The Gazette Montreal, Quebec, Quebec, Canada Saturday, October 02, 1965 - Page 25
Hectic Finish At Havana
Only one point separated the first five in the final standing of the Capablanca Memorial tourney at Havana. Vassily Smyslov emerged first with 15½-5½ pts. The former world champion was defeated early on by pace-setters, Bobby Fischer, USA, and Boris Ivkov, Yugoslavia, but these two weakened in the closing quarter, to tie with Ewfim Geller, USSR, for second, 15-6 pts. each. Next was Ratmir Kholmov, USSR, 14½-6½.
(a) 25… P-N5 looks natural, and Wh. prevents it now.
(b) Wh. has a clear advantage, with the immediate threat against the KP and long range ones against the Q-side Ps.
(c) The game was adjourned but Smyslov resigned without resuming. It might have gone 44. B-R1, P-B7; 45. B-N2, N-Q5; 46. RxB, RxR; 47. N-Q7ch, K-K2; 48. NxR, N-N6; 49. N-B6ch, K-Q3; 50. NxKP, P-B8(Q)ch; 51. BxQ, NxB; 52. N-B4ch, K-B3; 53. N-R3, N-R7; 54. N-B2 and B1, can not allow exchange of Ns without losing on the K-side.
From the Capablanca Memorial tourney, Havana, 1965
Westward Ho!
The trek of outstanding leaders from the New York area to the west coast goes on. It started some years ago with the late Herman Steiner to Los Angeles, and George Koltanowski to San Francisco, to be followed by Isaac Kashdan, who has since the death of Steiner edited the L.A. Times column.
Montreal made its contribution when Gordon S. Barrett, who was active here as a player, decided a decade ago to go west and has since been taking an increasing part in organization work in Los Angeles.
Pal Benko, after topping the field in the recent Southern California Open at Santa Monica and viewing the vigorous growth of the State program, has decided to stay and will become director of the Steiner Chess Group in San Diego. He will also tour in exhibition play.
The Piatigorsky Foundation is sponsoring another international grandmaster tournament at L.A. next summer (July 17-Aug. 10), with eight in a double round-robin. Petrosian, Fischer, Reshevsky and the winner of the Spassky-Tal match in the Challengers event of the world series, will be among those to be invited. Kashdan will direct as in the previous tourney in 1963.
