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Havana (1965) The 4th Capablanca Memorial International Chess Tournament was held in the capital city of Havana in Cuba. Fourteen grandmasters and eight masters participated in the round-robin event at the Habana Libre hotel from August 25 to September 26, 1965. It was one of the best-funded tournaments at the time, due to Ché Guevara's patronage. As the director of the Cuban National Bank and Minister of Industry, he guaranteed a $3000 first prize with more than $4500 to be dispersed among the next five finishers. This edition of the memorial gained worldwide significance because it was the first international tournament in which Bobby Fischer would be participating since the Curacao Candidates (1962), more than three years before. He had agreed to attend for a $3000 appearance fee, but difficulties arose when the US State Department refused him a visa to travel to Cuba. When Fischer suggested playing by telex from the Marshall Chess Club, the organizers agreed although it would end up costing them over $10,000. Although Fischer had been playing regularly in US championships in the intervening three years (and winning them all), this tournament would mark the first time Fischer would be facing a number of the strongest Soviet grandmasters since his accusations against them for conspiring to keep him from winning the Candidates Tournament to challenge Botvinnik in 1963. Fischer's main Soviet rivals at this event were former world champion Vasily Smyslov, Efim Geller and Ratmir Kholmov. Borislav Ivkov led for most of the tournament, but suffered a tragic collapse at the end. In the penultimate round, with a won game against the tailender Garcia, he blundered and had to resign. In the last round, with White against Robatsch, he played for a win, but lost again. This enabled Smyslov to finish first by one-half point, despite losing to Fischer in their individual game. Fischer shared second place with Geller and Ivkov. Kholmov joined the top finishers in fifth place. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 1 Smyslov * 0 = 0 = = = 1 1 = 1 1 1 1 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 15.5 =2 Ivkov 1 * = 1 0 = 0 1 1 = = = 1 1 1 = 1 1 1 1 1 0 15.0 =2 Geller = = * 1 = = = = 1 1 = = = = 1 = 1 1 = 1 1 1 15.0 =2 Fischer 1 0 0 * 0 = 1 1 1 = 1 1 = 1 = = 1 1 = 1 1 1 15.0 5 Kholmov = 1 = 1 * = = = = = = = = 1 1 1 = = = 1 1 1 14.5 6 Pachman = = = = = * 0 1 = = = = = = = = 1 = 1 1 1 1 13.0 7 Robatsch = 1 = 0 = 1 * = = = 1 0 = = = = = = = 1 1 1 12.5 8 Donner 0 0 = 0 = 0 = * 1 = 1 1 1 = 1 = = = = = 1 1 12.0 9 Bilek 0 0 0 0 = = = 0 * = = = = = = 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 11.5 10 Parma = = 0 = = = = = = * 0 1 = = 1 = = = 1 = = = 11.0 =11 Szabo 0 = = 0 = = 0 0 = 1 * 1 = = = 1 0 = 1 1 0 1 10.5 =11 Pietzsch 0 = = 0 = = 1 0 = 0 0 * = 1 = = = = = 1 1 1 10.5 =13 O'Kelly 0 0 = = = = = 0 = = = = * = = 0 1 = = = 1 1 10.0 =13 Tringov 0 0 = 0 0 = = = = = = 0 = * 0 = 1 1 1 1 = 1 10.0 15 Jimenez 1 0 0 = 0 = = 0 = 0 = = = 1 * = = = = = = 1 9.5 16 Ciocaltea 0 = = = 0 = = = 0 = 0 = 1 = = * = 0 1 0 = 1 9.0 17 Doda 0 0 0 0 = 0 = = 0 = 1 = 0 0 = = * 1 0 1 = 1 8.0 =18 Lehmann 0 0 0 0 = = = = 0 = = = = 0 = 1 0 * 1 = = 0 7.5 =18 Wade 0 0 = = = 0 = = 0 0 0 = = 0 = 0 1 0 * = 1 1 7.5 20 Cobo Arteaga 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 = 0 = 0 0 = 0 = 1 0 = = * 1 = 5.5 =21 Perez 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 = 1 0 0 = = = = = 0 0 * 0 4.0 =21 Garcia 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 = 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 = 1 * 4.0 The historical information is thanks to Jan van Reek. Original collection: Game Collection: Havana 1965, by User: suenteus po 147.  page 1 of 10; games 1-25 of 231  Game   Result Moves Year Event/Locale Opening 1. H Lehmann vs Fischer 0-1 32 1965 Havana B84 Sicilian, Scheveningen 2. Geller vs R G Wade   ½-½ 45 1965 Havana B01 Scandinavian 3. Pachman vs Ivkov   ½-½ 33 1965 Havana E21 Nimzo-Indian, Three Knights 4. W Pietzsch vs Smyslov 0-1 30 1965 Havana A48 King's Indian 5. E Jimenez Zerquera vs Szabo   ½-½ 35 1965 Havana B35 Sicilian, Accelerated Fianchetto, Modern Variation with Bc4 6. G Tringov vs Kholmov 0-1 32 1965 Havana C95 Ruy Lopez, Closed, Breyer 7. Robatsch vs I Bilek   ½-½ 15 1965 Havana B06 Robatsch 8. V Ciocaltea vs F J Perez   ½-½ 23 1965 Havana B07 Pirc 9. Z Doda vs O'Kelly   0-1 35 1965 Havana A13 English 10. G Garcia vs E Cobo Arteaga   ½-½ 70 1965 Havana A05 Reti Opening 11. Parma vs J H Donner   ½-½ 14 1965 Havana B16 Caro-Kann, Bronstein-Larsen Variation 12. Fischer vs Smyslov 1-0 43 1965 Havana C77 Ruy Lopez 13. Szabo vs Geller   ½-½ 32 1965 Havana A38 English, Symmetrical 14. Ivkov vs E Jimenez Zerquera 1-0 24 1965 Havana D85 Grunfeld 15. O'Kelly vs W Pietzsch   ½-½ 23 1965 Havana C18 French, Winawer 16. F J Perez vs G Tringov   ½-½ 25 1965 Havana B08 Pirc, Classical 17. Kholmov vs Parma   ½-½ 29 1965 Havana E19 Queen's Indian, Old Main line, 9.Qxc3 18. E Cobo Arteaga vs Robatsch 0-1 32 1965 Havana D41 Queen's Gambit Declined, Semi-Tarrasch 19. H Lehmann vs V Ciocaltea 1-0 49 1965 Havana A26 English 20. R G Wade vs Z Doda   1-0 57 1965 Havana A57 Benko Gambit 21. J H Donner vs G Garcia   1-0 47 1965 Havana E53 Nimzo-Indian, 4.e3 22. I Bilek vs Pachman   ½-½ 22 1965 Havana D94 Grunfeld 23. V Ciocaltea vs Fischer ½-½ 48 1965 Havana B03 Alekhine's Defense 24. Geller vs Ivkov   ½-½ 29 1965 Havana C99 Ruy Lopez, Closed, Chigorin, 12...cd 25. Smyslov vs O'Kelly 1-0 34 1965 Havana E55 Nimzo-Indian, 4.e3, Gligoric System, Bronstein Variation  page 1 of 10; games 1-25 of 231    REFINE SEARCH:   White wins (1-0) | Black wins (0-1) | Draws (1/2-1/2)   Oct-26-13    ughaibu: Professor! Shouldn't it be 'three years before', rather than "three years ago"? Feb-05-15    suenteus po 147: <ughaibu> Yes. Yes it should. And it looks like someone already heard you since it's corrected now. Feb-05-15    swordfish: Wow - 21 rounds! That's what I call a chess tournament! Feb-05-15    suenteus po 147: <swordfish> This was back in the days of adjournments. Once the two players made the time control they were done for the day and could have dinner, smoke, and maybe play some tennis or go bowling (not necessarily with each other). So it was possible to have longer tournaments without substantial 'fatigue' creeping into the player performance (though even then there are still certain of examples of that from tournaments at this time). And, too, we mustn't forget that less money bought more grandmasters and more of their time back then. It's an expensive proposition to put together a lot of GMs in one event, or to have double rounds with a smaller field that's still strong. Feb-06-15    mojonera: Solo 2 de los participantes viven , Parma e Ivkov Feb-06-15    suenteus po 147: <mojonera> It has been 50 years since this event took place. It's impressive, in a way, that Ivkov and Parma are still around. I wonder, were they the youngest participants? Or Fischer must have been because he was always the youngest. Feb-06-15    perfidious: Fischer over Parma, by a bit more than a year. Aug-23-16    ughaibu: Taking the results of just the top eight finishers, we get a tournament won by Kholmov. Jan-24-17    jerseybob: The Marshall, not the Manhattan, was Fischer's home base in this tourney, and the back room where he played looks much the same today as it did in the CR photos from '65. Apr-13-17    TheFocus: Bobby Fischer plays by teletype in Havana 1965: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=w0UJ5... Jun-22-17    machuelo: From the Cuban side nobody is alive. The Garcia in the cross table is Gilberto García who died more that 15 years ago, not Silvino or Guillermo García, Cuban Grand Masters. The organizer of the event, José Luis Barrera passed away, as well the main arbiters, José Raúl Capablanca Jr., and Alberto García. But some other people like Francisco Acosta is still alive. Acosta was the young man who received in Havana Fischer's move and took it to the board of his rival, where Capa Jr., executed it as 'Ficher representive'. Acosta wrote several years ago an interesting article with the tittle "I Was Fischer's Messenger", with the story of the event. Also is alive the person in charge of play the moves in the wall board, Orlando Peraza. Both of them live in Havana. Later, Peraza join the Cuban Army and retired with the grade or Lieutenant Colonel.Acosta rose as engineer to Adjunct Dean of the Faculty of Science of Havana University. Feb-20-18    Petrosianic: Also, at 44, Smyslov was past his prime and didn't have energy to burn. He did finish clear First in the tournament, but lost 3 games along the way, which probably wouldn't have happened to him 10 years earlier. Feb-20-18    Marmot PFL: Photo tour of Havana, which even today retains much of its 1960s charm. https://mostlybirding.com/2014/06/2... Aug-01-24    Flemming: Ivkov wrote several chess books of memoirs type in his last years. There he finally expressed hitherto silenced rivalry and mild disagreements with Gligorić. Ivkov was a tragic figure of this tournament, since he was leading for the most part and lost two games in last rounds, that against one of hundred Garcias in totally won position. I never found the picture of THAT Garcia. Ivkov wrote about the tournament that "after it nothing ever was the same", and he described how he and Garcia passed each other in front of dining hall of the hotel and he thought, writes he, "This Garcia has a face like one who might be my executioner!" I always wondered what he meant. That Garcia was ugly as beaten by ugly stick, or that he "just" has a sinister face. This year was the best and the worst in Ivkov's carrer. He played so many games, and was a candidate. After Amsterdam interzonal, his wife was expecting him to be "at home a bit, she hadn't seen him much!", said she in front of the journalists, and Ivkov interrupted her; "I begin the preparation against Larsen right away!" I also wondered if he ever regretted those words later... Aug-02-24    perfidious: <ughhaibu: Taking the results of just the top eight finishers, we get a tournament won by Kholmov.> Thus achieving a state of Nirvana for you in which Fischer is again deprived of first. Fine collection of images from Havana posted by <Marmot>. Jul-01-25    Sally Simpson: Donner's report on the background of this event when everyone found out Fischer was playing is hilarious. Howls of, how much is he getting, I want the same. He can cheat and take moves back or change his sealed moves. Who is going to pay for the phone calls (it was later changed to teletext, Donner thinks it went through diplomatic channels - the American tax payers paid for it.) They called a meeting of the players to iron out all the differences. Smyslov jumped up on a table announcing he wanted the players to sign a protest saying the USA were detaining Fischer against his will. The Russians insisted they took a vote on it adding...we will keep your name and how you voted out of the newspapers. Give Fischer No 22 was put forward so if he pulls out it will not affect the tournament. No said an organiser, that would be unfair. The players drew lots, Fischer number was drawn by Capablanca's son. No 22. Uproar. That was the pre - tournament report. Later I'll be reading what happened by our man in Havana. Good Book. Donner 'The King' enjoying it and I'm only page 69. NOTE: Create an account today to post replies and access other powerful features which are available only to registered users. 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