Alekhine Memorial (1956) |
For a quarter-century after he fled the Soviet Union, Alexander Alekhine was treated as a traitor and an enemy of the people. This attitude softened within a decade of his death, and in 1956 the Soviet Union held an important international event in his memory. Earlier that year, in April, a Soviet delegation, including Smyslov, Keres, Bronstein, Geller and Petrosian, had marked the tenth anniversary of his death at a ceremony, organised by FIDE, in the Montparnasse cemetery in Paris. The Alekhine Memorial was held in Moscow from October 9-November 2, 1956, and featured a star-studded field including World Champion Mikhail Botvinnik and his usual challenger at the time, Vasily Smyslov. They, along with reigning Soviet Champion Mark Taimanov, forged into the lead around the half-way point and stayed one step up on the field the rest of the way. It was Botvinnik who broke the logjam with a spurt of 4.5 points from rounds 10-14, taking a full point lead into the last round. His opponent was an out-of-form Paul Keres, who nevertheless pulled himself together to administer a stunning defeat (Keres vs Botvinnik, 1956). Taimanov settled for a short last-round draw, but Smyslov ground out a win over Gideon Ståhlberg to tie for first place. Moscow, Soviet Union (Russia), 9 October - 2 November 1956 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6
1 Botvinnik * ½ ½ ½ ½ 1 0 ½ ½ 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 11.0
2 Smyslov ½ * ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 11.0
3 Taimanov ½ ½ * ½ 1 1 ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ 1 ½ 1 1 1 10.5
4 Gligoric ½ ½ ½ * 0 ½ ½ ½ 1 ½ ½ 1 1 1 1 1 10.0
5 Bronstein ½ ½ 0 1 * ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ 1 ½ 1 ½ 1 1 9.5
6 Najdorf 0 ½ 0 ½ ½ * ½ ½ 1 ½ ½ ½ 1 1 1 1 9.0
7 Keres 1 ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ * 1 0 ½ 0 ½ ½ ½ 1 1 8.5
8 Pachman ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ 0 * ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ 1 1 1 8.5
9 Unzicker ½ ½ ½ 0 ½ 0 1 ½ * 1 ½ ½ ½ 1 0 1 8.0
10 Ståhlberg 0 0 ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ 0 * ½ ½ 1 1 1 1 8.0
11 Szabo 0 0 ½ ½ 0 ½ 1 ½ ½ ½ * ½ ½ ½ 0 ½ 6.0
12 Padevsky 0 0 0 0 ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ * 0 ½ 1 ½ 5.5
13 Uhlmann 0 0 ½ 0 0 0 ½ ½ ½ 0 ½ 1 * 1 ½ ½ 5.5
14 Ciocaltea 0 0 0 0 ½ 0 ½ 0 0 0 ½ ½ 0 * 1 ½ 3.5
15 Sliwa 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 ½ 0 * ½ 3.0
16 Golombek 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ * 2.5 Original collection: Game Collection: Alekhine Memorial International Tournament, 1956, by User: Resignation Trap.
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page 1 of 2; games 1-25 of 37 |
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Game |
| Result | Moves |
Year | Event/Locale | Opening |
1. Botvinnik vs Golombek |
  | 1-0 | 45 | 1956 | Alekhine Memorial | B14 Caro-Kann, Panov-Botvinnik Attack |
2. Stahlberg vs V Ciocaltea |
| 1-0 | 45 | 1956 | Alekhine Memorial | E63 King's Indian, Fianchetto, Panno Variation |
3. Taimanov vs Bronstein |
 | 1-0 | 41 | 1956 | Alekhine Memorial | E73 King's Indian |
4. Najdorf vs Unzicker |
| 1-0 | 64 | 1956 | Alekhine Memorial | A30 English, Symmetrical |
5. Bronstein vs Sliwa |
 | 1-0 | 29 | 1956 | Alekhine Memorial | C75 Ruy Lopez, Modern Steinitz Defense |
6. Szabo vs Keres |
 | 1-0 | 77 | 1956 | Alekhine Memorial | A23 English, Bremen System, Keres Variation |
7. Botvinnik vs V Ciocaltea |
  | 1-0 | 36 | 1956 | Alekhine Memorial | C75 Ruy Lopez, Modern Steinitz Defense |
8. Taimanov vs Najdorf |
 | 1-0 | 39 | 1956 | Alekhine Memorial | A16 English |
9. Keres vs Golombek |
| 1-0 | 45 | 1956 | Alekhine Memorial | B18 Caro-Kann, Classical |
10. Najdorf vs Sliwa |
| 1-0 | 27 | 1956 | Alekhine Memorial | D41 Queen's Gambit Declined, Semi-Tarrasch |
11. Bronstein vs Gligoric |
 | 1-0 | 79 | 1956 | Alekhine Memorial | C97 Ruy Lopez, Closed, Chigorin |
12. Sliwa vs Unzicker |
| 1-0 | 86 | 1956 | Alekhine Memorial | A16 English |
13. Gligoric vs N Padevsky |
 | 1-0 | 41 | 1956 | Alekhine Memorial | D06 Queen's Gambit Declined |
14. Bronstein vs Uhlmann |
 | 1-0 | 41 | 1956 | Alekhine Memorial | C05 French, Tarrasch |
15. Unzicker vs Stahlberg |
 | 1-0 | 41 | 1956 | Alekhine Memorial | B64 Sicilian, Richter-Rauzer Attack |
16. Taimanov vs Sliwa |
 | 1-0 | 28 | 1956 | Alekhine Memorial | E58 Nimzo-Indian, 4.e3, Main line with 8...Bxc3 |
17. Uhlmann vs N Padevsky |
 | 1-0 | 46 | 1956 | Alekhine Memorial | E66 King's Indian, Fianchetto, Yugoslav Panno |
18. Smyslov vs V Ciocaltea |
 | 1-0 | 42 | 1956 | Alekhine Memorial | B58 Sicilian |
19. Sliwa vs Szabo |
| 1-0 | 41 | 1956 | Alekhine Memorial | A10 English |
20. Gligoric vs Unzicker |
 | 1-0 | 41 | 1956 | Alekhine Memorial | E55 Nimzo-Indian, 4.e3, Gligoric System, Bronstein Variation |
21. Botvinnik vs Najdorf |
  | 1-0 | 73 | 1956 | Alekhine Memorial | E42 Nimzo-Indian, 4.e3 c5, 5.Ne2 (Rubinstein) |
22. Bronstein vs Golombek |
 | 1-0 | 35 | 1956 | Alekhine Memorial | E21 Nimzo-Indian, Three Knights |
23. Najdorf vs Uhlmann |
 | 1-0 | 37 | 1956 | Alekhine Memorial | E98 King's Indian, Orthodox, Taimanov, 9.Ne1 |
24. Gligoric vs Sliwa |
 | 1-0 | 43 | 1956 | Alekhine Memorial | C76 Ruy Lopez, Modern Steinitz Defense, Fianchetto Variation |
25. Unzicker vs Keres |
 | 1-0 | 39 | 1956 | Alekhine Memorial | C99 Ruy Lopez, Closed, Chigorin, 12...cd |
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page 1 of 2; games 1-25 of 37 |
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