Chess by Isaac Kashdan 04 Oct 1959, Sun The Los Angeles Times (Los Angeles, California) Newspapers.com
Keres Takes Lead In Challengers' Chess
Soviet grandmaster Paul Keres, former Estonian boy wonder, now at 43 the oldest man in the event, has established a full point lead after 12 rounds of the Challengers' Tournament at Bled, Yugoslavia.
With seven wins, three draws and two losses, Keres has a score of 8½-3½, according to a report from the New York Times. He lost in the first round to U.S. chess champion Bobby Fischer and in the fourth round to Tigran Petrosian of Russia but has not been close to defeat since.
In second place, with 7½-4½, is 23-year-old Mikhail Tal of Russia, who has been playing the most aggressive, venturesome chess of the tournament. He has six wins to his credit, two draws and three losses, one to former world champion Vassily Smyslov of Russia, and two in his encounters with Keres.
In the first division, half a point behind Tal, are Petrosian and Svetozar Gligoric of Yugoslavia. The four leaders have established a sizeable margin against the remaining four contestants, who are all on the minus side.
Fischer, whose play has been erratic, started the week with a loss to Petrosian. Opening with the Nimzo-Indian Defense, the 16-year-old Brooklyn boy attempted to gain the initiative. His development was unsatisfactory, however, and his queen's bishop had no outlet. As a result, Petrosian won two pawns and scored in 32 moves.
In the 10th round Fischer played in top form to earn a victory in 27 moves over Paul Benko of New York, a former Hungarian refugee now residing in the United States. Fischer sacrificed a pawn to break open the position, following with a vigorous attack against the black king.
Fischer was set back in the 11th round by Gligoric, whom he had defeated in their first meeting. This time Fischer was kept on the defensive from the outset, drifting into an unfavorable ending. The game was adjourned after 41 moves but resigned by Fischer without resuming.
The 12th round was another story. Paired with Fridrik Olafsson of Iceland, Fischer took command and maintained a steady pressure. After two sessions and a total of 74 moves, the game was adjourned, with Fischer a pawn ahead and good prospects for a win.
Following are details of the play last week and games from the tournament:
ROUND 9—
Gligoric ½, Tal ½;
Benko 1, Olafsson 0;
Petrosian 1, Fischer 0;
Keres ½, Smyslov ½.
ROUND 10—
Tal 0, Keres 1;
Smyslov ½, Petrosian ½;
Fischer 1, Benko 0;
Olafsson ½, Gligoric ½.
ROUND 11—
Olafsson 0, Tal 1;
Gligoric 1, Fischer 0;
Benko 1, Smyslov 0;
Petrosian ½, Keres ½.
ROUND 12—
Tal ½, Petrosian ½;
Keres 1, Benko 0;
Smyslov ½, Gligoric ½;
Fischer vs. Olafsson, adjourned.
Robert James Fischer vs Paul Keres
Bled-Zagreb-Belgrade Candidates (1959), Bled, Zagreb & Belgrade YUG, rd 8, Sep-18
Caro-Kann Defense: Two Knights Attack. Mindeno Variation Exchange Line (B11) 0-1
Paul Keres vs Mikhail Tal
Bled-Zagreb-Belgrade Candidates (1959), Bled, Zagreb & Belgrade YUG, rd 3, Sep-10
English Opening: Anglo-Indian Defense. Queen's Knight Variation (A16) 1-0
Fridrik Olafsson vs Paul Keres
Bled-Zagreb-Belgrade Candidates (1959), Bled, Zagreb & Belgrade YUG, rd 7, Sep-17
King's Indian Attack: Double Fianchetto (A07) 0-1
Fridrik Olafsson vs Pal Benko
Bled-Zagreb-Belgrade Candidates (1959), Bled, Zagreb & Belgrade YUG, rd 2, Sep-08
Spanish Game: Closed Variations. Flohr System (C92) 0-1
SHOLOMSON, WEINBERGER LEAD SO. CALIF. TOURNEY
Stephen Sholomson and Tibor Weinberger, winning for the third straight time, are leading the field of 44 players in the Southern California Chess Championship Tournament, being contested Sunday afternoons at the Herman Steiner Chess Club, 108 N Formosa Ave.
Gene Rubin and Leslie Simon, who drew with each other in their third-round game are tied at with Sven Almgren, Walt Cunningham and Zoltan Kovacs. Following are last week's results.
ROUND THREE— Rivise 0, Sholomson 1; Weinberger 1, H. Gordon 0; Simon ½, Rubin ½; Cunningham ½, Cross ½; Kovacs 1, Syvertsen 0; Almgren 1, Barrett 0; Harshbarger ½, Kerllenevich ½, Gibbs ½, Hamman ½; Yarmak 1, Bersbach 0; M. Gordon 1, Standers 0; Barry 1, Hufnagel 0; Jaffray 1, Mann 0; Hultgren 0, Freed 1; Colby 0, Weinbaum 1; Smook 0, Matzner 1; Amneus 1, Bagley 0; Bean ½, Pabon ½; Fries ½, Mego ½; Loveless 1, Pye 0; Rader 0, Milner 1; Loera ½, Bissell ½, Fults 1, Tiluks 0.
EAST SIDE OPEN TOURNEY
The City Terrace Chess Club, 3875 Terrace Dr., announces an East Side open chess tournament to start at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 14. Six rounds will be played on successive Wednesdays using the Swiss system.
The event is open to all members of the U.S. Chess Federation. The entrance fee is $$3.50. Entrants can be enrolled in the USCF at time of registration. For further information call Bernard Oak at AN. l-6567.
STEINER RAPID TRANSIT
A. Turim, scoring 9½-½, took first prize in a strong field at the regular Tuesday evening rapid transit tournament, at Herman Steiner Chess Club. L. Simon was second with 8½-1½, followed by 4. Spinner 6½-3½, and H. Rogosin and T. Weinberger, who tied at 6-4.
Times Problem 3107 By J. C. Morra
Black 11
White 9
White mates in two.
FEN 2b2KR1/br2Nn2/2B4p/Q4p2/1r3kN1/2R1p1p1/3P2P1/7q w - - 0 1
Solution: N-B2; 1. Nf2 Ng5 2. Ng6#
Times Problem 3108 By R. M. Kofman and L. I. Loshinski
Black 9
White 10
White mates in three.
FEN B7/1r3R2/b2P2p1/rp3pPp/p6K/2B1NkN1/P7/4R3 w - - 0 1
Solution: B-N4; 1. Bb4 Kf2 2. Re7 Rxe7 3. Nd1#
if P-B5; 2. P-R3; else, 2. R-K7.
There are all kinds of defenses in 3107, including captures, self-blocks and interferences. Black's pieces are curiously entangled in 3108, and this helps in the solution.
SOLVERS' LIST
Five points— A. Aks, Dr. B. R. Berglund, J. F. Brown, P. C. Carton, M. Chutorian, C. Cresswell, J. S. DeGroot, Mrs. W. A. Gerth, J. Gotta, J. Kaufman, N. J. Lomax, K. V. Pluym II, W. L. Rankel, V. G. Sprague, C. E. Stern.
Two points— J. P. Foley, H. E. Keller III, N. Lesser, A. J. Mangiarelli, P. J. Rak, D. Rothman, A. A. Rothstein, F. R. Ruehl II, Maj. H. Triwush.
One point—
Send solutions to problems to Chess Editor, Los Angeles Times. Answers to today's problems must be postmarked by Oct. 17. The list of solvers will be published Oct. 25.
Birch and Walnut Chess Set 04 Oct 1959, Sun The Los Angeles Times (Los Angeles, California) Newspapers.com
National Letter Writing Week 04 Oct 1959, Sun The Los Angeles Times (Los Angeles, California) Newspapers.com
