Jubilee Asztalos Memorial in Salgotarjan

Ten years ago, a unique series of tournaments in the history of Hungarian chess began in Balatonfured. Between 14 and 28 June 1958 only twelve players took part, but in the following year the field increased to fourteen. In 1960 the tournament again had twelve participants, and thereafter it was staged each year in a different provincial chess centre. Interest in the event steadily grew, providing a firm basis for its continued development.

The competition, held in memory of a former president of the Hungarian Chess Federation and one of the country's most influential chess officials, has been especially valuable in promoting young players. For several of our masters it was the first step towards international recognition. Lajos Portisch, Istvan Bilek and Levente Lengyel all achieved grandmaster norms at these tournaments; Bilek obtained the required grandmaster result at the 1962 edition in Kecskemet. Among our international masters, Ervin Haag, Karoly Honfi, Janos Flesch and Laszlo Barczay also made important appearances in the Asztalos Memorial series.

As the standard of play increased, the organisational demands naturally became greater. Salgotarjan, the seat of Nograd County, had developed from a mining town into an industrial centre and proved capable of meeting them. Previously only the tournaments in Kecskemet and Miskolc had assembled a field of FIDE Category I/A strength. To reach the same level here, the participation of at least eight grandmasters was required.

Although no current world-title contender appeared at the opening ceremony on 15 July, the number of internationally titled players exceeded the minimum required for the category. Among the foreign guests were the Cuban master Cobo and the Icelandic international master Ingi Johannsson, who was appearing in the Asztalos Memorial for the first time.

The friendly and hospitable atmosphere was evident from the opening. Janos Hanko, deputy chairman of the Nograd County Council, welcomed the guests, and Tibor Szunyog, chairman of the county sports council, explained the conditions of the competition. After the presentation of gifts, the drawing of lots was conducted.

Games were normally played in the afternoon, from 4 p.m. until 9 p.m., with adjourned games resumed the following morning. Rounds 12 and 15 were played in the morning, so their adjourned games were continued in the afternoon. The first rest day came after five rounds and the next after a further seven. This schedule was more demanding than usual and, together with the relatively fast rate of play, placed a heavy burden on the competitors.

The tournament hall had a reasonably comfortable temperature, while conditions at the Karancs Hotel were excellent. The grandmasters repeatedly praised the attentiveness of the organisers and the interest shown by the local public. The local newspaper followed the event with colourful and detailed daily reports. During the two rest days the participants visited local industrial plants and the mining museum, and also made an excursion to Eger.

The course of the tournament

Before play began, an exciting and balanced struggle was expected, although there were many uncertainties. Only Leonid Shamkovich fulfilled expectations from the outset. After eight rounds he led alone with six points, one and a half ahead of Barczay, Bilek and Simagin, while Damjanovic and Szabo were another half-point behind.

In the next round Barczay defeated Shamkovich, but then unexpectedly lost to Laszlo M. Kovacs. Two consecutive defeats unsettled the Soviet grandmaster, although he later recovered through a series of victories. For a time he again led by one and a half points, but Bilek and Simagin closed the gap.

The fight for first place became increasingly tense. The main questions were who would finish second and whether Barczay would achieve a grandmaster norm.

A violent thunderstorm one day caused a power failure, and the game Damjanovic-Shamkovich had to be adjourned by candlelight. The incident seemed almost symbolic, for the leader's own momentum was soon interrupted. Shamkovich defeated Damjanovic and later moved ahead of Haag, but in his final six games he scored only one and a half points.

Before the last day Shamkovich and Bilek shared the lead with 9.5 points. Barczay, Damjanovic and Simagin followed on 9.

In the final round Shamkovich and Bilek quickly drew with Kavalek and Flesch respectively. This left the way open for the other contenders. Only Barczay took full advantage, defeating Cobo and reaching 10 points. The result also brought him another grandmaster norm. The audience greeted the new grandmaster with enthusiastic applause. Simagin and Damjanovic drew their game and therefore failed to join the winners.

Although three players shared first place, the final result was not accidental. Each of the winners had different strengths.

Laszlo Barczay combined excellent positional understanding with outstanding fighting spirit. He overcame an unfortunate, practically forced defeat in an adjourned game by producing a powerful finish, scoring 70 per cent in his last five games. His play was rich in ideas covering the whole board. At times he was excessively cautious and relied too much on passive defence, but he nevertheless posed difficult problems for every opponent.

Istvan Bilek coped best with the heat. Apart from his victory over Cobo, his play was generally calm and economical, but his experience helped him preserve his freshness and composure. At the beginning of the second half, when several players were already tiring, he scored 4.5 points from five games. His result was based not merely on efficiency but also on carefully constructed victories over Pietzsch, Kavalek and Haag.

Leonid Shamkovich, through calm opening play, accurate middlegame handling and a more mature style, had virtually secured a leading position after two thirds of the tournament. In the final phase, however, he did not withstand the strain. After an imposing start his form suddenly declined, and he scored only two points in his last five games.

Damjanovic and Simagin were very different types of player. The Yugoslav grandmaster preferred a practical style and willingly entered modern variations that had not yet been fully explored. He was in excellent physical condition and could analyse or play bridge for hours while still retaining enough energy for chess.

Simagin represented a more abstract approach. He often sought positions that fitted his own strategic system, sometimes at the expense of immediate tactical requirements. His immense experience enabled him to maintain his balance even in difficult positions, although some of his victories were obtained only after the placement of his pieces had deteriorated.

When the two caught the leaders in the middle of the tournament, it seemed that opponents remembering their recent performances in Leningrad might become reluctant to fight. This did not happen. The strain of daily games and morning adjournment sessions proved too great. Simagin was the more uneven of the two, while Damjanovic appeared richer in practical experience.

Szabo played the tournament in the style of a King's Indian steamroller and was also among the leading group. In judging his result, however, one must take into account his recent setback in Leningrad. His main problem this time was physical condition. Despite his exceptional practical skill, he accepted simplifications and safety more often than usual, and his attacking force gradually diminished.

Ervin Haag began in excellent style and for a time appeared capable of challenging for the highest places. In the middle phase he failed to exploit his chances, made mistakes and lost confidence. Victories over Cobo, Pietzsch, Flesch and Kavalek eventually improved his final result.

Istvan Csom's principal aim was to achieve the seven-point international-master norm. He therefore played cautiously, although this style did not always suit him. When placed in a difficult position, he was able to switch to more active play. Against Cobo he used positional manoeuvring, while against Paoli he succeeded through energetic play. In the last round, however, he was unable to maintain the tradition of winning the first game played after completing a norm.

Among the players who scored below 50 per cent were Flesch and Johannsson.

Flesch, as the local master, had the additional burden of living outside the Karancs Hotel and travelling frequently. He lost only three games, but accepted too many draws.

The Icelandic master Johannsson displayed considerable initiative but played unevenly. He obtained more winning positions than his final score suggests, yet repeatedly made serious mistakes in time trouble. A sequence of four defeats in the middle of the tournament pushed him down the table.

Dr Enrico Paoli, the oldest player in the field and a frequent participant in Asztalos Memorial tournaments, recovered his form after a weak start. In several games he came close to achieving another international-master norm, but ultimately failed to do so.

Laszlo M. Kovacs most often violated the principles of rational tournament play. He continued many games until the position was completely exhausted, whether he was playing for a win or merely trying to avoid defeat. His games were among the longest: 46 moves against Damjanovic, 43 against Barczay, and 41 each against Pietzsch and Haag. Four of his games were adjourned, while he played the losses to Paoli and especially Damjanovic in a state of complete exhaustion.

Cobo's result was surprising because of his poor first half. Later he played tenaciously and came close to exceeding one third of the available points. For a player of his strength, such a large gap from the rest of the field remains difficult to explain.

Kavalek began nervously. His later victories widened the circle of opponents he was capable of defeating, but he still remained far down the table. Pietzsch often obtained an advantage in the first half of his games, only to spoil his position later, turning wins into draws and draws into losses.

The ceremonial prize-giving was held on the evening of 2 August in a separate room at the Karancs Hotel. Janos Hanko praised the organisation of the tournament, while Sandor Szerenyi, president of the Hungarian Chess Federation, assessed its results. In addition to the cash prizes, the competitors received gifts donated by various local institutions. The players collectively thanked the organisers for their careful and cordial hospitality.

Gedeon Barcza

Editorial note: This article was prepared for the August issue of the magazine. A selection of games from the tournament was to be published there, while analyses of the adjourned games were scheduled for the September issue.

Photograph caption

The 10th Asztalos Memorial. Standing: Pietzsch, Damjanovic, Barcza, Simagin, Zoltan Gabor, vice-president of the Hungarian Chess Federation; Shamkovich; Janos Hanko, deputy chairman of the Nograd County Council; Szabo, Bilek and Kavalek. Seated: Laszlo Balogh, international arbiter; Haag; Johannsson; L. M. Kovacs; Jozsef Balazs, chairman of the county chess federation; Flesch; Dr Paoli; Barczay; Cobo; Miklos Antal, chairman of the town chess federation; Csom; Istvan Lichtner, tournament arbiter; and Geza Hegedus, chairman of the district chess federation.