Argentinian tragedy - Portoroz surprise

This branche in Najdorf Sicilian was so popular during 1950's.
On the Interzonal tournament in Göteborg (Sweden, Sverige) in 1955, three Argentinian players had played against three "Russians" (that is Soviets). It was due brutal rule that aimed to limit Soviet supremacy but instead imposed heavy tournament rhythm to the players from rest of the World.

Anyway, it was almost olimpic match between Argentina and SSSR.

this is the quote from internet>>>
The Argentinean players, Miguel Najdorf, Oscar Panno and German Pilnik had based their preparation for this tournament on the Najdorf Variation, but Paul Keres had defeated Panno with a novelty in the first part of the tournament, refuting their entire strategy of the South American team.

The Argentineans were in panic. But on a free day the temperamental Pilnik had come up with the 9...g5 improvement that seemed to give them a powerful weapon against Keres' new move. The Argentinean team and their helper spent 24 hours analysing every aspect of the devilishly clever Pilnik idea. In the end the great Najdorf made the decision: we play 9...g5.

This led to the "total chess war" in Gothenburg. Argentina was the second-strongest chess nation after the Soviet Union, and in round 14 chance would have it that the three top players had black against the leading Russians Efim Geller, Boris Spassky and Paul Keres.

About half an hour into the round the Argentinean plan struck like lightening out of a clear sky. Almost simultaneously the three GMs played the fateful move 9...g5, and the Soviet "analysis engine" came to a grinding halt.

The tension in the playing hall was tremendous. Three demo boards showed identical positions, and while the Russians sat there in deepest thought Miguel Najdorf wandered around the hall, merrily asking people what they thought of his position. One of them was Svetozar Gligoric, who was writing chess columns in Gothenburg.

On the boards the sharpest tactician amongst the Russian players, Efim Geller, was the first to play. After 30 minutes he played a three-move combination, sacrificing a knight, offering a bishop and then playing a quiet bishop move: 10.fxg5 Nfd7 11.Nxe6 fxe6 12.Qh5+ Kf8 13.Bb5 Ne5 14.Bg3. Spassky and Keres took almost an hour to find the same moves, which marked the end of the Argentinean dream. All three games were lost by Najdorf, Panno and Pilnik in very similar fashion.

That is the story of the "Sicilian Vespers", the tale of a variation that had appeared like a comet and gone down in a blaze. Who would ever dare to play the line again? The answer: a fifteen-year-old, and in a decisive game, one of the most important in his career!




Tragedy:::::

Geller defeated Panno:::

Spassky defeated Pilnik:::



Keres destroyed the father Najdorf



Three years later on the next interzonal tournament, in Yougoslavia in Portoroz, the variation emerged again. Bobby Fischer already was in love with Najdorf variation and he wasn't afraid of Argentinian catastrophe.

Gligoric remembered how Fischer asked him about variation he later applied in their game - and with that draw Fischer qualified for Candidates tournament also in Yougoslavia 1959.

Here's what Gligoric had said:::

I considered it my duty to take care of Bobby; he was 15, while I was 35. We spent a lot of time together. Once we were by the river, swimming and sunbathing. I was a good swimmer but Bobby tried to outswim me. And then sulked when he didn’t succeed. I told him: “Bobby, you need to train for about 20 years – and then you’ll beat me!”

There, by the river, Fischer asked my opinion about a variation in the Sicilian Defence where white sacrifices a piece and develops an extremely strong attack on the black king. And it must be said that even then Bobby was already up-to-date with everything that was going on in the chess world. Everywhere he went he carried a pocket chess set. So he showed me a game, played somewhere in a minor tournament in Siberia, and asked what I thought about the rook move he was analysing.

Imagine my amazement when in the 21st and final round of the Interzonal Tournament in Portoroz I played Fischer and he played the line that he’d shown me by the river! And not just that, he made the same move that I hadn’t considered worthy of my attention! I got a draw with white, but nevertheless I have to admit that in the final position where I had three pawns for a piece Fischer was better [the game's here].

It was just that by that time we both knew that we’d qualified to take part in the World Championship: I was second behind Tal, while Fischer was sharing 5th place.

The picture from the game>>>
http://chessintranslation.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/1958-Svetozar-Gligoric-vs-Bobby-Fischer-at-the-Portoroz-Interzonals.jpg

Gligoric vs Fischer
Portoroz interzonal 1958

Originally posted by vandervelde
This branche in Najdorf Sicilian was so popular during 1950's.
On the Interzonal tournament in Göteborg (Sweden, Sverige) in 1955, three Argentinian players had played against three "Russians" (that is Soviets). It was due brutal rule that aimed to limit Soviet supremacy but instead imposed heavy tournament rhythm to the players from rest of the World. ...[text shortened]... 5. g3 Rd8 26. Rf4 Qg5 27. Qf2 Kg8 28. Rd1 Rf7 29. b3 Qe7 30. Qd4 Ng6 31. Rf7 Qf7 32. Qe3 *[/pgn]

Yes its now the stuff of legend - thanks for posting.

I picked up for 20p a copy of the tournament book (in Russian)
of the 1955 Goteborg International and did my piece on on it
adding the Fischer bit an excuse for doing it. (again!).

http://www.chessedinburgh.co.uk/chandlerarticle.php?ChandID=399

(one of my last Chandler Corners - I had a break of about six months then
came here - having a wee holiday so next Blog will be at the end of the month.)

Vandervelde has the spelling correct though everyone who has covered
this event in the English speaking press usually spells it 'Gothenburg.'

The one great shame about the 'Gothenburg Triangle' is it over shadows
some other great games played in this tournament and it knocks into nowhere
one of Bronstein's greatest triumphs. He won it 1½ points clear of 2nd (Keres)
with the lovely score of P.20 W.10 D.10. L.0.

Full table + all the games here:

http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chess.pl?tid=79308

The top nine finishers joined Smyslov (the 1954 finalist) in Amersdam
to see who would play Botvinnik in 1957. (Smyslov won that one ....and he won the WC.)

I'll add here the Bronstein game I used on The Corner.
24 Moves. No piece gets taken, Black's Queen is trapped.