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Chess 09 Jul 1960, Sat The Montreal Star (Montreal, Quebec, Canada) Newspapers.com
Let's Play Chess
'Over The Hill' Champion Leading In Buenos Aires
By William Oaker
United States Grandmaster Sammy Reshevsky has dramatically leaped into the lead, after 10 rounds, in the Buenos Aires International Tournament.
The former United States champion, whom many consider “over the hill” as far as top-flight international competition is concerned, is top man, with a score of 7-3, despite having given the field a handicap by losing his first round game.
He is closely followed by another former United States champ, Larry Evans, who has a score of 6½-3½. It was Evans who was responsible for Reshevsky's only loss. Evans, like Reshevsky, is considered to be playing way over his predicted form.
Two other players who are not playing to form, but in a dramatically different way, are incumbent United States champ, 17-year-old Bobby Fischer and Grandmaster Svetozar Gligoric, of Yugoslavia. Fischer has been only able to garner 3½-5½, with one adjourned game, and Gligoric has only managed 4-6. Fischer is thought to have the better position in his adjourned game.
Mark Taimanov, of the USSR would also have to be considered as below par, with only 4½-4½, with one adjourned game. His compatriot, Victor Korchnoi, the present Soviet champion, however, is only one point behind the leader, Reshevsky.
Standings and scores after 10 rounds are as follows:
Reshevsky, United States, 7-3;
Evans, United States, 6½-3½;
Olafsson, Iceland, Unzicker, Germany, each 6-4;
Pachman, Czechoslovakia, 5½-4½;
Benko, United States, Ivkov, Yugoslavia, each 5-5;
Rossetto, Argentina, Taimanov, Soviet Union, each 4½-4½;
Guimard, Argentina, Wexler, Argentina, 4½-5½;
Eliskases, Argentina, Gligoric, Yugoslavia, 4-6;
Fischer, United States, 3½-5½;
Foguelman, Argentina, 3-5;
Bazan, Argentina, 2½-6½;
Wade, New Zealand, 2-8.
In case there is anyone who might be inclined to forecast an eventual winner of this most exciting chess tournament in decades, remember, there are still nine rounds to go.
We cautioned last week that a good chess player should not jump to conclusions. It seems that a number took my advice and found a nice hole in my analysis. Permit me to hasten to say that those who wrote and telephoned are absolutely right.
The black rook should be on Q5 instead of QB5. We regret the error, which was not of our making. Many thanks for the kind things said as well as the criticism.
I understand that one reader is discouraged that the positions given are always in white's favor. This is merely traditional. However, in the interest of keeping everyone happy, we offer the following. Black is to play and win. White does not necessarily have to be checkmate, but after black gets through with him, he'll wish he had been.
FEN r1b2rk1/ppp3b1/7p/3P2pq/2PB4/1P2Q1P1/P4bKP/R3RNN1 w - - 0 1
Black to play and Win.
