Asztalos Memorial Tournament in Szombathely

This time Szombathely hosted the ninth international tournament held in memory of Dr Lajos Asztalos. This traditional series is without parallel in the history of Hungarian chess. Looking back, one can see how many stars of world chess have already appeared in these events. Among the foreign participants were Tal, Korchnoi, Boleslavsky, Bronstein and Uhlmann, while many leading representatives of the younger Hungarian generation earned international title norms here or took another important step towards them.

This year's tournament was also worthy of the memory of the great teacher. In terms of average strength it was perhaps the strongest event in the history of the series. The field of sixteen included five grandmasters, eight international masters and three national masters.

The composition of the field was by no means free of difficulties. The many commitments of foreign players, together with unforeseen illnesses, created a situation in which even the introduction of reserves did not always prove sufficient. The participation of the eight invited foreign players remained uncertain for a time. Lilienthal, who was staying in Hungary, had to be taken to hospital, though fortunately he recovered enough to enter the tournament. Paoli arrived in Budapest in the evening and, at the height of the uncertainty, the Italian master who had already travelled to Szombathely went to sleep in the Hotel Savaria.

Kavalek travelled by bus, but on the morning of the opening day he missed his connection. Uhlmann arrived in Budapest by plane at the same time. As a result, the games Pelitov-Uhlmann and Kavalek-Lengyel were postponed from the opening programme.

Fortunately, these initial difficulties left no trace on the event itself. Thanks to the excellent organisation, everything proceeded smoothly. János Nagy, chairman of the county sports council, welcomed the participants, while Gusztáv Tóth, chairman of the county chess federation, together with a large team of assistants, carried out exemplary organisational work.

The tournament began amid lively interest from the local public and press. Bílek, the strongest local player, easily refuted Csom's rather quiet treatment of the opening. The most exciting middlegame of the first day arose from the apparently "quiet" English Opening in Bronstein-Flesch.

At first sight Black's queen appeared to be lost, since after the white queen moved there seemed to be no satisfactory square available. Bronstein, however, found a tactical resource and the game eventually ended in a draw. Black could still have played on, seeking chances by returning the pawn and then advancing his kingside majority, but the players agreed peace.

In the second quarter of the tournament Uhlmann set the pace. During this phase he played what was probably the most attractive game of the event, defeating Dely. Bronstein, meanwhile, began to reduce the distance between them and won a much shorter but sharper struggle against Barczay.

After the first quarter Uhlmann seemed a fairly secure winner, although Bronstein was never far behind. Bílek, who had started well, Kavalek, whose play was steadily improving, and Haag, who also began successfully, all appeared capable of joining the fight for the leading places.

Barczay was in excellent form. In his game with Pelitov he subjected the Bulgarian master to a severe test. The score needs little explanation: White conducted an attack of the highest class, while Black realised only too late how great the danger had become.

After five rounds Bílek, who had until then scored 75 per cent, suffered a striking defeat against Kavalek. The loss affected the Hungarian grandmaster so deeply that he may afterwards have become too concerned with avoiding another blow. He did manage to win on the following day, but all nine of his remaining games ended in draws.

The closing stage of the first half brought a genuine race for places. The field divided into two groups of eight, an important matter because of the large difference between the prize categories. Haag compensated for his poor run in remarkable fashion: after several losses he immediately won three games and returned to the middle of the table. Dely, almost unnoticed, also improved his position through sensible and purposeful play, carefully observing which opponent was beginning to tire and at what moment.

Ciocaltea and Kavalek had to undergo a kind of "final examination". By the whim of the pairing system both had to meet, one after another, the four-man commission of Bronstein, Flesch, Uhlmann and Dely. Before this test Kavalek stood one point ahead of Ciocaltea. Aiming for a high placing, he repeatedly created great complications. His game against Bronstein was especially dramatic. The Soviet grandmaster fell into severe time trouble, and Kavalek had several chances to obtain the advantage. He even declined a draw, but Bronstein took over the initiative just before the flag fell and eventually won. Kavalek scored only half a point from his final four games.

Ciocaltea approached the same test with more modest ambitions. Four draws not only enabled him to overtake Kavalek, but also secured him a very respectable final placing.

Uhlmann had to work hard for first place. His game against Barczay became particularly critical. The Hungarian master built the position in a way that appeared to suit his opponent's style, but Uhlmann knew Barczay's fondness for such setups and chose an extremely risky continuation. Barczay obtained a winning position, and after the adjournment he could have won a piece. Instead he selected a spectacular but incorrect continuation. After further play he had to settle for a draw.

Was this bad luck? It was more like a well-deserved punishment for superficiality, because Barczay had already failed more than once to convert winning positions. In the penultimate round he again embarked on a sacrificial combination, this time against Csom, and again it ended badly for him.

The struggle for first place was eventually reduced to Bronstein and Uhlmann, and both won their last games. Flesch explained that after defeating Kavalek he needed a win with Black in the penultimate round in order to complete the grandmaster norm. He therefore wished to avoid a draw against Bukic. He achieved his aim only in the opposite sense: he failed to create serious winning chances and also lost his unbeaten record.

Bronstein's final opponents were Pelitov and Csom, while Uhlmann had to face Kavalek and Bukic. Since the two leaders were level on points, Bronstein's pairing appeared the more favourable. Yet the expected result nearly failed to materialise. Bronstein played too riskily against Csom, reached a lost position and won only through good fortune. Uhlmann, for his part, had to struggle for a long time to draw with Bukic. That colourful game deserves separate treatment.

The finest games of the tournament were played by Grandmaster Uhlmann. It was striking how faithfully he adhered to his opening repertoire. His opponents knew the variations he employed and could prepare specifically for them, yet Uhlmann did not fear this. His profound understanding of the resulting positions meant that topical preparation was rarely dangerous to him. He also strove to win with Black. Without doubt he displayed world-class strength. His play was not always spectacular, because it rested on very deep ideas, but he was constantly trying to achieve something and often entered extremely complicated positions. Throughout the event he retained iron nerves and complete concentration.

Grandmaster Bronstein remained faithful to his old style, attempting to "bewitch" his opponents with unexpected ideas. In the direct encounters among the prize-winners he achieved only the third-best result, but against the lower half of the table he scored one hundred per cent. With such irregular play he treated the weaker opponents with particular boldness. More than once during the tournament he said that he wanted to obtain difficult positions. Only later did the meaning become clear: in severe time trouble he writes down the moves even more carefully than usual, including the move numbers, because this helps him retain his bearings.

It is difficult for a player to write about his own performance. Flesch admitted that, judging from his earlier form, he had not expected to finish so well. At one stage he was satisfied merely to remain two points behind, but then tried steadily to improve his standing. In the direct encounters among the prize-winners, however, the others generally scored better.

Dely's result was good, although he himself was not satisfied with his play. On several occasions fortune helped him: he won lost games or saved draws. Yet a good tournament result also requires the ability to exploit such chances when they appear. The most valuable feature of Dely's performance was his calm and purposeful tournament conduct.

Ciocaltea was in good physical condition. He played actively, although his sense of proportion sometimes deserted him and carried him too far.

Among the members of the leading group Barczay had special reason for satisfaction. After a two-year interruption he once again completed the international-master norm, and official recognition by FIDE could therefore be expected. Most of his games showed that his style had become more serious and responsible. He still had to learn how to cope with deterioration in his position and how to defend patiently.

Bílek was the most "complete" grandmaster in the field. He began the tournament as expected and seemed certain to challenge for the top places. His unfortunate defeat against Kavalek, however, disrupted his rhythm. Haag, who had won three international tournaments the previous year, did not fulfil expectations this time. Even so, after a period of weakness he deserved praise for recovering and fighting his way back.

The last prize-winner was Kavalek, whose confirmation as a grandmaster by FIDE was then pending. Four rounds before the end he was still a serious candidate for first place, but two defeats and a missed opportunity in another favourable position ended his challenge.

Navarovszky was not only the tournament's "draw king" but also its only player without a single victory. Csom entered with great ambitions, but his play was highly uneven. Pelitov was a good tactician, although he still lacked experience in tournaments of such strength. Dr Paoli, the oldest competitor, could not keep pace with opponents who were mostly much younger.

László Balogh, the chief arbiter, directed the tournament with his customary courtesy and precision. His excellent assistants were Gusztáv Tóth and Lajos Szemerédi.

János Flesch