Veterans Do Not Grow Old at Heart

Reported by our special correspondent, Grandmaster Mark Taimanov

Recently, the predominance of young chess players has become an established feature of almost every tournament report. This is hardly surprising: it is the same everywhere. Yet this time I would like to take advantage of the situation created by the Tallinn tournament and pay tribute to the older generation of chess players, whose achievements over many decades earned them fame and universal recognition.

A fine example is the play in Tallinn of our veterans Paul Keres, David Bronstein and the “half-veteran” Boris Spassky.

Keres is already close to sixty. Yet with what youthful energy, enthusiasm, will to win and mastery does the Estonian grandmaster conduct his games! Five wins, among them both combinational and purely technical ones — such was his start.

Another veteran, David Bronstein, was approaching his fiftieth birthday. Until then he had drawn several games, but on 19 February the grandmaster celebrated his birthday in a new age category in the most original fashion — by winning a game. This victory noticeably improved both his tournament position and his mood.

After a long interval Boris Spassky once again delighted his admirers. His play at the start of the Tallinn tournament was fresh and that of an ex-champion: he willingly accepted sharp tactical struggles and avoided neither complicated positions nor direct battles.

Even in comparatively simple positions his imagination sometimes produced elegant ideas.

These “elderly” masters were not the only ones to impress. One of many starting draws was followed by a succession of sharp and inventive games. The overall character of the opening rounds was determined by bold, uncompromising play.

On the following day Rantanen, in his game with V. Hort, became the victim of an almost analogous combinational blow. There followed a tactical sequence after which material losses became inevitable, and Rantanen resigned.

After eight rounds Paul Keres led with 6½ points, followed by Boris Spassky with 5½, David Bronstein and Fridrik Olafsson with 5, while Aivars Gipslis, Vlastimil Hort and D. Marović had 4½ each.

Such Different Draws...

Reported by Grandmaster Mark Taimanov

At a reception for the participants of the international tournament, I. Kallion, chairman of the Tallinn City Executive Committee, spoke about the problems of present-day Tallinn and jokingly included among them the increased number of draws in the tournament. Let us try to examine this delicate issue more closely. Fortunately, several examples from the latest rounds are available.

The sporting struggle became visibly sharper as well. Keres and Spassky increased the pace and immediately felt the pursuers’ breath behind them. Fridrik Olafsson made a strong surge, while David Bronstein steadily worked his way into the leading group.

After twelve rounds Paul Keres led with 9 points. Fridrik Olafsson had 8½, David Bronstein 8, Vlastimil Hort 7½, and Aivars Gipslis and Boris Spassky 7 each.

A Brilliant Finish

Reported by Grandmaster Mark Taimanov

The tournament finish proved unusually combative. It is enough to note that in the final five rounds the number of decisive games was nearly as high as in the previous ten rounds combined. Of the five participants who had not yet lost a game, only Paul Keres managed to complete the tournament undefeated.

The events of the closing days were so fascinating that they deserve to be described round by round.

After ten rounds Keres had 7½ points, Bronstein, Olafsson and Spassky 6½, and Hort 6. During the rest day, the participants and guests remembered that the current tournament was dedicated to Paul Keres, whose influence remained central to the whole event.

After the twelfth round the outcome of the tournament already seemed clear. Yet the final round still had to be played. It appeared unlikely to be especially dramatic because one leader faced an opponent from the lower half of the table. In reality, the events were quite different.

The tournament “Tallinn 1975” ended with a convincing victory for Paul Keres. His success delighted the admirers of the Estonian grandmaster and inspired the older generation of chess players. Keres once again proved that genuine mastery does not age and does not fade.

At the closing ceremony, I. Kallion, chairman of the Tallinn City Executive Committee, called the completed event a tournament of chess sympathies. Developing that description, one might say that after a restrained introduction and a somewhat chaotic second movement, the final symphony turned out solemn and brilliant.

Traditional tournaments have one principal advantage: when parting, the participants do not say goodbye forever, but rather, “Until we meet again.” So: farewell, Tallinn 1975 — until the next meeting in 1977.

/ "64" no.8-12/1975