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Chess by Isaac Kashdan 08 Nov 1959, Sun The Los Angeles Times (Los Angeles, California) Newspapers.com
TAL WINS TOURNEY, EARNS TITLE MATCH
After eight weeks of strife over the chessboard, and some uncertain moments toward the end, Mikhail Tal emerged the winner in Yugoslavia, according to a report from the New York Times.
Starting the 28th and final round with a 1-point lead over fellow Russian Paul Keres, Tal drew with Paul Benko of New York in 22 moves. Benko, with the black pieces, set up a Sicilian Defense. Tal captured two pawns, after which Benko agreed to the draw.
Tal's final score was 20-8, based on 16 games won, four lost and eight drawn. Three of the losses were to Keres, the only player to outscore Tal in their individual encounters. The fourth loss was against former world champion Vassily Smyslov of Russia.
Strangely, Tal would have been last had the tournament been restricted to the four Soviet grand masters. He tallied 5½-6½ against his compatriots. On that basis Smyslov and Tigran Petrosian were even with 6-6.
Playing brilliantly and forcefully throughout, Tal was devastating against the non-Russians, who all finished in the second division. He won all four games against Bobby Fischer, 16-year-old U.S. champion, and scored 3½-½ against Svetozar Gligoric of Yugoslavia, Fridrik Olafsson of Iceland and Benko.
The victory earned Tal the right to contest a match for the world championship held by Mikhail Botvinnik of Moscow. They will play a series of 24 games next year on dates to be set by the International Chess Federation.
The last round had more than its share of upsets, with all the contestants going all out to improve their positions. Keres, hoping for a possible tie for first, tried to force matters against Olafsson. He failed, however, and Olafsson took the point, after 11 moves. Keres was still a good second, with 15 wins, six losses and seven draws for a final total of 18½-9½.
Fischer, who had been in sixth place through most of the tournament, moved up a notch by a tie for fifth by a fine win against Smyslov. The latter, playing the white side of a Sicilian Defense, developed a king-side attack. This came to naught after careful defense and Fischer turned the tables to take the game in 44 moves.
Only Tal and Petrosian had plus scores against Fischer. The Brooklyn lad tied 2-2 with Keres, Smyslov and Gligoric and outpointed Olafsson by 2½-1½ and Benko by 3-1. His score against the non-Russians was 7½-4½. Though the youngest grand master in history, Fischer may already be the strongest player in the world outside the Soviet Union.
Petrosian, by defeating Gligoric in the final round, moved ahead of Smyslov to take third place with 15½-12½. For Smyslov, who had been favored to win the event, his fourth-place finished was most disappointing.
Following are games from the tournament. A complete cross-table appears below, with the numbers of games won, lost and drawn, and the total points for each competitor.
Paul Keres vs Svetozar Gligoric
Bled-Zagreb-Belgrade Candidates (1959), Bled, Zagreb & Belgrade YUG, rd 20, Oct-11
Spanish Game: Closed Variations. Chigorin Defense (C97) 1-0
Robert James Fischer vs Vasily Smyslov
Bled-Zagreb-Belgrade Candidates (1959), Bled, Zagreb & Belgrade YUG, rd 21, Oct-13
Sicilian Defense: Fischer-Sozin Attack. General Variation (B86) 0-1
WEINBERGER WINS SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA TOURNEY; KOVAKS SECOND
Tibor Weinberger of Glendale defeated James Cross of Los Angeles in the final round to capture first prize in the Southern California Chess Championship Tournament. Weinberger won seven games and lost one to Zoltan Kovacs.
Kovacs took second honors, with 6½-1½, by a win over Stephen Sholomson. Cross dropped to a tie for third with Saul Yarmak at 6-2. Irving Rivise was alone at 5½-2½, rather remarkable since eight players had started the round with 4½ points.
Sholomson, who had an unusually hard schedule, meeting all five leaders during the course of the tournament, ended in a multiple tie at 5-3. The others with that score were Walt R. Cunningham, Hyman and Morris Gordon, Robert Hamman, Stephen Matzner, Saul Rubin, Leslie Simon and Dr. S. Weinbaum.
The top five have qualified to compete for the California State Championship and will start a round-robin tournament for the title this afternoon at the Herman Steiner Chess Club, 108 N. Formosa Ave. Ralph Hagedorn, who directed the tournament just concluded, also will officiate in the new event.
The first round will match Kovacs against Yarmak and Weinberger against Rivise, with Cross a bye. Three additional rounds will be completed before Nov. 26. Four final rounds will then be contested over the Thanksgiving weekend with representatives of Northern California. The latter will be determined by a tournament being concluded in San Francisco.
Following are the results of the concluding round.
ROUND EIGHT— Cross 0, Weinberger 1; Kovacs 1, Sholomson 0; Yarmak 1, M. Gordon 0; Rivise 1, Harshbarger 0; Rubin ½, Cunningham ½; Weinbaum ½, Simon ½; Matzner ½, H. Gordon ½; Hufnagel ½, Amneus ½; Syvertsen 0, Hamman 1; Freed 1, Almgren 0; Mego ½, Barrett ½; Pye 1, Jaffray 0; Bean 1, Fries 0; Smook 0, Barry 1; Pabon ½, Fults ½; Bersbach 1, Hultgren 0; Kerllenevich 0, Gibbs 1; Milner ½, Bagley ½; Rader 0, Loveless 1; Bissell 0, Standers 1; Mann 1, Colby 0.
Frank Pye (white) vs. John Jaffray (black)
Queen's Gambit Declined: Modern Variation, Knight Defense
The Los Angeles Times, Chess by Isaac Kashdan, Sunday, November 08, 1959, Los Angeles, California Times Problem 3117 By...
Posted by Bobby Fischer's True History on Friday, June 10, 2022
Times Problem 3117 By Dr. U. Lancia
Black 9
White 7
White mates in two.
FEN 7b/1B4B1/q3N1p1/p2p1kr1/2N1R3/5bP1/8/3nK3 w - - 0 1
Solution: B-QB8; 1. Bc8 Qxc4 2. Nc5#
The Los Angeles Times, Chess by Isaac Kashdan, Sunday, November 08, 1959, Los Angeles, California Times Problem 3118 By...
Posted by Bobby Fischer's True History on Friday, June 10, 2022
Times Problem 3118 By J. Hartong
Black 14
White 9
White mates in three.
FEN 3NQ3/nKp2P1q/2p4r/p2p1R1n/1prk1p2/1Pb2RN1/8/1B3b2 w - - 0 1
Solution: K-R6; 1. Ka6 Nxg3 2. Qe5+ Kc5 3. Nb7#
Threats, 2. Q-K5ch and 2. R(5)xBPch; if K-B4, 2. N-N7ch; if P-B4ch, 2. Q-K6; if R-B4ch, 2. Q-K2.
Every one of White's pieces can be taken in 3117, but there is always enough for the checkmate. A fine thematic key leads to two unusually complex variations in the three-mover.
SOLVERS' LIST
Five points— W. S. Aaron, F. Aks, Dr. B. R. Berglund, A. E. Byler, P. C. Carton, M. Chutorian, C. Cresswell, J. Gotta, W. H. Griffith, N. Lesser, N. J. Lomax, D. Malsack, E. E. Penter, W. L. Rankel, A. A. Rothstein, V. G. Sprague, C. E. Stern, Maj. H. Triwush.
Four points— G. F. Olinger.
Three points— A. Feerko, J. Kaufman, Mrs. J. W. Moore.
Two points— R. O. Burns, P. J. Rak.
One point— E. L. J. Alter, J. P. Foley, E. A. Millis Jr., Mrs. E. S. Noyes, M. Rosen.
