Asztalos Memorial in Baja

The series of memorial tournaments, held annually from 1958 to 1967 and every second year thereafter, has now reached its twelfth edition. Anyone who pays attention to what the “speaking figures” reveal will also find a sombre anniversary in this jubilee. The first tournament commemorating Dr Lajos Asztalos was held thirty years ago in Balatonfüred, and only later did the event become part of the calendar of our town. Thus this year’s traditional competition in Baja is already the tenth tournament to be described as a jubilee event and to be entered in the annals of international chess.

Organised chess in the town of István Türr has a tradition going back more than a hundred years, although local activity has expanded considerably only in recent times. Since Baja Spartacus brought the town’s chess players together in 1953, its team has competed almost continuously at county level, beginning with a side that included Kecskemét’s county champions. Baja won the Bács-Kiskun county team championship five times. The team also advanced to the national level and in 1967 took part in the second division of the Hungarian team championship. Although it was later relegated, the balance sheet of the present year is not yet closed, and the development of the younger generation is producing increasingly promising results.

Progress, however, is no longer merely knocking at the door; it has entered through it. In this year’s Baja city championship the title was won by the sixteen-year-old Béla Kormányos, who came to Baja from Budapest and defeated such well-known local masters as Gábor M. Kovács.

Development naturally draws attention to organisational matters as well, and it is especially welcome when public officials understand and support efforts aimed at progress. In Baja, a social committee was formed to raise interest in chess to a higher level. Dr István Gajdócsi, a member of parliament and the committee’s principal patron, expressed the wish that the town should again host an international chess event. György Papp, first secretary of the city party committee, Dr Antal Kárpáti, secretary of the city council’s executive committee, and a number of enthusiastic organisers also took an active part in the preparations.

The importance of the Asztalos Memorial lies above all in developing the reserve of Hungarian elite chess. For this reason Baja received one grandmaster, eleven international masters and four national masters. Among the latter, József Tábor was granted permission by the FIDE Qualification Commission to compete for the international master title; consequently, the norm required of him was reduced to 8½ points.

The competition began on 15 May in the main hall of the district council building and ended on 31 May. At the opening ceremony on 14 May, Dr István Gajdócsi welcomed the guests. On the following day, after the drawing of lots, speeches were delivered by Dr Antal Kárpáti and by Zoltán Gábor, vice-president of the Hungarian Chess Federation.

The struggle for first place was, in one respect, almost devoid of suspense. Forintos began brilliantly, quickly took the sole lead, and through both his results and the quality of his play established such a large advantage that his rivals soon lost hope of catching him. Veszett remained close to the leaders only briefly; after losing to Cobo, the good fortune of his promising start came to an end. Zinn, to put it mildly, was a very serious candidate for a high placing.

Forintos stood out from the whole field through his ability to exploit strategic possibilities consistently. His practically most important victory was his game against Tompa. Even more noteworthy was the fact that, at a stage when a draw would already have secured first place and mathematically guaranteed his grandmaster norm, he nevertheless played boldly and with good judgement for a win against Tábor.

With these victories Forintos secured a practically unassailable lead. More important still, when a draw in the final round would already have been enough to guarantee the grandmaster norm, he did not seek a mathematical safeguard but played sharply and courageously against Tábor. His quick and convincing win offered a valuable example to young competitors.

Grandmaster Bagirov was unquestionably a very strong player, yet for much of the event he remained in the background in the struggle for second place. His seven draws between rounds 12 and 17 suggested a degree of tournament fatigue. Even so, his attacking ideas contained many interesting and valuable elements.

The Romanian master tried at all costs to keep pace with the leader and scored a fine victory against Masics. Later, however, he drew too many games and played with too much uncertainty. The three defeats he suffered between rounds 9 and 12 finally cost him his chance of achieving the title norm.

The young Sax was badly affected by these setbacks, although his colourful and courageous play made him a favourite with the spectators throughout. He should not alter his style, but refine it and develop it further.

Cobo did not begin the tournament as he finished it. Perhaps his defeat against Forintos, suffered from a winning position, damaged his confidence. From then on, he repeatedly offered draws in several favourable positions. Tompa was playing in such a strong tournament for the first time; alongside inventiveness, his games sometimes also displayed excessive mannerism.

The three defeats suffered in rounds 9–12 finally deprived the young master of his chance to fulfil the norm. This may have affected him noticeably, but with his colourful, courageous complications he remained a favourite of the public. He should not change his style, but should improve it and make it more profound.

Among the four players who tied for fourth place, Csom experienced the most surprising fluctuations. László M. Kovács began with difficulty and in an unusually nervous manner. He obtained winning positions against Schmidt and Polgár, only to lose both games. In the final round, however, he defeated Paoli and thereby achieved the international master norm.

Schmidt was theoretically very well prepared in the openings, although he was sometimes too inclined to settle quickly for a draw. Zinn occupied a grandmaster-norm position for half the tournament and obtained the best Sonneborn-Berger score among the players tied for fourth place.

The youngest player in the field was the twenty-year-old Sax, who won the bronze medal. He fell two points short of the international master norm. One of the most memorable games of this period was his attack against Paoli, a characteristic representative of the romantic school of chess. In modern tournament play, such a striking sequence of pawn sacrifices is a rare experience.