International Mendeleev Chemistry Olympiad (IMChO)¶
Международная Менделеевская олимпиада школьников по химии
Overview¶
The International Mendeleev Chemistry Olympiad (IMChO) is one of the most challenging and prestigious chemistry competitions for secondary school students worldwide. Named after Dmitri Ivanovich Mendeleev (1834–1907), creator of the periodic table.
The competition is the direct successor to the Soviet Union Chemistry Olympiad founded in 1967. After the dissolution of the USSR in 1991, chemistry was the only natural science community that preserved the traditions of the former All-Union Olympiad as an international event. The IMChO maintains the continuous edition numbering from the Soviet competition — the 60th edition took place in Moscow in 2026.
The competition is organized by Lomonosov Moscow State University (MSU), the Mendeleev Russian Chemical Society, the Andrey Melnichenko Foundation, and EuroChem as general partner. It is conducted in Russian and English.
Key websites¶
- IMChO Official Website
- MSU Chemistry Department — Mendeleev Olympiad
- Russian Chemical Society — Olympiad Reference
- Olimpiada.ru — Mendeleev Olympiad Profile
Competition Format¶
The competition spans approximately 8 days and consists of three rigorous rounds:
- Round 1 — First Theoretical Round
- 8 mandatory problems, each worth up to 10 points
- Problems correspond to the curriculum of specialized chemistry high school classes
- Maximum: 80 points
- Round 2 — Second Theoretical Round
- Students choose 5 problems from a pool of 15
- Problems span five branches: inorganic, organic, analytical, physical, and biological chemistry
- Each problem worth up to 15 points
- Maximum: 75 points
- Round 3 — Practical/Experimental Round
- 5-hour laboratory examination
- Tests substance analysis and chemical synthesis skills
- Since 2019, students perform real organic synthesis with overnight spectral analysis
- Maximum: 75 points
Total Maximum Score: 230 points
The Mendeleev Olympiad does not narrow the scope of topics beforehand — students must demonstrate comprehensive mastery across all branches of chemistry. This makes the competition widely regarded as one of the most difficult chemistry competitions for high school students in the world.
Awards System¶
| Award | Distribution |
|---|---|
| 🥇 Gold | Top 10% of participants |
| 🥈 Silver | Next 20% |
| 🥉 Bronze | Next 30% |
- Academician Valery Lunin Prize (established 2020): Awarded to the absolute winner (highest total score). Named after V.V. Lunin, the longtime organizer who preserved the competition after the Soviet collapse. Since 2024, three Lunin Prizes (1st, 2nd, and 3rd degree) are awarded
- Best Theorist: Highest-scoring student on theoretical rounds
- Best Practitioner: Highest-scoring student on the practical round
Participating Countries¶
The competition has grown dramatically from its post-Soviet origins:
| Period | Participation | Regions |
|---|---|---|
| 1997 (1st post-Soviet edition) | 8 countries | CIS only |
| 2004 | Expanded | Bulgaria, North Macedonia, Romania join (first non-CIS) |
| 2010s | ~15–20 countries | Turkey, Israel, Hungary, Austria, Serbia, Slovakia, Czech Republic join |
| 2022 | ~20 countries | CIS + expanded European participation |
| 2024 | 29 countries | China, Brazil, Mongolia, and others join |
| 2025 | 40 countries | Global reach |
| 2026 | 37 countries | ~200 students in Moscow |
Core CIS nations: Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Moldova
Non-CIS participants: Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary, Austria, Serbia, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Croatia, Turkey, Israel, Iran, China, Mongolia, Vietnam, Brazil, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Sri Lanka, Japan, Cuba, Kenya, and more
Team sizes: Quota-based — host countries may enter up to 15 students; standard delegations are typically 7–10 students.
Top Performing Nations¶
- Russia — Historically dominant, consistently winning the most gold medals. At the 59th edition (2025), Russia won 10 golds out of 19 total
- Kazakhstan — Consistently strong, regularly producing gold medalists and Lunin Prize winners
- China — Emerged as a major force since joining in 2024. The absolute winner and best theorist at the 59th edition were both Chinese
- Belarus — Historically strong, consistently among top medal-winning nations
- Uzbekistan — Regular medal winner; won 3 golds at the 59th edition
- Vietnam — Growing presence; won 2 golds at the 59th edition
- Hungary, Bulgaria, Turkey, Israel, Turkmenistan — Regular medalists
History¶
- 1967 — The All-Union Chemistry Olympiad is founded in the Soviet Union under the Mendeleev All-Union Chemical Society
- 1992 — After the USSR dissolution, chemistry is the only natural science to preserve the All-Union tradition. The competition bifurcates into the All-Russian Chemistry Olympiad and the International Mendeleev Chemistry Olympiad
- 1997 — 1st international post-Soviet edition in Yerevan, Armenia (8 countries)
- 1999 — 3rd edition in Minsk, Belarus
- 2004 — 8th edition in Chișinău, Moldova: first expansion beyond CIS — Bulgaria, North Macedonia, Romania join
- 2019 — 23rd edition in St. Petersburg, Russia: students perform organic synthesis for the first time in the practical round
- 2020–2021 — Editions held remotely due to the COVID-19 pandemic
- 2022 — 26th edition in Tashkent, Uzbekistan: first full return to in-person format
- 2024 — 28th edition in Shenzhen, China: first edition held outside the CIS, hosted at MSU-BIT University campus
- 2025 — 29th edition in Belo Horizonte, Brazil: hosted by Federal University of Minas Gerais, 40 countries
- 2026 — 60th Jubilee Edition in Moscow, Russia: ~200 students from 37 countries
Host Cities (Post-Soviet International Editions)¶
| Edition | Year | Host City | Country |
|---|---|---|---|
| 31st | 1997 | Yerevan | Armenia  |
| 32nd | 1998 | Issyk-Kul | Kyrgyzstan  |
| 33rd | 1999 | Minsk | Belarus  |
| 34th | 2000 | Baku | Azerbaijan  |
| 35th | 2001 | Moscow | Russia  |
| 36th | 2002 | Almaty | Kazakhstan  |
| 37th | 2003 | Pushchino | Russia |
| 38th | 2004 | Chișinău | Moldova  |
| 39th | 2005 | Dushanbe | Tajikistan  |
| 40th | 2006 | Yerevan | Armenia |
| 41st | 2007 | Minsk | Belarus |
| 42nd | 2008 | Tashkent | Uzbekistan  |
| 43rd | 2009 | Ashgabat | Turkmenistan  |
| 44th | 2010 | Baku | Azerbaijan |
| 45th | 2011 | Moscow | Russia |
| 46th | 2012 | Astana | Kazakhstan |
| 47th | 2013 | Tashkent | Uzbekistan |
| 48th | 2014 | Moscow | Russia |
| 49th | 2015 | Yerevan | Armenia |
| 50th | 2016 | Moscow | Russia |
| 51st | 2017 | Astana | Kazakhstan |
| 52nd | 2018 | Minsk | Belarus |
| 53rd | 2019 | St. Petersburg | Russia |
| 54 & 55 | 2020–2021 | Remote | — |
| 56th | 2022 | Tashkent | Uzbekistan |
| 57th | 2023 | Astana | Kazakhstan |
| 58th | 2024 | Shenzhen | China  |
| 59th | 2025 | Belo Horizonte | Brazil  |
| 60th | 2026 | Moscow | Russia |
Past Exams Archive¶
Since 2014¶
| Year | Edition | Language | Theory Session1 |
Solution | Theory Session2 |
Solution | Experiment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 59 | EN | Link | Link | Link | Link | Question Solution |
| 2025 | 59 | RU | Link | Link | Question Solution | ||
| 2024 | 58 | EN | Link | Link | Link | Link | Link |
| 2024 | 58 | RU | Link | Link | Link | Link | |
| 2023 | 57 | EN | Link | Link | Link | Link | Link |
| 2023 | 57 | RU | Link | Link | Link | Link | Link |
| 2022 | 56 | EN | Link | Link | Link | Link | Link |
| 2022 | 56 | RU | Link | Link | Link | Link | Link |
| 2021 | 55 | EN | Link | Link | Link | Link | |
| 2020 | 54 | EN | Link | Link | Link | Link | |
| 2019 | 53 | EN | Link | Link | Link | Link | |
| 2019 | 53 | RU | Link | Link | Link | Link | |
| 2018 | 52 | EN | Link | Link | Link | Link | |
| 2017 | 51 | EN | Link | Link | |||
| 2016 | 50 | EN | Link | Link | Link | Link | Link |
| 2016 | 50 | RU | Link | Link | Link | Link | Link |
| 2015 | 49 | EN | Link | Link | Link | Link | Link |
| 2015 | 49 | RU | Link | Link | Link | Link | Link |
| 2014 | 48 | EN | Link | Link | Link | Link | |
| 2014 | 48 | RU | Link | Link | Link | Link |
2004 - 2013¶
Only Russian version can be found.
| Year | Edition | Theory Session1 |
Solution | Theory Session2 |
Solution |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 47 | Link | Link | Link | Link |
| 2012 | 46 | Link | Link | Link | Link |
| 2011 | 45 | Link | Link | Link | Link |
| 2010 | 44 | Link | Link | A B C D E | A B C D E |
| 2009 | 43 | Link | Link | A B C D E | A B C D E |
| 2008 | 42 | Link | Link | Link | Link |
| 2007 | 41 | Link | Link | A B C D E | A B C D E |
| 2006 | 40 | Link | Link | Link | Link |
| 2005 | 39 | Link | Link | Link | Link |
| 2004 | 38 | Link | Link | Link | Link |
Before 2003¶
| Year | Edition | Theory Session1 |
Solution | Theory Session2 |
Solution | Experiment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | 37 | Link | Link | Link | Link | |
| 2002 | 36 | Link | Link | Link | Link | Link |
| 2001 | 35 | Link | Link | Link | Link | |
| 2000 | 34 | Link | ||||
| 1999 | 33 | Link | Link | |||
| 1998 | 32 | Link | Link | |||
| 1997 | 31 | Link | Link |