Linares, surrounded by hills covered with endless olive groves, is known as the birthplace of the famous guitarist Andrés Segovia. The bullring in Linares has a reputation for being quite difficult and unpredictable. The world of bullfighting remembers that arena for an event that took place there on August 27, 1947. Manuel Rodríguez, known as “Manolete,” something like a Bobby FISCHER of bullfighting, received a fatal goring and died from loss of blood. Those are things of the past. More current nowadays are the chess tournaments that have been held regularly in this city since 1978. The driving force behind all those chess “festivals” has been Mr. Luis Rentero Suárez, a passionate lover of fighting chess, responsible for everything good about the tournament and, consequently, also for “everything bad.” Questions such as “Where is Rentero?”, “Ask Mr. Rentero,” “Rentero will fix it,” could be heard very frequently. It is always the same: men who manage to create something great will receive praise, but they will also be criticized. In spite of all the “flaws” of the Linares tournament, it has already been held five times. Very notable players have taken part in it. Some have returned for a second or third time, and others will surely come back in the future.

The fifth international tournament of Linares reached an average Elo of 2,594.16, which places it in category 14. Here is the standings table:

The idea of organizing an open tournament alongside the closed one is phenomenal. It creates an even stronger chess atmosphere, and the local people can see that something is really happening.

But the closed tournament and the open should not be organized separately from one another. Whoever manages to win the open should have the right to take part in the next edition of the great closed tournament, regardless of the fact that his participation would lower the average Elo of that event. A similar system is used in many other places around the world where chess festivals are held, such as Biel (Switzerland), Wijk aan Zee and Amsterdam (the Netherlands), Hastings (England), etc. In this way, those who are never invited to closed tournaments would have the chance to “make their way through by their own strength.”

The first international open of Linares was organized by Benjamin Espuny. Around 80 players took part, and the tournament can be regarded as quite strong. In any case, there were notable surprises. Here are the standings of the top fourteen:

The masters tournament began already somewhat (or perhaps quite) diminished when the drawing of lots was made. The world champion, Anatoli KARPOV, despite his announced participation, did not appear. Consternation among some of the players. TIMMAN had come precisely because KARPOV was supposed to play. MILES muttered something about it being time to boycott KARPOV. KORCHNOI later told the press that KARPOV was physically and mentally broken and was staying in a sanatorium in Vienna (?!??!). “Something is rotten in the state of Denmark!” (Hamlet). The same could be said of those who rule over the elite of the chess world. People hide; they do not want to show their faces or give clear explanations. During the tournament, FIDE president Florencio Campomanes was in Spain on business connected with the forthcoming World Championship. Naturally, he did not appear in Linares as he had done two years earlier.

During the tournament, a bulletin came out every day containing all the games from the masters event, plus some from the open. It also contained flashes, some annotated games (by me), and other comments (blunders) also by me. It makes entertaining reading, and anyone interested can obtain the bulletins from the Jaén Chess Federation. I believe the tournament was a great chess success. There was more fighting than in the previous edition. Naturally, some disappointed, but it is difficult to avoid that. One must know whom to invite, not only because of Elo points or former fame, but also because of the way they play. Some comments (hopefully not blunders) on the players’ performances:

1. LUBOJEVIC played a great tournament and deserved to become sole winner. He won several fine games, and only the brief opening tragedy against TIMMAN was a setback.
2. HUBNER played less spectacularly, but very well, and his position is fully justified.
3. PORTISCH, like SPASSKY, remained unbeaten. He managed to win two games, which is enough for a high placing. Creatively, however, he produced very little.
4. KORCHNOI is probably the greatest fighter of all time. He won more games than anyone else, and his losses were more the product of excessive risk. All his games deserve study.
5. SPASSKY is a fine fellow and very affable with everyone, even with me. But what he did from a chess point of view in Linares simply will not do. A super-ace who receives good appearance fees to play has an obligation to show the public something. It was a pity to see him come to each round just to draw in a few moves. The only game he won was not so much the product of his own strength, or will, as rather the weakness of his opponent.
6. TIMMAN is currently number three in the world, and nobody can reproach him for not fighting hard enough. In Linares he was very bothered by the cold in the playing hall, and he decided instead to devote himself to Andalusian nightlife, which always set off in various directions from the famous “Pub Europa” of Miguel and Manolo. He is a player with a fountain of ideas, always capable of producing “crazy” games.
7. POLUGAEVSKY disappointed, playing with little desire. That is not what one expects from a Russian, and his performance cannot be approved.
8. MILES is capable of finishing first or last. He is very irregular, and his place in the standings should surprise no one. In any case, he is a good fighter, and short draws are not seen all that often in his games.
9. RIVAS made a good showing. His second, Mario GOMEZ, said that four points would already be a success. Manolo scored five. This tournament should have been an enormous experience for him, one that his colleagues on the Iberian Peninsula would soon begin to feel. But Manolo does not like to play too much. He said that for the next six months he does not want to play at all.
10. CHRISTIANSEN, winner of two previous editions in Linares, played badly but fought in almost all his games.
11. VAGANIAN was completely unrecognizable in this tournament. The habitual Soviet hegemony was conspicuous by its absence in Linares.
12. ADORJAN did not win a single game and showed little interest in the tournament. Probably a family tragedy that occurred at the beginning of the tournament had something to do with it.

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The winner of the open was Alfonso ROMERO, current European Junior runner-up. He fully deserved first place, which he secured in the last two rounds with convincing victories over ESLON and CAMPOS. Another surprise was the American Marc YOFFIE, now settled in Córdoba. Perhaps he was the one who fought hardest of all. The performances of those who finished in places 3 to 7 should be considered normal. GIL REGUERA and Orestes RODRIGUEZ were somewhat below par, and the greatest disappointment was Mario GOMEZ, who does not appear among the top fourteen.