Olympiad R11: Photographic impressions from Dresden

38th Chess Olympiad Dresden 2008 The Olympiad took place from November 12th to 25th, 2008, in the Congress Hall in Dresden, Saxony, Germany. 156 teams from 152 nations participated, with most of the top players present. Impressions from the final day By Natalie and Carsten Straub Tuesday, the final day of the 38th Chess Olympiad in Dresden, started early. The games were scheduled for a brutal (ask any chess player) 10:00 a.m. start. Not everybody was at the board at the prescribed time – there were at least six lateness forfeits and ten other forfeits that morning! During the Olympiad about 20 players were forfeited for being late, including Ermenkov, who, we are told, left the board for 20 seconds to get a new pen from the arbiters' table when the gong was sounded.

Ten a.m. and freezing cold outside – but the team of South Africa, with IM Watu Kobese (2369), IM Kenny Solomon (2337), CM Henry Robert Steel (2280) and IM Johanne Mayedi Mabusela (2273) were there on time and beat IPCA 3:1.

GM Sergei Zhigalko (2592), GM Aleksej Aleksandrov (2617), GM Alexei Fedorov (2584) and GM Andrey Zhigalko (2568) of the Belarus side, which lost to Hungary in Round 11 by 2½:1½

Vigorous media attention for the game Armenia vs China

The start of a very important match, with Aronian, Akopian, Bu and Wang

Aron and Akop, top boards and top GMs for Armenia

Gabriel Sargissian and Tigran Petrosian, architects of Armenia's four-player victory

Armenian team captain Arshak Petrosian (all three are unrelated) used an unusual four-player strategy at the Olympiad: the fifth player, Artashes Minasian, was only allowed to play in once single round. The Arminian players lost only two games in the entire Olympiad, both in the critical round nine match they lost to Israel.

Together playing for Hungary: Judit Polgar and Peter Leko

The start of a fateful match: Ukraine vs USA, Ivanchuk vs Kamsky

Vassily Ivanchuk and Sergey Karjakin

The unexpected ½:3½ loss to the USA – it could easily have been a 0-4 blowout – was quite traumatic for the Ukraine, which lost a clearly attainable medal in the process. Vassily Ivanchuk, who can suffer like no other contemporary chess player from an unnecessary loss, emerged from the hall and started kicking a pillar ("A wonder," said a spectator, "that he did not fracture a number of toes."). Unfortunately the Ukrainian team had been selected for a FIDE doping control, and an arbiter tried to lead Ivanchuk to the checking area for a urine sample. But the distraught Ukrainian star broke free and disappeared for the rest of the evening. This put FIDE into a quandary: to cancel all results of the Ukrainian team at the Olympiad, as clearly prescribed by the IOC rules, and give the medals to different teams; or to make an exception and risk chess not becoming an Olympic discipline for ignoring the doping rules. After some passionate canvassing by former World Champion Boris Spassky FIDE went for the second option – but not because of the canvassing, we have been informed. The decision takers had in fact not heard Spassky's views.

Different attitudes and different demeanor: Israel vs Holland, top boards

The Dutch squad with Lisa, Arlette, Marlies and Peng, lost to Russia in round eleven

Top boards of the medal winning US team: Anna Zatonskih and Irina Krush

Behind those hands and below all that hair: Marie Sebag and Almira Skripchenko

What a contrast: the Iranian ladies Atousa, Shadi and Shayesteh with their mandatory hijabs

...and at work during the games

Our favourites: Ghate Swathi, Sachdev Tania, Harika Dronavalli of the Indian team

The Armenian team (standing) with Galojan, Aginian, Mkrtchian, Danielian and trainer

The glare: Ukraine vs Poland in a critical match for the medals

GM Kateryna Lahno and WGM Natalia winning Silver for Ukraine

Azerbaijan vs France, with Radjabov and Bacrot on board one

Serbia vs Georgia, a critical match-up for the medals

The amazing Maia Chiburdanidze in TV ChessBase with Frederic Friedel and Natalia Straub

Alexei Shirov (Spain) receives final instructions before the start of round eleven

In the audience: the Presidents of Armenia, Serge Sarkisian, and of FIDE, Kirsan Ilyumzhinov

A view of the stage with the top teams during round eleven

Pictures of the closing ceremony will follow soon

Photos by Natalia and Carsten Straub, Frederic Friedel

Links

• Official Olympiad web site
• All ChessBase reports on the Olympiad
• All games in zipped PGN: Open section – Women's section