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Chess by Isaac Kashdan 13 Sep 1959, Sun The Los Angeles Times (Los Angeles, California) Newspapers.com
Chess By Isaac Kashdan
International Grandmaster
WEINBERGER WINS STATE OPEN TITLE
Tibor Weinberger of Glendale won the 1959 California Open chess championship in the tournament contested over the Labor Day week end at the Californian Hotel in Fresno.
In a record-breaking assemblage of 123 players Weinberger scored five wins and drew twice against Arthur Wang of San Francisco and F. Trim of Santa Monica. The clincher was Weinberger's victory in the final round against Henry Gross of San Francisco, who had been leading the tournament with a 5½-½ score.
The winning tally of 6-1 was equaled by Robion Kirby of Chicago, who has participated in several leading California chess events. When the Solkoff tie-breaking system was applied, Weinberger had 20 SP to 19 for Kirby.
Gross was the highest rated of a group who finished with 5½-1½. He was the only player to defeat Kirby. Gilbert Ramirez of San Francisco was second in this group on the SP count, followed by Roger Smook of San Bernardino and last year's winner, Irving Rivise of Los Angeles. The others in the group were Zoltan Kovacs, Harry Borochow and Fred Fults, all of Los Angeles.
The direction of the tournament and the scheduling of pairings under the Swiss system were in the capable hands of Guthrie McClain of San Francisco, to whom most credit is due for a highly successful event.
Following are the detailed scores of the leaders and a selection of games:
Arthur Wang (white) vs. Robion Kirby (black)
French Defense: King's Indian Attack
Zoltan Kovacs (white) vs. F. Turim (black)
Nimzowitsch Defense: Kennedy Variation, Main Line
Saul Yarmak (white) vs. James Barry (black)
French Defense: Winawer Variation, Poisoned Pawn Variation
Sven Elias Almgren (white) vs. Shaefer (black)
Sicilian Defense: Wing Gambit, Deferred Variation
Robion Kirby (white) vs. Ronald Gross (black)
King's Indian Defense: Sämisch Variation
FISCHER WINS, LOSES IN CHALLENGERS' TOURNEY
Decisive results were the order of the day as play started in Bled, Yugoslavia, in the tournament to select a challenger for the world championship title now held by Mikhail Botwinnik of Russia.
Seven wins and one draw were recorded in the first two rounds, according to a report from the New York Times. This is a welcome change from the series of draws that generally result from sparring among the grandmasters.
Bobby Fischer of Brooklyn, 16-year-old U.S. chess champion, started brilliantly with a victory in 51 moves over Paul Keres, former Estonian boy wonder, now representing Russia. Keres played a prepared variation in the Sicilian Defense, but Fischer held fast and at adjournment time had the advantage of a queen against his opponent's rook and knight. This proved sufficient to win.
Fischer faced another Russian, Tigran Petrosian, in the second round. Confronted with a Caro-Kann Defense, Fischer did not develop satisfactorily. He consumed almost all his allotted time and went astray shortly before adjournment. At that stage Petrosian had an extra pawn, posted on his seventh rank. Fischer fought valiantly for 69 moves before resigning.
Petrosian had scored against Fridrik Olafsson of Iceland in the first round and led the field with a total of 2-0. In second place, with 1½-½, was Paul Benko, Hungarian refugee now residing in New York. Benko drew in the first round with Svetozar Gligoric of Yugoslavia, then downed Olafsson in his second encounter.
Two outstanding Russian grandmaasters met in the first round when former world champion Vassily Smyslov took the measure of Mikhail Tal in 65 moves. Matters were reversed in the next round when Keres defeated Smyslov in 60 moves.
Following are detailed results and the standing of the players after two rounds:
ROUND ONE—Smyslov 1. Tal 0; Keres 0, Fischer 1; Petrosian 1, Olafsson 0; Benko ½, Gligoric ½.
ROUND TWO—Tal 1, Gligoric 0; Olafsson 0, Benko 1; Fischer 0, Petrosian 1; Smyslov 0, Keres 1.
KASHDAN AT SAN GABRIEL
Your editor will play 30 to 40 players simultaneously in an exhibition at the San Gabriel Chess Club, 250 S. Mission Dr., Friday evening, Oct. 2. The playing fee will be $2 a board, with a 50-cent fee for spectators.
The club, which meets regularly on Fridays, is starting its annual club championship tournament on Oct. 9. It will be a 10-round Swiss system. For information write to Fred Haeger, 910 S. Montecito Dr., San Gabriel.
The Los Angeles Times, Chess by Isaac Kashdan, Sunday, September 13, 1959, Los Angeles, California Times Problem 3101...
Posted by Bobby Fischer's True History on Wednesday, June 8, 2022
Times Problem 3101 By E. Holladay
Black 8
White 8
White mates in two.
FEN 8/7n/K4p1R/1N3kp1/3p1rNp/3q3Q/8/1B2R1B1 w - - 0 1
Solution B-R2; 1. Bh2 Rxg4 2. Bxd3#
The Los Angeles Times, Chess by Isaac Kashdan, Sunday, September 13, 1959, Los Angeles, California Times Problem 3102...
Posted by Bobby Fischer's True History on Wednesday, June 8, 2022
Times Problem 3102 By L. I. Lochinski
Black 12
White 11
White mates in three.
FEN 5R2/1pKQP3/pP1Np2q/2pkpp2/8/Nb2P2r/2P2R1B/2b1n3 w - - 0 1
Solution R-K2; 1. Re2 Bxa3 2. Rd2+ Nd3 3. Rxd3#
Both problems today feature a profusion of pins, unpins and discovered checks. The main variations in 3102 are after captures of the KP.
SOLVERS' LIST
Five points— W. S. Aaron, F. Aks, Dr. B. R. Berglund, J. F. Brown, P. C. Carton, W. G. Covill, C. Cresswell, J. S. DeGroot, Mrs. W. A. Gerth, J. Gotta, W. H. Griffith, J. Kaufman, H. E. Keller III, K. V. Pluym II, W. L. Rankel, V. G. Sprague, Maj. H. Triwush, L. A. Victor.
Three points— J. Basinger, B. Bilman, T. Bolt, M. Chutorian, M. E. Dunn, E. E. Penter, F. R. Ruehl II, C. E. Stern, W. Weinberg.
Two points— B. E. Aab, N. Lesser, P. J. Rak.
One point— J. J. Chapin, A. H. Colow, M. Macready, I. Manior, E. T. Mason, R. McGiffen, Mrs. J. W. Moore, D. Overturf, J. Reed, M. Rosen, T. Tanner.
