42nd Chess Olympiad
| 42nd Chess Olympiad | |
|---|---|
 Logo of the 42nd Chess Olympiad |
|
| Dates run | 1–14 September 2016 |
| Competitors | 1,587 (894 in open and 693 in women's event) |
| Teams | 180 (Open) 142 (Women) |
| Nations | 175 (Open) 138 (Women) |
| Venue | Baku Crystal Hall |
| Location | Baku, Azerbaijan |
| Open |
  United States  Ukraine  Russia
|
| Women |
 China  Poland Ukraine
|
The 42nd Chess Olympiad, organised by the Fédération Internationale des Échecs (FIDE) and comprising an Open and Women's tournament, as well as several events designed to promote the game of chess, was held in Baku, Azerbaijan, from 1–14 September 2016. It was the first time that the Chess Olympiad had been hosted in Azerbaijan, the birthplace of former world champion Garry Kasparov; however, Azerbaijan had previously hosted strong tournaments, including the annual Shamkir Chess super-tournament in memory of Vugar Gashimov (1986–2014) and the 2015 Chess World Cup.
The total number of participants was 1,587, with 894 in the Open and 693 in the Women's event. The number of registered teams was 180 from 175 countries in the Open section and 142 from 138 countries in the Women's section. Both sections set team participation records. Eritrea, Kosovo, and South Sudan competed in the tournament for the first time. The venue of the Chess Olympiad was the Baku Crystal Hall. The Chief Arbiter of the event was Azerbaijan's International Arbiter Faiq Hasanov.
The United States won the gold medal in the Open event for the first time since 1976 and for the sixth time overall, while China won their fifth gold medal in the Women's event and the first since 1994 after winning the silver medal in the last three Olympiads. Ukrainian player Andrei Volokitin, who played as a reserve player, was the best individual player in the Open event with 8 1⁄2 out of 9 points (eight wins and one draw), with a performance rating of 2992. Russian Valentina Gunina, playing on board two, was the best individual player in the Women's event with 8 out of 10 points (seven wins, two draws and one loss) with a performance rating of 2643.
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