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TOURNAMENT STANDINGS
Bucharest Tournament

Viktor Korchnoi13/17(+10 -1 =6)[games]
Rashid Nezhmetdinov12.5/17(+10 -2 =5)[games]
Miroslav Filip11/17(+8 -3 =6)[games]
Ratmir Kholmov11/17(+7 -2 =8)[games]
Gyula Kluger10.5/17(+6 -2 =9)[games]
Semyon Furman10/17(+6 -3 =8)[games]
Ludek Pachman10/17(+6 -3 =8)[games]
Alberic O'Kelly de Galway9.5/17(+4 -2 =11)[games]
Gideon Stahlberg9/17(+5 -4 =8)[games]
Octavio Troianescu8.5/17(+5 -5 =7)[games]
Bela Sandor8/17(+4 -5 =8)[games]
Ion Balanel7/17(+3 -6 =8)[games]
Bogdan Sliwa7/17(+6 -9 =2)[games]
Stefan Szabo7/17(+4 -7 =6)[games]
Robert Graham Wade6.5/17(+4 -8 =5)[games]
Victor Ciocaltea6/17(+3 -8 =6)[games]
Enrico Paoli3.5/17(+1 -11 =5)[games]
Paul Voiculescu3/17(+0 -11 =6)[games]
*

Chessgames.com Chess Event Description
Bucharest (1954)

In the spring of 1954, after the USSR Championship in January but before the FIDE congress in July, an international chess tournament was held in the Romanian capital of Bucharest. The first round was played on February the 25th and the last on March the 25th. The players in attendance included four Soviet masters, Viktor Korchnoi, Ratmir Kholmov, Semion Furman, and Rashid Nezmetdinov; 1 Swedish grandmaster Gideon Stahlberg; 2 two Czechoslovakian international masters, Miroslav Filip and Ludek Pachman; 3 Belgian international master Alberic O'Kelly de Galway; 4 Polish international master Bogdan Sliwa; 5 Italian international master Enrico Paoli; 6 three Hungarian masters, Bela Sandor, Stefan Szabo, and Gyula Kluger; 7 New Zealand international master Robert Wade; 8 and four players representing Romania: international master Octav Troianescu, Victor Ciocaltea, Ion Balanel, and Paul Voiculescu. 9 The four Soviet masters were practically unknown outside their own country at this time, but were allowed to compete internationally for the first time as a result of loosening travel restrictions due to Nikita Khrushchev's policy of "Destalinization". 10 In addition, the All-Union section of the Russian Chess Federation wanted to answer criticism that they only sent their top grandmasters to international tournaments because they were afraid their masters wouldn't show very good results against tough western players. 11 Before the tournament, the Russian Chess Federation paid for the four Soviet masters to go to Moscow for a special preparation and training course under the direction of grandmasters Isaac Boleslavsky and David Bronstein. 1

Nezhmetdinov won the tournament first brilliancy prize with his astounding win against Paoli in the fifth round: Nezhmetdinov vs E Paoli, 1954. Just before the round, Nezhmetdinov was informed that his son, Iskander, had been born. He later reported that "At the end of the round, I sent a telegram to my wife: 'I congratulate you on the birth of our son, and I dedicate my game with Paoli to him'." 1, 12 And a fine dedication it was!

It soon became clear that Korchnoi and Nezhmetdinov would fight neck and neck for the top honors. As Korchnoi recalls, "Nezhmetdinov ... was at his best. In the first round I miraculously managed to draw against him the exchange and a pawn down". 13

Final position, Nezhmetdinov vs Korchnoi, 1954, Round 1, White to move:


click for larger view

After the penultimate round, Korchnoi and Nezhmetdinov were deadlocked at 12½ points. Nezhmetdinov then lost to Furman, and Korchnoi drew O'Kelly to win the tournament, making his entrance into international chess entirely memorable.

Bucharest, Romania, 24 February - 26 March 1954 14

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Pts 1 Korchnoi * ½ 1 ½ 0 ½ 1 ½ 1 ½ ½ 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 13 2 Nezhmetdinov ½ * 1 ½ ½ 0 0 ½ 1 1 ½ 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 12½ =3 Filip 0 0 * 0 ½ 1 ½ ½ ½ 1 1 1 1 1 1 ½ ½ 1 11 =3 Kholmov ½ ½ 1 * ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ 1 1 ½ 1 0 0 1 1 1 11 5 Kluger 1 ½ ½ ½ * 0 ½ ½ 1 ½ ½ 1 ½ ½ 1 0 1 1 10½ =6 Furman ½ 1 0 ½ 1 * 1 ½ ½ 1 ½ ½ ½ ½ 0 0 1 1 10 =6 Pachman 0 1 ½ ½ ½ 0 * ½ ½ ½ 1 0 1 1 ½ 1 ½ 1 10 8 O'Kelly ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ * ½ 1 1 ½ 0 1 0 ½ 1 ½ 9½ 9 Stahlberg 0 0 ½ ½ 0 ½ ½ ½ * ½ ½ 1 0 ½ 1 1 1 1 9 10 Troianescu ½ 0 0 0 ½ 0 ½ 0 ½ * 1 ½ 1 ½ 1 1 1 ½ 8½ 11 Sandor ½ ½ 0 0 ½ ½ 0 0 ½ 0 * ½ 1 1 ½ 1 ½ 1 8 =12 Balanel 0 0 0 ½ 0 ½ 1 ½ 0 ½ ½ * 1 0 ½ ½ 1 ½ 7 =12 Sliwa 0 0 0 0 ½ ½ 0 1 1 0 0 0 * 1 1 1 0 1 7 =12 Szabo 0 0 0 1 ½ ½ 0 0 ½ ½ 0 1 0 * ½ ½ 1 1 7 15 Wade 0 0 0 1 0 1 ½ 1 0 0 ½ ½ 0 ½ * 0 1 ½ 6½ 16 Ciocaltea 0 0 ½ 0 1 1 0 ½ 0 0 0 ½ 0 ½ 1 * ½ ½ 6 17 Paoli 0 0 ½ 0 0 0 ½ 0 0 0 ½ 0 1 0 0 ½ * ½ 3½ 18 Voiculescu 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 ½ 0 ½ 0 ½ 0 0 ½ ½ ½ * 3

Due to their impressive results at Bucharest, the four Soviet masters (as well as Kluger and Balanel) were awarded international master titles at the July 1954 FIDE Congress. 15

Tournament book: Al IV-lea Turneu International de Sah al R.P.R., ed. by Sergiu Samarian. Editura Tineretului Cultura Fizika si Sport, Bucuresti 1955. 200 pp. (http://www.stere.ro/wp-content/uplo...)

Notes

1 Rashid Nezhmetdinov, Nezhmetdinov's Best Games of Chess (Caissa Editions 2000), p. 61.
2 Jeremy Gaige, Chess Personalia (McFarland 1987), p. 403.
3 Gaige, pp. 118, 316.
4 Gaige, p. 310.
5 Gaige, p. 395.
6 Gaige, p. 319.
7 Gaige, pp. 217, 371, 415.
8 Gaige, p. 454.
9 Gaige, pp. 20, 72, 431, 448.
10 Alex Pishkin, Super Nezh - Chess Assassin (Thinker's Press 2000), p. 27.
11 Pishkin, p. 28.
12 Rashid Nezhmetdinov documentary film: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?li...
13 Victor Korchnoi, Chess is My Life (Arco 1978), p. 26.
14 Magyar Sakkelet 1954, p. 102. In Gino Di Felice, Chess Results 1951-1955 (McFarland 2010), p. 337.
15 Gaige, pp. 20, 129, 212, 217, 222, 302.

Original collection: Game Collection: Bucharest 1954, by User: suenteus po 147. This collection would not have been possible without the support and hard work of User: jessicafischerqueen.

 page 1 of 7; games 1-25 of 153  PGN Download
Game  ResultMoves YearEvent/LocaleOpening
1. R Nezhmetdinov vs Korchnoi ½-½421954BucharestB69 Sicilian, Richter-Rauzer Attack, 7...a6 Defense, 11.Bxf6
2. S Szabo vs Furman  ½-½631954BucharestB54 Sicilian
3. B Sandor vs Filip  0-1411954BucharestA04 Reti Opening
4. O Troianescu vs Sliwa  1-0301954BucharestC59 Two Knights
5. G Kluger vs Kholmov  ½-½211954BucharestA74 Benoni, Classical, 9...a6, 10.a4
6. E Paoli vs R G Wade  0-1581954BucharestC11 French
7. V Ciocaltea vs Stahlberg  0-1411954BucharestC12 French, McCutcheon
8. O'Kelly vs I Balanel  ½-½721954BucharestE60 King's Indian Defense
9. Pachman vs P Voiculescu  1-0351954BucharestC02 French, Advance
10. Korchnoi vs S Szabo 1-0301954BucharestA22 English
11. I Balanel vs R Nezhmetdinov 0-1491954BucharestA53 Old Indian
12. Filip vs O'Kelly  ½-½221954BucharestA30 English, Symmetrical
13. R G Wade vs Sliwa  0-1571954BucharestD22 Queen's Gambit Accepted
14. Kholmov vs O Troianescu 1-0451954BucharestA16 English
15. E Paoli vs Pachman  ½-½541954BucharestC50 Giuoco Piano
16. Stahlberg vs G Kluger 0-1331954BucharestA64 Benoni, Fianchetto, 11...Re8
17. Furman vs V Ciocaltea  0-1641954BucharestE81 King's Indian, Samisch
18. P Voiculescu vs B Sandor  0-1401954BucharestA45 Queen's Pawn Game
19. V Ciocaltea vs Korchnoi 0-1661954BucharestA07 King's Indian Attack
20. S Szabo vs I Balanel  1-0531954BucharestC77 Ruy Lopez
21. R Nezhmetdinov vs Filip 1-0581954BucharestC64 Ruy Lopez, Classical
22. Sliwa vs Kholmov 0-1701954BucharestA46 Queen's Pawn Game
23. B Sandor vs E Paoli  ½-½381954BucharestE67 King's Indian, Fianchetto
24. G Kluger vs Furman  0-1581954BucharestE53 Nimzo-Indian, 4.e3
25. O Troianescu vs Stahlberg  ½-½411954BucharestA07 King's Indian Attack
 page 1 of 7; games 1-25 of 153  PGN Download
  REFINE SEARCH:   White wins (1-0) | Black wins (0-1) | Draws (1/2-1/2)  

Kibitzer's Corner
Mar-28-13  suenteus po 147: Hmmmm....I can see that I have to be more explicit in my dedicatory footnotes from now on. <jessicafischerqueen> provided <all> of the historical information present in the tournament introduction. I simply edited it into a narrative whole, but the work is hers.
Mar-28-13
Premium Chessgames Member
  Phony Benoni: <suenteus po 147> Not to worry. Games Editors are allowed to edit these introductions, so you'll be able to change it once you're authorized.
Feb-21-15
Premium Chessgames Member
  jessicafischerqueen:

Here is a documentary video about 2nd place finisher Rashid Gibiatovich Nezhmetdinov:

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?li...

Oct-25-17  Resignation Trap: For a PDF of the tournament book, click here: http://www.stere.ro/wp-content/uplo...
Oct-26-17  PhilFeeley: <RT> Too bad there's no translation.
Oct-26-17
Premium Chessgames Member
  keypusher: <PhilFeeley: <RT> Too bad there's no translation.>

No pleasing some people. :-) It's a Romance language, so if you know Spanish or French or Italian + chess you can go a surprisingly long way.

Impressive effort in the book, they spend 80+ pages on openings from the tournament before they even get to the games.

Apr-24-18
Premium Chessgames Member
  Stonehenge: I've entered the exact dates, using the tournament bulletins:

http://www.stere.ro/wp-content/uplo...

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