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Chess 26 Sep 1959, Sat The Montreal Star (Montreal, Quebec, Canada) Newspapers.com
Let's Play Chess
Noted Estonian Grandmaster Leads Challenger Tourney
By William Oaker
Paul Keres, 46-year-old Estonian Grandmaster, has taken the lead in the Challengers Tourney, according to reports from Yugoslavia.
The Soviet player, with a score of 7-3, after completion of 10 rounds, is a full point ahead of the rest of the field.
The complete standings, to date, are Keres, 7-3; Tigran Petrosian, USSR, and Mikhail Tal, USSR, 6-4; Svetozar Gligoric, Yugoslavia, 5½-4½; Paul Benko, USA, and Bobby Fischer, USA, and Vassily Smyslov, USSR, 4-6; and Fridrik Olafsson, Iceland, 3½-6½.
The individual results from each round are as follows:
Round 1:
Fischer 1, Keres, 0;
Petrosian 1, Olafsson 0;
Benko ½, Gligoric ½;
Smyslov 1, Tal 0.
Round 2:
Keres 1, Smyslov 0;
Tal 1, Gligoric 0;
Petrosian 1, Fischer 0;
Benko 1, Olafsson 0.
Round 3:
Smyslov ½, Petrosian ½;
Keres 1, Tal 0;
Benko ½, Fischer ½;
Gligoric ½, Olafsson ½.
Round 4:
Fischer 1, Gligoric 0;
Tal 1, Olafsson 0;
Smyslov ½, Benko ½;
Petrosian 1, Keres 0.
Round 5:
Gligoric 1, Smyslov 0;
Petrosian ½, Tal ½;
Olafsson 1, Fischer 0;
Keres 1, Benko 0.
Round 6:
Tal 1, Fischer 0;
Keres ½, Gligoric ½;
Smyslov ½, Olafsson ½;
Petrosian ½, Benko ½.
Round 7:
Tal 1, Benko 0;
Smyslov ½, Fischer ½;
Keres 1, Olafsson 0;
Gligoric 1, Petrosian 0.
Round 8:
Tal 1, Smyslov 0;
Keres 1, Fischer 0;
Gligoric 1, Benko 0;
Olafsson 1, Petrosian 0.
Round 9:
Petrosian 1, Fischer 0;
Gligoric ½, Tal ½;
Keres ½, Smyslov ½;
Olafsson ½, Benko ½.
The results from round 10 are not yet available.
So far the tournament has been one of sharp ups and downs. Petrosian, as will be noticed, had not lost a game in the first six rounds. He then suddenly was upset twice. Gligoric, on the other hand, started miserably only to suddenly bounce back into contention.
There are unfortunately no weak sisters in this event. It is just as possible for Keres to lose to Olafsson, as to anyone else.
Another important factor is the length of an event. There are still 18 rounds to go. Age will be a determining factor during the last six or seven rounds. Keres, Smyslov, Gligoric and Benko are all in their forties. Petrosian, Tal, and Olafsson are in their twenties, while Bobby Fischer is not yet 17. It would not be too far off to suggest that Keres' stamina will give out in a few more rounds, whereas a youngster like Fischer could still be going strong at the end.
