2nd Women's Chess Olympiad - Split 1963

The Adriatic sun, the luxurious Hotel "Marjan," and tension you could cut with a knife. The year 1963 brought an event that forever changed the face of women's chess. Today, we are proud to announce the release of the 3rd edition of a volume from the series "The Great Book of Chess Olympiads," devoted to the thrilling competition in the Yugoslav city of Split.

Can you imagine a tournament in which one player wins all her games, achieving a 100% score over 12 rounds? Did you know that in 1963, the debuting Mongolian team produced one of the greatest upsets in history, crushing the favored USA?

Join us on a journey back in time to Split - the place where legends were born.

The Race of Two Powerhouses: USSR vs. Yugoslavia

The 2nd Women's Chess Olympiad was not a one-woman show. It was an arena of brutal sporting combat between two giants. On one side, the Soviet Union, led by the brilliant, barely 22-year-old women's world champion Nona Gaprindashvili. On the other - the hosts, Yugoslavia, with the incredible duo of Milunka Lazarevic and Verica Nedeljkovic.

In our latest ebook, Krzysztof Puszczewicz provides a detailed account of this race. You will learn how it came to pass that the fate of the gold medal hung in the balance until the final minutes of Round 14, in a direct encounter between the two teams. You will uncover the behind-the-scenes story of the game Nedeljkovic - Zatulowskaya, where a single error in the time scramble decided the fate of the title.

The Phenomenal Verica Nedeljkovic - 12 out of 12!

What happened in Split remains a topic of discussion among chess historians to this day. Verica Nedeljkovic, playing on second board for Yugoslavia, achieved the impossible. She won all 12 games in which she participated, scoring 12 points!

In the ebook, you will find the records of these games. You will see how precisely and ruthlessly she exploited her opponents' mistakes, leading her team to a silver medal that tasted almost like gold.

A Bittersweet Performance by the Polish Women

For Polish fans, the Olympiad in Split is a story full of hope and painful lessons. The Polish team arrived with a strong lineup: Henryka Konarkowska (national champion), Krystyna Radzikowska, and Miroslawa Litmanowicz.

The start was promising - big wins against Belgium and Scotland. However, the second half of the tournament brought drama. In the ebook, you will read about one of the most tragic losses in Polish chess history: the game Konarkowska - Lazarevic. The Polish player, holding a winning position, ran into time trouble and failed to notice that her opponent's time was also running out... and was checkmated with a "fallen flag."

Ultimately, the Polish women finished 8th. The brightest point was Miroslawa Litmanowicz's play, as she scored the most points for the team (6.5 out of 10).

The Exotic and the Sensational: Mongolia Enters the Stage

Split 1963 also marked the debut of the Mongolian team. The squad, which arrived with only two players (no reserve!), produced a massive upset by defeating the powerful USA team 2-0 in Round 4!

What will you find in the new edition of the ebook?

This volume is not a dry tournament bulletin. It is a complete chronicle of the event.

• Full Documentation: A round-by-round account of the competition.
• Hundreds of Games: A complete record of the games, with the most important ones accompanied by diagrams and analyses (e.g. Gaprindashvili, Nedeljkovic, Nicolau).
• Unique Photographs: Photos from the playing hall by Milos Petronic, among others, capturing the emotions of the players.
• Statistics: Detailed team and individual results tables that you will not find in popular databases.
• Player Profiles: Fascinating facts about players such as Handsuren from Mongolia or the "Tal in a Skirt" - Alexandra Nicolau from Romania.