Lugano 1970

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Lugano 1970
Compiled by Phony Benoni

Eight of the world's top non-Soviet players assembled in Lugano, Switzerland, for a peaceful double-round tournament in early 1970. Using the estimated ratings from Chessmetrics, it was a Category XVI event with an average rating of 2632. Enjoying the scenery were:

Robert Byrne, Jan Hein Donner, Svetozar Gligoric, Lubomir Kavalek, Bent Larsen, Fridrik Olafsson, Laszlo Szabo, Wolfgang Unzicker

Larsen may have been concentrating more on the board than the scenery, as he won his first five games to take a two-point lead. This looked to be insurmountable, as this was one of those events when having no weak players leads to conservative play. 67% of the games were drawn, and three players were unable to win a single game. Of the 19 decisive games, nearly half involved Larsen.

He was able to make it interesting with a couple of losses in the second half, which allowed Olafsson to get within a half-point with three rounds to go. However, Olafsson took a quick draw with White in their twelfth round game, which essentially decided matters. In the last three rounds the only decisive game was Larsen's win over Byrne, consigning the American to fifth place.


           11 22 33 44 55 66 77 88
1 Larsen   ** 1= 10 10 =1 1= 11 == 9.5
2 Olafsson 0= ** 10 == 1= =1 1= =1 8.5
3 Unzicker 01 01 ** == == == == 1= 7.5
4 Gligoric 01 == == ** == == == =1 7.5
5 Byrne    =0 0= == == ** == == 11 7.0
6 Szabo    0= =0 == == == ** == == 6.0
7 Kavalek  00 0= == == == == ** == 5.5
8 Donner   == =0 0= =0 00 == == ** 4.5

For Larsen, another in his great run of tournament wins around this time. Olafsson held onto an easy second, followed by Gligoric and Unzicker. The German deserves a special mention; after losing his first two games, his ascent to =3rd included wins over Larsen and Olafsson.

Round 1
R Byrne vs Gligoric, 1970
(E60) King's Indian Defense, 16 moves, 1/2-1/2
Round 1
J H Donner vs F Olafsson, 1970
(E94) King's Indian, Orthodox, 41 moves, 1/2-1/2
Round 1
Unzicker vs Larsen, 1970
(A43) Old Benoni, 40 moves, 0-1
Round 1
Szabo vs Kavalek, 1970
(E70) King's Indian, 27 moves, 1/2-1/2
Round 2
Gligoric vs Kavalek, 1970
(E92) King's Indian, 49 moves, 1/2-1/2
Round 2
Larsen vs Szabo, 1970
(A47) Queen's Indian, 21 moves, 1-0
Round 2
F Olafsson vs Unzicker, 1970
(D41) Queen's Gambit Declined, Semi-Tarrasch, 47 moves, 1-0
Round 2
R Byrne vs J H Donner, 1970
(B90) Sicilian, Najdorf, 40 moves, 1-0
Round 3
J H Donner vs Gligoric, 1970
(E75) King's Indian, Averbakh, Main line, 18 moves, 1/2-1/2
Round 3
Unzicker vs R Byrne, 1970
(B84) Sicilian, Scheveningen, 20 moves, 1/2-1/2
Round 3
Szabo vs F Olafsson, 1970
(B25) Sicilian, Closed, 41 moves, 1/2-1/2
Round 3
Kavalek vs Larsen, 1970
(B81) Sicilian, Scheveningen, Keres Attack, 60 moves, 0-1
Round 4
Gligoric vs Larsen, 1970
(E43) Nimzo-Indian, Fischer Variation, 30 moves, 0-1
Round 4
F Olafsson vs Kavalek, 1970
(E62) King's Indian, Fianchetto, 35 moves, 1-0
Round 4
R Byrne vs Szabo, 1970
(E43) Nimzo-Indian, Fischer Variation, 55 moves, 1/2-1/2
Round 4
J H Donner vs Unzicker, 1970
(E59) Nimzo-Indian, 4.e3, Main line, 63 moves, 0-1
Round 5
Unzicker vs Gligoric, 1970
(C93) Ruy Lopez, Closed, Smyslov Defense, 20 moves, 1/2-1/2
Round 5
Szabo vs J H Donner, 1970
(D37) Queen's Gambit Declined, 33 moves, 1/2-1/2
Round 5
Kavalek vs R Byrne, 1970
(D80) Grunfeld, 8 moves, 1/2-1/2
Round 5
Larsen vs F Olafsson, 1970
(B52) Sicilian, Canal-Sokolsky (Rossolimo) Attack, 70 moves, 1-0
Round 6
Gligoric vs F Olafsson, 1970
(E54) Nimzo-Indian, 4.e3, Gligoric System, 19 moves, 1/2-1/2
Round 6
R Byrne vs Larsen, 1970
(C41) Philidor Defense, 78 moves, 1/2-1/2
Round 6
J H Donner vs Kavalek, 1970
(E67) King's Indian, Fianchetto, 41 moves, 1/2-1/2
Round 6
Unzicker vs Szabo, 1970
(B32) Sicilian, 19 moves, 1/2-1/2
Round 7
Szabo vs Gligoric, 1970
(C77) Ruy Lopez, 20 moves, 1/2-1/2
Round 7
Kavalek vs Unzicker, 1970
(C81) Ruy Lopez, Open, Howell Attack, 51 moves, 1/2-1/2
Round 7
Larsen vs J H Donner, 1970
(B31) Sicilian, Rossolimo Variation, 54 moves, 1/2-1/2
Round 7
F Olafsson vs R Byrne, 1970
(E64) King's Indian, Fianchetto, Yugoslav System, 42 moves, 1-0
Round 8
Gligoric vs R Byrne, 1970
(E97) King's Indian, 39 moves, 1/2-1/2
Round 8
F Olafsson vs J H Donner, 1970
(A09) Reti Opening, 31 moves, 1-0
Round 8
Larsen vs Unzicker, 1970
(C28) Vienna Game, 45 moves, 0-1
Round 8
Kavalek vs Szabo, 1970
(C72) Ruy Lopez, Modern Steinitz Defense, 5.O-O, 44 moves, 1/2-1/2
Round 9
Kavalek vs Gligoric, 1970
(D86) Grunfeld, Exchange, 39 moves, 1/2-1/2
Round 9
Szabo vs Larsen, 1970
(A17) English, 21 moves, 1/2-1/2
Round 9
Unzicker vs F Olafsson, 1970
(E56) Nimzo-Indian, 4.e3, Main line with 7...Nc6, 36 moves, 1-0
Round 9
J H Donner vs R Byrne, 1970
(A10) English, 40 moves, 0-1
Round 10
Gligoric vs J H Donner, 1970
(E92) King's Indian, 46 moves, 1-0
Round 10
R Byrne vs Unzicker, 1970
(C11) French, 17 moves, 1/2-1/2
Round 10
F Olafsson vs Szabo, 1970
(B27) Sicilian, 32 moves, 1-0
Round 10
Larsen vs Kavalek, 1970
(A01) Nimzovich-Larsen Attack, 33 moves, 1-0
Round 11
Larsen vs Gligoric, 1970
(E97) King's Indian, 45 moves, 0-1
Round 11
Kavalek vs F Olafsson, 1970
(B44) Sicilian, 25 moves, 1/2-1/2
Round 11
Szabo vs R Byrne, 1970
(E70) King's Indian, 65 moves, 1/2-1/2
Round 11
Unzicker vs J H Donner, 1970
(D79) Neo-Grunfeld, 6.O-O, Main line, 21 moves, 1/2-1/2
Round 12
Gligoric vs Unzicker, 1970
(E55) Nimzo-Indian, 4.e3, Gligoric System, Bronstein Variation, 20 moves, 1/2-1/2
Round 12
J H Donner vs Szabo, 1970
(E41) Nimzo-Indian, 37 moves, 1/2-1/2
Round 12
R Byrne vs Kavalek, 1970
(D90) Grunfeld, 16 moves, 1/2-1/2
Round 12
F Olafsson vs Larsen, 1970
(E16) Queen's Indian, 18 moves, 1/2-1/2
Round 13
F Olafsson vs Gligoric, 1970
(E66) King's Indian, Fianchetto, Yugoslav Panno, 13 moves, 1/2-1/2
Round 13
Larsen vs R Byrne, 1970
(B80) Sicilian, Scheveningen, 24 moves, 1-0
Round 13
Kavalek vs J H Donner, 1970
(C14) French, Classical, 35 moves, 1/2-1/2
Round 13
Szabo vs Unzicker, 1970
(A04) Reti Opening, 12 moves, 1/2-1/2
Round 14
Gligoric vs Szabo, 1970
(D90) Grunfeld, 26 moves, 1/2-1/2
Round 14
Unzicker vs Kavalek, 1970
(E62) King's Indian, Fianchetto, 32 moves, 1/2-1/2
Round 14
J H Donner vs Larsen, 1970
(E54) Nimzo-Indian, 4.e3, Gligoric System, 17 moves, 1/2-1/2
Round 14
R Byrne vs F Olafsson, 1970
(B02) Alekhine's Defense, 14 moves, 1/2-1/2
56 games

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