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Chess By Isaac Kashdan 01 Nov 1959, Sun The Los Angeles Times (Los Angeles, California) Newspapers.com
Chess By Isaac Kashdan
International Grandmaster
TAL POINT AHEAD IN CHALLENGERS' CHESS
Soviet grandmaster Mikhail Tal, in a comparative slump last week, is still one point ahead with one round to play in the Challengers' Tournament in Yugoslavia, according to a report from the New York Times.
Paul Keres of Estonia, starting a determined comeback, defeated Tal in a fine end game lasting 79 moves in the 24th round. In the 26th round Keres gained further ground by downing Paul Benko of New York while Tal was held to a draw by Tigran Petrosian of Russia.
In the 27th round Tal was paired with 16-year-old Bobby Fischer, U.S. chess champion for the last two years. Fischer, who had lost three straight to Tal, attacked vigorously with the white pieces, sacrificing a pawn and a piece to force the black king into the middle of the board.
Certain defeat appeared to be in store for Tal, but he obtained a respite when Fischer weakened, allowing a chance to equalize. Once out of danger, Tal improved his position just before adjournment. In the second session Tal won a pawn and scored the vital point after 52 moves.
In the same round Keres defeated Svetozar Gligoric of Yugoslavia to score 3½-1½ for the week, leaving him still an outside chance to tie for first. The final round pairings are Tal vs. Benko, Keres vs. Olafsson, Petrosian vs. Gligoric and Smyslov vs. Fischer.
Fischer started the week with a victory over Benko. The game was evenly contested in the early part. Fischer was gaining the upper hand when Benko, in severe time trouble, overlooked the loss of a rook to end the game in 39 moves.
In the 25th round Fischer played the Sicilian Defense against Gligoric. The latter sacrificed a pawn, which proved sound enough but netted no advantage. The game drifted into a rook and pawn ending, drawn after 57 moves.
Fischer solidified his position in sixth place by outplaying Fridrik Olafsson of Iceland, with whom he had previously had an even score in three encounters. Fischer built up an advantage by adjournment time and Olafsson resigned without resuming play.
Following are last week's results and a selection of games from the tournament:
ROUND 24—
Tal 0, Keres 1;
Smyslov ½, Petrosian ½;
Fischer 1, Benko 0;
Olafsson 1, Gligoric 0.
ROUND 25—
Olafsson ½, Tal ½;
Gligoric ½, Fischer ½;
Benko 0, Smyslov 1;
Petrosian ½, Keres ½.
ROUND 26—
Tal ½, Petrosian ½;
Keres 1, Benko 0;
Smyslov 0, Gligoric 1;
Fischer 1, Olafsson 0.
ROUND 27—
Fischer 0, Tal 1;
Olafsson 0, Smyslov 1;
Gligoric 0, Keres 1;
Benko ½, Petrosian ½.
Mikhail Tal vs Pal Benko
Bled-Zagreb-Belgrade Candidates (1959), Bled, Zagreb & Belgrade YUG, rd 14, Sep-29
Sicilian Defense: Hyperaccelerated Dragon (B27) 1-0
Fridrik Olafsson vs Paul Keres
Bled-Zagreb-Belgrade Candidates (1959), Bled, Zagreb & Belgrade YUG, rd 21, Oct-13
Queen's Gambit Accepted: Classical Defense. Alekhine System Main Line (D29) 0-1
Tigran V Petrosian vs Vasily Smyslov
Bled-Zagreb-Belgrade Candidates (1959), Bled, Zagreb & Belgrade YUG, rd 17, Oct-06
Queen's Gambit Accepted: Classical Defense. Alekhine System Smyslov Variation (D29) 0-1
Vasily Smyslov vs Mikhail Tal
Bled-Zagreb-Belgrade Candidates (1959), Bled, Zagreb & Belgrade YUG, rd 15, Oct-03
Sicilian Defense: Kan. Modern Variation (B42) 1/2-1/2
Cross, Weinberger Lead Southern California Championship
James Cross and Tibor Weinberger are tied for the lead with scores of 6-1 after the completion of seven rounds of the Southern California Chess Championship Tournament. They will be paired in the final round this afternoon at the Herman Steiner Chess Club, 108 North Formosa Avenue.
Zoltan Kovacs is in third place with 5½-½, close enough for a possible tie for first should he win his last game. Also in line for high positions are Morris Gordon, Stephen Sholomson and Saul Yarmak, tied at 5-2.
Following are last week's results:
Sholomson 0, Cross 1; Weinberger 1, Matzner 0; Simon 0, Kovacs 1; Yarmak 1, Hufnagel 0; H. Gordon ½, Rubin ½; M. Gordon 1, Syvertsen 0; Almgren 0, Harshbarger 1; Barrett 0, Rivise 1; Cunningham 1, Barry 0; Amneus 1, Bean 0; Hamman 1, Kerllenevich 0; Weinbaum 1, Bersbach 0; Hultgren 0, Mego 1; Loveless 0, Freed 1; Fults ½, Gibbs ½; Fries 0, Jaffray 1; Pye 1, Standers 0; Milner 0, Smook 1; Pabon 1, Bissell 0; Rader 1, Colby 0; Bagley 1, Mann 0.
James Cross (white) vs. Zoltan Kovacs (black)
King's Indian Defense: Sämisch Variation, Closed Variation
CHESS CLUB NOTES
Leslie Simon breezed through with 6-0 to take first, prize in the special time equalizer tournament at the Herman Steiner Chess Club. Robert Rupeiks took second place with 5-l, followed by Stephen Matzner and Ralph Clark, who tied at 4-2.
Dr. R. Lewis is leading with perfect 3-0 score in the San Gabriel Valley Open Tournament, being played Friday evenings at the Pasadena Chess Club, Del Mar and Raymond in Pasadena. J. Porth and D. Young are tied for second with 2½-½.
The Downey Chess Club has elected a slate of officers for the coming year. Frank Pye is president; Bob Poons, vice president; Bob Hubbard, secretary and M. Polak, treasurer.
The club meets Thursday evenings at the Imperial Park Recreation Building, Rives Ave. just north of Imperial Blvd. The annual championship tournament is in progress, with 28 members participating in a six-round Swiss system. In recent interclub matches. Downey lost to Pasadena by 6-3, lost to Monterey Park by 7½-5½, then beat the latter in a return match by 6-3.
The Los Angeles Times, Chess by Isaac Kashdan, Sunday, November 01, 1959, Los Angeles, California Times Problem 3115 By...
Posted by Bobby Fischer's True History on Friday, June 10, 2022
Times Problem 3115 By E. Stevenson
Black 8
White 11
White mates in two.
FEN 6qB/b2QP1r1/1p1P2p1/3k3r/N4RNR/7p/K3P3/5B2 w - - 0 1
Solution: R-B4; 1. Rc4 Kxc4 2. Ne3#
The Los Angeles Times, Chess by Isaac Kashdan, Sunday, November 01, 1959, Los Angeles, California Times Problem 3116 By...
Posted by Bobby Fischer's True History on Friday, June 10, 2022
Times Problem 3116 By J. Scheel
Black 3
White 7
White mates in three.
FEN 8/2K5/6p1/1k4PP/3p1R2/R7/1PP5/8 w - - 0 1
Solution: R-QR4; 1. Ra4 Kc5 2. c4 gxh5 3. Rf5#
If KxR, 2. K-N6; if K-B4, 2. P-B4; if PxP, 2. P-N3; if P-Q6, 2. K-Q6.
There are several similarities between the problems today, despite the much greater force in the two-mover. Surprisingly, there is more variety in 3116.
SOLVERS' LIST
Five points— W. S. Aaron, F. Aks, Dr. B. R. Berglund, J. F. Brown, A. E. Byler, P. C. Carton, M. Chutorian, C. Cresswell, J. Gotta, J. Kaufman, N. Lesser, N. J. Lomax, C. L. Lund, Mrs. J. W. Moore, E. E. Penter, W. L. Rankel, A. A. Rothstein, V. G. Sprague, C. E. Stern, Maj. H. Triwush, L. A. Victor.
Two points— R. O. Burns, P. J. Rak.
One point— A. Feerko, J. P. Foley, M. J. Garcia, E. A. Millis Jr., Mrs. E. S. Noyes.
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