IYPT 1988

IYPT 1988 – Moscow, Russia

(28 March – 2 April 1988)

Overview

The inaugural IYPT in 1988 was a historic fusion of three competitions:

• The finals of the 10th Moscow Young Physicists’ Tournament,
• The 1st All-Soviet YPT, and
• The first international edition of what would become the IYPT.

It marked the first time geographically diverse teams were brought together under the YPT format, establishing the foundation for all future tournaments.

Organization

• Venue: Olympiets Youth Center; some finals and ceremonies at Moscow State University
• Structure: Three Physics Fights (PFs) with 8 groups of 4 teams each
• Problems: 12 core problems including Sunset, Spring in the City, Ninth Wave, and Copper Coin
• Language: Russian (exclusive language for all documents and presentations)
• Visual Aids: Hand-drawn posters, slide projectors, experimental demonstrations were encouraged

Participation

• Number of teams: 31
• Countries represented:
  • Soviet Union (teams from 14 republics, all counted as one country)
  • People’s Republic of Bulgaria
  • Czechoslovak Socialist Republic
• International Observer: A representative from the German Democratic Republic (East Germany)

Judging & Rules

• Team size: 5 students
• Timing:
  • Report – 5 minutes
  • Opposition – 3 minutes
  • Reviewer – 2 minutes
  • Individual discussion comments – 1 minute
• Performance limit: Each student could perform only twice, and only once as reporter
• Grading: 2 to 5+ scale; extreme scores required public justification
• Jury: Mix of undergraduate students, Moscow State University researchers, and team leaders
• Problem distribution: Specific problems reserved for different tournament stages

Finals (Demonstration Round – 1 April 1988)

Team	Selected Problem
USSR – Moscow School 542	No. 9 “Ninth Wave”
USSR – Rīga Combined	Unknown
People’s Republic of Bulgaria	Unknown
Czechoslovak Socialist Republic	Unknown

Results

No official ranking was published. The organizing committee opted not to declare winners, citing the unequal initial conditions among teams. However, the overall performance was praised, and no team was considered weak.

Award Categories:

• 10 diplomas of Category “Т” (Турнир – Tournament)
• 10 diplomas of Category “Ю” (Юный – Young)
• 7 diplomas of Category “Ф” (Физик – Physicist)
• 4 special conciliation prizes

The focus was on collaboration, scientific dialogue, and the promotion of the YPT concept across the USSR and beyond.

Legacy

• Notable firsts:
  • First use of computer simulation in a report (by Yury Yufryakov)
  • First international participation beyond Soviet borders
• Founders & Organizers:
  • Evgeny Yunosov and Georgiy Zatsepin signed diplomas as heads of the Organizing Committee
  • Evgeny Velikhov likely held a senior position within the LOC

Historical Context

• The Soviet Union was in a period of reform (glasnost and perestroika)
• Bulgaria and Czechoslovakia remained socialist states
• The tournament operated independently of a formal International Organizing Committee (IOC)