The history of the World Student Team Chess Championship is very eventful. Millions of students and young people the world over are taking an interest in the game of chess. It is now more than fifteen years since the International Union of Students, supporting the initiative of a number of student chess groups from various countries, began to coordinate students international chess activity.
As a result of these efforts, the first international singles' tournament was organised in Liverpool, England, with the participation of students from six countries. At this tournament, the victory was jointly won by Soviet Grand Masters Bronstein and Taimanov, very well known as outstanding chess-players today. In 1953, the IUS in conjunction with the Free University of Brussels arranged the first team tournament in the Belgian capital attended by representatives of eight countries. The tournament, with experienced international Grand Master O'Kelly as its main referee, was won by the Norwegian student team who defeated Great Britain and Finland. The all-round success of this tournament gave the IUS the idea of organising analogous team contests regularly in co-operation with the International Chess Federation, thus giving them the character of an official FIDE tournament.
In 1954, the Oslo winners of the Brussels tournament took charge of organising another team championship which was played according to the rules of the International Chess Federation. It was attended by 10 teams altogether and the Czechoslovak student team was victorious, leaving the Soviet Union, Bulgaria and Great Britain behind. The great success of this championship constituted a favourable basis for the negotiations of the 1954 FIDE Congress in Amsterdam. This congress decided to organise student team championships regularly every year as official world championships of FIDE in conjunction with the IUS. The Oslo championship was confirmed as the 1st Annual World Championship and the Czechoslovak students' winning team was proclaimed first World Master in the student team tournament. The second annual contest was held in Lyon, France. The Soviet Union won, thus becoming the new World Master in the student tournament. The Yugoslav students did very well, overtaking the students of Hungary, Bulgaria and Czechoslovakia to gain second place. The number of competing teams rose to 13 and the correctness of FIDE's decision — to organise this event within the framework of the International Chess Federation's activity as a means of further expanding chess among the youth and students of the world — was confirmed. The third annual tournament in Uppsala, Sweden, in 1956 set another record of competing teams. It was attended by 18 teams altogether, and for the first time in the history of this contest students from the USA took part. Representatives of the students of the Mongolian People's Republic were present, not as participants as yet, but as observers. The team of the Soviet Union defended its World Master title and ex-Master Michael Tal played on the third chess-board; this world championship was his first official appearance in the international arena. At that time, nobody would have imagined that four years later this pleasant student from Riga was to become World Master. The Hungarian team overtook Yugoslavia and Bulgaria to score second place. In 1957, another Scandinavian country, Iceland, became the venue of the 4th championship; its team, under the leadership of talented young Grand Master F. Ólafson, had participated in all preceding championships. The country's capital, Reykjavik, was host to 14 countries of three continents. Apart from the European teams, chessplayers from the USA, Ecuador and Mongolia attended. The World Master title again fell to the students of the Soviet Union who left Bulgaria and Czechoslovakia behind. Then followed Hungary and the USA.
The 5th championship was played in Bulgaria in 1958, at the well-known sea-coast centre of Golden Sands near Varna. Among the 16 teams we were again able to welcome students from the Mongolian People's Republic, the USA and Argentina. The title was again retained by the students of the Soviet Union ahead of Bulgaria and Czechoslovakia. Next came Hungary and the USA. The 3rd—5th place was shared by Czechoslovakia, with Yugoslavia and Hungary. Other victors were the USA, Argentina and the GDR. In 1959, Budapest had 'a surprise in store. Among the 14 participating teams, the Bulgarian students also scored its first success gaining 8th-9th ahead of the previous title-holders, the students of the Soviet Union. Other places went to the teams of Hungary, Rumania and Czechoslovakia as well as Britain; the team of the Mongolian students also scored its first success gaining 8th-9th place together with Poland.
The 7th annual championship held in Leningrad in 1960 likewise offered a surprise. The US students became the new World Master, scoring a victory ahead of the team of the Soviet Union. The Yugoslav team succeeded in obtaining third place without any substitutes, ahead of the students of Czechoslovakia.
In 1961, Finland was host to the 8th World Student Team Chess Championship. In Helsinki, the teams vied for the World Master title, which, after a two-year interval, was again won by the students of the Soviet Union. The students of the GFR were third, ahead of Czechoslovakia, Bulgaria and Hungary.
The 9th World Student Team Chess Championship was full of stirring events. At the FIDE Congress held in Sofia in 1961, it was decided to entrust the organising of this contest to the Chess Federation of Great Britain. FIDE, faithful to its principles of not allowing any discrimination against any of its member unions, charged the Chess Federation of Great Britain with this task, on condition that all registered participants would receive entry visas. However, as the organisers were unable to guarantee a visa for all FIDE members — mainly for the GDR — owing to the pressure of discriminatory NATO measures, they had to cancel the organising of the championship in England early in 1962, and the task which owing to the short time left caused great difficulties, was taken over by the students and chess-players of the CSSR. Despite the short time and all obstacles involved, a record participation of registered countries was obtained: 18 teams altogether converged on the world-famous health resort of Marianske Lazne in July 1962. Among the strong traditional participants, only the US team was missing; at the last minute they asked to be excused for non-attendance due to not having had enough time to raise the necessary funds. Interest was also shown in the competition by a number of students from other countries which had never yet taken part. Thus, for instance, the student organisation of the GFR was very much interested in participating and announced the composition of its team to the organising committee. Shortly before the opening, however, they apologised that they could not attend.
In 1963, the 10th jubilee World Students Chess Championship was played in Budva (Yugoslavia). After a ten-year interval, the Czechoslovak team again became World Master, ahead of the chess-players of Yugoslavia, Bulgaria and the Soviet Union.
With a record participation of 21 teams, the 11th World Student Team Chess Championship was organised in Cracow on the occasion of the 600th anniversary of the founding of Cracow's Jagelon University. The World Master's title was again won by the team of the Soviet Union, ahead of Czechoslovakia and Hungary. In the contest, the Austrian students' team for the first time greatly surprised on-lookers by fighting its way through to the final group. At the 12th championship in Sinaia (Rumania), the students of the USSR again defended their World Master title, leaving the teams of Czechoslovakia, Denmark and Yugoslavia behind.
At the 14th World Championship at Harrachov (CSSR), the Soviet team likewise retained its World Master title, thus definitively winning the Cup donated to the winner of the World Student Team Chess Championships by the Yugoslav student organisation.
From the above survey it is obvious that the number of students wishing to take part in the World Student Team Chess Championships is growing yearly and that these championships show an upward tendency both as far as their popularity and their participants' mastery are concerned. Their sports level is also high and such well-known International Masters and Grand Masters as Tal, Spassky, Bronstein, Taimanov, Korchnoi, Lombardy, Filip, Ólafsson, Ivkov, Matanović, Bobotsov, Portisch, Bilek and Hort as well as many others acquired international experience at these student championships.
It has become clear that the International Student Chess Championships can indeed serve as a magnificent example to all those who are concerned with the organising of friendly peaceful co-operation among nations.
The 15th jubilee Championship was held in Ybbs, a picturesque little Austrian town situated right on the banks of the Danube river, which last year celebrated the 650th anniversary of its founding. The event was organised by the IUS in co-operation with the Austrian Chess Union and the Chess Union of Lower Austria. A record number of 25 participating teams vied for honours; among them we were pleased to welcome some newcomers to the contests: students from the GFR, Brazil and Greece took part for the first time.
The contest in the preliminary groups was rather dramatic and brought about very equal matches. There were no big differences in the opponents' strength and this led to interesting and thrilling fights up to the last round which in many cases deter)mined with finally who was to continue on. The results can be seen from the tournament charts.
In the first preliminary group, the USSR's team was considered the great favourite. But it became evident that both the following teams, that of Rumania and of Israel, would be rather dangerous rivals. In the end, the students of the USSR and Rumania fought their way through to the advanced level having an equal number of points but better results in the matches, which was decisive.
In the second group the teams of Bulgaria and the GFR safely advanced. But in the third group the struggle was very hard. Yugoslavia definitely ensured its advance, it is true, but as to the second advancing tea|m, the second criterium for evaluation was decisive — a better ratio of points in the individual matches; this benefitted the students of the GDR.
In the fourth group, Iceland and Denmark safeguarded their advance. As to the advance of Denmark, however, it was the third criterium which decided the result. Both teams, in fact, had an equal number of points both in the individual games and in the contests.
In the fifth group as well, the last round decided who would advance. The Czechoslovak chess-players, who in the second round lost their game with Norway, secured their advance only by a big victory of 3½-½ in the last round.
In final groups A and B, 10 teams played, and group C was constituted by the last five teams which played among themselves in two rounds. The results can again be seen from the tournament charts.
In final group A, a determined fight flared up for the gold, silver and bronze medals. In particular, the struggle for first place and hence for the title of World Master in the student teams contest was dramatic up to the last round. Finally, in cases where there were an equal number of points in the individual games, the World Master title was decided by the best point ratio in the individual contests. The Soviet students had the edge here thus preserving their World Master title having scored as many as 11 victories in this competition. The results of the Soviet team whose composition was Tukmakov, Kuzmin, Dzhindzhichasvili, Podgaets, Kapengut and Kupreichik, is well deserved, although it was not so clear-cut as in past years. On the first chessboard, Tukmakov's performance was only an average, one, and the other members of the team also had their weak days. The best performance was turned in by Kupreichik who also achieved the best individual result in group A as second substitute, winning 5½ points in 7 games.
The students from the GFR, whose composition was Pfleger, Hübner, Pollak, Dueball, Klundt and Ostermeyer, were rather successful. Even though they gained second place after Bulgaria, in the preliminary group their performance improved from match to match and in the last round they unexpectedly defeated Rumania 4—0, thus catching up with the USSR students as far as points were concerned. Their defeat by the students of Yugoslavia then decided their second place and resulting silver medal.
Third place and consequently the winning of bronze medals was surprisingly fought out by the rejuvenated CSSR team. At the opening of the contest, when the captains presented their assessment of the final result prior to the drawing of lots and placing in preliminary groups, we were attributed 5th place. Yet the Czechoslovak chess-players, this time without grandmasters Hort and Kavalek or International Master Jansa, showed their very combative spirit and by their enthusiastic performance won a very favourable placing.
Fourth place was taken by the Bulgarian student team who were certainly satisfied with their placing. Only the last round was decisive for the order of the further teams. The US students, whose team was considerably weaker this year than it had been last year, fought their way to fifth place. However, they showed a very combative spirit and their placing is well-deserved. 6th-8th place was jointly taken by the teams of Denmark, Iceland and Yugoslavia. The order of the two Scandinavian countries which fought with great perseverance was decided upon by means of the fourth criterion, that is the Sonnebom-Berger assessment. Yugoslavia's results in the finals were a certain disappointment. A number of internationally-experienced chess-players formed part part of the team and their advance to the finals was the most resolute cf all. In the finals, they were not successful, however, and had to put up with a lower placing. The Rumanian students, having waged a successful fight in the preliminary group, entered the finals with greater ambitions. But a crushing 4—0 defeat in the last round reduced them to the ninth place. The GDR students gave only an average performance and their placing was on the whole in keeping with the level of their playing at the tournament.
The best individual results on the chessboards in group A were achieved by: J. Smejkal (Czechoslovakia) on the 1st chessboard — 10 points from 13 games; Hübner (GFR) on the 2nd chess-board — 8 points from 10 games; Atanasov (Bulgaria) on the 3rd chessboard — 9 points from 12 games, and Mozes (Rumania) on the 4th chessboard — 6 points from 9 games; among the first substitutes, the most successful was Babev (Bulgaria) who won 4 points from 5 games.
In group B, the Israeli team won a clear-cut victory, far ahead of England and Norway. The order of its placing was decided by assessment according to the member of games won, and this was more advantageous for the English students. The Austrian host team scored an honourable fourth place, though they probably expected a better placing on their native soil. Finland and Switzerland were among the teams that did rather well. The other teams placed approximately according to the level of their members' achievements.
On the individual chessboards in this group, the best performances were: Westerinen (Finland) on the 1st chessboard, TVa points from 9 games; Gat (Israel) on the 2nd chessboard, 8 points from 12 games; Strobel (Austria) on the 3rd chessboard, GVa points from 9 games; Balshan (Israel) on the 4th chessboard, 10 points from 11 games. Among the first substitutes, the most successful was Hatlebakk (Norway), 7½ points from 10 games and among the second substitutes Kende (Austria), SVa points from 9 games.
In group C, the teams played two rounds each and first place was quite safely taken by the Dutch students ahead of Italy and France. The Swedes ranked fourth and the last place was left for the amiable students from Belgium.
The entire championship was very well organised and great credit for this goes to the tournament director, Mr. A. Hacker of Ybbs. President of the Chess Union of Lower Austria and Vice-President of FIDE, Dr. Wilfried Dorazil, deserved much credit for the holding of this 15th jubilee World Student Team Chess Championship in Austria. We can say with satisfaction that an atmosphere of friendship and mutual co-operation has always been a characteristic of all annual tournaments thus far organised, and that Ybbs was no exception.
At the closing ceremony, the participants were greeted by the President of the Austrian Chess Union, Mr. Franz Cejka, and the Head of the IUS Sports Department, Miroslav Chmelik. In my capacity as main referee, I then announced the results of the 15th World Student Team Chess Championship, whereupon the prizes were awarded. After this ceremony, I thanked the organisers on behalf of FIDE also for the exemplary organisation of this World Championship which, apart from the Chess Olympiads, ranks among the most important FIDE competitions. The Mayor 'of the town of Ybbs then bade a warm farewell to the Championship participants, wishing them a happy return home.
Thus the 15th jubilee World Team Chess Championships came to an end; this event was successful in all respects and thanks to its record participation constituted a worthy climax to a competition that has earned extraordinary popularity among the students of the world, becoming a model example of how friendly international co-operation can be encouraged in the spirit of FIDE's slogan, "Gens una sumus".
/ Ing. Jaroslav Šajtar, Vice-President of FIDE /
