Schacksnack

Despite extremely intense fight from the beginning to the end, not any of the young talents could reach the 7 points GM norm. Bagi Mate (HUN) was the closest to it but he could not win any of his last two games because he avoided taking high risks in a time-troubled situation. It was his first GM event since acquiring the IM title.

Stella Andrea (ITA) and Sturt Raven M (USA) also played high level chess in many games but all three of them need a little more experience for the dreamed GM title.

However, Petrov Martin (BUL) a 15 year old player of Stolichen Centar Chess Club of Sofia (BUL) achieved his goal of performing his first IM norm. His father, a coach, can be proud of him, not only by his results but also by his modest, silent humbleness to the game he loves.

WGM Kalinina Olga (UKR) arrived after having a strong training session for the National Women Championship of Ukraine. After losing the first two games she adapted to the high quality field and started to play and win in spectacular style. Her game against Sturt Raven M deserves a brilliancy prize.

Finally, two IM- s came on top in the IM section but the formula of such success of title- holders was not at all automatic. Gantsooj Ganzorig (MGL) though being less experienced had caused a lot of hard moments for all opponents having shown an enigmatic style. His opponents could hardly ever find out his next move. Lokander Martin (SWE) started his strong finish just a little late to be the winner.

FM Martin Lokander tested his strength against the IM players in Budapest. (The photo by Lars OA Hedlund is taken from another occassion)

Havanecz Bianka (HUN) silver medalist of the HUN National Women Championship two months earlier could not find the winning plan in a complicated middle game in the last round just at the gate of winning the tournament performing a WGM norm.

Coach Batsaikhan Tserendorj who is a National Master in Mongolia can see his decision justified to come to Budapest accompanying three of his most talented pupils. 11 years old, Itgelt Khuyagtsogt won 126 rating points against a field that had the advantage of at least 30 years more experience in average.

Szurkos Andras (HUN) a lyric poet and journalist in public life won the rating group not for the first time. Birovecz Ben Jordan (HUN), representing the youth this time alone, won the highest number of rating points.

The Chief Guest of the tournament was the living chess legend GM Pal Benko (USA) who is now 87 years old. He was born in Hungary but immigrated to USA in 1956. He is the only player who had defeated former World Champion Robert James Fisher three times. Later they worked together for many years. Benko Gambit (1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 b5) was named after him since he frequently used this system successfully. Living in Budapest again, he is still active by writing valuable endgame articles for the Chess Life Magazine (USA) under the columns of ”Endgame Laboratory”. He is the greatest ever chess composer and problem expert. He has written a lot of books, mainly on endgames, but his most important work- piece is “My Life, Games and Compositions published in 2003 in Los Angeles by Siles Press.

Pal Benko in his prime in the Netherlands 1964. (Source: Dutch National Archives)

Turneringstabeller och fotografier finns på följande länk: First Saturday Budapest 7-17 Nov 2015