Editing 36th Chess Olympiad (section)

==Open event==

The open division was contested by 129 teams representing 125 nations. Spain, as hosts, fielded three teams, whilst the ''[[International Braille Chess Association]]'' (IBCA) and the ''International Physically Disabled Chess Association'' (IPCA) each provided one squad.

Led by first board [[Vasyl Ivanchuk]], the seventh highest-[[ELO rating|rated]] player at the tournament, who recorded 9½ points over 13 rounds, and second reserve [[Sergey Karjakin]] who, aged just 14 years, won 6 of his 7 games (surrendering a [[draw (chess)|draw]] only to American [[Gregory Kaidanov]]), [[Ukraine]] scored all four possible points in each of their first three matches before "only" defeating Russia 2½-1½ in the fourth round, eventually accumulating a nearly insurmountable three-point lead after the penultimate round. The Ukrainian team nevertheless scored three points against France and claimed their first title, three points ahead of Russia, who had entered the tournament as the top [[seed (sports)|seed]], having brought four of the tournament's nine highest-rated players, and as defending six-time champions.

[[Armenia]], one of just four teams to draw a match with Ukraine, paced by second board [[Levon Aronian]], who did not lose in 12 games, and third board [[Rafael Vaganian]], who scored 8½ points in 11 games, lost 1½-2½ to Russia in the eighth round. Ultimately, on the strength of a 3½-½ final round defeat of [[Georgia (country)|Georgia]], they tied Russia's 36½ points. Armenia were placed after Russia, though, on the [[Buchholz chess rating|Buchholz]] [[tiebreaker|tie-breaker]] system employed by the Olympiad, and finished, as in the [[35th Chess Olympiad|previous Olympiad]], with the [[bronze medal]]s. Hosts Spain, led by [[Alexei Shirov]], just managed to squeeze into the top ten.

Notable absentees from the tournament were the no. 1 player in the world, [[Garry Kasparov]], as well as classical World Champion [[Vladimir Kramnik]] and his challenger [[Peter Leko]], who were just finishing their [[Classical World Chess Championship 2004|championship match]] (Kramnik retained his title with a 7–7 tie). FIDE Champion [[Rustam Kasimdzhanov]] was present, however, and led [[Uzbekistan]] to 14th place by going undefeated in his 8 games (+4-0=4).

:{| class="wikitable"
|+ Open event
! # !! Country !! Players !! Average<br/>rating !! Points !! Buchholz
|-
| style="background:gold;"|1 || '''{{UKR}}''' || '''[[Vasyl Ivanchuk|Ivanchuk]], [[Ruslan Ponomariov|Ponomariov]], [[Andrei Volokitin|Volokitin]], [[Alexander Moiseenko|Moiseenko]], [[Pavel Eljanov|Eljanov]], [[Sergey Karjakin|Karjakin]]''' || '''2680''' || '''39½''' || 
|-
| style="background:silver;"|2 || {{flagu|Russia}} || [[Alexander Morozevich|Morozevich]], [[Peter Svidler|Svidler]], [[Alexander Grischuk|Grischuk]], [[Alexey Dreev|Dreev]], [[Alexander Khalifman|Khalifman]], [[Vadim Zvjaginsev|Zvjaginsev]] || 2718 || 36½ || 460.0
|-
| style="background:#cc9966;"|3 || {{ARM}} || [[Vladimir Akopian|Akopian]], [[Levon Aronian|Aronian]], [[Rafael Vaganian|Vaganian]], [[Smbat Lputian|Lputian]], [[Gabriel Sargissian|Sargissian]], [[Artashes Minasian|Minasian]] || 2660 || 36½ || 459.0
|-
| 4 || {{flagu|United States}} || [[Alexander Onischuk|Onischuk]], [[Alexander Shabalov|Shabalov]], [[Alexander Goldin|Goldin]], [[Gregory Kaidanov|Kaidanov]], [[Igor Novikov (chess player)|Novikov]], [[Boris Gulko|Gulko]] || 2623 || 35 || 
|-
| 5 || {{ISR}} || [[Boris Gelfand|Gelfand]], [[Emil Sutovsky|Sutovsky]], [[Ilya Smirin|Smirin]], [[Boris Avrukh|Avrukh]], [[Alexander Huzman|Huzman]], [[Michael Roiz|Roiz]] || 2670 || 34½ || 
|-
| 6 || {{flagu|India}} || [[Viswanathan Anand]], [[Krishnan Sasikiran]], [[Pendyala Harikrishna]],<br/>[[Surya Shekhar Ganguly]], [[Abhijit Kunte]], [[Chanda Sandipan]] || 2655 || 34 || 
|-
| 7 || {{CUB}} || [[Leinier Domínguez|Domínguez]], [[Lázaro Bruzón|Bruzón]], [[Neuris Delgado Ramírez|Delgado]], [[Jesús Nogueiras|Nogueiras]], [[Walter Arencibia|Arencibia]], [[Yuniesky Quezada|Quezada]] || 2596 || 33½ || 
|-
| 8 || {{flagu|Netherlands}} || [[Loek van Wely|Van Wely]], [[Ivan Sokolov (chess player)|Sokolov]], [[Sergei Tiviakov|Tiviakov]], [[Jan Timman|Timman]], [[Erik van den Doel|Van den Doel]], [[Friso Nijboer|Nijboer]] || 2641 || 33 || 
|-
| 9 || {{BUL}} || [[Kiril Georgiev|Georgiev]], [[Aleksandr Delchev|Delchev]], [[Ivan Cheparinov|Cheparinov]], [[Vasil Spasov (chess player)|Spasov]], [[Boris Chatalbashev|Chatalbashev]], [[Julian Radulski|Radulski]] || 2584 || 32½ || 453.0
|-
| 10 || {{flagu|Spain}} || [[Alexei Shirov|Shirov]], [[Francisco Vallejo Pons|Vallejo Pons]], [[Miguel Illescas Córdoba|Illescas Córdoba]], [[Roberto Cifuentes|Cifuentes Parada]], [[Alfonso Romero Holmes|Romero Holmes]], [[Julen Luis Arizmendi Martínez|Arizmendi Martínez]] || 2643 || 32½ || 439.5
|}
:{| class="wikitable collapsible collapsed"
! # !! Country !! Average<br/>rating !! Points !! Buchholz !! MP
|-
| 11 || {{GRE}} || 2569 || 32½ || 427.5 || 
|-
| 12 || {{flagu|Poland}} || 2624 || 32 || 445.5 || 
|-
| 13 || {{flagu|Switzerland}} || 2559 || 32 || 442.5 || 
|-
| 14 || {{UZB}} || 2550 || 32 || 440.5 || 
|-
| 15 || {{flagcountry|SCG}} || 2568 || 32 || 435.0 || 
|-
| 16 || {{flagu|Germany}} || 2617 || 32 || 430.0 || 
|-
| 17 || {{SLO}} || 2575 || 32 || 427.5 || 
|-
| 18 || {{flagcountry|BLR|1995}} || 2609 || 32 || 424.0 || 
|-
| 19 || {{PHI}} || 2502 || 32 || 422.5 || 
|-
| 20 || {{ROM}} || 2590 || 32 || 417.5 || 
|-
| 21 || {{GEO}} || 2621 || 31½ || 462.0 || 
|-
| 22 || {{AZE}} || 2615 || 31½ || 450.5 || 
|-
| 23 || {{flagu|France}} || 2621 || 31½ || 449.0 || 
|-
| 24 || {{flagu|China}} || 2612 || 31½ || 438.5 || 
|-
| 25 || {{BIH}} || 2532 || 31½ || 428.0 || 
|-
| 26 || {{KAZ}} || 2483 || 31½ || 425.0 || 
|-
| 27 || {{LTU}} || 2542 || 31½ || 420.0 || 
|-
| 28 || {{DEN}} || 2563 || 31½ || 419.5 || 
|-
| 29 || {{CZE}} || 2589 || 31 || 445.0 || 
|-
| 30 || {{flagu|England}} || 2653 || 31 || 427.0 || 
|-
| 31 || {{HUN}} || 2614 || 31 || 425.5 || 
|-
| 32 || {{EST}} || 2544 || 31 || 423.5 || 17
|-
| 33 || {{LAT}} || 2539 || 31 || 423.5 || 15
|-
| 34 || {{ARG}} || 2544 || 31 || 419.5 || 
|-
| 35 || {{flagu|Australia}} || 2488 || 31 || 418.5 || 
|-
| 36 || {{MDA}} || 2589 || 30½ || 432.5 || 
|-
| 37 || {{SVK}} || 2545 || 30½ || 431.0 || 
|-
| 38 || {{flagu|Canada}} || 2494 || 30½ || 426.0 || 
|-
| 39 || {{NOR}} || 2549 || 30½ || 419.5 || 
|-
| 40 || {{flagu|Chile}} || 2486 || 30½ || 407.5 || 
|-
| 41 || {{BAN}} || 2485 || 30½ || 396.5 || 
|-
| 42 || {{MKD}} || 2521 || 30 || 419.0 || 
|-
| 43 || {{IRL}} || 2454 || 30 || 403.0 || 
|-
| 44 || {{flagu|Spain}} "B" || 2494 || 29½ || 424.0 || 
|-
| 45 || {{flagu|Sweden}} || 2569 || 29½ || 422.0 || 
|-
| 46 || {{CRO}} || 2562 || 29½ || 415.5 || 
|-
| 47 || {{ISL}} || 2496 || 29½ || 413.5 || 
|-
| 48 || {{INA}} || 2397 || 29½ || 408.0 || 
|-
| 49 || {{FIN}} || 2456 || 29½ || 406.5 || 
|-
| 50 || {{TUR}} || 2365 || 29½ || 404.0 || 
|-
| 51 || {{VIE}} || 2515 || 29 || 416.5 || 
|-
| 52 || {{SCO}} || 2497 || 29 || 411.5 || 
|-
| 53 || {{IRI}} || 2460 || 29 || 405.0 || 
|-
| 54 || {{flagu|Mexico}} || 2473 || 29 || 403.0 || 
|-
| 55 || {{flagu|South Africa}} || 2387 || 29 || 395.0 || 16
|-
| 56 || {{COL}} || 2427 || 29 || 395.0 || 13
|-
| 57 || IPCA || 2348 || 29 || 394.5 || 
|-
| 58 || {{flagu|Belgium}} || 2444 || 28½ || 406.5 || 
|-
| 59 || {{flagu|Brazil}} || 2481 || 28½ || 406.0 || 
|-
| 60 || {{flagu|Italy}} || 2476 || 28½ || 400.5 || 14
|-
| 61 || {{TJK}} || 2303 || 28½ || 400.5 || 12
|-
| 62 || {{AUT}} || 2444 || 28½ || 396.5 || 
|-
| 63 || {{DOM}} || 2354 || 28½ || 387.0 || 14
|-
| 64 || {{ECU}} || 2431 || 28½ || 387.0 || 13
|-
| 65 || {{BOL}} || 2332 || 28½ || 383.5 || 
|-
| 66 || {{PER}} || 2410 || 28½ || 355.0 || 
|-
| 67 || {{SIN}} || 2437 || 28 || 403.5 || 
|-
| 68 || {{AND}} || 2400 || 28 || 393.0 || 
|-
| 69 || {{PAK}} || 2298 || 28 || 381.5 || 
|-
| 70 || {{MYS}} || 2241 || 28 || 370.0 || 
|-
| 71 || {{MGL}} || 2381 || 27½ || 402.0 || 
|-
| 72 || {{POR}} || 2424 || 27½ || 401.0 || 
|-
| 73 || {{KGZ}} || 2341 || 27½ || 397.0 || 
|-
| 74 || {{ALB}} || 2410 || 27½ || 385.5 || 
|-
| 75 || {{FRO}} || 2281 || 27½ || 377.0 || 
|-
| 76 || {{MAR}} || 2342 || 27½ || 356.0 || 
|-
| 77 || {{flag|Venezuela|1930}} || 2354 || 27 || 398.0 || 
|-
| 78 || {{flagcountry|PAR|1990}} || 2305 || 27 || 390.0 || 
|-
| 79 || {{CRC}} || 2399 || 27 || 386.0 || 
|-
| 80 || {{TUN}} || 2363 || 27 || 384.5 || 
|-
| 81 || {{flagu|Spain}} "C" || 2334 || 27 || 383.5 || 
|-
| 82 || {{LUX}} || 2325 || 27 || 381.5 || 
|-
| 83 || {{flag|Iraq|2004}} || 2276 || 27 || 369.5 || 
|-
| 84 || {{URU}} || 2370 || 26½ || 397.5 || 
|-
| 85 || {{flagu|New Zealand}} || 2316 || 26½ || 383.0 || 
|-
| 86 || {{NCA}} || 2281 || 26½ || 375.5 || 
|-
| 87 || {{GUA}} || 2252 || 26½ || 372.0 || 
|-
| 88 || {{flagu|Japan}} || 2136 || 26½ || 351.0 || 
|-
| 89 || {{WAL}} || 2289 || 26 || 382.5 || 
|-
| 90 || {{LIB}} || 2337 || 26 || 379.0 || 
|-
| 91 || {{SRI}} || 2188 || 26 || 368.5 || 
|-
| 92 || {{THA}} || 2264 || 26 || 367.5 || 
|-
| 93 || {{HON}} || 2226 || 26 || 365.0 || 
|-
| 94 || {{PUR}} || 2212 || 26 || 358.0 || 
|-
| 95 || {{BOT}} || 2174 || 25½ || 358.5 || 
|-
| 96 || {{KEN}} || 1986 || 25½ || 340.5 || 
|-
| 97 || [[International Braille Chess Association|IBCA]] || 2358 || 25 || 370.5 || 
|-
| 98 || {{BRB}} || 2279 || 25 || 368.5 || 
|-
| 99 || {{flag|Libya|1977}} || 2260 || 25 || 358.5 || 
|-
| 100 || {{ANG}} || 2245 || 24½ || 376.5 || 
|-
| 101 || {{HKG}} || 2141 || 24½ || 363.0 || 
|-
| 102 || {{flag|Palestine}} || 2070 || 24½ || 362.5 || 
|-
| 103 || {{JAM}} || 2184 || 24½ || 355.5 || 
|-
| 104 || {{UGA}} || 2187 || 24½ || 350.0 || 
|-
| 105 || {{MON}} || 2137 || 24½ || 347.0 || 
|-
| 106 || {{NEP}} || 2179 || 24½ || 301.0 || 
|-
| 107 || {{PAN}} || 1906 || 24 || 352.5 || 
|-
| 108 || {{NAM}} || 2186 || 24 || 336.0 || 
|-
| 109 || {{flagcountry|CYP|1960}} || 2202 || 23½ || 360.5 || 
|-
| 110 || {{LIE}} || 2119 || 23½ || 348.5 || 
|-
| 111 || {{flagcountry|MRT|1959}} || 2207 || 23½ || 341.0 || 
|-
| 112 || {{flagcountry|SMR|1862}} || 2122 || 23½ || 301.0 || 
|-
| 113 || {{MLT}} || 2157 || 23½ || 300.5 || 
|-
| 114 || {{MAC}} || 2127 || 23½ || 299.0 || 
|-
| 115 || {{flag|Afghanistan|2004}} || 1866 || 23½ || 248.0 || 
|-
| 116 || {{TRI}} || 2137 || 23 || 357.5 || 
|-
| 117 || {{SUR}} || 2201 || 23 || 344.5 || 
|-
| 118 || {{VGB}} || 1904 || 23 || 314.5 || 
|-
| 119 || {{AHO}} || 2098 || 22 || 293.5 || 
|-
| 120 || {{NGR}} || 2152 || 22 || 276.5 || 
|-
| 121 || {{JEY}} || 2170 || 21½ || 313.5 || 
|-
| 122 || {{FIJ}} || 2003 || 21½ || 282.5 || 
|-
| 123 || {{GGY}} || 1812 || 21 ||  || 
|-
| 124 || {{ABW}} || 1832 || 20½ ||  || 
|-
| 125 || {{BER}} || 1824 || 18½ <sup>1</sup> ||  || 
|-
| 126 || {{RWA}} || 1750 || 17 ||  || 
|-
| 127 || {{PNG}} || 1866 || 15½ <sup>1</sup> ||  || 
|-
| 128 || {{VIR}} || 1600 || 13½ ||  || 
|-
| 129 || {{SYC}} || 1766 || 11½ ||  || 
|}

<sup>1</sup> Bermuda actually scored 22 and Papua New Guinea 23 points, but because some of their players refused to submit to doping tests, the points scored by those players were deducted from the final scores: 3½ points from Bermuda and 7½ from Papua New Guinea.

===Group prizes===

In addition to the overall medals, prizes were given out to the best teams in five different seeding groups—in other words, the teams who exceeded their seeding the most. Overall medal winners were not eligible for group prizes.

:{| class="wikitable"
|+ Group Prizes
! Group !! Seeding<br/>range !! Team !! Seed !! Overall<br/>finish
|-
| A || 1–25 || {{flagu|United States}} || 10 || 4
|-
| B || 26–51 || {{flagu|Switzerland}} || 29 || 13
|-
| C || 52–77 || {{IRL}} || 54 || 43
|-
| D || 78–103 || {{TJK}} || 83 || 61
|-
| E || 104–129 || {{flagu|Japan}} || 112 || 87
|}

===Individual medals===

* [[Performance rating (chess)|Performance rating]]: {{flagicon|GEO}} [[Baadur Jobava]] 2842
* Board 1: {{flagicon|PLE}} [[Evgenij Ermenkov]] 10½ / 12 = 87.5%
* Board 2: {{flagicon|MAR}} [[Mohamed Tissir]] 7½ / 9 = 83.3%
* Board 3: {{flagicon|ARM}} [[Rafael Vaganian]] 9½ / 12 = 79.2%
* Board 4: {{flagicon|GEO}} [[Baadur Jobava]] 8½ / 10 = 85.0%
* 1st reserve: {{flagicon|LTU}} [[Vaidas Sakalauskas]] 6 / 7 = 85.7%
* 2nd reserve: {{flagicon|UKR}} [[Sergey Karjakin]] and {{flagicon|LBA|1977}} [[Ibrahim Chahrani]] 6½ / 7 = 92.9%