AThe Des Moines Register, Des Moines, Iowa, Saturday, January 01, 1966 - Page 2
Bobby Wins
Bobby Fischer, the 22-year-old chess prodigy, defeated Dr. Karl Burger in New York City to win the U.S. chess championship for a record seventh time. He finished one point ahead of grandmaster Robert Byrne of Indianapolis and former champion Samuel Reshevsky of Spring Valley, N.Y. The three will compete in the cycle of zonal competitions that lead to the world championship.
The Leaf-Chronicle, Clarksville, Tennessee, Sunday, March 13, 1966 - Page 3
CHESS PROBLEM— In the chess world Bobby Fischer is recognized as the best player in the U.S. and one of the best in the world — but what he really is like is unknown. Fischer, who was junior champion at 13, U.S. champion at 14 and an international grand master at 15, turned 23 on March 9. He is considered a prima donna and a loner. This photo of Fischer was made recently in New York. (AP NEWSFEATURES PHOTO)
Is The U.S. Chess King Really A Prima Donna?
By Tom Henshaw
NEW YORK (AP)—During a recent tournament to determine the champion chess player of the United States, a tall, rather somber young man named Bobby Fischer canceled with a handshake an old grudge against archrival Sammy Reshevsky.
Fischer even absorbed two straight losses with, at least outward, good nature.
“The young champion,” ventured one observer, “has mellowed.”
But most chess people, to whom such transformation would be just short of miraculous, prefer to wait and see. While Robert James Fischer, who turned 23 on March 9, is no longer a child prodigy, he is still the enfant terrible of chess, an obscure, tight little world of which the majority of Americans know little and care less.
Fischer has been called sullen, rude, suspicious, tense, egocentric, a loner, a prima donna and a chronic complainer by people who don't really know him at all, a category that may include everyone who has ever met him.
All of which has a tendency to obscure the fact that Bobby Fischer is unquestionably the best chess player in America — eight titles in the last nine years; the other time he didn't play — and quite possibly the best in the world, if he can ever get past the Soviet Union's defenses to their world champion and prove it.
It's a frustrating thing to be the champion chess player in the United States.
While a football player may get $400,000 for simply promising to play and a baseball player may get $100,000 for throwing a ball every fourth day in summer, it is a rare chess player who earns a living from chess alone, even though his sport, if sport it be, carries far more international prestige than football and baseball combined.
Fischer, currently the only American living by chess along, is said to make $12,000 a year from tournament prizes, exhibitions, books and magazine articles. Reshevsky sells insurance when he is not playing chess and Nicholas Rossolimo, who also has a rating of grand master, once drove a cab in New York City.
Even the top American chess tournaments are held in YMCA's and in the smallest ballrooms of hotels located just off the main drag. Crowds often total less than 100 and rarely reach 500.
By contrast, when two Soviet grand masters, Mikhail Botvinnik and Tigran Petrosian, met for the world championship on the stage of a Moscow theater in 1963, there were 2,000 people in the audience and hundreds of thousands more watched on television. The winner, Petrosian was mobbed and almost smothered with flowers.
It is perhaps, in part, the frustrations of American chess; in part, the inability to challenge for the world title; in part, the extraordinary stresses imposed upon a child prodigy, that make Bobby Fischer what he is today.
He was born in Chicago. Soon after his parents were divorced and Bobby, his older, by five years, sister, Joan, and their mother, Regina, began wanderings that landed them in Brooklyn when Bobby was 6. While Mrs. Fischer taught school and studied nursing, Joan took care of Bobby, bringing him games from the local candy store.
One day the game a chess set. Joan worked out the moves from the instruction sheet and taught them to Bobby. He took to it with the enthusiasm of a Mozart discovering the musical scale. He joined the Brooklyn Chess Club at 8 and, because it met only once a week, he also took to hanging around the home of Jack Collins, a sort of informal headquarters for Brooklyn chess addicts.
“From the time he was 8 until he was 14 he must have played more chess games than I have played my entire life,” says Jack Straley Battell, executive editor of the magazine Chess Review, who has known Fischer since the old days at Collins' place.
Bobby Fischer was United States champion at 14 and won the rating of international grand master — the highest there is — at 15 by finishing fifth in competition with 20 of the world's greatest players in a tournament in Yugoslavia.
There was only one more world to conquer, the world's championship. It still eludes him.
In order to challenge for the world crown, a Soviet monopoly since 1948, an American must first finish in the top three in the U.S. championships, then survive a field-narrowing interzonal competition, and finally win a challengers' tournament against the eight or so top players in the world. The process takes about three years.
Fischer has never survived a challengers' round. In 1962, after a sensational sweep of the interzonals and the usual setback in the competition among challengers, he explained why. Only it was more accusation than explanation.
The Soviets, he charged, had rigged the tournament by pre-arranging draws and even throwing games to each other to insure that no outsider could challenge their champion.
The Atlanta Constitution Atlanta, Georgia Saturday, July 02, 1966 - Page 49
Dark Victory
8:30 Koltanowski on Chess—
“Dark Victory” personal anecdotes about blindfold chess along with a discussion of some of this country's best-known chess masters, including Bobby Fischer who may be the United States' strongest player, enliven this discussion.
Sunday Gazette-Mail Charleston, West Virginia Sunday, July 03, 1966 - Page 25
Grandmaster Chess Event On Horizon
The Piatigorsky Cup International All Grandmaster Chess Tournament — one of the most important chess events of the year opens July 17 in Santa Monica, Calif. The field of ten is headed by Tigran Petrosian of the USSR, champion of the world. The American champion Robert Fisher and the veteran Samuel Reshevsky will represent the United States. A second Soviet representative is Boris Spassky, who recently lost a title match to Petrosian by one point.
Miguel Najdorf of Argentina was a participant in the first Piatigorsky Cup tournament. Bent Larson of Denmark has been called the strongest player in the Western world; he lost in a semi-final challenger match to Mikhail Tal by only one point. Lajos Portisch of Hungary has increased his prestige in the chess world during the past couple of years, while Borislav Ivkov of Yugoslavia and Wolfgang Unzicker of West Germany are both formidable players. The Holland representative, Jan Hein Donner, might he somewhat outclassed by the other chess stars in the 10-man field; however, the committee evidently knew what they were doing when they invited him.
This Piatigorsky Cup tourney will undoubtedly he the outstanding event of the year for American chess and Robert Fisher could just make this affair perfect for the players of the U.S.A by winning first prize. Whoever wins this double-round-robin tournament will have his work cut out for himself. Eighteen rounds will sorely test the stamina of all concerned. especially the older Players (such as Reshevsky and Najdorf).
The Los Angeles Times Los Angeles, California Saturday, July 16, 1966 - Page 33 (★)
Russians to Attend Chess Tourney
YOUR MOVE - Bent Larsen, left, of Denmark, makes move against U.S. champion Bobby Fischer
a, Mr. and Mrs. Gregor Piatigorsky watch action, Payers are here for Piatigorsky Cup competition. Times photo by Mary Frampton
Politics went by the chess board.
The Russians are coming with the word so eagerly anticipated by officials of the U.S.A.- U.S.S.R. track meet and never received.
Coming to cellist Gregor Piatigorsky and his wife was the word that Russian world chess champion Tigran Petrosian and compatriot Boris Spassky were aboard an SAS flight to Los Angeles to compete in the second Piatigorsky Cup International Chess Tournament beginning Sunday at the Miramar.
It was the talk of the party given Friday evening at the Piatigorsky home in honor of the 10 Grand Masters competing and very much on the mind of U.S. chess champion, 23-year-old Robert J. (Bobby) Fischer.
He shrugged when asked if he can beat the Russians and downed three straight orange juices during five minutes of conversation about his prowess on the boards.
Bobby has been called the “enfant terrible” of chess. In 1962 he charged the Russians rigged a tourney by prearranging straws and even throwing games so no outsider could challenge their reigning championship. “The Russians will draw by prearrangement in this tournament,” he said, and that he will compete for the world championship only if proposals he has made to the World Chess Federation are accepted. He declined the last competition.
Vice president of the federation Jerry Spann said chess competition is not political, although there was a great deal of apprehension surrounding this tourney due to the Russian withdrawal from the track encounter.
Before the bombing of Haiphong, which ostensibly was the reason Russians refused to compete in track, the U.S.S.R. said ‘nyet” to chess play. They said yes to the great cellist Piatigorsky, a judge at the recent Tchaikovsky
International Music Competition in Moscow.
Then Wednesday when they were due to fly, the two names did not appear on the airline manifest. It was speculated that as the Russian chess players traveled together in the buddy system, that one could not leave without the other. Later on a Voice of America program it was aired that Spassky was out of town.
“This tournament is one of the greatest,” said Spann. “The closest to compare with it was the Avro Tournament in 1938 in Holland when eight world players competed. This one has 10.”
In addition to Messrs. Fischer, Petrosian and Spassky there are Jan Hein Donner of Holland who almost missed the same plane the Russians were on. Also competing are Borislav Ivkov, Yugoslavia; Bent Larsen, Denmark; Miguel Najdorf, Argentina; Lajos Portisch, Hungary; Samuel Reshevsky, U.S.A., and Wolfgang Unzicker, Germany.
Skills Tester
They passed party chit-chat in favor of testing skills on boards set up in the living room and garden. Situations were posed which required difficult maneuvering and the various players gave their opinions and there was good-natured kibitzing.
Enjoying the party themselves were the host and hostess, he puffing on his pipe and she graciously attending her guests. Mrs. Piatigorsky is president of the Piatigorsky Foundation which is sponsoring the tournament including the $20,000 in the cash prizes, travel, entertainment and lodging expenses at the Miramar.
She is a top-ranked woman chess player and the daughter of the late Baron Edouard de Rothschild. She helped design the handsome silver and ebony Piatigorsky Cup trophy placed on the piano with a smaller replica. They were executed by Alan Adler.
Names engraved are those of Petrosian and Paul Keres, who won the first competition in 1963.
The Vancouver Sun Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada Saturday, July 16, 1966 - Page 2
Chess World Giants Meet For Matches
SANTA MONICA, Calif. (AP) — The man who is at the summit of the chess world is a Russian named Tigran Petrosian.
Petrosian, who arrived here Friday night to compete in the second bi-annual Piatigorsky Cup international chess tournament, has already won top position for the first round Sunday.
Positions were determined by a draw for places. Petrosian, who won the first Piatigorsky Cup in 1963, leads off against his fellow countryman, Boris Spassky, whom he recently defeated in a tournament in Moscow for the world title.
The tournament here is sponsored by the Piatigorsky Foundation, founded by Mrs. Gregor Piatigorsky, wife of the famed cellist. The five weeks of play end with the presentation of more than $15,000 in prize money.
To the competition with Petrosian and Spassky will be two famous U.S. grand masters, Samuel Reshevksy and Bobby Fischer. Also, there are Miguel Najdorf of Argentina, Lajos Portisch of Hungary, Borislav Ivkov of Yugoslavia, Bent Larsen of Denmark, Jan Donner of Holland and Wolfgang Unzicker of West Germany.
The Boston Globe Boston, Massachusetts Sunday, July 17, 1966 - Page 61
Long Awaited Piatagorsky Championship
The long awaited Piatagorsky championship will be held this month and looms as a major world tournament.
Fischer and Reshevsky early accepted invitations but, disappointingly, Spassky and Petrosian turned them down. Portisch and Unzicker were substituted. Belatedly Spassky and Petrosian have now accepted and the field will be expanded to 10 players.
The world will now see another major encounter between Bobby Fischer and the Russians, all of which provides a background of great excitement for what is surely a glittering tournament.
The Los Angeles Times Los Angeles, California Sunday, July 17, 1966 - Page 42
Piatigorsky Cup Tourney Starting
World chess champion Tigran Petrosian of the U.S.S.R. and his compatriot, Boris Spassky, will oppose each other at 1 p.m. today in the opening round of the Piatigorsky Cup Chess Tournament.
The event, in which 10 of the world's greatest grand-masters will be competing for $20,000 in prizes, will be held at the Miramar Hotel in Santa Monica.
Also crossing pawns today will be U.S. chess champion Bobby Fischer of Brooklyn and former U.S. champion Samuel Reshevsky of Spring Valley, N.Y.
The other pairings are: Lajos Portisch, Hungary, vs. Miguel Najdorf, Argentina; Borislav Ivkov, Yugoslavia, vs. Bent Larsen, Denmark, and Jan Donner, Holland. vs. Wolfgang Unzicker. West Germany.
Schedule 18 Rounds
A total of 18 rounds will be played through Aug. 15, mainly on Sunday afternoons and Monday, Wednesday and Thursday evenings.
For a period last week it appeared the Russians might stay home, following the example of their track and field stars.
They were scheduled on a flight from Moscow Wednesday, but after an unexplained delay they arrived late Friday evening. Donner was on the same plane, also having missed a previous flight.
The tournament will undoubtedly rank with the greatest in chess history. Requests for information and for copies of the bulletins to be issued have been received from all over the world.
Credit for the organization of this outstanding event is due to Mrs. Gregor Piatigorsky, president of the sponsoring Platigorsky Foundation, which she established several years ago with her husband, the world renowned cellist.
Resolving a series of problems, Mrs. Piatigorsky had but one thought — the tournament must have the finest players who could he brought together, with conditions conducive to the greatest chess of which the players were capable.
The Los Angeles Times Los Angeles, California Monday, July 18, 1966 - Page 19
Draw Marks Chess Play Start
BY ISAAC KASHDAN
Times Chess Editor
Caption: ‘IT'S YOUR MOVE’—World chess champion Tigran Petrosian of Russia eyes opponent, Boris Spassky,
also of U.S.S.R., at opening of second Piatigorsky Cup tournament in Santa Monica's Miramar Hotel.
Times photo by Bill Murphy
World's chess champion Tigran Petrosian of the U.S.S.R. drew with his compatriot, Boris Spassky, in the first round of the Piatigorsky Cup International Chess Tournament.
The game lasted 29 moves and was the first to finish in the Sunday afternoon session at the Miramar Hotel in Santa Monica.
Also drawn after 42 moves was the encounter between U.S. champion Bobby Fischer of Brooklyn and former U.S. champion Samuel Reshevsky of Spring Valley, N.Y.
Reshevsky took considerably more time than Fischer in the early
stages and barely made the required number of moves in his allotted time.
The other players also seemed peacefully inclined, judging by the results. Draws were recorded by Lajos Portisch of Hungary and Miguel Najdorf of Argentina in 33 moves, and by Jan Donner of Holland versus Wolfgang Unzicker of West Germany in 43 moves.
The only game not completed in the 5-hour session was between Borislav Ivkov of Yugoslavia and Bent Larsen of Denmark.
Ivkov is expected to win when his game is resumed Tuesday morning. He had the advantage of rook for knight, which he obtained by forceful play just before adjournment.
The second round will start at 6:30 p.m. today at the Miramar. The pairings are Spassky versus Unzicker, Larsen versus Donner, Najdorf versus Ivkov, Fischer versus Portisch and Petrosian versus Reshevsky.
The tournament was officially opened by Jerry Spann of Oklahoma City, vice president of the International Chess Federation.
Sponsoring the event is the Piatigorsky Foundation, organized by world renowned cellist Gregor Piatigorsky and his wife Jacqueline. It is the second competition for the Piatigorsky Cup, the first having been held here in July, 1963.
Oakland Tribune Oakland, California Monday, July 18, 1966 - Page 6
4 Draws in Sky Cup Chess
SANTA MONICA (AP) — The first round of the Piatigorsky Sky Cup international grandmasters' chess tournament ended in four draws and one adjourned game which is likely to end in a victory for Borislav Ivkov of Yugoslavia over Bent Larsen of Denmark.
World champion Tigran Petrosian of Russia drew a queen's gambit declined against countryman Boris Spassky in 29 moves yesterday, gradually working out a slight advantage which proved insufficient for a win as Spassky tenaciously defended his black side of the game.
Former United States champion Samuel Reshevsky, contender of the world championship for many years, also drew and halved the point with Bobby Fischer, who has won the United States championship six times in his young career.
Reshevsky managed to hold a slight edge for most of the game. But Fischer finally liquidated the entire queen side and wiped out the potential promotion of a white pawn to a queen by advancing his queen knight's pawn to the seventh rank.
In the Ivkov-Larsen game, the Yugoslav won the exchange by winning a rook for a knight through a check to the king on the 45th move and with adjournment one move later stands much better.
This article also appears in,
- The San Francisco Examiner San Francisco, California Monday, July 18, 1966 - Page 34 “Grandmaster Chess Draws”
The Central New Jersey Home News New Brunswick, New Jersey Monday, July 18, 1966 - Page 3
4 Draws Mark Chess Tourney
SANTA MONICA. Calif. (AP) — The first round of the Piatigorsky Cup international grandmasters' chess tournament ended in four draws and one adjourned game which is likely to end in a victory for Borislav Ivkov of Yugoslavia over Bent Larsen of Denmark.
World Champion Tigran Petrosian of Russia drew a queen's gambit declined against countryman Boris Spassky in 29 moves yesterday, gradually working out a slight advantage which proved insufficient for a win as Spassky tenaciously defended his black side of the game.
Former United States champion Samuel Reshevsky, contender for the world championship for many years, also drew and halved the point with Bobby Fischer, who has won the United States championship six times in his young career.
Reshevsky managed to hold a slight edge for most of the game. But Fischer finally liquidated the entire queen side and wiped out the potential promotion of a white pawn to a queen by advancing his queen Knights pawn to the seventh rank.
In the Ivkov-Larsen game, the Yugoslav won the exchange by winning a rook for a knight through a check to the king on the 45th move and with adjournment one move later stands much better.
This article also appears in,
- The Courier-News Bridgewater, New Jersey Tuesday, July 19, 1966 - Page 21 “Najdorf Nabs Lead In Chess Tourney”
St. Louis Post-Dispatch St. Louis, Missouri Tuesday, July 19, 1966 - Page 34
Argentine Takes Lead in Chess Tournament
SANTA MONICA, Calif., July 19 (AP) — Miguel Najdorf of Argentina has taken the lead in the second round of the Piatigorsky Cup international chess tournament by beating Borislav Ivkov of Yugoslavia.
Najdorf won in 26 moves last night. The other four matches were scheduled to be played off today.
The contest between world champion Tigran Petrosian of Russia and United States star Sam Reshevsky went 40 moves in five hours. Also adjourned were the contests between Boris Spassky of Russia and Wolfgang Unzicker of Germany; Bent Larsen of Denmark and Jan Donner of Holland and Bobby Fischer of the U.S. and Lajos Portisch of Hungary.
The Los Angeles Times Los Angeles, California Wednesday, July 20, 1966 - Page 27
Argentine and Soviet Players Lead in Chess
Miguel Najdorf of Argentina and Boris Spassky of the U.S.S.R. led Tuesday with 1½ points after the completion of two rounds in the Piatigorsky Cup International Chess Tournament at the Miramar Hotel in Santa Monica.
Each played brilliantly to score decisive victories in the second round. Najdorf was the first to finish, defeating Borislav Ivkov of Yugoslavia in 26 moves Monday night.
Najdorf obtained a slight positional advantage in the opening. By clever maneuvering, his queen was able to capture a pawn deep in Ivkov's territory.
Najdorf's 23rd move was decisive. He apparently gave up a rook, but mate would have followed had Ivkov attempted to capture it. The result was a sizable material advantage, which prompted Ivkov to resign.
King Side Attack
A direct king side attack was Spassky's method in his game with Wolfgang Unzicker of West Germany. By sacrificing a knight temporarily, Spassky obtained an overwhelming advantage.
The game was adjourned Monday midnight after 40 moves. Another six moves were required when play was resumed Tuesday morning before Unzicker resigned.
The other three games of the second round resulted in draws, all of them going into the second session.
World chess champion Tigran Petrosian drew after 41 moves with former U.S. champion Samuel Reshevsky of Spring Valley, N.Y. Petrosian had a freer game for most of the way, but could not extend his advantage against Reshevsky's sturdy defense.
Perhaps the most sustained interest was aroused by the encounter between U.S. champion Bobby Fischer of Brooklyn and Lajos Portisch of Hungary.
The first 20 moves followed published analysis with which both players were apparently familiar. Fischer gave up a rook for knight, but gained one pawn and soon picked up a second.
When the game was adjourned after 44 moves it seemed that Fischer had winning prospects. The endgame had exciting moments, but Portisch was able to hold the draw, which was agreed after 71 moves.
Larsen-Donner Draw
Another draw was scored after 58 moves between Bent Larsen of Denmark and Jan Donner of Holland. Here Larsen had seemed to have the upper hand.
In the end game each advanced a pawn to queen. By then each had only one remaining pawn, and the game had become too simplified for any winning prospects.
In an adjourned game from the first round, Larsen resigned to Ivkov without resuming play. The third round of the tournament will start at 6:30 p.m. today at the Miramar. The pairings will be: Reshevsky vs. Spassky, Portisch vs. Petrosian, Ivkov vs. Fischer, Donner vs. Najdorf and Unzicker Vs. Larsen.
Following are the details of the two masterpieces of the tournament to date:
The Akron Beacon Journal Akron, Ohio Wednesday, July 20, 1966 - Page 62
Sports In Brief
WINNING IN 26 moves over Borislav Ivkov of Yugoslavia, Argentina's Miguel Najdorf Tuesday night took the lead in the second round of the Piatigorsky Cup international chess tournament at Santa Monica, Cal. American Bobby Fischer and Hungary's Lajos Portisch played a Ruy Lopez game that adjourned with Fischer the exchange down for two pawns…
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- St. Louis Post-Dispatch St. Louis, Missouri Thursday, July 21, 1966 - Page 16 “Word Chess Champion Loses Game In Tourney”
- The Gazette Montreal, Quebec, Canada Friday, July 22, 1966 - Page 29 “Chess Champ Loses Match To Hungarian”
The San Francisco Examiner San Francisco, California Thursday, July 21, 1966 - Page 10
Russ Chess Champ Is 9th Down
SANTA MONICA (AP) —World champion Tigran Petrosian of Russia lost to Hungary's Lajos Portisch and dropped into a ninth-place tie in the third round of the Piatigorsky Cup international chess competition.
Petrosian's defeat last night left him and German Wolfgang Unzicker at the bottom of the 10-man field with 1-2 records in the 18-round tournament.
Petrosian ran into early trouble, and his Hungarian opponent increased the pressure.
After an exchange of bishops on the king's side, a knight advanced to the point where the world champion was faced with the immediate loss of the exchange and the fairly complete liquidation of the position.
Petrosian resigned.
QUIET MATCH
Boris Spassky of Russia and Sammy Reshevsky of the U.S. drew in a quiet match of 20 moves. Spassky held the advantage until he erred slightly on move 19, and Reshevsky took advantage for the deadlock.
Jan Donner of Holland and Argentina's Miguel Najdorf drew in 42 moves. For almost 20 moves, Najdorf enjoyed a slight advantage, but as the pieces were removed, an even position resulted and the players agreed on a draw.
Unzicker and Bent Larsen of Denmark drew in 38 moves. Larsen decoyed the white queen away from the defense of its king, castled on the queen side.
FORCED DRAW
Then he forced the draw by sacrificing a rook for two pawns in front of the white king, leaving it open to perpetual check.
Bobby Fischer of the U.S. and Yugoslavia's Borislav Ivkov adjourned, with Fischer having a passed queen's pawn and two connected rooks operating in white's territory, plus a bishop, to aid the attack against Ivkov's separated rooks and bishop.
Fischer will resume with a clear advantage.
The standings: Najdorf. Portisch and Spassky, 2.1; Donner, Larsen and Reshevsky. 1½-1½; Fischer and Ivkov, 1-1, and Petrosian and Unzicker 1-2.
This article also appears in,
- Oakland Tribune Oakland, California Friday, July 22, 1966 - Page 2 “Fischer Gains In Chess Tourney”
- St. Louis Post-Dispatch St. Louis, Missouri Friday, July 22, 1966 - Page 6 “Fischer In Tie For Lead Of Chess Tournament”
- The Vancouver Sun Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada Friday, July 22, 1966 - Page 11 “U.S. Player Ties For Chess Lead”
- Poughkeepsie Journal Poughkeepsie, New York Friday, July 22, 1966 - Page 26 “Fischer Ties For Chess Lead”
- The Philadelphia Inquirer Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Saturday, July 23, 1966 - Page 18 “Chess Tie Gained By Bobby Fischer”
The Akron Beacon Journal Akron, Ohio Thursday, July 21, 1966 - Page 11
Fischer Ties For Lead In Tourney
SANTA MONICA, Cal. (AP)—Bobby Fischer of the U.S. has moved into a tie for the lead in the Piatigorsky Cup International Chess Tournament.
Fischer won 1½ points Thursday night when he drew with Jan Donner of Holland, after Yugoslavia's Borislav Ivkov resigned an adjourned third-round contest.
FISCHER gained a tie with Argentina's Miguel Najdorf and Lajos Portisch of Hungary by drawing with Donner in a Marshall variation of the Ruy Lopez, a classic opening.
Najdorf drew with Germany's Wolfgang Unsicker after Unzicker broke open the position by the apparent sacrifice of a knight, which the Argentine did not take.
The game ended in a deadlock after 26 moves. World champion Tigran Petrosian of Russia drew with Ivkov in 25 moves and is in fourth place in the standings.
The Los Angeles Times Los Angeles, California Friday, July 22, 1966 - Page 44
U.S. Chess Champion Draws in 4th Round
American chess champion Bobby Fischer of Brooklyn drew with Jan Donner of Holland in the first game to be completed Thursday night in the fourth round of the Piatigorsky Cup chess tournament at the Miramar Hotel in Santa Monica.
The opening was the Marshall variation of the Ruy Lopez, in which black gives up a pawn to obtain a sharp counter attack.
As the game went, Fischer retained the pawn in a strong position. Most of the pieces were exchanged, however, and with opposite-colored bishops on the board, no win was in sight.
The draw was agreed upon after 34 moves.
Draws were also recorded between world chess champion Tigran Petrosian of U.S.S.R. and Borislav Ivkov of Yugoslavia in 25 moves, and between Samuel Reshevsky of Spring Valley, N.Y., and Lajos Portisch, of Hungary, in 16 moves.
Two other games were still being contested at a late hour, between Boris Spassky, U.S.S.R., and Bent Larsen, Denmark, and between Miguel Najdorf, Argentina, and Wolfgang Unzicker, West Germany.
Unfinished games were scheduled to be played off at 11 a.m. today.
The next regular round will start at 1 p.m. Sunday at the Miramar. Paired then will be Portisch vs. Spassky, Ivkov vs. Reshevsky, Donner vs. Petrosian, Unzicker vs. Fischer, and Larsen vs. Najdorf.
This article also appears in,
- The Vancouver Sun Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada Saturday, July 23, 1966 - Page 3 “Chess Draw Holds Russian In Running”
The San Francisco Examiner San Francisco, California Saturday, July 23, 1966 - Page 4
An 8-Hour Chess Battle To a Draw
SANTA MONICA — (AP) — A spectacular, tense duel in the fourth round of the Piatigorsky Cup international chess tournament ended after eight hours of play with Russia's Boris Spassky tying with Denmark's Bent Larsen.
The draw, giving each a half point, kept the Russian in a four-way tie yesterday for first place with Bobby Fischer of the United States. Miguel Najdorf of Argentina, and Lajos Portisch of Hungary.
Each has 2½ games to his credit against 1½ in the loss column.
Larsen—who occupied a rather poor position through the first 40 moves of the long game—ended up with a one-pawn advantage over Spassky after five hours.
Two more sessions failed to produce a winner, so the match was called a draw. Other standings are: America's Samuel Reshevsky and Jan Donner of Holland, 2-2; world chess champ Tigran Petrosian of Russia, Borislav lvkov of Yugoslavia. Wolfgang Unzicker of West Germany and Larsen, 1½-2½.
Pairings for the fifth round tomorrow are Portish-Spassky, Ivkov-Reshevsky, Donner-Petrosian, Unzicker-Fischer and Larsen-Najdorf.
Chicago Tribune Chicago, Illinois Saturday, July 23, 1966 - Page 60
Fischer Ties For Lead In World Chess
Santa Monica, Cal., July 22 (AP)—Bobby Fischer of the United States has moved into a tie for the lead after four hours of the Piatigorsky Cup international chess tournament.
Fischer won 1½ points last night when he drew with Jan Donner of Holland, after Yugoslavia's Borislav Ivkov resigned an adjourned third-round contest.
The Los Angeles Times Los Angeles, California Saturday, July 23, 1966 - Page 20
Russian, Dane Draw in 80 Chess Moves
Boris Spassky of the U.S.S.R. drew in 80 moves with Bent Larsen of Denmark in a game completed late Friday afternoon in the fourth round of the Piatigorsky Cup Chess Tournament.
The game, much the longest of the tournament, started at 6:30 p.m. Thursday at the Miramar Hotel in Santa Monica. Five hours were played to adjournment that evening.
Larsen had a pawn ahead in an ending. He made every effort to win, continuing for almost six hours on Friday. Spassky's solid defense thwarted all his efforts.
Two other games were drawn before adjournment on Thursday. These were between Miguel Najdorf of Argentina and Wolfgang Unzicker of West Germany in 26 moves and between world chess champion Tigran Petrosian of the U.S.S.R. and Borislav Ivkov of Yugoslavia in 25 moves.
In an adjourned game from the third round, U.S. chess champion Bobby Fischer of Brooklyn defeated Ivkov. The latter realized his position was hopeless, and resigned without further play.
The fifth round is scheduled for Sunday at 1 p.m. at the Miramar.
Redlands Daily Facts Redlands, California Saturday, July 23, 1966 - Page 10
Chess Series Moves Into Three-Way Tie
SANTA MONICA (UPI) —Boris Spassky of the USSR and Bent Larsen of Denmark played to a draw after 80 moves Friday night in the final game of the fourth round of the Piatigorsky Cup International Chess Tournament.
The draw drew Spassky into a three-way tie for first place with U.S. champion Bobby Fischer of Brooklyn, N.Y., and Miguel Najdorf of Argentina with 2½ points.
The Los Angeles Times Los Angeles, California Sunday, July 24, 1966 - Page 40
All Fourth Round Cup Games Drawn
All five games were drawn in the fourth round of the Piatigorsky Cup Chess Tournament, being contested through Aug. 15 at the Miramar Hotel in Santa Monica.
This and prior results clearly evidence that the 10 chess grandmasters in the event are excellently matched.
World chess champion Tigran Petrosian of the U.S.S.R. can testify to the hazards he faces daily in this field. He has yet to score a win, losing to Lajos Portisch of Hungary and drawing three games.
Tied for the lead, though barely above the 50% mark, is Bobby Fischer of Brooklyn, 23-year-old U.S. chess champion. He defeated Borislav Ivkov of Yugoslavia and drew three times.
Equalling Fischer's score of 2½ points are Miguel Najdorf of Argentina, Portisch and Boris Spassky of the U.S.S.R.
Most even performances have been recorded by former U.S. chess champion Samuel Reshevsky of Spring Valley, N.Y. and Jan Donner of Holland. Each has drawn all four games for a total of two points each.
Petrosian, with 1½ points, brings up the rear, tied with Ivkov, Bent Larsen of Denmark and Wolfgang Unzicker of West Germany.
The fifth round will start at 1 p.m. today at the Miramar. The pairings are: Portisch vs. Spassky, Ivkov vs. Reshevsky, Donner vs. Petrosian, Unzicker vs. Fischer and Larsen vs. Najdorf. Following are the details of the play last week:
Round 1— Petrosian ½ Spassky ½; Reshevsky ½; Portisch ½. Najdorf ½; Ivkov 1, Larsen 0; Donner ½, Unzicker ½.
Round 2— Spassky 1, Unzicker 0; Larsen ½, Donner ½, Najdorf 1, Ivkov 0: Fischer ½, Portisch ½; Petrosian ½, Reshevsky ½.
Round 3— Reshevsky ½, Spassky ½; Portisch 1, Petrosian 0; Ivkov 0; Fischer 1; Donner ½, Najdorf ½; Unzicker ½, Larsen ½.
Round 4— Spassky ½, Larsen ½; Najdorf ½, Unzicker ½; Fischer ½, Donner ½; Petrosian ½, Ivkov ½, Reshevsky ½, Portisch ½.
St. Louis Post-Dispatch St. Louis, Missouri Sunday, July 24, 1966 - Page 23
Spassky In Draw, Keeps Share In Chess Lead
Santa Monica, Calif., July 23 (AP)—A match in the fourth round of the Piatigorsky Cup International Chess Tournament ended after eight hours of play last night with Russia's Boris Spassky tying with Denmark's Bent Larsen.
The draw, giving each a half point, kept the Russian in a four-way tie yesterday for first place with Bobby Fischer of the United States, Miguel Najdorf of Argentina, and Lajos Portisch of Hungary. Each has 2½ games to his credit against 1½ in the lass column.
Other standings were: America's Samuel Reshevsky and Jan Donner of Holland, 2-2; world chess champ Tigran Petrosian of Russia, Borislav lvkov of Yugoslavia, Wolfgang Unzicker of West Germany and Larsen, 1½-2½.
The Los Angeles Times Los Angeles, California Monday, July 25, 1966 - Page 38
Russian Aces Register Chess Tourney Draws
Two Russian aces registered draws in the only games completed Sunday afternoon in the fifth round of the Piatigorsky Cup International Chess Tournament at the Miramar Hotel in Santa Monica.
World chess champion Tigran Petrosian of Moscow took 33 moves in his contest with Jan Donner of Holland.
Actually, Donner had the advantage, having won a pawn in the middle game complications. With opposite colored bishops on the board, and a number of pieces exchanged, there was not sufficient force to win.
Faces Hungarian
Boris Spassky of Leningrad faced Lajos Portisch of Hungary who had defeated Petrosian earlier in the tournament. Portisch gave up a pawn to establish his pieces in advanced posts.
After a flurry of exchanges the game was quickly equalized, and the draw agreed after 32 moves. The other three games were adjourned after hours of play, all in difficult situations.
U.S. chess champion Bobby Fischer of Brooklyn had established an attacking position after 41 moves, against Wolfgang Unzicker of West Germany. Unzicker had considerable resources, however.
Boris Ivkov of Yugoslavia and Samuel Reshevsky, Spring Valley, N.Y., adjourned after 42 moves, following a series of fast moves required by the time limit. Ivkov picked up a valuable pawn just before the session ended, with favorable prospects for the ending when continued.
Also adjourned after 41 moves was the game between Bent Larsen of Denmark and Miguel Najdorf of Argentina. Najdorf had sacrificed a pawn to open lines on the king's side, but this was probably premature.
In the final position, Larsen had retained the pawn plus, but had two sets of weak doubled pawns to defend.
Leading Tournament
Portisch and Spassky are leading the tournament with three points. This total may be exceeded, however, depending on the outcome of the unfinished games. The sixth round will be played today from 1 to 6 p.m. The pairings are: Spassky versus Najdorf, Fischer versus Larsen, Petrosian versus Unzicker, Reshevsky versus Donner and Portisch versus Ivkov.
This article also appears in,
- The Boston Globe Boston, Massachusetts Monday, July 25, 1966 - Page 16 “Russian, Hungarian Lead Chess Battle”
- The San Francisco Examiner San Francisco, California Monday, July 25, 1966 - Page 8 “A Bold Draw in Piatigorsky Play”
The Vancouver Sun Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada Monday, July 25, 1966 - Page 15
Hungarian, Russian Tie
SANTA MONICA, Calif. (AP) — Russia's Boris Spassky and Lajos Portisch of Hungary have a strong grip on the lead today in the Piatigorsky Cup chess tournament after battling to a draw in the most spectacular match so far. The 18-round double round-robin tournament has three weeks to go.
In other matches, world chess champion Tigran Petrosian of Russia drew with Jan Donner of Holland after 35 moves.
Games between Borislav Ivkov of Yugoslavia and Samuel Reshevsky of the United States, Wolfgang Unzicker of West Germany and Bobby Fischer of the United States and Bent Larsen of Denmark and Miguel Najdorf of Argentina, were adjourned, to be played off he Tuesday.
The standings: Spassky and Portisch, 3-2; Donner, Fischer, Najdorf, 2½-2½; Reshevsky 2-2; Petrosian 2-3; Ivkov, Larsen and Unzicker 1½-2½
The Los Angeles Times Los Angeles, California Tuesday, July 26, 1966 - Page 46
Ex-U.S. Chess Champ Wins in Tourney
Former U.S. chess champion Samuel Reshevsky of Spring Valley, N.Y., played brilliantly Monday to defeat Jan Donner of Holland in 36 moves in the 6th round of the Piatigorsky Cup International Chess Tournament at the Miramar Hotel in Santa Monica.
Reshevsky started by giving up a pawn to open a key diagonal bearing on Donner's king. He then sacrificed a bishop to draw the king into the open. The finale was the offer of a rook which forced a checkmate whether Donner took it or not.
It was Reshevsky's first win of the tournament and the first loss for Donner, who had drawn five games in succession.
Fischer Resigns
U.S. champion Bobby Fischer of Brooklyn fared much worse at the hands of Bent Larsen of Denmark, resigning after 30 moves.
Fischer had come out of the opening with two strong bishops and what appeared to be good attacking chances. A couple of inconsistent moves gave Larsen an opportunity.
The Dane captured a pawn, and when Fischer's attack was halted, there was no way to prevent the pawn advancing to queen without the loss of at least a piece.
World chess champion Tigran Petrosian of the U.S.S.R., who has still to win a game in the tournament, drew in 37 moves with Wolfgang Unzicker of West Germany.
Also evenly matched were Boris Spassky of the U.S.S.R. and Miguel Najdorf of Argentina, who drew their game after 36 moves.
Game Adjourned
Lajos Portisch of Hungary and Borislav Ivkov of Yugoslavia adjourned their game in 42 moves after 5 hours of play.
Spassky is in the lead with a score of 3½-2½ but he may be overtaken when the adjourned games are completed. Other totals are: Najdorf, Portisch and Reshevsky, 3-2; Larsen and Fischer 2½-2½; Donner and Petrosian, 2½-3½; Unzicker, 2-3, and Ivkov, 1½-2½.
Adjourned games from the 5th and 6th rounds will be continued at 11 a.m. today at the Miramar.
This article also appears in,
- The Central New Jersey Home News New Brunswick, New Jersey Tuesday, July 26, 1966 - Page 17 “Chess Champs Battle It Out”
- Poughkeepsie Journal Poughkeepsie, New York Tuesday, July 26, 1966 - Page 14 “Reshevsky Scores Chess Victory”
- The Vancouver Sun Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada Tuesday, July 26, 1966 - Page 21 “Reshevsky Tops Donner In Chess”
- The Boston Globe Boston, Massachusetts Tuesday, July 26, 1966 - Page 7 “Reshevsky Flashes Old Form”
Tucson Daily Citizen Tucson, Arizona Tuesday, July 26, 1966 - Page 15
Reshevsky Conquers His Foe In 36 Moves
Santa Monica, Calif. New York's one-time child prodigy of chess, Samuel Reshevsky, turned in one of the most brilliant games of the Piatigorsky Cup International Chess Tournament when he beat Holland's Jan Donner in 36 moves.
Reshevsky, strong from the opening, moved in on his opponent forcefully and displayed excellent strategy before Donner was forced to resign last night.
The Reshevsky-Donner encounter was but one of the exciting matches in a round that produced five interesting games. The other American in the tournament, Bobby Fischer of New York, lost his game in 29 moves to Bent Larsen of Denmark as he tried desperately to save himself after falling into a poor position.
Two other games — between Russia's Boris Spassky and Argentina's Miguel Najdorf, and Russian world champion Tigran Petrosian and West Germany's Wolfgang Unzicker — ended in draws.
Petrosian played below his usual form, and the game was ended at 38 moves. Spassky drew in 31 moves with Najdorf in a king's Indian defense after both sides were without enough material to win.
The game between Lajos Portisch of Hungary and Borislav Ivkov of Yugoslavia was adjourned, with Ivkov slightly ahead. Their forces were so reduced the game probably will end in a draw.
The standings: Spassky 3½-2½; Reshevsky, Portisch and Najdorf 3-2; Larsen and Fischer 2½-2½; Petrosian and Donner 2½-3½; Unzicker 2-3, and Ivkov 1½-2½.
The Los Angeles Times Los Angeles, California Wednesday, July 27, 1966 - Page 50
Three Tied for Lead in Chess Play
Bent Larsen of Denmark, Lajos Portisch of Hungary and Boris Spassky of the U.S.S R. were tied for the lead with scores of 3½-2½ after six rounds of play in the Piatigorsky Cup International Chess Tournament at the Miramar Hotel in Santa Monica.
Larsen moved up by defeating Miguel Najdorf of Argentina in 69 moves in a game adjourned from the fifth round and completed Tuesday afternoon.
Starting the session a pawn ahead, but finding it difficult to make progress, Larsen returned the pawn to get his pieces free. The strategy was successful and a number of moves later Larsen won two knights for a rook.
It was Larsen's second win in succession, following his defeat of U.S. champion Bobby Fischer of Brooklyn.
Draw Game
An adjourned game from the sixth round was drawn in 43 moves between Portisch and Borislav Ivkov of Yugoslavia. Only one move was made in the second session, when the players agreed to split the point.
Also drawn was the game between Fischer and Wolfgang Unzicker of West Germany, which went to 78 moves. Fischer had a decided positional advantage when the session started, but could find nothing decisive.
The only remaining adjourned game was between Ivkov and Samuel Reshevsky of Spring Valley, N.Y., which will be played off Friday morning.
Reshevsky is the only player other than the leaders to have a plus score, 3-2. Fischer and Najdorf are tied with 3-3.
World chess champion Tigran Petrosian of the U.S.S.R., who has clearly not played in his best form, is tied with Unzicker and Jan Donner of Holland, with scores of 2½-3½. Ivkov has 2-3.
The seventh round will be contested at 6:30 p.m. today at the Miramar. The pairings are: Ivkov vs. Spassky, Donner vs. Portisch, Unzicker vs. Reshevsky, Larsen vs. Petrosian and Najdorf vs. Fischer.
Following are the details of two decisive games from the sixth round:
This article also appears in,
- The Corpus Christi Caller-Times Corpus Christi, Texas Wednesday, July 27, 1966 - Page 18 “Dane Tied for 2nd Place in Chess Tourney”
- The San Francisco Examiner San Francisco, California Wednesday, July 27, 1966 - Page 22 “Larsen Tied for Chess 2d”
- The Boston Globe Boston, Massachusetts Wednesday, July 27, 1966 - Page 9 “Larsen Climbs In Chess Tourney”
- Oakland Tribune Oakland, California Wednesday, July 27, 1966 - Page 28 “Dane Beats Fischer in Chess Meet”
- Poughkeepsie Journal Poughkeepsie, New York Wednesday, July 27, 1966 - Page 32 “Larsen Gains Tie for 2nd In Chess Play”
- St. Louis Post-Dispatch St. Louis, Missouri Wednesday, July 27, 1966 - Page 19 “Three in Tie For Second In Chess Tournament”
The Central New Jersey Home News New Brunswick, New Jersey Wednesday, July 27, 1966 - Page 29
Fischer Drops 3rd Chess Match
SANTA MONICA. Calif, (AP) — Bent Larsen of Denmark has moved into a tie for second place in the sixth round of the Piatigorsky Cup international chess tournament.
Larsen won his fifth-round match yesterday by defeating Miguel Najdorf of Argentina and then beat 23-year-old Bobby Fischer of New York.
With a 3½-2½ record, Larsen is tied with Boris Spassky of Russia and Hungary's Lajos Portisch.
America's Samuel Reshevsky, who has completed only five matches in the 18-round competition, holds a slight lead with a 3-2 record.
Fischer and Najdorf are 3-3, while Holland's Jan Donner, Wolfgang Unzicker of Germany and world champion Tigran Petrosian of the Soviet Union are 2½-3½. Yugoslavia's Borislav Ivkov is last with a 2-3 mark.
The Los Angeles Times Los Angeles, California Thursday, July 28, 1966 - Page 24
Petrosian and Fischer Lose Chess Matches
World chess champion Tigran Petrosian of the U.S.S.R. and U.S. champion Bobby Fischer of Brooklyn, N.Y., were both defeated Wednesday in a remarkable exhibition of masterly chess in the seventh round of the Piatigorsky Cup Chess Tournament at the Miramar Hotel in Santa Monica.
Most sensational was the downfall of Petrosian at the hands of Bent Larsen of Denmark. Larsen gave up his queen to capture a pawn which apparently was firmly protected.
The result was a direct attack on the champion's king by Larsen's two rooks and bishops. Their combined power threatened to force a check-mate. Petrosian resigned on the 30th move.
Fischer was defeated in 31 moves by Miguel Najdorf of Argentina. Playing the black pieces, Fischer advanced pawns on both wings, but weakened his center squares in the process.
Najdorf advanced his knights. finding good posts deep in Fischer's territory. Fischer was unable to avoid all the threats, finally losing a piece.
Boris Spassky of the U.S.S.R. outplayed Borislav Ivkov of Yugoslavia to score a point after 36 moves.
Two games resulted in routine draws, between Jan Donner of Holland and Lajos Portisch of Hungary in 36 moves, and between Wolfgang Unzicker of West Germany and Samuel Reshevsky of Spring Valley, N.Y. in 22 moves.
Larsen and Spassky are in the lead with scores of 4½—2½, Najdorf and Portisch follow with 4—3.
Other totals are Reshevsky, 3½—2½; Donner, Fischer and Unzicker, 3—4; Petrosian, 2½—4½; and Ivkov, 2—4.
The eighth round will be played at 6:30 p.m. today at the Miramar. The pairings will be: Spassky vs. Fischer, Petrosian vs. Najdorf, Reshevsky vs. Larsen, Portisch vs. Unzicker, and Ivkov vs. Donner.
This article also appears in,
- The Vancouver Sun Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada Thursday, July 28, 1966 - Page 14 “Great Dane Downs Tigran”
St. Louis Post-Dispatch St. Louis, Missouri Thursday, July 28, 1966 - Page 55
Dane Defeats Petrosian In Chess Tournament
Santa Monica, Calif. July 28 (AP)—Denmark's Bent Larsen has defeated world champion Tigran Petrosian of Russia in the seventh round of the Piatigorsky international chess competition. Larsen, shares the lead with Russia's Boris Spassky, each having 4½-2½ record.
Spassky beat Borislav Ivkov of Yugoslavia.
Argentina's Miguel Najdorf gained a share of third place, defeating Bobby Fischer of New York.
The other matches ended in draws: Wolfgang Unzicker of Germany Samuel Reshevsky of New York; Holland's Jan Donner and Lajos Portisch of Hungary.
The Los Angeles Times Los Angeles, California Friday, July 29, 1966 - Page 44
Pair Draw in Chess Match
By Isaac Kashdan, Times Chess Editor
The first game to be completed Thursday night was a draw in 19 moves between Samuel Reshevsky of Spring Valley, N.Y., and Bent Larsen of Denmark in the eighth round of the Piatigorsky Cup International Chess Tournament at the Miramar Hotel in Santa Monica.
Larsen gave up a pawn on the 10th move to open lines on the king side. He did not regain the material, but was able to force a draw by repetition of moves.
Another draw was recorded in 28 moves between Borislav Ivkov of Yugoslavia and Jan Donner of Holland. The positions were evenly balanced throughout.
Three other games were still being contested at a late hour. The pairings were: Boris Spassky of the USSR versus U.S. chess champion Bobby Fischer of Brooklyn; world chess champion Tigran Petrosian of the USSR versus Miguel Najdorf of Argentina, and Lajos Portisch of Hungary versus Wolfgang Unzicker of West Germany.
Unfinished games will be played off at 11 a.m. today at the Miramar.
Des Moines Tribune Des Moines, Iowa Friday, July 29, 1966 - Page 6
How to Lose Wife or Husband: Introduce Chess
By Ralph Dighton
SANTA MONICA, CALIF. (AP)—Madam, if you want to get rid of your husband, introduce him somehow to chess.
Unless you play the game yourself, the odds are about even you'll seldom see him again.
And, husbands, it works even better in reverse: Some women chess addicts are really out of this world.
Living proofs of the perils of this ancient avenue to separation from reality are on exhibit nightly in a basement banquet room at the oceanfront Miramar Hotel.
Upstairs, balmy breezes tease palm fronds on a torch-lit patio splashed with gay frocks and Polynesian shirts.
Ignoring all this, some 700 men and a scattering of women slip downstairs night after night and take their places on hard chairs.
5-Hour Stare
For five hours, they hypnotize themselves by staring fixedly at projection screens representing the five boards at which 10 masters are battling for a record $13,000 in prizes.
On each of the screens are 64 squares, and arranged at seeming random on the squares are up to 32 pieces called kings, queens, bishops, knights, rooks and pawns.
Every once in a long, long while one of the players moves a piece on his board, and a corresponding piece is moved on the screen.
Small sounds of approval—or wonder—escape from the crowd, then all quiet down and wait for the next move.
The scene is the month-long Piatigorsky Cup Tournament, sponsored by cellist Gregor Piatigorsky and his wife Jacqueline, who is California women's chess champion.
Mrs. Piatigorsky designed the projection screens, an innovation in chess, after the line-score screens in bowling alleys.
“They've increased attendance tremendously,” she says. “Now, for the first time, everybody can see what's going on.”
Players
Seated at the boards are world champion Tigran Petrosian and Boris Spassky of the U.S.S.R., Lajos Portisch of Hungary, Miguel Najdorf of Argentina, Borislav Ivkov of Yugoslavia, Jorgen Bent Larsen of Denmark, Jan Donner of the Netherlands, Wolfgang Unzicker of West Germany, and Samuel Reshevsky and Robert Fischer of the United States.
Fischer, 23, is the “baby” of the tournament. He became a grand master at 15, the youngest to achieve the title.
Each player has 2½ hours to make 40 moves, or forfeit the game. As each moves, he punches a clock and his opponent's time-to-move starts. At first, the moves come slowly, up to half an hour apart. Later, with time running out, the moves may be only seconds apart.
When this happens, tension mounts. The 700-odd spectators sit on the edges of their chairs. Players squeeze their foreheads and run fingers through their hair.
Back Nest Day
If a game is not finished in five hours, the players adjourn until the next day. Many times in this tournament, the opponents agree that neither can win and they call a draw.
Now and then, however, the spectators are lucky. A brilliant attack succeeds in 20 to 30 moves: Checkmate! And the game is over.
At the end of five hours the 700 spectators—lawyers, doctors, insurance men, teachers, factory hands—rise slowly and return to reality.
They move up the stairs. The breeze is still playing, sounds of laughter and music drift across the lighted patio, but the addicts do not notice. Many of them have pocket-size chessboards in their hands and they are reconstructing the play.
Still hypnotized? Well, call it chess-nosis.
This article also appears in,
- Poughkeepsie Journal Poughkeepsie, New York Friday, July 29, 1966 - Page 25 “Spassky, Fischer Clash in Chess”
The San Francisco Examiner San Francisco, California Friday, July 29, 1966 - Page 49
Russian, American Resume Chess Play
Santa Monica—(AP)— Russia's Boris Spassky and Bobby Fischer of New York resume an adjourned game today that could put Spassky in the lead in the Piatigorsky Cup international chess tournament.
Spassky, with a 4½-2&half record, kept the American youngster on the defensive throughout last night's match, and play adjourned with Fischer in a somewhat inferior position.
Denmark's Bent Larsen, who is 5-3, drew with Sam Reshevsky of New York and is challenging for the lead.
Larsen aggressively offered a pawn advantage for the attack, but couldn't press through for the point, and the match ended in 19 moves.
Other Game
In the only other game played to a conclusion, Jan Donner of Holland and Yugoslavia's Borislav Ivkov drew in 28 moves. Ivkov took the better position, but once all rooks were off the board, he didn't have enough pieces to win.
World champion Tigran Petrosian of Russia and Argentina's Miguel Najdorf adjourned a 43-move contest, with Petrosian a pawn up.
He had bishop, rook and three pawns against Najdorf's knight and rook and two pawns, all on king's side. The Soviet was pressing to win in a position believed to be a potential draw.
42 Moves
Lajos Portisch of Hungary and Wolfgang Unzicker of Germany adjourned after 42 moves when each had four pawns and a position were two white bishops for Portisch were set against Un-zicker's king and bishop.
Standings in the eighth of 18 rounds:
The Vancouver Sun Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada Friday, July 29, 1966 - Page 19
CHESS CUP: Dane Goes Into Lead
Santa Monica, Calif. (CP) — Denmark's Bent Larsen took over first place in the Piatigorsky Cup international chess tournament Thursday night when he drew with Samuel Reshevsky of the United States in 19 moves.
Larsen has five out of a possible eight points after eight rounds of play in the 10-man, 18-round, double round-robin tournament.
Russia's Boris Spassky kept Bobby Fischer of the U.S. on the defensive throughout their match and play was adjourned with Fischer in a somewhat inferior position. Spassky is second with 4½ points.
In the only other game decided, Jan Donner of The Netherlands and Yugoslavia's Borislav Ivkov drew in 28 moves.
World champion Tigran Petrosian of Russia and Argentina's Miguel Najdorf adjourned a 43-move contest, with Petrosian a pawn up.
The Los Angeles Times Los Angeles, California Saturday, July 30, 1966 - Page 34
2 Russians Win Games in Chess Tournament
The two Russian grand masters scored impressive victories Friday in games adjourned from the eighth round of the Piatigorsky Cup International Chess Tournament at the Miramar Hotel in Santa Monica.
World chess champion Tigran Petrosian of Moscow notched his first victory of the event at the expense of Miguel Najdorf of Argentina in a game which lasted 86 moves.
Petrosian gained the advantage of a pawn in the first session Thursday night. Although the resulting position was considered a theoretical draw, Petrosian kept improving until he had to capture a knight, when Najdorf resigned.
Boris Spassky of Leningrad played superbly in a difficult ending to defeat U.S. champion Bobby Fischer in 50 moves.
With most of the pieces exchanged, Spassky had a bishop and three pawns against Fischer's knight and three pawns.
Spassky's king was able to advance and capture one of Fischer's pawns, to earn the point.
Two other games were drawn in this session, between Lajos Portisch of Hungary and Wolfgang Unzicker of West Germany in 59 moves, and a marathon between Borislav Ivkov of Yugoslavia and Samuel Reshevsky of Spring Valley, N.Y. which went to 94 moves.
The ninth round of the tournament will be played from 1 to 6 p.m. Sunday at the Miramar.
The Gazette Montreal, Quebec, Canada Saturday, July 30, 1966 - Page 28
Peace On Two Fronts
At the USA championship at New York. American champion Bobby Fischer and veteran champion, Samuel Reshevsky, were seen to shake hands and to chat amicably. They had been on the ‘outs’ ever since the unhappy finish of their match a few years ago, when Fischer withdrew before its completion, due to a defaulted game registered against him for failure to show at a re-scheduled hour. The quarrel was primarily with the committee but Fischer threatened to sue Reshevsky for his share of the purse. Nothing more has been heard of that.
Fischer has also expressed regret over his attack on Russian players for their alleged collaboration to assure a Russian victory. This was the reason for his withdrawal from the world series.
Champion Trailing In Piatigorsky Tourney
Boris Spassky, USSR, leads the Piatigorsky Cup tourney at Santa Monica, Cal., 3½-2½ pts., ahead of M. Najdorf, Argentina, S. Reshevsky, USA, and L. Portisch, Hungary, 3-2 each; R. J. Fischer, USA, and B. Larsen, Denmark, 2½-2½ each; world champion Tigran Petrosian, USSR, and J. H. Donner, Holland, 2½-3½ each; W. Unzicker, W. Germany, 2-3. and B. Ivkov, Yugoslavia, 1½-2½. Unexpected results were Petrosian's loss to Portisch, and Fischer's to Larsen in 29 moves. Larsen lost earlier to Ivkov, Reshevsky brilliantly defeated Donner in moves.
Larsen, Best in the West
Bent Larsen, young Danish grandmaster, defeated Ewfim Geller, USSR, 5.4 pts., in a match at Copenhagen. This play-off match decides third place in the Challengers tourney of the last world series, and earns him a seeded place in the 1967 Inter-Zonal of the new series.
Larsen's string of successes in the last few years has surprised the chess world, and on his record many regard him as the leading player outside the USSR, ahead of Fischer, Ivkov and Portisch. The current Piatigorsky Cup tourney, in which all four are competing, will throw more light on this. Fischer, of course, is trying to regain his place after an absence of several years from the international field.
Questions Arise: Did D.M. LeDain actually write this piece, or an intern??
“Fischer has also expressed regret over his attack on Russian players for their alleged collaboration to assure a Russian victory. This was the reason for his withdrawal from the world series.”
—NOTE: Source not cited. Questionable, since Fischer continued to allege the same suspicions for years after. Later, the same accusations corroborated by Soviet players themselves. But if so, in what actual context?
“Fischer, of course, is trying to regain his place after an absence of several years from the international field”
— Fischer was not absent from international chess for “years”, his presence in the Cuban Capablanca Memorial, was noted the prior year, 1965.
This article also appears in,
- St. Louis Post-Dispatch St. Louis, Missouri Saturday, July 30, 1966 - Page 5 “Russian Takes Lead In Chess Tournament”
- The Akron Beacon Journal Akron, Ohio Saturday, July 30, 1966 - Page 3 “Spassky Bags Chess Lead”
- Nanaimo Daily News Nanaimo, British Columbia, Canada Saturday, July 30, 1966 - Page 1 “Boris Spassky of Russia Has Taken the Lead”
The San Francisco Examiner San Francisco, California Saturday, July 30, 1966 - Page 14
Russ Chess Star Tops U.S. Entry
SANTA MONICA — (AP)— Russia's Boris Spassky has taken the lead in the ninth round of the Piatigorsky Cup chess tournament by winning from Bobby Fischer of the United States.
The win yesterday gave Spassky a 5½-2½ point total, boosting him into the top spot over Denmark's Bent Larsen by a half point.
Spassky moved his king from from the king's side of his white pieces to the opposing rook file and Fischer resigned when it became obvious Spassky would overpower him.
In another game, Tigran Petrosian of the U.S.S.R. defeated Argentina's Miguel Najdorf in 86 moves.
Sammy Reshevsky of the U.S. carried Borislav Ivkov of Yugoslavia to 94 moves before Ivkov would concede a draw.
In a final game, Hungary's Lajos Portisch agreed to a draw with Wolfgang Unzicker of Germany after 58 moves.
The first half of the tournament will be concluded tomorrow.
The Los Angeles Times Los Angeles, California Sunday, July 31, 1966 - Page 92 (★)
Players Equal In Piatigorsky Cup
One of the surprise, in the early rounds of the Piatigorsky Cup Tournament is that all 10 competitors seem almost exactly on a par.
All are grandmasters of wide experience, invited as the best chess players in the world. Yet even in grandmaster tournaments someone usually takes command easily, another performs poorly.
As this is written, after the sixth round, there is only one point difference between first and last places in the standings. The top score is 3½-2½, and the bottom 2½-3½.
One factor that accounts for the closeness of the scores is the high percentage of draws. Only eight games were won of the first 30 played. In the first Piatigorsky Cup competition three years ago, half the games were drawn, 28 of 56.
Yet most of the games, including those drawn, were fine specimens of chess. Many brilliant examples of strategy and tactics of a high order can be found.
In some cases of seemingly placid, uneventful games, there were ideas beneath the surface that both players were aware of, traps that they avoided, perhaps opportunities missed.
Two of the players counted upon to add excitement to the tournament have not as yet displayed their full prowess.
First is world champion Tigran Petrosian of the USSR, fresh from his successful defense of the title in match play against his compatriot Boris Spassky.
It is not merely that Petrosian had not won a game at this writing, with one loss and five draws, but that he had not shown the forcefulness, the accuracy expected of him.
The other disappointing performer is our own champion, 23-year-old Bobby Fischer of Brooklyn. At least twice he had games that seemed made to order for his vigorous attacking_style, and he did not or could not follow through.
The only winner of two games was Bent Larsen of Denmark, who defeated in successive rounds Miguel Najdorf of Argentina and Fischer. The only two-game loser was Borislav Ivkov of Yugoslavia, curiously to the aforementioned Najdorf and Fischer.
The halfway point of the tournament will be reached today with the playing of the ninth round starting at 1 p.m. at the Miramar Hotel in Santa Monica.
Paired together are Fischer and Petrosian, with The American ace having the white pieces. This is undoubtedly the most eagerly awaited encounter of the tournament, and if both are in good form, real chess will be seen.
The other pairings are: Jan Donner of Holland vs. Spassky; Wolfgang Unzicker of West Germany vs. Ivkov: Larsen vs. Lajos Portisch of Hungary, and Najdorf vs. Samuel Reshevsky of Spring Valley, N.Y.
Nine more rounds are on the schedule, with pairings as in the first nine, except that colors are reversed. Playing dates are Sunday afternoons and Monday, Wednesday and Thursday evenings, through Aug. 15. Tuesdays and Fridays are devoted to adjourned games.
Following are details through the sixth round. See the news section of The Times for more current results and standings.
The Los Angeles Times Los Angeles, California Sunday, July 31, 1966 - Page 41
Spassky Leads Chess Championship Tourney
Russian Master Tops Field After 8th Round of Play in International Games
Boris Spassky of the U.S.S.R., recent challenger for the world chess championship, led with a score of 5½-2½ after eight completed rounds of the Piatigorsky Cup International Chess Tournament at the Miramar Hotel in Santa Monica.
Spassky moved ahead of the field of 10 grand masters by winning two sharp games in succession, against Borislav Ivkov of Yugoslavia in the seventh round and U.S. champion Bobby Fischer of Brooklyn, N.Y. in the eighth.
His total includes five wins and two draws.
In second place at this stage is Bent Larsen of Denmark. with 5-3. Larsen lost his first game to Ivkov, but has been undefeated since with three victories and four draws.
The feature of Larsen's record is his sensational victory over world chess champion Tigran Petrosian of the U.S.S.R., easily the most brilliant game of the tournament to date.
Tied for third with scores of 4½-3½ are Lajos Portisch of Hungary and Samuel Reshevsky of Spring Valley, N. Y. They have identical results, one win and seven draws. Following is Miguel Najdorf of Argentina, with 4-4.
Most surprising are the low standings of Petrosian and Fischer who were prime favorites to capture the top prizes.
Petrosian won for the first time in the eighth round against Najdorf. He is tied with Jan Donner of Holland and Wolfgang Unzicker of West Germany, all with 3½-4½.
Fischer shares the bottom of the list with Ivkov, each having lost three games, won one and drawn four, with a point score of 3-5.
Fischer was doing reasonably well, but has dropped three games in succession, to Larsen, Najdorf and Spassky.
The ninth round will be played from 1 to 6 p.m. today at the Miramar. Despite their setbacks, the pairing that will arouse the most interest is Fischer vs. Petrosian, with the American having the white pieces.
The other pairings are Donner vs. Spassky, Unzicker vs. Ivkov. Larsen vs. Portisch, and Najdorf vs. Reshevsky.
Following are the recent results and the moves of the instructive games between Larsen and Petrosian, and between Spassky and Fischer.
Sunday Gazette-Mail Charleston, West Virginia Sunday, July 31, 1966 - Page 35
Chess Champ Struggling In Grandmaster Tourney
The Piatigorsky International All-Grandmaster Tournament at Santa Monica, Calif.—one of the outstanding chess events of this decade—is producing some startling results.
World champion Tigran Petrosian of Russia has fallen to next-to-last place among the 10 famed players who are competing. He was beaten in only 30 moves by Bent Larsen of Denmark in the seventh round and dropped to a feeble score of 2½-4½.
Larsen, with 4½-2½, is tied with Boris Spassky of Russia for first place. Miguel Najdorf of Argentina and Lajos Portisch of Hungary are close behind with 4-3.
America's bright young star, Bobby Fischer, also is making a poor showing. He has a minus score of 3-4—a half-point behind the other American entry, Samuel Reshevsky.
But the 18-round tourney is not yet half over, so there's plenty of time for the standings to change.
The Boston Globe Boston, Massachusetts Sunday, July 31, 1966 - Page 63
The Piatigorsky chess tournament has begun in Santa Monica and will certainly be ranked as one of the strongest tournaments ever held in the annals of chess.
The participants are Petrosian and Spassky of the Soviet Union, Bobby Fischer and Samuel Reshevsky, United States; Jan Donner, Netherlands; L. Portisch, Hungary; M. Najdorf, Argentina; B. Ivkov, Yugoslavia; Bent Larsen, Denmark, and Wolfgang Unzicker, West Germany.
The tourney will be an 18-round, round-robin.
In early rounds, Portisch upset Petrosian and Fischer is tied for first with three players.
