The success of the European Team Championship brought into life the idea of the Panamerican Team Championship. There were four zones set for continental championships: Europe, Africa, Asia+Oceania and the Americas. Thus all of the chessplayers from American continents, from Hudson Bay down the map to the Cape Horn, were opened the possibility to meet together to compete for the title of the Panamerican Team Champions.

The inaugural Championship was organized by Argentinian Chess Federation in Tucuman in 1971. Eight teams applied including seven South American nations and Cuba. The hosts trated the event utterly prestigious and sent their best players on the field, including GMs Najdorf and Panno. The newly created ELO tables put them as much as 130 points ahead of second seeds Cuba, and gave a 240 point gulf over eternal rivals Brazil. Only Argentina and Cuba had titled players in the squad.

The Argentinians did not disappoint the home crowd and won with ease taking off with perfect 12/12, then losing just a fraction vs Bolivia to defeat Brazil on penultimate round 2½-1½ and seal the final win. The sensation of the day was unrated Asfora beating GM Najdorf at top board. Cuba took silver although they lost 4-0 to Argentina and were pulled off by Brazil on day five, but they did well against weaker opposition and finished at 17½ points, 1½ point ahead of Brazil and Chile. The Brazilians played really good chess but had a few slip-ups like round 2 draw vs poor Bolivia or very modest wins over Ecuador and Uruguay. Chile were very close to taking third position but Godoy Bugueño lost to Verduga of Ecuador on the last day and the Chileans stayed level on points with the Brazilians just to lose on tie break because of inferior match point record. Paraguay took 5th place. Bolivia failed to win a single match and came last.

As far as individual results are concerned, Panno and Quinteros scored 7/7 to set up the standards impossible to reach until today. The five members of Argentinian team scored five best individual results at respective boards, making it another unreachable record (only Schweber's 3/4 at reserve board was equaled by Hernández of Cuba and Jauregui of Chile)! Van Riemsdijk of Brazil had best percentage score of all non-Argentinian players with 5½/7 (78.6%). Donoso Velasco of Chile had 5/7 at top board and Dienavorian Lacherian of Uruguay scored 3½/6 without loss at fourth board.