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TOURNAMENT STANDINGS
Oegstgeest Tournament

Boris Spassky7/12(+2 -0 =10)[games]
Jan Hein Donner6/12(+1 -1 =10)[games]
Bent Larsen5.5/12(+2 -3 =7)[games]
Mikhail Botvinnik5.5/12(+1 -2 =9)[games]

Chessgames.com Chess Event Description
Oegstgeest (1970)

To celebrate the 75th anniversary of the Leidsch Schaakgenootschap (LSG, Leiden Chess Club), an attempt was made in 1970 to stage a match between former world champion and honorary member of the LSG, Dr. M. M. Botvinnik, and the would-be world champion Robert James Fischer. Unfortunately, in the end, insurmountable obstacles blocked this interesting plan.

As an almost equally attractive alternative, a match-tournament was organized among the former world champion Botvinnik, the new world champion Boris Spassky, the tournament world champion Bent Larsen and the world champion of the Leidseplein, Hein Donner. The games were played in April and May in the Rijnlands Lyceum (a Dutch high school) in the neighbouring village of Oegstgeest. World champion Spassky won, as he should, and Donner, the local whipping boy, did much better than expected.

1 Spassky **** 1½½½ ½½½½ ½½1½ 7 2 Donner 0½½½ **** ½½½½ 1½½½ 6 =3 Botvinnik ½½½½ ½½½½ **** 01½0 5½ =4 Larsen ½½0½ 0½½½ 10½1 **** 5½

Original collection: Game Collection: Oegstgeest 1970, by User: sneaky pete.

 page 1 of 1; 24 games  PGN Download 
Game  ResultMoves YearEvent/LocaleOpening
1. Botvinnik vs J H Donner  ½-½411970OegstgeestA07 King's Indian Attack
2. Larsen vs Spassky ½-½341970OegstgeestA01 Nimzovich-Larsen Attack
3. Spassky vs J H Donner 1-0261970OegstgeestC11 French
4. Larsen vs Botvinnik 1-0551970OegstgeestA28 English
5. J H Donner vs Larsen 1-0231970OegstgeestA43 Old Benoni
6. Botvinnik vs Spassky ½-½251970OegstgeestD31 Queen's Gambit Declined
7. J H Donner vs Botvinnik  ½-½281970OegstgeestA84 Dutch
8. Spassky vs Larsen  ½-½411970OegstgeestB80 Sicilian, Scheveningen
9. Botvinnik vs Larsen 1-0751970OegstgeestE81 King's Indian, Samisch
10. J H Donner vs Spassky  ½-½241970OegstgeestA61 Benoni
11. Spassky vs Botvinnik ½-½651970OegstgeestB18 Caro-Kann, Classical
12. Larsen vs J H Donner  ½-½471970OegstgeestA00 Uncommon Opening
13. Botvinnik vs J H Donner  ½-½331970OegstgeestD37 Queen's Gambit Declined
14. Larsen vs Spassky 0-1241970OegstgeestD27 Queen's Gambit Accepted, Classical
15. Larsen vs Botvinnik  ½-½491970OegstgeestB18 Caro-Kann, Classical
16. Spassky vs J H Donner  ½-½681970OegstgeestB99 Sicilian, Najdorf, 7...Be7 Main line
17. Botvinnik vs Spassky ½-½291970OegstgeestA26 English
18. J H Donner vs Larsen  ½-½431970OegstgeestA95 Dutch, Stonewall
19. J H Donner vs Botvinnik  ½-½471970OegstgeestE91 King's Indian
20. Spassky vs Larsen  ½-½361970OegstgeestA80 Dutch
21. J H Donner vs Spassky  ½-½311970OegstgeestE41 Nimzo-Indian
22. Botvinnik vs Larsen 0-1521970OegstgeestA90 Dutch
23. Spassky vs Botvinnik ½-½201970OegstgeestB18 Caro-Kann, Classical
24. Larsen vs J H Donner ½-½741970OegstgeestC90 Ruy Lopez, Closed
 page 1 of 1; 24 games  PGN Download 
  REFINE SEARCH:   White wins (1-0) | Black wins (0-1) | Draws (1/2-1/2)  

Kibitzer's Corner
Jun-05-13  Maatalkko: Curious tournament. This was the best performance rating of Donner's career. Only Larsen and Botvinnik really fought it out in this event.
Oct-13-15  thegoodanarchist: LOL right. Spassky was +2 with 10!? draws
Jan-31-17
Premium Chessgames Member
  offramp: If you are going to have a match-tournament, where each player plays the other 4 times, I think you need 6 or more players with two of them being local players. If all 4 are very strong players there might be a load of draws.
Jan-31-17
Premium Chessgames Member
  offramp: Donner startled everyone. He was known as "The Poltergeist of Oegstgeest."
Jun-27-17  WorstPlayerEver: Except Donner they probably took it as a snabble. Donner was a bit of a jester.
Sep-27-17  Chessmeout: Imagine if Fischer & Botvinnik played... Too bad it didn't happen.
Sep-27-17
Premium Chessgames Member
  WannaBe: Donner feasted in this tournament!

Ok, maybe I should (better) move along now and not post anymore. (Here, this page, at least)...

Sep-28-17  Magpye: Botvinnik's last tournament?
Sep-28-17  Arconax: <Magpye> He retired in 1970, so indeed it may have been.
Sep-28-17  Magpye: <Arconax> Thank you.
Apr-16-18
Premium Chessgames Member
  GrahamClayton: "tournament world champion Bent Larsen"

Where and when did Larsen earn this title?

Apr-16-18  Sally Simpson: "tournament world champion ."

The title is informal and I presume awarded due to Larsen's successful playing career during the 60's where he notched up quite a few major tournament victories.

He was also one of the very few top players to play in Open events all over the world which he usually won.

see the bio Bent Larsen

Jun-29-18  ewan14: Larsen also won the first '' chess Oscar ''
Jul-26-19  diagonal: Pictures of this event by Anefo (via Wikimedia Commons), it takes a second or two to load it:

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/...

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/...

Nov-21-20
Premium Chessgames Member
  FSR: For some reason this was the last tournament of Botvinnik's life.
Nov-21-20
Premium Chessgames Member
  MissScarlett: The reason being he died, I suppose.
Nov-21-20
Premium Chessgames Member
  FSR: <MissScarlett> Botvinnik died in 1995. He probably could have played in a tournament or two between 1970 and then if he had so desired.

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