From 16 to 28 February, the nineteenth edition of the International Costa del Sol Tournaments, the dean of Spanish tournaments, was held in the halls of the Hotel Las Palmeras in Fuengirola.

The Spaniard Martín won with full merit. From the very first moment he took command of the tournament and did not relinquish it until the end, finishing tied with the Colombian Castro and the Bulgarian GM Padevsky, although with a better Sonneborn score. This triumph, apart from the prize and the laurels, earned him another international master norm, so that, if my memory does not fail me, he now needs three more games to obtain the longed-for title. It was a very good performance by the former national champion, who only surrendered his king to the Frenchman Haik in a very complicated game. The quality of his play in this tournament reached the high standard he had shown at the Haifa Olympiad, and it will undoubtedly serve as encouragement for the future. Congratulations!

The Colombian Castro displayed very aggressive play throughout the competition, without making any concessions. Only a few draws say enough about his “desire to win.” I am pleased to congratulate the Colombian on this occasion, because I saw in him an enormous desire to please, and because for a long time — almost since the Biel Interzonal — he had been limiting himself to taking part in tournaments without great ambition. The veteran Padevsky was not the classic “package” brought in simply to fulfil the requirement of giving the tournament norm possibilities. He played well and showed that he must be reckoned with.

Rodríguez and Bellón merely did their duty and finished half a point behind the first-place group. The Spaniard played in his usual style, going all out, but he lacked concentration to finish off some games. It was not “his” tournament.

I have been “watching” the Frenchman Haik for a couple of years, and his progress has been extraordinary. At the Buenos Aires Olympiad his performance was sensational, and in the Costa del Sol he had some brilliant games, surprising both the winner and his companion Castro with highly notable victories. His play has become more technical and refined, and given his youth, even better things may be expected.

The Sevillian Rivas has also improved greatly in his play, and I see him in a clear line of progress. He knows how to be better at the board and, above all, to be outside it. He may be granted all the benefits of the doubt. Keep going, lad!

The veteran Medina produced both good and bad. It is abnormal that he should not score even against Ruiz, Haik and Rivas, and then achieve better results against the winner, Bellón and Rodríguez, for example. His 50 percent in this tournament is not much, but there is his example for many young players of today. I liked Antonio especially in his game with Bellón.

Visier fulfilled his task with complete dignity, considering his limited preparation and scant recent practice.

Ruiz began by “devouring the world,” only to fade away completely. In the sixth round he already had three points, and he ended the tournament with four. Even so, I think it was his best score in the recent Málaga tournaments.

I also expected more from the Portuguese player Durão, but good results cannot be achieved when one plays so little.

The Málaga runner-up Heras closed the table with half a point, which I consider far too little for this competition. The fans expected much more — and, frankly, so did I.

I think that, for the first time in its history, this event was held in Fuengirola, and in reality the matter is not of very great importance. The Hotel Las Palmeras setting was good, with its precedents, and with regard to the organisation I must be generous, because if it had not been for the personal efforts of Luis Haritver, it is quite possible that this year we would not have had a Costa del Sol. And that would be more serious than the small shortcomings noted, especially when it is rumoured that the famous Las Palmas and Montilla tournaments will not be held this year, after so many people have worked for so many years, with so many efforts and sacrifices, so that they might survive for the benefit of national and world chess, and naturally of our fans.

Things being as they are, I must therefore congratulate Haritver in the first place, since in addition to directing the event, he also had help from members of the Málaga Federation, who lent a hand, and from the fans who travelled there because of their great enthusiasm. To all of them: thanks, congratulations, and my recommendation that from now on they begin working on the twentieth edition.