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 4 of 5; games 76-100 of 120 |
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Game |
| Result | Moves |
Year | Event/Locale | Opening |
76. Najdorf vs Golombek |
| 1-0 | 42 | 1956 | Alekhine Memorial | E47 Nimzo-Indian, 4.e3 O-O 5.Bd3 |
77. Szabo vs Pachman |
| ½-½ | 19 | 1956 | Alekhine Memorial | D46 Queen's Gambit Declined Semi-Slav |
78. N Padevsky vs Smyslov |
 | 0-1 | 50 | 1956 | Alekhine Memorial | C47 Four Knights |
79. Taimanov vs Uhlmann |
| ½-½ | 41 | 1956 | Alekhine Memorial | E94 King's Indian, Orthodox |
80. Stahlberg vs Gligoric |
| ½-½ | 58 | 1956 | Alekhine Memorial | E64 King's Indian, Fianchetto, Yugoslav System |
81. Botvinnik vs Stahlberg |
  | 1-0 | 41 | 1956 | Alekhine Memorial | A14 English |
82. Pachman vs Bronstein |
| ½-½ | 23 | 1956 | Alekhine Memorial | A04 Reti Opening |
83. Keres vs Taimanov |
| ½-½ | 46 | 1956 | Alekhine Memorial | B62 Sicilian, Richter-Rauzer |
84. Smyslov vs Najdorf |
 | ½-½ | 39 | 1956 | Alekhine Memorial | E66 King's Indian, Fianchetto, Yugoslav Panno |
85. Gligoric vs Szabo |
| ½-½ | 35 | 1956 | Alekhine Memorial | E15 Queen's Indian |
86. Uhlmann vs Sliwa |
| ½-½ | 52 | 1956 | Alekhine Memorial | E07 Catalan, Closed |
87. Golombek vs Unzicker |
 | 0-1 | 51 | 1956 | Alekhine Memorial | E15 Queen's Indian |
88. V Ciocaltea vs N Padevsky |
| ½-½ | 41 | 1956 | Alekhine Memorial | C90 Ruy Lopez, Closed |
89. Gligoric vs Botvinnik |
 | ½-½ | 12 | 1956 | Alekhine Memorial | C11 French |
90. Szabo vs Bronstein |
 | 0-1 | 40 | 1956 | Alekhine Memorial | C63 Ruy Lopez, Schliemann Defense |
91. Sliwa vs Keres |
 | 0-1 | 41 | 1956 | Alekhine Memorial | A22 English |
92. Najdorf vs V Ciocaltea |
| 1-0 | 65 | 1956 | Alekhine Memorial | A15 English |
93. N Padevsky vs Pachman |
| ½-½ | 16 | 1956 | Alekhine Memorial | D70 Neo-Grunfeld Defense |
94. Unzicker vs Smyslov |
| ½-½ | 26 | 1956 | Alekhine Memorial | C75 Ruy Lopez, Modern Steinitz Defense |
95. Taimanov vs Golombek |
| 1-0 | 54 | 1956 | Alekhine Memorial | E47 Nimzo-Indian, 4.e3 O-O 5.Bd3 |
96. Stahlberg vs Uhlmann |
| 1-0 | 37 | 1956 | Alekhine Memorial | A03 Bird's Opening |
97. Botvinnik vs Szabo |
  | 1-0 | 27 | 1956 | Alekhine Memorial | A10 English |
98. Bronstein vs N Padevsky |
| ½-½ | 24 | 1956 | Alekhine Memorial | D32 Queen's Gambit Declined, Tarrasch |
99. Keres vs Stahlberg |
| ½-½ | 32 | 1956 | Alekhine Memorial | B98 Sicilian, Najdorf |
100. Pachman vs Najdorf |
| ½-½ | 16 | 1956 | Alekhine Memorial | A05 Reti Opening |
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page 4 of 5; games 76-100 of 120 |
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