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Looking back on the results of the 36th Chess Olympiad, one would say that I didn't do too badly with my predictions. While most players and analysts picked Russia merely because of the rating lineup, there is a lot more to teams than talent. As a former semi-professional sports writer, I have seen the most bizarre occurrences in team events… inexplicable defeats, losing streaks, inspired victories by "underdogs," spectacular performances and the list goes on. In Mallorca, the Ukraine had inspiration in many quarters and proved (once again) that team chemistry and a steady leader is more important than a team full of superstars.
Here is a table of the predictions and the actual occurrence:
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