Chess Chats 22 Feb 1959, Sun The Press Democrat (Santa Rosa, California) Newspapers.com
Chess Chats by George Koltanowski
International Chess Master
Problem No. 168
White to play and mate in two moves.
FEN 8/b1Q1p3/r2Pp1B1/4k1P1/2PN4/8/5P1n/2BK4 w - - 0 1
Solution: 1. Ke1 Kxd4 2. Bb2#
The Press Democrat Chess Chats by George Koltanowski, Sunday, February 22, 1959, Santa Rosa, California Problem No....
Posted by Bobby Fischer's True History on Sunday, March 13, 2022
WHAT IS A GRANDMASTER?
(Concluded)
A Grandmaster result occurs when a player scores: 50 per cent against the participating International Grandmasters, 70 per cent against the participating International Masters, 80 per cent against the other participating players.
Various categories of chess tournaments are:
Category I (a)—If there are at least 16 participants, at least 70 per cent of whom hold some title (either International Master or Grandmaster) and at least 30 per cent of the participants are Grandmasters.
Category I (b)—If there are 10 to 15 participants, of whom at least 70 per cent hold some title and at least five are Grandmasters.
Category II (a)—If there are at least 15 participants, 50 per cent of whom hold some title.
Category II (b)—If there are at least 10 to 14 participants, seven of whom hold some title.
Category III—If there are at least 10 participants of whom at least 25 per cent hold some title and with fewer titleholders than for Category II.
Category IV—In all other cases. The regulations for the conferment of the title of International Master are similar to those regarding Grandmaster titles. Here the requirements are somewhat lower, as would be expected.
The title of International Master shall be conferred upon a chess player who:
a)—Once in a chess tournament of Category I (a) or
b)—Twice within three years in a tournament of Category I (b), II (a) or II (b) has obtained a master result.
A chess player has obtained a master result when he scores: 50 per cent against the participating International Grandmasters; 50 per cent against the participating International Masters; 70 per cent against the participating players.
The above rules are not absolutely iron-clad, for the title of International Master can be conferred upon a player who twice within three years has obtained a master result in a tournament of Category I (b), II b) or III.
A question that has been raised is whether a title of master or grandmaster can be conferred for an exceptional performance in a non-international tournament. The answer is yes, for the FIDE states that as a rule only results reached in an international tournament are taken into account, but in special cases the FIDE can also take into account the results reached in other tournaments, particularly national chess tournaments. Note, however, that the results of tournaments in Category IV can in no case be taken into account.
In addition to the possibilities above, titles may be secured by competing in the Chess Olympics held every two years. This is an international team tournament and a player's result will be valued in the same manner as if he had played against his opponents in a round robin tournament.
In special exceptional cases the title of International Grandmaster can be denied a chess player, in spite of the fact that he has obtained the required score. This can occur if the conferment of the title would be unjustified because the player's result was due more to chance than to skill.
SUMMARY: Basically, we can see that a chess player, to win the title of either grandmaster or master, must compete in a large and strong international tournament and achieve a much better than average result in this tournament. Room is still provided for adjustments by the qualifying committee, i.e., either withholding the title if chance or other extraneous factors enter or conferring a title (using somewhat less restrictive rules) if the extra fine results of a player warrants it.
We feel that the FIDE has produced an admirable (although admittedly not perfect) set of rules for granting the highest chess titles. With the application of these regulations in the future, we can truly call our titled chessplayers, Grandmasters.
SHORT AND BITTER
Played in simultaneous in Munich after the Olympics, 1958.
David Bronstein (white) vs. Gauger (black)
Italian Game: Classical Variation
(a) If 15. K-N3 Q-B5 mate; if 15. K-N1 Q-K6 ch; 16. K-B1 R-B1ch etc. and if 15. B-K2 R-B1ch leads to mate.
★
