The last Chess Olympiad before an 11-year suspension caused by World War II, held in Buenos Aires in 1939.
Key Facts
- Olympiad number
- 8th Chess Olympiad
- Start date
- August 21, 1939
- End date
- September 19, 1939
- Venue
- Politeama Theatre, Buenos Aires
- Suspension length
- 11 years (next held in 1950)
- Organiser
- FIDE
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
FIDE organised the 8th Chess Olympiad in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in August 1939. The event included both an open team tournament and a Women's World Championship contest, drawing national delegations to South America during an already tense global political climate.
The open team tournament ran from August 21 to September 19, 1939, at the Politeama Theatre in Buenos Aires. During the event, World War II broke out in Europe, directly affecting the participating nations and overshadowing the competition's conclusion.
Following the conclusion of the 8th Olympiad, FIDE suspended the Chess Olympiad indefinitely, citing both the economic disruptions and the wider conflict of World War II. The tournament series did not resume until 1950, creating an eleven-year gap in the event's history.