Introduction
This was one of three European World Championship zonal tournaments held in 1957, the other two being Dublin Zonal (1957) (11th May - 1st June) and Wageningen Zonal (1957) (27th October - 26th November). The Sofia Zonal tournament took place in the Bulgarian capital Sofia from 9th - 25th May. They were three of nine zonal tournaments held worldwide. The decision to hold three European zonal tournaments had been made at the FIDE Congress in Moscow, August 1956.
"The issue of Zonal and Interzonal Tournaments was relatively easy to resolve. As Zones may vary from cycle to cycle, it was decided that in the year preceding the first year of each cycle, the Zonal and Interzonal Tournaments would be determined according to the playing strength of the Federations in each Zone. An important modification was made: Zones N° 1 and 3 were reworked to form three new zones (N° 1, 2, 3) each with an 18-day Zonal Tournament, making a total of 54 players. Of these three European Zonal Tours, as well as those of the other six zones (a new zone being created for the Asian Nations) 21 players would be selected for the Interzonal Tournament at the rate of 14 players depending on the size of the zone, to whom would be added under certain conditions the 22nd participant designated by the organizing nation." (1)
"The adoption of these General Regulations which provided for three Zonal Tournaments in Europe (except for the USSR) resulted in the obligation to add another Zone the two existing European Zones. The division was thus:
ZONE I (West European): South Africa, England, Belgium, Scotland, Spain, France, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Portugal and Switzerland.
ZONE 2 (Central European): West Germany, East Germany, Austria, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden.
ZONE 3 (East European): Albania, Bulgaria, Egypt, Greece, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Czechoslovakia and Yugoslavia." (1)
South Africa was added to the West European zone as there was insufficient chess organization in the south of Africa to properly institute its own geographical zone. Similarly, Sad Zaglul Basjuni (Egypt) played in the Sofia zonal.
The tournament
The tournament was a close run with the Czech GM Miroslav Filip finishing a point ahead of Bogdan Sliwa (Poland), Oleg Neikirch (Bulgaria) and Aleksandar Matanovic (Yugoslavia). Like after Wageningen (see Donner - Larsen Zonal Playoff (1958)), there was a need for a playoff, and the second and third places, which were qualifying slots for the Portoroz Interzonal (1958), were decided by a playoff in December 1957 with Matanovic and Neikirch qualifying.
Statistics
54 (59%) of the games were decisive, with more games won with Black, 30 (33%), than White, 24 (26%). 37 games were drawn (41%). The most popular openings were Spanish (15 games), Nimzo Indian (14), QGD (12), English (8), and King's Indian (7).
Cross tables
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4
1 Filip g * ½ ½ ½ 1 1 ½ ½ 0 1 1 1 1 1 9½
2 Sliwa m ½ * 0 1 ½ ½ ½ 1 1 1 0 1 1 ½ 8½
3 Neikirch ½ 1 * ½ 0 ½ ½ 1 1 ½ ½ ½ 1 1 8½
4 Matanovic g ½ 0 ½ * ½ ½ ½ ½ 1 1 1 1 ½ 1 8½
5 Pfeiffer 0 ½ 1 ½ * 0 1 1 ½ ½ 1 ½ ½ 1 8
6 Mititelu 0 ½ ½ ½ 1 * ½ 1 0 1 0 1 ½ 1 7½
7 Karaklajic m ½ ½ ½ ½ 0 ½ * ½ 0 ½ 1 ½ 1 1 7
8 Szilagyi m ½ 0 0 ½ 0 0 ½ * ½ 1 1 1 1 1 7
9 Barcza g 1 0 0 0 ½ 1 1 ½ * 0 ½ ½ ½ 0 5½
10 Zita m 0 0 ½ 0 ½ 0 ½ 0 1 * 0 ½ 1 1 5
11 Beni m 0 1 ½ 0 0 1 0 0 ½ 1 * 0 0 ½ 4½
12 Fuchs 0 0 ½ 0 ½ 0 ½ 0 ½ ½ 1 * ½ ½ 4½
13 Basjuni 0 0 0 ½ ½ ½ 0 0 ½ 0 1 ½ * 0 3½
14 Niemela 0 ½ 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 ½ ½ 1 * 3½
Progressive scores:
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13
1 Filip g 1 2 3 3½ 4 5 6 6 6½ 7½ 8 9 9½
2 Sliwa m 1 2 2 2½ 3½ 3½ 4½ 5½ 6 6½ 7 8 8½
3 Neikirch ½ ½ 1½ 2 3 3½ 4 5 6 6½ 7 7½ 8½
4 Matanovic g ½ 1 2 3 4 5 5½ 5½ 6 6½ 7 8 8½
5 Pfeiffer ½ 1½ 2½ 3 4 4½ 5 6 6½ 6½ 7½ 7½ 8
6 Mititelu 0 1 2 3 3½ 4 4½ 5½ 5½ 5½ 6 7 7½
7 Karaklajic m 0 ½ ½ 1 1½ 2 2½ 3 4 4½ 5½ 6 7
8 Szilagyi m 1 1 2 3 3 3½ 4½ 5½ 6 6½ 6½ 6½ 7
9 Barcza g 1 1 1½ 1½ 1½ 2 2 3 3½ 4½ 5 5½ 5½
10 Zita m 0 1 1 1½ 1½ 1½ 1½ 1½ 2 3 3½ 4 5
11 Beni m 1 1 ½ 2 2 3 3 3 4 4 4 4½ 4½
12 Fuchs 0 0 0 0 ½ 1 1½ 2 2½ 3½ 4 4 4½
13 Basjuni ½ ½ ½ ½ 1 1½ 1½ 1½ 1½ 1½ 2½ 3 3½
14 Niemela 0 ½ ½ 1½ 2 2 3 3 3 3½ 3½ 3½ 3½
The playoff was held in December 1957: (2)
Matanovic ** ½- 11 2½
Neikirch ½- ** 1- 1½
Sliwa m 00 0- ** 0
Filip, Matanovic and Neikirch qualified for the Portoroz Interzonal (1958).
Some highlights
Sliwa vs A Beni, 1957. A vicious King's Indian attack by Beni defeats Sliwa and wins the Brilliancy Prize. (3)
Kibitzing
