Hastings 1969/70 (1970)

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Hastings 1969/70 (1970)
Compiled by Chessical

Introduction

The 45th Hastings Christmas Chess Festival was held between Monday December 29th 1969 and Wednesday January 7th 1970. The premier event of ten players included: former world champion Vasily Smyslov, Svetozar Gligoric, Lajos Portisch and the promising 17 year old Dutch player Jan Timman

This was a tournament with a large number of past winners:

Wolfgang Unzicker champion in 1950/51;

Svetozar Gligorić, five times champion - 1951/52, 1956/57, 1959/60, 1960/61, 1962/63 (jointly);

Medina Garcia, champion in 1952/53 (jointly); and

Smyslov, twice champion in 1954/55 (jointly) and 1968/69.

The Chess editor of "The Times",Harry Golombek had the task of judging the Premier games. He gave Medina Garcia the brilliancy prize for D Levy vs A Medina Garcia, 1969 ; Gligoric the prize for the best-played ending (double bishops) A Medina Garcia vs Gligoric, 1970 and Portisch and Gligoric won a prize for playing the best draw - Portisch vs Gligoric, 1970

Other notable games were Littlewood's victory over the 1969 British under-18 champion Corden - M Corden vs J E Littlewood, 1970 - which was in contention for the brilliancy prize, and Drimer's demolitions of Littlewood - D Drimer vs J E Littlewood, 1970 -and Levy - D Drimer vs D Levy, 1970 .

The British representatives included the promising 1969 British under-18 champion Martyn Corden, who had also come equal second in the 1969 British Championship. John Littlewood had played three times before in the Hastings Premier tournament and had represented England at the Varna Olympiad (1962). He had also recently come second equal in the 1969 British Championship. David Levy had represented Scotland at the Lugano Olympiad (1968) and had come 5th at the Praia da Rocha Zonal Tournament (1969) with 11.5/17

The new chief-organizer L.A.J.Gluyde would have been pleased with the "fighting spirit which pervaded and inspired the players from the top to the bottom of the list" (Golombek). Of the 45 games only 17 were drawn.

Smyslov failed to repeat his previous tournament victory at Hastings, this would have given him the golden knight trophy. He appeared to be nervous and his surprise loss to the young British player Corden - M Corden vs Smyslov, 1970 - was put down to trying to win too hard "Having watched both players from a ringside seat, I am sure that Smyslov lost this game because he had the fixed idea that he had to win at all costs to keep in the running for the first prize". (Bernard Cafferty, Birmingham Mail)

Portisch was the undefeated winner on 7 points/+5, with Unzicker a fraction behind on 6.5/+4.

The final standings and cross-table:

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 Pts 1 GM Portisch * ½ ½ ½ ½ 1 1 1 1 1 7 2 GM Unzicker ½ * 1 ½ ½ 1 1 1 ½ ½ 6½ 3 GM Gligoric ½ 0 * ½ 1 1 1 1 ½ ½ 6 4 GM Smyslov ½ ½ ½ * ½ ½ 0 1 1 1 5½ 5 IM Timman ½ ½ 0 ½ * 0 1 1 ½ 1 5 6 IM Drimer 0 0 0 ½ 1 * ½ 0 1 1 4 7 Corden 0 0 0 1 0 ½ * ½ 1 0 3 8 IM Medina 0 0 0 0 0 1 ½ * 1 ½ 3 9 IM Levy 0 ½ ½ 0 ½ 0 0 0 * 1 2½ 10 Littlewood 0 ½ ½ 0 0 0 1 ½ 0 * 2½

<Video>

British Pathe news filmed the opening speech by Lieutenant-General Sir John Bagot Glubb and the players in round one:

http://www.britishpathe.com/video/h...

Notes Introductory material and round details taken from "Chess Magazine", Vol.35, nos. 597-8, February 1970.

Round 1 - 29th December 1969.
D Drimer vs Portisch, 1969
(C47) Four Knights, 31 moves, 0-1
Round 1 - 29th December 1969.
M Corden vs Timman, 1969
(B05) Alekhine's Defense, Modern, 26 moves, 0-1
Round 1 - 29th December 1969.
D Levy vs A Medina Garcia, 1969
(C44) King's Pawn Game, 21 moves, 0-1
Round 1 - 29th December 1969.
Smyslov vs Gligoric, 1969
(A36) English, 41 moves, 1/2-1/2
Round 1 - 29th December 1969.
Unzicker vs J E Littlewood, 1969
(B92) Sicilian, Najdorf, Opocensky Variation, 41 moves, 1/2-1/2
Round 2 - 30th December 1969.
Timman vs D Drimer, 1969
(A25) English, 37 moves, 0-1
Round 2 - 30th December 1969.
A Medina Garcia vs M Corden, 1969
(C82) Ruy Lopez, Open, 31 moves, 1/2-1/2
Round 2 - 30th December 1969.
Gligoric vs D Levy, 1969
(A75) Benoni, Classical with ...a6 and 10...Bg4, 74 moves, 1/2-1/2
Round 2 - 30th December 1969.
Unzicker vs Smyslov, 1969
(B17) Caro-Kann, Steinitz Variation, 16 moves, 1/2-1/2
Round 2 - 30th December 1969.
J E Littlewood vs Portisch, 1969
(C91) Ruy Lopez, Closed, 53 moves, 0-1
Round 3 - 31st December 1969.
Portisch vs Timman, 1969
(A75) Benoni, Classical with ...a6 and 10...Bg4, 21 moves, 1/2-1/2
Round 3 - 31st December 1969.
Smyslov vs J E Littlewood, 1969
(E45) Nimzo-Indian, 4.e3, Bronstein (Byrne) Variation, 24 moves, 1-0
Round 3 - 1st January 1970.
D Drimer vs A Medina Garcia, 1969
(A07) King's Indian Attack, 47 moves, 0-1
Round 3 - 31st December 1969.
D Levy vs Unzicker, 1969
(C44) King's Pawn Game, 41 moves, 1/2-1/2
Round 3 - 31st December 1969.
M Corden vs Gligoric, 1969
(B50) Sicilian, 45 moves, 0-1
Round 4 - 31st December 1969.
A Medina Garcia vs Portisch, 1970
(C71) Ruy Lopez, 31 moves, 0-1
Round 4 - 1st January 1970.
Smyslov vs D Levy, 1970
(A25) English, 31 moves, 1-0
Round 4 - 1st January 1970.
Gligoric vs D Drimer, 1970
(D68) Queen's Gambit Declined, Orthodox Defense, Classical, 60 moves, 1-0
Round 4 - 1st January 1970.
Unzicker vs M Corden, 1970
(C82) Ruy Lopez, Open, 59 moves, 1-0
Round 4 - 1st January 1970.
J E Littlewood vs Timman, 1970
(B04) Alekhine's Defense, Modern, 52 moves, 0-1
Round 5 - 3rd January 1970.
Portisch vs Gligoric, 1970
(E97) King's Indian, 41 moves, 1/2-1/2
Round 5 - 3rd January 1970.
Timman vs A Medina Garcia, 1970
(D50) Queen's Gambit Declined, 31 moves, 1-0
Round 5 - 3rd January 1970.
D Drimer vs Unzicker, 1970
(C33) King's Gambit Accepted, 25 moves, 0-1
Round 5 - 3rd January 1970.
D Levy vs J E Littlewood, 1970
(C44) King's Pawn Game, 36 moves, 1-0
Round 5 - 3rd January 1970.
M Corden vs Smyslov, 1970
(C55) Two Knights Defense, 55 moves, 1-0
Round 6 - 4th January 1970.
Gligoric vs Timman, 1970
(E43) Nimzo-Indian, Fischer Variation, 31 moves, 1-0
Round 6 - 4th January 1970.
Smyslov vs D Drimer, 1970
(A52) Budapest Gambit, 25 moves, 1/2-1/2
Round 6 - 4th January 1970.
Unzicker vs Portisch, 1970
(C96) Ruy Lopez, Closed, 41 moves, 1/2-1/2
Round 6 - 4th January 1970.
D Levy vs M Corden, 1970
(B03) Alekhine's Defense, 56 moves, 0-1
Round 6 - 4th January 1970.
J E Littlewood vs A Medina Garcia, 1970
(C56) Two Knights, 16 moves, 1/2-1/2
Round 7 - 5th January 1970.
Portisch vs Smyslov, 1970
(A06) Reti Opening, 29 moves, 1/2-1/2
Round 7 - 5th January 1970.
Timman vs Unzicker, 1970
(A00) Uncommon Opening, 49 moves, 1/2-1/2
Round 7 - 5th January 1970.
A Medina Garcia vs Gligoric, 1970
(B56) Sicilian, 45 moves, 0-1
Round 7 - 5th January 1970.
M Corden vs J E Littlewood, 1970
(C44) King's Pawn Game, 52 moves, 0-1
Round 7 - 5th January 1970.
D Drimer vs D Levy, 1970
(B78) Sicilian, Dragon, Yugoslav Attack, 10.castle long, 41 moves, 1-0
Round 8 - 6th January 1970.
Unzicker vs A Medina Garcia, 1970
(B81) Sicilian, Scheveningen, Keres Attack, 29 moves, 1-0
Round 8 - 6th January 1970.
Smyslov vs Timman, 1970
(A38) English, Symmetrical, 56 moves, 1/2-1/2
Round 8 - 6th January 1970.
M Corden vs D Drimer, 1970
(B90) Sicilian, Najdorf, 60 moves, 1/2-1/2
Round 8 - 6th January 1970.
J E Littlewood vs Gligoric, 1970
(E77) King's Indian, 42 moves, 1/2-1/2
Round 8 - 6th January 1970.
D Levy vs Portisch, 1970
(B46) Sicilian, Taimanov Variation, 40 moves, 0-1
Round 9 - 7th January 1970.
Portisch vs M Corden, 1970
(A99) Dutch, Ilyin-Genevsky Variation with b3, 32 moves, 1-0
Round 9 - 7th January 1970.
Gligoric vs Unzicker, 1970
(E55) Nimzo-Indian, 4.e3, Gligoric System, Bronstein Variation, 68 moves, 0-1
Round 9 - 7th January 1970.
Timman vs D Levy, 1970
(A04) Reti Opening, 54 moves, 1/2-1/2
Round 9 - 7th January 1970.
A Medina Garcia vs Smyslov, 1970
(B03) Alekhine's Defense, 33 moves, 0-1
Round 9 - 7th January 1970.
D Drimer vs J E Littlewood, 1970
(C47) Four Knights, 18 moves, 1-0
45 games

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