Grandmaster Chess Event On Horizon

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).

Piatigorsky Cup Tourney Starting

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.

Spassky In Draw, Keeps Share In Chess Lead

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.

4 Draws Mark Chess Tourney

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.

Chess Series Moves Into Three-Way Tie

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.

Russian, Dane Draw in 80 Chess Moves

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.