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 3; games 1-25 of 61 |
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Game |
| Result | Moves |
Year | Event/Locale | Opening |
1. Gligoric vs Smyslov |
| ½-½ | 23 | 1956 | Alekhine Memorial | E55 Nimzo-Indian, 4.e3, Gligoric System, Bronstein Variation |
2. Unzicker vs N Padevsky |
| ½-½ | 23 | 1956 | Alekhine Memorial | B91 Sicilian, Najdorf, Zagreb (Fianchetto) Variation |
3. Najdorf vs Szabo |
| ½-½ | 45 | 1956 | Alekhine Memorial | E64 King's Indian, Fianchetto, Yugoslav System |
4. Uhlmann vs Keres |
| ½-½ | 43 | 1956 | Alekhine Memorial | D40 Queen's Gambit Declined, Semi-Tarrasch |
5. Smyslov vs Botvinnik |
| ½-½ | 46 | 1956 | Alekhine Memorial | B39 Sicilian, Accelerated Fianchetto, Breyer Variation |
6. Pachman vs Stahlberg |
| ½-½ | 36 | 1956 | Alekhine Memorial | A17 English |
7. Golombek vs Uhlmann |
| ½-½ | 21 | 1956 | Alekhine Memorial | E89 King's Indian, Samisch, Orthodox Main line |
8. Unzicker vs Szabo |
 | ½-½ | 41 | 1956 | Alekhine Memorial | C71 Ruy Lopez |
9. Gligoric vs Pachman |
| ½-½ | 29 | 1956 | Alekhine Memorial | D87 Grunfeld, Exchange |
10. Stahlberg vs Bronstein |
| ½-½ | 41 | 1956 | Alekhine Memorial | D20 Queen's Gambit Accepted |
11. Unzicker vs Taimanov |
 | ½-½ | 18 | 1956 | Alekhine Memorial | C70 Ruy Lopez |
12. Szabo vs Golombek |
 | ½-½ | 49 | 1956 | Alekhine Memorial | D15 Queen's Gambit Declined Slav |
13. N Padevsky vs Stahlberg |
| ½-½ | 20 | 1956 | Alekhine Memorial | D37 Queen's Gambit Declined |
14. Smyslov vs Keres |
| ½-½ | 41 | 1956 | Alekhine Memorial | A07 King's Indian Attack |
15. Pachman vs Botvinnik |
| ½-½ | 20 | 1956 | Alekhine Memorial | A36 English |
16. Taimanov vs Szabo |
| ½-½ | 24 | 1956 | Alekhine Memorial | D54 Queen's Gambit Declined, Anti-Neo-Orthodox Variation |
17. Keres vs V Ciocaltea |
| ½-½ | 21 | 1956 | Alekhine Memorial | B68 Sicilian, Richter-Rauzer Attack, 7...a6 Defense, 9...Be7 |
18. Botvinnik vs Bronstein |
| ½-½ | 19 | 1956 | Alekhine Memorial | D32 Queen's Gambit Declined, Tarrasch |
19. Uhlmann vs Pachman |
| ½-½ | 25 | 1956 | Alekhine Memorial | D43 Queen's Gambit Declined Semi-Slav |
20. Stahlberg vs Najdorf |
 | ½-½ | 35 | 1956 | Alekhine Memorial | A37 English, Symmetrical |
21. V Ciocaltea vs Golombek |
| ½-½ | 48 | 1956 | Alekhine Memorial | B12 Caro-Kann Defense |
22. Najdorf vs Gligoric |
| ½-½ | 28 | 1956 | Alekhine Memorial | E64 King's Indian, Fianchetto, Yugoslav System |
23. Keres vs Bronstein |
| ½-½ | 23 | 1956 | Alekhine Memorial | C05 French, Tarrasch |
24. Stahlberg vs Taimanov |
| ½-½ | 22 | 1956 | Alekhine Memorial | E62 King's Indian, Fianchetto |
25. N Padevsky vs Keres |
 | ½-½ | 36 | 1956 | Alekhine Memorial | E47 Nimzo-Indian, 4.e3 O-O 5.Bd3 |
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page 1 of 3; games 1-25 of 61 |
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