The International Chess Federation decided at a meeting in Holland last week that the 22nd World Chess Olympiad will be held in Haifa next year despite vigorous attempts by some Arab and Asian countries to prevent the selection of Israel as the host nation, it was learned here today. The tournament will be held in October-November, 1976. About 40 countries have already announced that they will send their men’s and women’s chess teams to the Olympiad, among them Spain and Cuba which have no diplomatic relations with Israel.
The Israeli hosts have invited the Soviet international Grand Master, Yuri Averbakh, to serve as chief referee at the tournament. Averbakh thanked the Israelis but was unable to give his final reply at the Federation meeting. It was learned that at the meeting, representatives of the Libyan Chess Federation tried without success to persuade the various delegations to hold the tournament in Algeria.
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