011 to Varna! (See p. 19-1 ) • UNITED STATES >:1: Volume xvn Number !I Sepumber, 1962 EDITOR : J. F. Reinhardt CONTR •• UTORS Weaver Adams, Leonard Barden, Peter Berlow, Arthur Bisguier, R. E. Braine, Dr. Richard CantweU, John W. Collins, Fred Cra mer, Edward A. Dickerson, Major CHESS FEDERATION E. B. Edmondson, Arpad Elo, Larry Eva ns, Kenneth Harkness, Eliot Hearst, Edward Lasker, William Lombardy, Erich Marchand , Jerry Spann, Gary Sperling, Raymond Weinstein, Fred Wren. PRESIDENT Fred Cramer VICE PRESIDENT Major Edmund B. Edmondson, Jr. XVth CHESS OLYMPIAD IN VARNA, BULGARIA REGIONAL VICE·PRESIDENTS This month's cover shows F.I.D.E. Viee President Jerry G. Spann wishing luck NEW ENGLAND WlIIlam C. Newberry rueh.rd Tirre ll to four members of the American chess team as they prepare to depart. for Varna, Ell Bourdon Bulgaria, to play in the XVth Chess Olympiad. EA STERN Charles A. Keyser David. HoHmann Allen K'l,Ifmano Shaking hands with Spann is non·playing captain Eliot Hearst; the other team MID-ATLA NT IC John D. Matheson members shown are O. to r.) Robert Byrne, Donald Byrne, and Edmar Mednis. Not WIlliam A. RuLh WWlam S. Byland shown are team members Bobby Fischer, Pal Be nko, and Larry Evans. who met the others in Europe. The team or Fischer, Benko, Evans, the Byrne brothers and SOUT HERN l't1edn is is probably the strongest ever fiC!lded by the U.S. in an international event. GREAT L AKES Jack O'K«le J~e. ~hroeder The United States is playing in Section 8 or the preliminaries and as we go to Dr. How.nl Gab. press bas defeated Mongolia, 4-0, in the opening round. Fisc hC!r, the Byrnes and Med· NORTH CENTRAL George S. Barne. Eva Aronaon nis all won their games as the competition for the Hamilton·Russell trophy got under Dr. Geo. Van Dyke Tie ... way. The Soviet union, with World Champion Botvinnik at lop board, opened by de· SOUTHWEST ERN C. Harold Bone featlng East Ger many in Section A by a 3·1 score. Donald. ~r1ne Juan J. Reid PACI F IC Hell.ry Groll United States participation in this event was made possible by a generous do· Richard Vandenbur, Mabel Burlingame nation (through the American Chess Foundation) from the Sadie and Arthur Lam. port Foundation and a grant from the U. S. State Department. The U.S.C.F., also, SECRETARY has been called upon to do its share, and 42 of you have already received Jerry MarshaU Rohland Spann's letter asking you to raise $50 or more trom chessplaycrs in your area. We BUSINESS MANAGER urge our other 6,000 readers to join Jerry S)llln n in his attempt to once again raise J. F. Reinhardt money to have U. S. chess properly represented on the world scene. Send your donations for the team to: USCF, 80 E. 11 th St., New York 3, N.Y. In Jerry's ..... ords: MEMBERSHIP SECRETARY Sybilla Harkness "Fischer, Benko, Evans, Robert Byrne, Donald Byrne and Mednis arcn't going to let us down, so let's not let them down!" Give NOW to help the American cbess NATIONAL CHAIRMEN AND OFFICERS team that is representing us in Varna! AFf l L1ATIi STATUS ...... .... Spencer Van Gelder ARMED FORelS CHESS ................ Robert Kan:h COLLEG E CHESS . ........... ............. Peter Bulow INDUSTRIAL CH U • •.... .. _. .Slanley W. D. King IN STITUTIONS CH.S• . _.. _. ... D •. Ralph Kuhn. INTE RNATIONAL AfF A. RS ...... Jerry G. Spann JOIN THE UNITED STATES CHESS FEDERATION JUNIOR CHE SS .. _._ ••....•. _Mordee.1 O. Trcblow MEMII ERSHIP..•. _...••.•.• _ Ed,,·.rd. A. Dlekeraon u se" Is • IlO nopntfit demoeratie oflanilltlon, the official governln, body ..nd. FIDE unit NOMINAT.ON S ..•.•.••.•......•....••. Ke nneth Grant fOf eheq in the USA. A nyone Inten.ted In adv.ne!nl Amenean chf!1I$ Is eU,lble for mf!wbershlp. RAT.NG .TATISTICIAN ......• _....• Gary Sperllnl RATING SYSTEM_ .. _._ ..•...•.•...•.•..Arpad. E. £10 Mt "' ~rshl p . 1neludlnl CHESS LTn: . u~npl1on , ellllbUity for USCF.r.l1nl, and all SW'SS SYSTEM METHODS._ ••_ .Arpad. E. Elo prtYlJ.erea: 1 yr.: ".00; 2. yn...: P..50; .1 yn.: .13.50; Sustaining: SIO.OO (become. lite Member$h lp TAX DEDUCT,II ILITY •... _._ •.•.Davld 1I0Hmann after 10 pa,yments): LUe: '100.00. F,mily Mtmba.ahlp (t,,·o or more bmily members .t .ame TOURNAMENT ADM. .•••. _Georse Kolt.nowakl ad.dreu, only one C'HFSS LIFE IUl»erlpllon): ratea u abo"e for nrst ramUy member, plUl TOURNAMENT RULES....•......•... .Jame. Sberwin TREASU RE R. •.• _.•.••.•...•...•...•..... .Mllton Ru.kln rollowl.,- for eacb addlUonal member; I yr.: 1%.50; 2 yrs.; $4 .75; 3 y .... ; M.75. U. S. CHAMPION. HIP. •.•.•.•.... Mlurlee Kasper CHE. S LIFE la publJ.med monthly by USCF .nd entered as seeond-elul matter at Dubuque, WOMEN'S CH liS • • •......•.... _ •.•...•.... Ev. Aronlon 10,..... Non-member l ·yr. sub8llrlpUon: S4-,OO (".00 outlide USA ); single copy: 40e (5Oc outaide USA). Chang, of addr.lI; Allow four wHkl notice; please ,Ive UI both the new ,ddrea and WORLD CHESS FEDERATION the old addren, Including tbe numbers and datel on the top line of your lII.eneil. (F.I .D.E.) Jerry G. Spann Address all communlcaUonl, and m ake all cheeks payable to: Vice·PresideDt, Zone 5 (U.S.A.) UNITED STATES CHESS FEDI!ItATION, 10 Eu t 11th st ....t , NEW YOR I( 3, N.Y. 194 CHESS LIFE MEDINA WINS U. S. OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP TRIUMPHS OVER 144-PLA YER FIELD IN SAN ANTONIO Anionio Merlina of Caracas, Venezu· Following Medina in the final stand­ enthusiasm by USCF National Vice Pres­ cIa won the 1962 United States Open ings were fo ur Inter national Grandmas· ident Ed Edmondson, who seemed to • • Championship played in San Antonio, ters: Pal Benko, William Lombary, Ar· take a 16·hour workday quite in his Texas, August 13th through 25th. thul' Bisguier and Robert Byrne. It is stride. interesting to note that the five leaders The slender International Master played a round robin among themseLves FuII details of the business meetings played consistently fine chess to achieve with the following results: held in San Antonio during the course his winning score of 10-2, His victory was of the Open will appear in future issues cl'ystal clear, fo r he rinishcd half a I 2 3 • of CHESS LIFE. point ahead of grandmasters Pal Benko I Medina .......... lh 'h I 0 (2) The 1962 Open was notable for the and William Lombardy, who lied for 2 Benko ....... ..... Y.! 0 (Ph ) second and third. introduction of the Chess Handicap Sys· 3 Lombardy ...... Ih ''"k ¥, 'k'" (2) tern (for details see CHESS LIFE, May After gaining three comparatively , Bisguier ..... ..... 0 I (2) 1962). Stephen Jones, a University of easy points in the fi rst three rounds, , Byrne ... ........... 1 '" (2 Y.! ) Texas student from Austin, became the Senor Medina battled nine U. S. Mas­ " first Un ited Slates Handicap Chess ters on his road to the championship. " " '" Champion. The youthlul Jones, previous­ Re seored a phenomenal 7·2 against this ly unknown outside the southwest, made high-ealiber opposilion, gaining draws his mark big and clear fo r all to see with Benko and Lombardy, losing only by his magnificent play in the 1962 to Robcrt Byrne, and defeating Arthur Open. His handicap score of 2395 was a Eisguicr , Larry Gilden, Dr. Peter Lapi­ full 78 points higher than that of the ken, Shelbourne Lyman, Charles Mor· second place handicap winner. His 8·4 gan, and Ken Smith. game score was good enough fo r twelfth The tenth and eleventh rounds were place in the Open standings, and his the crucial ones for the new champion. starting USCF rating of 2086 zoomed In his tenth round game against Dr. to 2203-putting him in the Master class. Lapiken, a Rook vs. Roo k and Bishop The complete list of Handicap win· endgame was reached at the expiration ners: of the first time control. Many observ­ Handicap ers thought the game wou ld end in a Score draw: however, Medina eventually tri­ Stephen Jones ....... .................. ......... 2395 umphed alter nine gruelli ng hours of David Edwards ................... ............... 2317 play. StiJl a half-point down, he faced Jim Mc n rath .. ....... ........................... 2287 tournament leader Arthur Bisguier in Herbert Clyatt ............................ ...... 2283 Joe Medina ......... ...... ............. _... .. ...... 2281 the eleventh round. Ri si ng to the occa­ sion, despite his marathon of the night The Women's Handicap prize was won before, Medina mixed daring with pru­ by U.S. Amateur Women's Champion dence in the classic manner to upset Adele Goddard of Miami , Florida. Bisguier and go into the fi nal round with a half·point lead over Benko and Lombardy. In that twelrth round, Benko and Lombardy drew against each other U. S. OPEN CHAMPIONS while Medina scored a full point against 1941 ........ ... ....... ......... ..... ......... .R euben Fine U. S. Junior Champion Larry Gilden. Antonio Medina 1942 .... Herman Steiner & D. A. Yanofsky Medina's victory was a popular one, 1943 ............ .............. .. ......... .1. A. Horowitz for he conducted himself like a gentle­ 1944 ......... ..................... Samuel Reshevs ky man and a true champion throughout The 144-player lield at this year's 1945 ......... _......................... .A. E. Santasiere the entire tournament. Distinguished in Open included ten women, of whom two 1946 .. .............................. .. Herman Steiner both appearance and behavior, the pre­ - Kathryn Slater of New York City and 1947 ........... .. .... .............. ....... Isaac Kashdan maturely-gray native of Spain was born Mabel Burlingame of Rcdwood City, Cal· 1948 .. ..... ,_.................... ...... .W eaver Adams 42 years ago in Barcelona. He won the ifornia- scored the very fine total of 1949 .