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TOURNAMENT STANDINGS
2nd AVRO Tournament

Efim Geller9.5/14(+6 -1 =7)[games]
Laszlo Szabo9.5/14(+6 -1 =7)[games]
Ljubomir Ljubojevic8.5/14(+4 -1 =9)[games]
Ulf Andersson6.5/14(+0 -1 =13)[games]
Gyula Sax6/14(+2 -4 =8)[games]
Borislav Ivkov6/14(+1 -3 =10)[games]
Lev Polugaevsky6/14(+2 -4 =8)[games]
Jan Timman4/14(+1 -7 =6)[games]
*

Chessgames.com Chess Event Description
2nd AVRO (1973)

The second AVRO tournament in June 1973 was held to commemorate 50 years' existence of sponsor AVRO (a broadcasting society) and 100 years of organizer KNSB (the Royal Dutch Chess Association). The same formula (eight players, double rounds) was used as in AVRO (1938), but only one location in Hilversum, where AVRO is settled, was used. Of the players in 1938, only Paul Keres and Samuel Reshevsky were still active. Keres was actually invited for the second AVRO, but declined the invitation because of "intense preparation for the Petropolis Interzonal (1973) and health problems."(1) Reshevsky was apparently not invited. De Telegraaf (25th May 1973) also say that Unzicker was invited, but withdrew at the last minute. Szabo and Ivkov were replacements for Unzicker and Keres respectively.(2) The Leningrad Interzonal (1973), also played in June, made it impossible for some other strong players to participate.

The tournament took the form of a trial of strength between the older generation (Szabó, who had won in Hastings (1938/39), Geller, Ivkov and Polugaevsky) and the young whippersnappers (Andersson, Ljubojevic, Sax and Timman). The older players won. Polugaevsky who with 2645 was equal third (with Tigran Petrosian) on the July 1972 ELO list, made blunders against Sax and Timman in the first cycle which he could not overcome. He would recover a month later in Petropolis, qualifying for the 1974 Candidates after a playoff.

Hilversum, Netherlands, 12-29 June 1973

=1 Geller ** 01 ½½ ½½ 1½ 1½ 1½ 11 9½ =1 Szabo 10 ** 1½ ½½ ½1 1½ ½1 1½ 9½ 3 Ljubojevic ½½ 0½ ** ½1 ½1 ½½ ½½ 11 8½ 4 Andersson ½½ ½½ ½0 ** ½½ ½½ ½½ ½½ 6½ =5 Sax 0½ ½0 ½0 ½½ ** ½½ 10 ½1 6 =5 Ivkov 0½ 0½ ½½ ½½ ½½ ** 0½ 1½ 6 =5 Polugaevsky 0½ ½0 ½½ ½½ 01 1½ ** 0½ 6 8 Timman 00 0½ 00 ½½ ½0 0½ 1½ ** 4

Original collection: Game Collection: Hilversum 1973 - the second AVRO tournament, by User: sneaky pete.

(1) Tubantia, 25th May 1973.

(2) https://resolver.kb.nl/resolve?urn=...

 page 3 of 3; games 51-56 of 56  PGN Download
Game  ResultMoves YearEvent/LocaleOpening
51. Geller vs Polugaevsky  ½-½1919732nd AVROA17 English
52. Andersson vs Sax  ½-½1619732nd AVROD78 Neo-Grunfeld, 6.O-O c6
53. Szabo vs Andersson  ½-½1419732nd AVROE19 Queen's Indian, Old Main line, 9.Qxc3
54. Polugaevsky vs Ljubojevic  ½-½7619732nd AVROA30 English, Symmetrical
55. Timman vs Ivkov  ½-½2619732nd AVROC75 Ruy Lopez, Modern Steinitz Defense
56. Sax vs Geller  ½-½1619732nd AVROC77 Ruy Lopez
 page 3 of 3; games 51-56 of 56  PGN Download
  REFINE SEARCH:   White wins (1-0) | Black wins (0-1) | Draws (1/2-1/2)  

Kibitzer's Corner
May-08-15
Premium Chessgames Member
  perfidious: Over forty years on, it is more than slightly surprising to view the crosstable of this event and see Polugaevsky finishing minus.
May-09-15  RookFile: Agreed, perfidious. I guess he just had a bad tournament.

Imagine if Keres or Reshevsky had shown up for this. That would have been really something.

May-09-15
Premium Chessgames Member
  keypusher: Before now I thought of this tournament as <Hilversum 1973>, because that's how it was generally identified in cites to this theoretical classic. Timman vs Geller, 1973

Nice to know that it was a second AVRO tournament.

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