| Vidmar Memorial (1969) |
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This tournament was contested in Ljubljana, Yugoslavia in June 1969, overlapping the end of the Petrosian - Spassky World Championship Rematch (1969). It boasted ten International Grandmasters, three International Masters, and just three untitled players. FIDE classified it as Category 1A, then the highest category. Almost everyone expected that the battle for first place would be fought among experienced grandmasters like Svetozar Gligoric, Florin Gheorghiu, Wolfgang Unzicker, Aleksandar Matanovic, and Robert Eugene Byrne. (1) It thus came as a great surprise when the tournament was won by an untitled, little-known local player, Albin Planinc. Ludek Pachman wrote of Planinc's achievement in his 1975 book Pachman's Decisive Games, "Can it happen that a player without a title at all can win a strong tournament and beat several grandmasters? In the last few decades there is only one case I know of."(1) Planinc's victory was well deserved. He took the lead in the first round, and throughout the tournament never stood lower than equal first. Mark H Horton remarked of the victor, "His style is rather similar to Tal, he having a preference for complicated tactical positions."(2) Later writers likened him to Don Quixote,(3) and observed, "An imaginative player, always seeking new ideas, he is capable of a win, or a loss, against almost anyone."(4) Planinc worked in the local bicycle factory. Pachman wrote that he "was probably the only competitor who was unable to take a day off to prepare for the tournament."(1) The 25-year-old amateur won in the first round against Janez Stupica, another untitled player, while all the other games were drawn. In the second round, Planinc kept the lead with a surprise victory over Matanovic. Planinc played the aggressive and risky Bishop's Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.f4 exf4 3.Bc4), beating his grandmaster opponent with a king-side attack in 28 moves. Planinc drew in Rounds 3 and 4, enabling GM Georgi Tringov to catch up with him, but again took the outright lead in Round 5 with a win as Black against GM Gedeon Barcza. After drawing Tringov in Round 6, Planinc was finally brought back down to earth in Round 7 by Gligoric, who defeated his Modern Benoni in 52 moves. That brought about a four-way tie for first among Gligoric, Tringov, Planinc, and IM Stojan Puc at 4.5 points, with Unzicker, Gheorghiu, and Byrne just half a point behind. The loss only momentarily slowed Planinc, who won as Black against IM Gyozo Victor Forintos in Round 8, drew Byrne in Round 9, and won a pretty game as Black against Unzicker in Round 10. After 10 rounds, Planinc and Puc (who was also having an excellent tournament) were tied for first with 7-3, a point ahead of Byrne, Gheorghiu, and Gligoric. In the next four rounds, Planinc drew thrice and beat IM Vojko Musil. Meanwhile, Puc lost two games, falling out of contention. Gligoric scored 3-1 in Rounds 11-14, drawing to within half a point of Planinc. This set up a dramatic last round showdown. Gligoric, as White against tailender Stupica, was heavily favored to win. Planinc was also White, but had a much more dangerous opponent in GM Gheorghiu.(1) Pachman writes: "Many players in Planinc's place would have been content with a tie and have used the advantage of the White pieces to obtain the necessary half point. As things turned out this would have been easy to achieve, for Gheorghiu offered him a draw twice during the game. The young player, however, had other ideas and first sacrificed a pawn in an unclear position and then made a perfectly correct rook sacrifice. The game, which turned out to be one of the most beautiful of the tournament, gave Planinc the final point, which caused a great sensation in the world of chess."(5) FIDE awarded Planinc the International Master title for this tournament.(6) He had indeed satisfied the standard for the award of the grandmaster title, but could not receive it because the rules did not then allow a player to become a grandmaster without first obtaining the IM title.(7) Planinc became a grandmaster in 1972.(8) Planinc's Cinderella-like feat - winning a strong international tournament as a little-known amateur, ahead of numerous grandmasters - has few parallels in chess history. Comparable achievements include the first-place finishes of Harry Nelson Pillsbury at Hastings (1895), Jose Raul Capablanca at San Sebastian (1911), Garry Kasparov at Banja Luka 1979 (Game Collection: Banja Luka 1979), and Glenn Flear at London 1986. Of these, perhaps only Pillsbury's stunning triumph at Hastings, ahead of both the reigning and former world champions, was more surprising than Planinc's victory. Capablanca had routed Frank James Marshall in a match two years before; Kasparov, though only 16, had finished with an even score in the previous year's Soviet Championship; and Flear already had the IM title. Even Pillsbury had prior international experience, having played at New York 1893 (Game Collection: New York 1893, The Impromtu Tournament). Planinc was the darkest of dark horses. Ljubljana, Yugoslavia (Slovenia), 2-20 June 1969
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6
1 Planinc * 0 1 ½ ½ 1 1 ½ 1 ½ ½ 1 ½ ½ 1 1 10.5
2 GM Gligoric 1 * ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ 1 1 ½ ½ ½ 1 ½ 1 1 10.0
3 GM Unzicker 0 ½ * ½ ½ ½ ½ 1 ½ ½ 1 1 ½ ½ 1 1 9.5
4 GM Tringov ½ ½ ½ * ½ ½ ½ 0 1 1 ½ ½ ½ 1 ½ 1 9.0
=5 GM Byrne ½ ½ ½ ½ * ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ 1 1 8.5
=5 GM Matanovic 0 ½ ½ ½ ½ * ½ ½ 1 ½ ½ 1 1 ½ ½ ½ 8.5
=7 GM Gheorghiu 0 ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ * 0 ½ ½ 1 ½ ½ ½ 1 1 8.0
=7 IM Puc ½ 0 0 1 ½ ½ 1 * ½ 1 0 ½ ½ ½ ½ 1 8.0
=9 GM Barcza 0 0 ½ 0 ½ 0 ½ ½ * ½ ½ ½ 1 ½ 1 1 7.0
=9 GM Damjanovic ½ ½ ½ 0 ½ ½ ½ 0 ½ * ½ 0 ½ 1 1 ½ 7.0
=9 GM Parma ½ ½ 0 ½ ½ ½ 0 1 ½ ½ * ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ 7.0
=12 IM Musil 0 ½ 0 ½ ½ 0 ½ ½ ½ 1 ½ * ½ ½ ½ ½ 6.5
=12 GM Robatsch ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ 0 ½ ½ 0 ½ ½ ½ * ½ ½ ½ 6.5
=14 Bajec ½ 0 ½ 0 ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ 0 ½ ½ ½ * 0 ½ 5.5
=14 IM Forintos 0 ½ 0 ½ 0 ½ 0 ½ 0 0 ½ ½ ½ 1 * 1 5.5
16 Stupica 0 0 0 0 0 ½ 0 0 0 ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ 0 * 3.0
Progressive Scores:
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
1 Planinc 1 2 2½ 3 4 4½ 4½ 5½ 6 7 7½ 8 9 9½ 10½
2 Gligoric ½ 1 1½ 2½ 3 3½ 4½ 5 5½ 6 7 7½ 8½ 9 10
3 Unzicker ½ 1 2 2½ 3 3½ 4 4½ 5 5 5½ 6½ 7½ 8½ 9½
4 Tringov ½ 1½ 2½ 3 3½ 4 4½ 5 5½ 5½ 6 7 7½ 8½ 9
=5 Byrne ½ 1½ 2 2½ 3 3½ 4 4½ 5 6 6½ 7 7½ 8 8½
=5 Matanovic ½ ½ 1 1½ 2 2½ 3½ 4 4½ 5 5½ 6½ 7 8 8½
=7 Gheorghiu ½ 1 2 2 2½ 3 4 5 5½ 6 6½ 7 7½ 8 8
=7 Puc ½ 1 1½ 2 ½2 4 4½ 5½ 6 7 7 7½ 8 8 8
=9 Barcza ½ 1½ 1½ 1½ 1½ 2 2½ 3 3½ 4 4½ 5 6 6 7
=9 Damjanovic ½ ½ 1 1½ 2 2½ 3 3 3 4 4½ 5 5½ 6 7
=9 Parma ½ 1 1 1½ 2 2½ 3 3½ 4 4½ 5 5½ 5½ 6 7
=12 Musil ½ 1 1½ 2 2½ 3 3 3½ 4½ 5 5½ 6 6 6½ 6½
=12 Robatsch ½ 1 1½ 2 2½ 3 3½ 4 4½ 5 5½ 5½ 6 6½ 6½
=14 Bajec ½ 1 1½ 2 2 2½ 3 3½ 4 4 4½ 4½ 4½ 5 5½
=14 Forintos ½ ½ 1 1½ 2½ 3 3 3 4 4 4½ 4½ 5 5½ 5½
16 Stupica 0 0 0 ½ ½ 1 1½ 1½ 1½ 2 2½ 3 3 3 3
References: (1) Ludek Pachman, Pachman's Decisive Games, p. 233; (2) The Chess Player, Modern Chess Opening Theory as Surveyed in Ljubliana 1969 Complete with All the Games, p. 3 (this pamphlet is also the source of the dates of the rounds); (3) Dr. Petar Trifunović, Svetozar Gligorić, Rudolf Marić, and Dragoljub Janošević, Yugoslav Chess Triumphs, p. 43; (4) David Hooper and Kenneth Whyld, The Oxford Companion to Chess (2d ed. 1992), pp. 310-11; (5) Pachman's Decisive Games, pp. 233-34; (6) http://www.schack.se/tfsarkiv/histo..., p. 177; (7) Pachman's Decisive Games, p. 234; (8) The Oxford Companion to Chess, p. 310.Original collection: Game Collection: Vidmar Memorial by User: FSR.
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| page 2 of 5; games 26-50 of 120 |
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| Game |
| Result | Moves |
Year | Event/Locale | Opening |
| 26. Forintos vs G Tringov |
| ½-½ | 16 | 1969 | Vidmar Memorial | E70 King's Indian |
| 27. Gligoric vs Barcza |
 | 1-0 | 71 | 1969 | Vidmar Memorial | A43 Old Benoni |
| 28. R Byrne vs Robatsch |
| ½-½ | 16 | 1969 | Vidmar Memorial | D35 Queen's Gambit Declined |
| 29. Unzicker vs A Matanovic |
| ½-½ | 18 | 1969 | Vidmar Memorial | C93 Ruy Lopez, Closed, Smyslov Defense |
| 30. Parma vs J Stupica |
| ½-½ | 20 | 1969 | Vidmar Memorial | C93 Ruy Lopez, Closed, Smyslov Defense |
| 31. S Puc vs Gheorghiu |
| 1-0 | 33 | 1969 | Vidmar Memorial | A53 Old Indian |
| 32. V Musil vs I Bajec |
| ½-½ | 16 | 1969 | Vidmar Memorial | C26 Vienna |
| 33. Barcza vs A Planinc |
| 0-1 | 42 | 1969 | Vidmar Memorial | A46 Queen's Pawn Game |
| 34. G Tringov vs Gligoric |
| ½-½ | 26 | 1969 | Vidmar Memorial | B65 Sicilian, Richter-Rauzer Attack, 7...Be7 Defense, 9...Nxd4 |
| 35. M Damjanovic vs R Byrne |
| ½-½ | 35 | 1969 | Vidmar Memorial | C75 Ruy Lopez, Modern Steinitz Defense |
| 36. I Bajec vs Forintos |
| 0-1 | 29 | 1969 | Vidmar Memorial | A58 Benko Gambit |
| 37. Gheorghiu vs V Musil |
| ½-½ | 37 | 1969 | Vidmar Memorial | E09 Catalan, Closed |
| 38. J Stupica vs S Puc |
| 0-1 | 38 | 1969 | Vidmar Memorial | A53 Old Indian |
| 39. A Matanovic vs Parma |
| ½-½ | 20 | 1969 | Vidmar Memorial | B08 Pirc, Classical |
| 40. Robatsch vs Unzicker |
| ½-½ | 14 | 1969 | Vidmar Memorial | B43 Sicilian, Kan, 5.Nc3 |
| 41. A Planinc vs G Tringov |
| ½-½ | 41 | 1969 | Vidmar Memorial | B08 Pirc, Classical |
| 42. Forintos vs Gligoric |
| ½-½ | 27 | 1969 | Vidmar Memorial | E77 King's Indian |
| 43. R Byrne vs Barcza |
| ½-½ | 18 | 1969 | Vidmar Memorial | B43 Sicilian, Kan, 5.Nc3 |
| 44. Unzicker vs M Damjanovic |
| ½-½ | 34 | 1969 | Vidmar Memorial | B47 Sicilian, Taimanov (Bastrikov) Variation |
| 45. Parma vs Robatsch |
| ½-½ | 40 | 1969 | Vidmar Memorial | C94 Ruy Lopez, Closed, Breyer Defense |
| 46. S Puc vs A Matanovic |
| ½-½ | 40 | 1969 | Vidmar Memorial | B07 Pirc |
| 47. V Musil vs J Stupica |
| ½-½ | 42 | 1969 | Vidmar Memorial | C24 Bishop's Opening |
| 48. I Bajec vs Gheorghiu |
| ½-½ | 17 | 1969 | Vidmar Memorial | D86 Grunfeld, Exchange |
| 49. Gligoric vs A Planinc |
| 1-0 | 52 | 1969 | Vidmar Memorial | A79 Benoni, Classical, 11.f3 |
| 50. G Tringov vs R Byrne |
| ½-½ | 25 | 1969 | Vidmar Memorial | C72 Ruy Lopez, Modern Steinitz Defense, 5.O-O |
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| page 2 of 5; games 26-50 of 120 |
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| Apr-14-18 | | morfishine: Excellent write-up on this tournament! Planinc's play was powerful and relentless! I've spent hours and hours going over Planinc's games (not only from this tournament) and the best description is of a book one cannot put down: it is so good and exciting, you just can't wait to turn the page and keep on reading ***** |
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