Volume XVII Number 2 FEBRU AR Y, 1962 40 Cents Larry Evans United States Champion Interzonal News Ex·prodigy and lntemational Grandmaster Larry Evans achieved the greatest As this issue of CHESS LIFE goes to victory of his adult chess·playing career by wi nning thc Lessing J. Rosenwald press, both Bobby Fischer and Pal Ben· Tournament (see J anuary CHESS LIFE) and thus becomi ng the Uni ted States ko of the United States are among the leaders in the Interzonal Tournament in Champion and holder of the Frank J. MarshaU Trophy for 1962. Stockholm. The top six players from The classic event, held in New York City under the joint auspices of the this event will join Tal and Keres in U.S. Chess Federation and the American Chess Foundation, was played in the the Candidates' Tournament which will be held in Curacao, Netherlands An· ballruom of the Prince George Hotel and ran from December 17, 19(H, through tilles, in }1ay and J une. The winner of January 4, 1962. By taking the title, Evans won $1,000 of the $3,000 in cash the Cand idates' will playa match next prizes awarded by the Amer ican Chess Foundation. year with Mikhail Botvinnik fo r the World Championship. He's Done It Before A Scrappy Scramble This 15 the l1II!eo nd time that Enns has held EvanI' vletor y clme .. no great surprise, F'mE Vice·president Jerry Spann reo tho title: on the f lnt O«'asilln. In 1951, he: dnce he WIS a mon ,lll Ihe pre·tour nament por ls that the USCF appeal for Cunds f.vorltes and look Ihe I u d right at Ihe _ wu " mere nlnetef!n years of age, wh~h to finance the American players' entry made him the youngest U.s. Champion UP I tlrt. Even 10, it t urned oul to be. I close unUl Ihat time. L.a r ry has alao won the U.s. race, a.nd It wasn't until the a d JO\lrnment ~ fees in the Interzonal has now passed Ope n title three times and Ihe Canadian f rom the I ...t round were comple ted that the hall·way mark. Our original quola Open once. In 1936, he was selected by the Ihe final standings or the top players could be determined. was $1125.00. We appeal to each USCF U.s. Depar lment of Slate 10 ma ke a good.wlll member to reach for his checkbook and On January 5. a day a fter the tour namenl was "over", EvaM clinched the title by draw· send in his contribution, whatever the Ing his adjourned game wllh Seidman while amount, to: Interzonal Fund, c/ o Jerry Robert Byrne look second by drawing with G. Spann, 30 11 Pasco, Oklahoma City 3, R~ 3' mond Weln. teln. Byrne, like Evans, W IS Okla. ltndefealed, . nd his tlna l scon_ of 1-4 was only :I h alf point below the wlnner'l. Interzonal Slandings, as of February Benko, Mednls, S(! ldman, and Sherwin (to 13 : rn them alphabetically) all ended up In I 6;·polnt langle for third. thr ough sixth. Seld· W L W L man and Mcdllis had chance. right down to Uhlmann ...... 7"" 1.,. IJolbochan .... 5 ~ !he wire. Seidman's 1.lt·roun(l (lraw wllh ?Il1p .............. 7 3 Slein ..... _ ....... 5 5 Ihe winner was mentioned above; Mednls ha(l ~·~sc h e r ....... ,6 'h 11,2 Barna .......... 4'h 4'7 :I ch ance 10 tie fo r tlrs! by defeating Benko Petr08lan .... 6\011 1~" Yanofs1<y ...... \'2 6 ~ \ !n Ihe tlnal r ou nd. IIc had a posltlon In the D<:l nko ,.... ....... 6 Y.; " 'h Schweber ...... (\ middle gamc Ihat looked promising: rcmark· G ll gor~ ........6 .. Bertok ............ 7 ably, hO"'evcr, Benko (wh OAf: t1m(!·trouble Is i(ore hllOI .... 6 4 Bllguter ........ 3\'2 H!I proverbial) had a whole eight m inutes left ?ortlsch .... 6 4 Ge nnan .... .... 3 .., I;'h en move 34. whli(! Edmar had leSS than a Ollek ........ ...... ~'h 1'e.chner ...... 3 7 ,r.lnute. ltednls played a acemlngly safe r ook 3"'" Geller ............ ~ 'h 4 ..... Cuellar .......... 2'h move, a lla.clllng the while Queen, and quickly "v. OIafslOn ...... sv. 4'/~ Aar on ....... _ .. I'h 9 l~ pus.hed h i. clock. Faster than Ihe speclalou ?omu ..... _. 5 ~ 4 '1.0 e:luld rollow , Benko effecled a nu t two-move c:lmblnatlon: _ a check, followed by a sur· prtsing rook saerlrlce. MednJs, obviously caught una wa r es, slared at the position Botvinnik Takes Hastings while his clock ran oul. - the n grtlcefully re signed. Wor ld Cham pion Mikhail Bolvlnnlk won seven c.mes a.n d drew two, 10 win flflt prtze Too M. ny Draws? tn the annual Chrislmas CongrCIl In lIutings Top honors for the most games won In ~:ng lan d. lie finished ahead ot Gflndma!ter~ The Winner: Larry Evans !he tournament go to Herbert Seidman, with (;Jlgorlc, Fiohr, and Blsg\ller, as w~1l IS the rive. Evans, In laking the tou r nament, won !lrltl~h contingent. - led by British Champion lour Of Au~t rl a li nd y ugos.i avla . He Is the au· four and drew .even _ In mar ked con · Jonath.n PenrOlle-a nd Karl Robatach of Aus­ thor of $(Overa l besJ..selllng cheos books . nd trast to Bobby Fische r's showlnll last year, Irla, Robe r t G. Wade of New Zeal"nd, and hll popular eolumn " Larry Eva ns on Chen" when Bobby wo n seven and drew four, Ma nuel Aar on of India. Botvlnnlk e1lnched has appeare4 In CHESS LIFE for a number When u ked to comment On this In an firl t plaee In l he next·to-Ih.·la5t round, of yenl.. One or his newes t venlures I. The Interview a fter Ihe tournamen t, €vana said: before playing a l:!-mOve draw with the American Ch .., Quarterly, a. lively maculne "Once I got the lead I tried 10 hold It and olhe r Sovlct rcpre.tlentative, Salo Flohr. devoted to fu rthering the cause of muler not gamble It away; and belng the front· chcn In the US.A. runner forces you 10 ehange your slyle. I The Final Standln ...: The new ch . mplon's In le r e!ll5 extend, how. was playing t o the $(!(Ire, minimizing risk." nOl vlnnlk .... 8 1 Llttlewood .. 4 5 ever, beyond the bounds of Calaaa'i realm Evans abo vent ured • eomparlaon between GUgorle ........ 6 3 Robstsch ...... 4. 5 (he I. presently writing a nd producing • FIscher's chen peraonallty . nd his own. " I Flohr .........._ S\0'2 3 \0'2 Wade ... ~ .. _. ~ 3 \0'2 S'h mollon pict ur e) and h i" tournament perlorm. defend II'I.)'If:lf ICainSl belnl absorbed by Blaguler ,. ... 5 .. Barden .... __ 3 6 ancel hne been Infrequent In reeeni ye ..... the game," he said, " while Fischer uses the Penrof(! ........ 5 .. Aaron ._,, _... 1 8 Prior to winning the championship, hI! la st gsme to def en(l himself a c ~ ln . t the world." major competition was In 1960. In B\ll"no. Whatever the explanatlon, nO one who Leonard Darden Is preparing a .Iory and Air!!, where he placed fourth In a sirOnII' 80 mll annotated games from thl. ~"enl for Inlernatlonal field. Cont'd. next 'p.tge OUf March Issue. U.S. Champio nship-Cont'd. expected; howe ... .-.r, this Is Donald'~ first ~; ... ans tussle was, incidentalLy. one of Larry's appear anee In so strong a tournament since be~t ilames of the tournament. was present durtnlj' the tournament can his r eturn to chess after a prolonged ab~ cn ce, The hottom three player$ - Turner, Kra_ doubt Evana' Intention or winning It. Ilis and It could hardly be anticipated that he mer, Bernstein - could hanlly be expected determination a nd wlll.to. ... lctory were appar­ would Immediately show a return to full to be completely satls{\ed with their r e­ ent from the n n t rO\lnd on. lie may have playing strength. s pective showings, yet they turned In good used a tournament strstea:Y that some roman­ indi... ldual performances. Turner delea ted tics and a great many amateun find unutll­ A s Expecte d Seidman and lost only to E ... ans among Ihe fying, but the lInal re sults tell the story. top ' five players. Kr ... mer. though he seem" The otber players-though anyone of them In ret r os~t, his whole performance In the temporarily a t least, to ha ... e lost the touch l ournament seems like a neatly calc\llated might ha... e done better t han he d ld- Clnlshed Ihat made him one of the most briLtLa nt o f combination. well within the range of wha t might be called the younger American players • decade or their minimum expectations. Benko Ind so ago, un attribute a good $hare of his Some SurpriSH Sherwin were figured to do well, a nd . did trouble 10 laell of recent practice .galnst well. They were also lIgured to IO$/! a lew littong competition. Bernsle ln, Clving ."·... Y Every great tournamen t pr oducea lis share points Ihrou,i(h clock t rouble, s nd Ihey l03t quite a few years to m ost of the other play. of t he unexpected, and Ihe 1961·61 Champion . Ihem. Lan year, Benko lost on time 10 S he r.