Chess 08 Oct 1960, Sat The Montreal Star (Montreal, Quebec, Canada) Newspapers.com
Let's Play Chess
Soviet Union Team Favored To Win World Chess Event
By Bill Oaker
More than 200 of the world's leading chess players, representing 36 countries will gather next week in Leipzig, East Germany.
The World Chess Olympics will begin on October 14 and will continue to November 9.
There is unanimous agreement that the Soviet Union is favored to win this monster chess event, especially since the only nation which might conceivably field a team capable of challenging the Russians, the United States—is not taking part.
The Soviet team consists of Mikhail Tal, Mikhail Botvinnik, Victor Korchnoi, Tigran Petrosian and Ewfim Geller. Either one of these players, if the other five did not exist, would be the leading contender for the world title. As it is, Tal is the holder of that coveted title.
The only other country considered capable of giving the Russians a run for their money is Yugoslavia.
The countries taking part as follows: Albania, Austria, Argentina, Belgium, Bolivia, Bulgaria, Chile, China, Cuba, Czechoslovakia, Denmark, Ecuador, England, France, Greece, The Netherlands, Hungary, Iceland, India, Israel, Italy, Lebanon, Monaco, Mongolia, Norway, the Philippines, Puerto Rico, Rumania, the Soviet Union, Sweden, Spain, Tunisia, West Germany and Yugoslavia.
Non-entry is Mystery
For the first time in many years the United States has a crop of outstanding players to call upon which might be considered a worthy chess team. Such a team might be Bobby Fischer, Sammy Reshevsky, William Lombardy, Larry Evans, Arthur Bisguier and Robert Byrne. They would be a shoo in for second place, and might easily be a serious threat to Soviet super masters.
Exactly why they are not taking part is difficult to understand. The entire subject is surrounded in a mysterious cloud of confusion. The first indication that this writer could glean on the subject was a news item that Mrs. Regina Fischer, the mother of 17-year-old Bobby Fischer, was picketing the office of the American Chess Foundation in protest over the fact that the United States would not be sending a team.
As to just who or what the American Chess Foundation is, the blunt answer is that is where the money is. This organization, however, has passed the buck to the United States Chess Federation, with the statement that there is where the green light must come from.
The United States Chess Federation is representative of the many thousands of chess players in that country. In other words, they run chess in the U.S. Their excuse is an interesting one. They say that the State Department does not like the idea of sending the American team.
And who, precisely, is “the State Department?” Nobody seems to know, and that is the end of that.
World Title
It has been announced that the return match between Mikhail Tal and Mikhail Botvinnik, for the world title will take place in the spring in Moscow.
White to Play and Win
Those who have read Poe's the Pendulum and the Pit, will see the resemblance between that suspenseful yarn and the solution to this position.
1. R-QR4
The first swing of the pendulum. Black has only one way to avoid being mated.
1. … K-K1
So as to be able to interpose the rook.
2. R-KR4
The pendulum swings once more.
2. … R-K4ch
3. K-Q2 K-Q1
4. R-QR4
It swings again, only this time the blade is a little closer.
4. … R-Q4ch.
5. K-K3
And the blade comes yet closer.
… K-K1
6. R-KP4 R-K4ch.
7. K-Q4
And the blade strikes home. Black can no longer escape.
How Good Are You?
FEN 3k4/2p2p2/2P2P2/3r4/4R3/8/8/4K3 w - - 0 1
1. Ra4 Ke8 2. Rh4 Re5+ 3. Kd2 Kd8 4. Ra4 Rd5+ 5. Ke3 Ke8 6. Rh4 Re5+ 7. Kf4 Rf5+ 8. Kxf5 Kd8 9. Rh8#
