The 28th Chess Olympiad in Thessaloniki was the only instance of FIDE hosting an Olympiad-year event in Greece, featuring the return of previously absent nations including Israel.
Key Facts
- Dates
- November 12–30, 1988
- Host city
- Thessaloniki, Greece
- Open winner margin
- Soviet Union won by 6 points
- Open silver medalist
- England (third consecutive silver)
- Open bronze medalist
- Netherlands
- East Germany absence
- Returned after 16-year absence
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
Following the successful 26th Chess Olympiad in Thessaloniki in 1984, FIDE agreed to hold every other Olympiad in Greece as the home of the Olympic movement, contingent on sufficient funding from the Greek Chess Federation and government. Several nations, including Israel, the Netherlands, and Scandinavian countries, had boycotted or been excluded from the 1986 Dubai Olympiad, creating political pressure to restore full participation.
The 28th Chess Olympiad was held in Thessaloniki, Greece, from November 12 to November 30, 1988, organized by FIDE and comprising open and women's tournaments along with chess promotion events. The Soviet Union, fielding reigning world champion Garry Kasparov and former champion Anatoly Karpov, dominated the open section, winning by six points. England claimed silver and the returning Dutch team took bronze.
Israel and the boycotting nations—Netherlands, Denmark, Sweden, and Norway—returned to competition, restoring broader international participation. East Germany also reappeared after a 16-year absence. The arrangement to hold alternating Olympiads in Greece proved unsustainable and was discontinued after 1988, with subsequent Olympiads returning to a rotating host-city model every two years.