Larsen, the Winner

Colombian player Castro obtained his first Grandmaster norm

A fine international debut by Gregorio García-Conesa

4th Costa Brava International Chess Tournament

Blanes–Malgrat de Mar, 3–12 October 1976

Facsimile of the tournament announcement poster.

Origins

This tournament was born in Sant Feliu de Guíxols in 1973, where it had three editions. However, already last year, at the end of what proved to be the final edition there, the mayor informed the organisers, Club Guixolenc d’Escacs, that the Town Council was not in a position to continue providing annual support and that, in any case, the event should eventually be organised on a rotating basis with other towns in the area.

This did not discourage the organisers, who did not waste time debating a competition among other towns into which Sant Feliu de Guíxols might be incorporated within a fixed cycle of years.

The Succession

On the other hand, faced with the danger that the event might disappear, Luis Viladot, president of the Barcelona Chess Association, succeeded in bringing together the two small chess clubs that were in a position to receive support from the municipalities of Blanes and Malgrat. Those towns took over the organisation and thus ensured the continuity of a tournament which, quite properly, should broaden its name to “Costa Brava–Maresme”, as the president of the Catalan Chess Federation, Pedro Casajuana, accurately remarked at the closing ceremony, even though the two towns belong administratively to different provinces and historically and organisationally correspond to a single chess sphere.

Together with the municipalities of Blanes and Malgrat, the representative chess clubs of both towns naturally collaborated. In technical matters they relied on the advice of international arbiter Jordi Puig, while the duties of tournament director fell to Joan Pascual i Rigau, vice-president of the Barcelona Association and the person ultimately responsible for the event.

The first three rounds were played in the halls of the Casa de la Cultura in Blanes, while the remaining rounds took place in the Hotel Guillem in Malgrat, where the closing banquet was also held.

Why the USSR Was Absent

When the tournament was wavering between total disappearance and possible revival in Blanes and Malgrat, the Soviet Federation offered to send its representatives Savon and Kochiev. The delay in giving an affirmative answer—indeed, in being able to reverse the initial refusal—caused that offer to be withdrawn, because Savon had meanwhile been assigned to Odessa and Kochiev to Kapfenberg. Their participation could therefore not be restored on this occasion, although it is hoped that they may be present at the next edition.

Notable Figures

In any event, Bent Larsen took part, having just won the Biel/Bienne International Tournament. His presence was especially attractive because he had not yet made an appearance of this kind in Catalonia.

His participation was complemented by other players of recognised prestige and sufficient strength to provide the tournament with the necessary competitive structure.

Four grandmasters, two international masters, two master candidates and two untitled players representing the organising clubs formed a well-balanced field and made this sporting concept possible.

Only three of the 45 games played ended in short draws. In the remaining games the players fought until every possibility had been exhausted, so that not a single participant finished undefeated.

The Course of the Competition

The tournament was dominated by the great master Larsen, aged 41, as befitted his standing. Even so, he was surprised by the young Óscar Castro, 23, who in his still limited career had not previously played in a tournament of a higher category than Biel/Bienne. Although that event had proved too much for him, the experience acquired there was put to good use here.

Castro’s Revelation

Castro was the revelation of the tournament. He achieved his first Grandmaster norm, finished in second place, defeated Larsen and was the only player to beat him.

The Norwegian Zwaig, 29, returned to Spain after having finished fourth in the World Junior Championship held in Barcelona in 1965. Here he achieved a good shared third place together with Grandmaster Szabó, aged 59. He had just won a tournament in Kapfenberg and probably felt the strain of two almost consecutive competitions, as he was more tired than might have been expected. The previous year he had been a co-winner of the competition in Sant Feliu de Guíxols.

Marović, 38, suffered from the lack of regular competitive activity. He had spent three weeks coaching a group of young Catalan players. This effort diminished his strength and he found himself beaten on three occasions, something highly unusual in his solid style.

Visier, 33, and Pomar, 45, followed level on points. The former proved unable to win a game despite obtaining favourable positions in some of them, because he lacked the decisiveness needed to turn them to his advantage. Pomar began with a defeat against Larsen, in particular in the series of recent encounters between them, which had been favourable to Pomar by two wins to one during the year. Later, however, he suffered more than any other participant from the fact that the last four rounds were played in morning sessions, and he finished the tournament in complete disarray, as shown by his final game with White against Szabó.

Sanz, 23, staged a real “sit-down strike”, refusing to take part in the tournament 24 hours before it began. He claimed that he had become demoralised after failing to win the Spanish Championship in the competition recently held in Ceuta. Through the good offices of the chairman of the Organising Committee, Luis Viladot, Sanz was persuaded to abandon his intention of leaving Salamanca in order to attend an appointment he had already made. His performance was nevertheless far from satisfactory, because he was unable to overcome his state of mind and played in a completely listless manner. It is a pity that he wasted this opportunity, since for players in the position of Visier and Sanz these competitions are precisely the ones that can help them establish themselves and obtain the International Master title for which both have been waiting too long.

García-Conesa, 41, first board of the Barcinona club, made a fine international debut, gaining a considerable number of points toward his FIDE rating. Among his results, his excellent victory over Szabó stands out.

As for Ortega, 48, the representative of Malgrat, he was frequently overwhelmed by the considerable difference in class between himself and the other participants.

A Unique Event in Catalonia

We conclude by stressing once again the importance of having saved this international tournament at a time when such events are so scarce in Catalonia, especially after the regrettable disappearance of the most venerable of them, the Olot tournament. Let us hope that it will become firmly established in its new home and, by gaining fresh momentum, recover the position it once enjoyed. This seems possible thanks to such sound sponsorship.

For its part, the Spanish Chess Federation collaborated effectively by granting its customary subsidy to help promote this type of competition, which is of such importance to chess in the country.

In the next issue we shall publish all the games in bulletin form.

Joan Pascual and Jordi Puig

The chairman of the Organising Committee, Luis Viladot, presents the prize awarded to Hungarian Grandmaster László Szabó.