at Moscow 1962 by 4½–3½, but was able to enter the 1965 Candidates' matches as a substitute when Botvinnik (defeated World Champion) declined to take part. In the 1965 Candidates he defeated Smyslov by 5½–2½ at Moscow in the first round, but lost to Spassky by 5½–2½ at Riga in the semifinals. In a 1966 Copenhagen playoff match against Bent Larsen, the two players split eight games with two wins each, and Larsen won the first tiebreak game to secure Candidates' exemption in case of a withdrawal by a qualified player in the next cycle. (Eventually, this turned out not to matter, since none withdrew.) In the 1968 cycle, Geller again lost to Spassky, at Sukhumi by 5½–2½, in a Candidates' first-round match. He returned to the interzonal stage in 1970 at Palma de Mallorca, and qualified as a Candidate again, losing his first match to Korchnoi at Moscow by 5½–2½. In 1973, he tied with Lajos Portisch and Lev Polugaevsky for second place at the Petropolis Interzonal, but lost out in the three-way playoff match tournament at Portorož, with two qualifying spots at stake, so he did not advance. Team tournaments Geller represented the USSR seven times in the Chess Olympiad, over a 28-year span from 1952 to 1980, and contributed well each time to the team gold medal victories. He won three gold medals and three silver on his board. His overall score in the Olympiad play is: (+46−7=23), for 75.7 per cent. Helsinki 1952, board 4, 10½/14 (+8−1=5), board silver medal; Amsterdam 1954, 1st reserve, 5/7 (+4−1=2), board gold medal; Moscow 1956, 2nd reserve, 7½/10 (+7−2=1), board gold medal; Varna 1962, 1st reserve, 10½/12 (+10−1=1), board gold medal; Lugano 1968, board 4, 9½/12 (+7−0=5), board silver medal; Siegen 1970, 2nd reserve, 8/12 (+6−2=4); Valletta 1980, board 4, 6½/9 (+4−0=5), board silver medal. Geller was also selected on six occasions for the USSR team to the European Team Championships. His team won gold each time, and he won four gold medals on his board. According to olimpbase.org, his overall score in Euroteams events is: (+17−1=19), for 71.6 per cent. Oberhausen 1961, board 7, 6½/9 (+4−0=5), board gold medal; Kapfenberg 1970, board 4, 4/6 (+3−1=2), board gold medal; Bath, Somerset 1973, board 7, 4½/5 (+4−0=1), board gold medal; Moscow 1977, board 6, 4½/7 (+2−0=5), board gold medal; Skara 1980, board 5, 4/6 (+2−0=4); Plovdiv 1983, 2nd reserve, 3/4 (+2−0=2).