Tournament of Peace 2019

**Wayne Komer** · Saturday, 30th November, 2019, 05:19 PM

Tournament of Peace 2019

November 30, 2019

History (continued)

Second Tournament

Next Tournament of Peace was played both in Rovinj and Zagreb in 1970. Tournament was organized with less players, however it was even stronger than the first one and brought appearance of legendary Robert James Fischer! Bobby had won the tournament with two points ahead of World chess elite and announced his run for World chess crown.

Fischer arrived to Rovinj directly from Herceg Novi, where he has won a strong blitz tournament, inspected the playing hall with lighting that same evening after which he showed Browne some games from Herceg Novi for which he had no objections

Prior to the start of the tournament, the next day, he set a requirement for further $ 1,000 fee for which the organizers did not agree. The round has already begun and when the decision to replace him with IM Marangunic has already been decided, the thing saved Parma, with whom Fischer was supposed to play in the 1st round, who has told him: “Bobby, you know that Russians are happy that you will not play?” Fischer said, “True. Ok, let’s play!”

For first place Fischer got the sculpture Horseman of Peace which he had deposited in the US Embassy and probably it is still there today. Players from Zagreb who competed in the tournament were: Minic, Bertok, Kovacevic (who only defeated Fischer and it was his first loss after three years!), Marovic and Udovcic.

Third Tournament

Third Tournament of Peace was again played both in Rovinj and Zagreb in 1975. Since it was quite exhausting to play so many rounds, the organizers reduced number of players, so it was 14 players round-robin. This time players from Zagreb, GMs Kovacevic and Nikolac, was close to win the tournament, but in the end it was Sax who took the first place. Nikolac, was close to win the tournament, but in the end it was Sax who took the first place.

Fourth Tournament

Last Tournament of Peace was played in 1985. and was marked with big success of the legendary blitz player from Zagreb, Krunoslav Hulak, who took 2nd place behind great Jan Timman (one of the strongest player in the world at that time) with result of 8,5/13.

“Kruno“ died in 2015. and every year in Zagreb the Open tournament is played in his honour.

2018 Edition First Tournament of Peace after Independence

After 11 rounds of great games, the winner of the event became Adhiban B. (IND, 2682) who reached 7.5 points to be alone on the top of the list. The second place went to Bacrot Etienne (FRA, 2677) who tied for silver medal with Ivanchuk Vassily (UKR, 2714), but according to tiebreaks, Bacrot was second, and Ivanchuk finished with bronze medal. The reigning European Chess Champion Saric Ivan (CRO, 2692) took the 4th place with the same score of 6.5 points as Cheparinov Ivan (GEO, 2711) who ended 5th.

__________

The whole history of the Tournament of Peace is laid out at:

http://www.turnir-mira.com/en/news/

It is well worth looking at. It has cross-tables, games, commentary and photos. Among the games are:

Bruno Parma – Bobby Fischer from 1970
Vassily Smyslov – Bobby Fischer 1970
Bobby Fischer – Mijo Udovcic 1970
Bobby Fischer – Dragoljub Minic 1970
Juraj Nikolac – Gyula Sax 1975
Jan Timman – Krunoslav Hulak 1985

Former Croatian Chess Federation Secretary General, Ervin Sindik, generously shared his private photo album which was not published before. So, there are lots of photos of Fischer (playing Gligorich, Marovic, Udovcic and Minic).

There is also the original scoresheet of the game Smyslov-Fischer and a postcard signed by the players of the 1965 tournament.

One tends to forget that for years after WWII, Yugoslavia was the second strongest chess nation after the Soviet Union.

I’ll give the only game that Fischer lost from Zagreb-Rovinj 1970 – against Kovacevic

Rovin/Zagreb, Yugoslavia
Round 8, April 21, 1970
Fischer, Robert – Kovacevic, Vladimir
C15 French, Winawer, Nimzowitsch variation

1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.a3 Bxc3+ 5.bxc3 dxe4 6.Qg4 Nf6 7.Qxg7 Rg8 8.Qh6 Nbd7 9.Ne2 b6 10.Bg5 Qe7 11.Qh4 Bb7 12.Ng3 h6 13.Bd2 O-O-O 14.Be2 Nf8 15.O-O Ng6 16.Qxh6 Rh8 17.Qg5 Rdg8 18.f3 e3 19.Bxe3 Nf8 20.Qb5 Nd5 21.Kf2 a6 22.Qd3 Rxh2 23.Rh1 Qh4 24.Rxh2 Qxh2 25.Nf1 Rxg2+ 26.Ke1 Qh4+ 27.Kd2 Ng6 28.Re1 Ngf4 29.Bxf4 Nxf4 30.Qe3 Rf2 0-1

Comments from Kibitzer’s Corner of chessgames.com

https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1044313

- There is a nice show on Croatian national television called Sahovski komentar (Chess Commentary). Few days ago, Vladimir Kovacevic gave a commentary of this game and the events surrounding it, especially the Cold War folklore (for none of you who speak an obscure Slav language, it is available at: http://www.hrt.hr/enz/sahovski-kome...; the episode was broadcasted on 02/22/2015). Although in his 70s, Kovacevic was still very excited about his most famous victory in which he chose to play French defense, like Uhlmann few days before.

First, he described Fischer as a gentleman who perhaps overconfidently entered the game with a lesser player. In what was, in Kovacevic’s words, a battle of David vs. Goliath, Fischer did not go for a draw or tempted Kovacevic with a draw-offer in the early phase, but played actively until the position was lost. Then he shook the young opponent’s hand, said “Very good” signed the score sheet, and left. Kovacevic has not even managed to sign his own sheet, when Petrosian, excited with Fischer’s defeat, took it from his hands and enthusiastically exclaimed: “For Moscow, for Moscow!”

Second, Kovacevic described 10. Qe7 as the key move, speaking of it in terms of religious epiphany: he was in a dark tunnel, and then saw light. Everything fell into its place, and it was downhill for Fischer after that. Third, Kovacevic gave his view of the ticklish moment after Fischer’s 18. f3 with a tactically astute idea of queen sacrifice. He said that he was nervous, not believing he could defeat Fischer. For that reason, he walked around the room. Zealous Rona Petrosian indeed approached him before his move, and said something he claimed he did not understand as he did not speak Russian and was completely concentrated on the game. Kovacevic insisted that he found the right move on his own, sensing that Fischer, obviously not being a patzer, set up a final trap that could save him. The now old grandmaster insisted that only afterwards he realized it was a warning of some kind, and he could not negate that Soviet players had dishonorable intentions.

I see three rough options to interpret this story. First, it is completely true and disenchants one of the miniscule Cold War chess legends. Second, the fact that he was approached, influenced the game ñ if only subconsciously, making him more alert. He has to compensate psychologically, as his most famous victory is somehow tainted although the outcome was not affected. Thus a bit forced discourse: I did not understand, it did not influence the game, they were dishonest, but I was clean. Third, he really understood what was said to him, perhaps some of the scenario was set up before, and the outcome would have been different if he was not approached.

I would personally go with the first option. In what was a touching and sentimental account, I’ve seen an excited old guy with trembling voice, remembering his glory days, somewhat like Bouboulina from Zorba the Greek.

- Shows up as game #24 in Lombardy's 1972 <Modern Chess Opening Traps> - where Lombardy breaks from the usual to identify the source of the game, even if slight obliquely...

<The setting is the Tournament of Peace, Zagreb, YUG, 1970. In an earlier round Bobby Fischer had <brilliantly> up-ended GM Wolfgang Uhlmann, but the experts questioned Bobby's opening analysis. Vladimir Kovacevic of YUG has gone to the drawing boards and found the flaw in the line. Thereafter, the gods had decreed that the great Bobby was to be enmeshed in his own web! >

- According to Victor Korchnoi's book "Chess is my life" page 71, Fischer set up a trap for Kovacevic in this game, Tigran Petrosian, Tigran's wife and Victor Korchnoi was watching the game and Korchnoi loudly said "How interesting" after realizing Fischer's trap. He explained that if Kovacevic trap Fischer's queen he may lose. Petrosian's wife said she will inform Kovacevic. When Fischer was thinking for his move, she went to Kovacevic and enlightened him.

- At the time, I heard that some of the Russians thought that Uhlmann's analysis wasn't good in this line and that a better line would give Fischer trouble. They and Kovacevic prepared the day before and Kovacevic sprung 10...Qe7 on Fischer. The only good way to beat one of the greats is to have a good opening then play well thereafter.

- Fischer won 10 and lost 1 in the tournament, and what do we get for GOTD? The 1 loss.
It's a Fischer hater conspiracy, I tells ya!