Battle for chess medals

Press, 17 November 1982, Page 64

Battle for chess medals

. Czechoslovakia and the United States clinched the silver and bronze medals in the chess olympiad in Lu? cerne yesterday. The Czechoslovak team took the silver with a victory- over the Netherlands, but third place was decided only after a long and dramatic battle. The Soviet Union had already won the gold. The battle for third turned into a cliffhanger after the United States first board. Walter Browne, ground out a win against Sweden’s Ulf Andersson, one of the world’s

top grandmasters. . This left the rival Yugoslavia’s final position resting on the last game of the top boards. After taking a remarkable 3-0 lead against the eighth seed, West Germany, the Yugoslavs needed only a draw to tie for the bronze or a win to move up to equal second. But in the end, West Germany’s new grandmaster, Eric Lobron, overcame a former candidate for the world championship, Svetozar Gligoric, to let the

United States through. • Final standings (out of possible 56) were: Soviet Union 42.5, Czechoslovakia 36, United States 35.5, Yugoslavia 35, Hungary and Bulgaria 33.5, Poland 33, Cuba and Denmark 32.5, England, Israel, Austria, Argentina arid Rumania 32. Final women’s standings (out of possible 42) were: Soviet Union 3.3, Rumania 30, Hungary 26, Poland 25.5, China and West Germany 24.5, Sweden 24, India 23.5, England, Spain and France 23, Yugoslavia 22.5 with one adjourned. Brazil and Bulgaria 22.5,