 2½ 2½ 3½ 4 3 6 1 1 21½ «A» 2 2
2 2½ 2 4 3 4 4 0 4 21½ «B» 2 1½ 2
1 2½ 3 4 2½ 4 2 2 18½ «B» 2 1½ 1½ 3
2 1½ 4 2½ 3 3 2 18 «B» ½ 1½ 2 1½ 2
3 2½ 1½ 2 4 2 14½ «C» ½ ½ 0 1 2½ 1
1½ 3 2 6 0 10 «C» ½ 0 1 0 0 1½ 2½ – 3 2 6 0 8½ «C» 0 1 0 1½ 1½ 2½ 1 1
1 7 0 8½
Final
{| class="wikitable" |+ Final A ! # !!Country !! Players !! Points !! MP |- | style="background:gold;"|1 || || Botvinnik, Smyslov, Keres, Bronstein, Taimanov, Geller || 31 || |- | style="background:silver;"|2 || || Gligorić, Matanović, Ivkov, Karaklajić, Milić, Đurašević || 26½ || 17 |- | style="background:#cc9966;"|3 || || Szabó, Barcza, Benkő, Szilágyi, Bély, Portisch || 26½ || 16 |- | 4 || || Najdorf, Bolbochán, Panno, Pilnik, Sanguineti, Wexler || 23 || |- | 5 || || Unzicker, Schmid, Darga, Pfeiffer, Niephaus, Teschner || 22 || 12 |- | 6 || || Padevsky, Minev, Kolarov, Tringov, Tsvetkov, Milev || 22 || 10 |- | 7 || || Filip, Pachman, Šefc, Rejfíř, Alster, Ježek || 20½ || |- | 8 || || Golombek, Penrose, Wade, Milner-Barry, Clarke, Phillips || 20 || |- | 9 || || Blau, Bhend, Walther, Keller, Johner || 19 || 9 |- | 10 || || Larsen, Poulsen, Pedersen, Ingerslev, Nielsen, Enevoldsen || 19 || 8 |- | 11 || || Bălănel, Ciocâltea, Troianescu, Soós, Ghițescu, Rădulescu || 19 || 7 |- | 12 || || Czerniak, Porat, Aloni, Oren, Dobkin, Smiltiner || 15½ ||
{| class="wikitable" |+ Final B ! # !!Country !! Players !! Points !! MP |- | 13 || || Robatsch, Dückstein, Kinzel, Prameshuber, Lokvenc, Busek || 28 || |- | 14 || || Ólafsson, Jóhannsson, Möller, Thorbergsson, Gíslason, Guðmundsson || 27 || |- | 15 || || Ståhlberg, Stenborg, Sköld, Backlund, Joffe, Ljungqvist || 26½ || |- | 16 || || O'Kelly, Dunkelblum, Limbos, Thibaut, Boey, Van den Broeck || 23½ || |- | 17 || || Ojanen, Salo, Rantanen, Fred, Hänninen, Niemelä || 22½ || |- | 18 || || Cuéllar, Sánchez, De Greiff, Velandia, Restrepo, Reyes Larenas || 21 || 11 |- | 19 || || Prins, Kramer, Bouwmeester, Mühring, Van Steenis || 21 || 10 |- | 20 || || Uhlmann, Dittmann, Herrmann, Fuchs, Koch, Platz|| 20½ || |- | 21 || || Muffang, Boutteville, Burstein, Noradounguian, Catozzi || 19½ || |- | 22 || || Flores, Letelier, Hausman, Jáuregui, Jiménez Rojas, Mallett || 19 || 9 |- | 23 || || Śliwa, Plater, Dworzyński, Gromek, Szapiro, Balcarek || 19 || 7 |- | 24 || || Vestøl, Morcken, Lindblom, Johannessen, Barda, Rojahn || 16½ ||
{| class="wikitable" |+ Final C ! # !!Country !! Players !! Points !! MP |- | 25 || || Badilles, Campomanes, Benítez, Cardoso || 24 || |- | 26 || || Benkner, Lorson, Weichselbaumer, Folz V., Both G., Schmidt P. || 23 || |- | 27 || || Sapre, Gupta, Mhaiskar, Venkatraman S. || 20½ || |- | 28 || || Safvat, Mostafavi-Kachani, Navabi, Lotfy, Assar, Nazarian || 19 || |- | 29 || || Colón Romero A., Colón Romero M., Pla, Benítez, Borrás, Reissmann || 18½ || 11 |- | 30 || || Zhugder, Zhamsaran, Möömöö, Tumurbator, Tserendagva, Namzhil || 18½ || 9 |- | 31 || || Fairhurst, Fallone, McGowan, Thomson, Middleton, Rose M.|| 17½ || |- | 32 || || Siaperas, Angos, Loverdos, Anastasopoulos, Mastihiadis, Pavlatos || 17 || |- | 33 || || Maher, Reilly, Walsh, Dunphy, Grogan, O'Riordan || 13 || |- | 34 || || Wantz, Conrady, Schneider, Schmitz F., Philippe, Kremer || 9 ||
Final A No. Country 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 + −
Points 1
2½ 1½ 2½ 3 2½ 3½ 4 3 3½ 2½ 2½ 10 1 0 31 2 1½
2 2 2½ 3 2½ 2½ 3 3 2 2½ 7 1 3 26½ 3 2½ 2
1½ 2 2 2½ 2 3 2½ 2½ 4 6 1 4 26½ 4 1½ 2 2½
1½ 1½ 3 2½ 2 1½ 1½ 3½ 4 5 2 23 5 1 1½ 2 2½
2½ 1½ 2 1½ 2½ 2½ 2½ 5 4 2 22 6 1½ 1 2 2½ 1½
2 1½ 3 2½ 1½ 3 4 5 2 22 7 ½ 1½ 1½ 1 2½ 2
2 1½ 2 3 3 3 5 3 20½ 8 0 1½ 2 1½ 2 2½ 2
2½ 1½ 2½ 2 3 4 4 20 9 1 1 1 2 2½ 1 2½ 1½
2 2 2½ 3 5 3 19 10 ½ 1 1½ 2½ 1½ 1½ 2 2½ 2
3 1 3 6 2 19 11 1½ 2 1½ 2½ 1½ 2½ 1 1½ 2 1
2 2 6 3 19 12 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
2 0 2 3 2½ 3½ 3 3 3 2½ 3½ 8 1 2 28 14 2
2 1½ 2 3 3 3½ 3 2½ 3 1½ 6 2 3 27 15 4 2
2½ 2½ 3½ 2½ 1½ 3 1½ 2 1½ 6 3 2 26½ 16 2 2½ 1½
3 2 1 1½ 2 3 2½ 2½ 5 3 3 23½ 17 1 2 1½ 1
3 1½ 2½ 3 3 2 2 4 4 3 22½ 18 1½ 1 ½ 2 1
2 2½ 2½ 2 3 3 4 4 3 21 19 ½ 1 1½ 3 2½ 2
3 2 3 1½ 1 4 2 5 21 20 1 ½ 2½ 2½ 1½ 1½ 1
1½ 3 2½ 3 5 6 0 20½ 21 1 1 1 2 1 1½ 2 2½
1½ 2 4 2 6 3 19½ 22 1 1½ 2½ 1 1 2 1 1 2½
2½ 3 4 6 1 19 23 1½ 1 2 1½ 2 1 2½ 1½ 2 1½
2½ 2 6 3 19 24 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
1½ 1½ 3½ 3 2½ 2 3 3 4 6 2 1 24 26 2½
2 2½ 2 2 2½ 3 2½ 4 6 0 3 23 27 2½ 2
2 3½ 1½ 1½ 2½ 3 2 4 2 3 20½ 28 ½ 1½ 2
1½ 2½ 3 1½ 3 3½ 4 4 1 19 29 1 2 ½ 2½
2 3 3 2 2½ 4 2 3 18½ 30 1½ 2 2½ 1½ 2
2 2 2 3 2 2 5 18½ 31 2 1½ 2½ 1 1 2
2½ 2 3 3 3 3 17½ 32 1 1 1½ 2½ 1 2 1½
3 3½ 3 5 1 17 33 1 1½ 1 1 2 2 2 1
1½ 0 6 3 13 34 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).
References
12th Chess Olympiad: Moscow 1956 OlimpBase