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Lone Pine (1978) 8th Louis D Statham Tournament Lone Pine, California April 2-12, 1978 The rating requirements were the same as 1977, but the field swelled to a record 68 players with an average rating of 2431. It was led by world-class grandmasters Tigran Petrosian, Bent Larsen, Lev Polugaevsky, and Lajos Portisch, with countries such as England, Iceland, and the Netherlands sending what seemed like teams of players. For whatever reason, the Lone Pine winner often dropped a game early. This year, it was Bent Larsen who lost his first round game before running off five wins in a row to draw within a half-point of Lev Polugaevsky. They drew in round seven, then Larsen closed with two wins to take the tournament by a half-point as Polugaevsky finished with two further draws. This version of the crosstable allows colors in each game to be determined. If the result (W, L, D) comes first, the player had White. If the result follows the opponent's number, the player had Black. For example, Larsen's first three results are loss with Black vs. #33, win with White vs. #66, win with Black vs. #35. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 01 Bent Larsen DEN 2620 33L W66 35W W36 41W W18 D02 21W W07 7.5 02 Lev Polugaevsky URS 2620 20W W23 44W W31 18D W24 01D 06D D03 7.0 03 Anatoly Lein USA 2529 57D D11 58W W44 42W D04 05D W12 02D 6.5 04 Lajos Portisch HUN 2630 D67 40W W56 05D W13 03D L06 W32 17W 6.5 05 John A Peters USA 2434 66D W68 12W D04 06D W17 D03 27D 25W 6.5 06 Tigran Vartanovich Petrosian URS 2620 W41 56D D19 23W D05 21D 04W D02 12D 6.0 07 Kenneth Rogoff USA 2519 37L D52 62W W56 19D W35 24W W09 01L 6.0 08 Hans Ree NED 2500 34D W54 33D D11 43D W42 32D D17 23W 6.0 09 Vitaly F Zaltsman USA 2484 W59 31L W60 43D D34 W41 13W 07L W21 6.0 10 Larry Melvyn Evans USA 2508 D64 50L W53 32D W57 20D W31 11D W26 6.0 11 Peter Biyiasas CAN 2407 D29 03D W38 08D L21 33W W16 D10 14D 5.5 12 Pal Benko USA 2514 W48 32D L05 30W W31 13D W14 03L D06 5.5 13 Anthony Miles ENG 2565 58W W35 31D W22 04L D12 L09 19D W32 5.5 14 Dragutin Sahovic YUG 2490 60D D34 64W D33 22D W43 12L W41 D11 5.5 15 Jan Timman NED 2585 L31 61W W67 19D D16 32L W42 18D W28 5.5 16 Gert Ligterink NED 2440 68D L22 51W W65 15D D25 11L W43 37W 5.5 17 Walter Shawn Browne USA 2579 W30 19D W32 18L W33 05L W20 08D L04 5.0 18 Andrew Jonathan Mestel ENG 2450 22D W60 37W W17 D02 01L 25L D15 D19 5.0 19 Arthur Bisguier USA 2439 51W D17 06D D15 D07 27D D30 D13 18D 5.0 20 Edward W Formanek USA 2411 L02 47W W29 W27 24L D10 17L D34 42W 5.0 21 Michael Stean ENG 2510 54D D64 34D W37 11W D06 23W L01 09L 5.0 22 Margeir Petursson ICE 2350 D18 16W W46 13L D14 L23 35W 38D D27 5.0 23 Dragoljub Janosevic YUG 2455 +65 02L W40 L06 50W 22W L21 30W L08 5.0 24 Samuel Reshevsky USA 2469 52W D33 42D W50 W20 02L L07 28L W48 5.0 25 William James Lombardy USA 2532 L42 59L W49 64W W36 16D W18 26D L05 5.0 26 Leonid Shamkovich USA 2468 W53 43D D50 L42 62W 34W D27 D25 10L 5.0 27 Florin Gheorghiu ROM 2520 D50 67D W57 20L W44 D19 26D D05 22D 5.0 28 Haukur Angantysson ICE 2350 L46 41L W63 L45 54W 36W W39 W24 15L 5.0 29 Oscar Panno ARG 2580 11D D57 20L D52 58D W50 43D D31 41W 5.0 30 Shaun M Taulbut ENG 2405 17L D51 68W L12 65W W56 19D L23 45W 5.0 31 Yasser Seirawan USA 2409 15W W09 D13 02L 12L W45 10L 29D D39 4.5 32 Helgi Olafsson ICE 2420 62W D12 17L D10 39W W15 D08 04L 13L 4.5 33 Jonathan Speelman ENG 2410 W01 24D D08 14D 17L L11 49W D45 D38 4.5 34 Jaime Sunye Neto BRA 2360 D08 14D D21 46W 09D L26 D38 20D 35D 4.5 35 Zvonimir Mestrovic YUG 2435 W47 13L L01 59W W38 07L L22 55W D34 4.5 36 Heikki M J Westerinen FIN 2450 L40 49W W59 01L 25L L28 D51 61W 50W 4.5 37 Timothy Taylor USA 2383 W07 46D L18 21L 45L W65 56W 44W L16 4.5 38 Kim S Commons USA 2521 55W L44 11L W61 35L W52 34D D22 33D 4.5 39 Larry Christiansen USA 2500 W61 42D D43 41L L32 53W 28L W51 31D 4.5 40 Eugene Meyer USA 2341 36W L04 23L 57L W64 46D L44 W56 W58 4.5 41 Hans Bohm NED 2410 06L W28 45W W39 L01 09L W47 14L L29 4.0 42 Paul Van der Sterren NED 2400 25W D39 D24 26W L03 08L 15L W53 L20 4.0 43 Ron W Henley USA 2393 45W D26 39D D09 D08 14L D29 16L 46D 4.0 44 Rajko Bogdanovic YUG 2430 W63 38W L02 03L 27L D49 40W L37 47D 4.0 45 James Tarjan USA 2527 L43 53D L41 28W W37 31L W58 33D L30 4.0 46 Norman Weinstein USA 2465 28W D37 22L L34 52D D40 60D 47D D43 4.0 47 Steven M Odendahl USA 2278 35L L20 48D D54 W59 57W 41L D46 D44 4.0 48 Herman Claudius Van Riemsdijk BRA 2375 12L L62 D47 53D D51 55D W52 W60 24L 4.0 49 Paul Whitehead USA 2322 56L L36 25L W66 61W 44D L33 58D W60 4.0 50 Carlos Garcia Palermo ARG 2385 27D W10 26D 24L L23 29L D61 63W L36 3.5 51 John William Donaldson USA 2279 L19 30D L16 60W 48D D58 36D 39L D52 3.5 52 Camille Coudari CAN 2352 L24 07D D55 29D D46 38L 48L W65 51D 3.5 53 Rubens A Filguth BRA 2350 26L D45 10L D48 63W L39 57W 42L D54 3.5 54 Julius H Loftsson USA 2375 D21 08L L65 47D L28 61L W62 W64 53D 3.5 55 Walter D Morris USA 2231 L38 65D 52D D58 56L D48 59W L35 57D 3.5 56 Rosendo Carreon Balinas, Jr. PHI 2440 W49 D06 04L 07L W55 30L L37 40L D59 3.0 57 John Fedorowicz USA 2397 D03 29D 27L W40 10L L47 L53 59D D55 3.0 58 Michael Rohde USA 2404 L13 63W L03 55D D29 51D 45L D49 40L 3.0 59 Robert Gruchacz USA 2352 09L W25 36L L35 47L 64W L55 D57 56D 3.0 60 Denis Verduga ECU 2355 D14 18L 09L L51 66W W62 D46 48L 49L 3.0 61 Curt Justin Brasket USA 2357 39L L15 66W 38L L49 W54 50D L36 62D 3.0 62 Perry Youngworth USA 2250 L32 48W L07 63D L26 60L 54L W66 D61 3.0 63 Jay E Whitehead USA 2267 44L L58 28L D62 L53 66W 65W L50 64D 3.0 64 Gildardo Garcia COL 2365 10D 21D L14 L25 40L L59 W66 54L D63 2.5 65 Asgeir Thor Arnason ICE 2350 23- D55 54W 16L L30 37L L63 52L D66 2.0 66 Jonas Petur Erlingsson ICE 2270 D05 01L L61 49L L60 L63 64L 62L 65D 1.0 67 Amikan Balshan ISR 2415 04D D27 15L --- --- --- --- --- --- 1.0 68 Roy C Ervin USA 2323 D16 05L L30 --- --- --- --- --- --- 0.5 The game Janosevic vs. Arnason in round 1 was a forfeit win for Janosevic. Whitehead vs. Youngworth in round 4 was a make-up game. Ervin's withdrawal left an odd number of players, so Whitehead received a bye in round 4. In the same round, Balshan was unable to play and Youngworth was awarded a win on forfeit. Youngworth offered to replay the game with Balshan, but when the latter did not continue he and Whitehead played instead. GM Norms: John A Peters, Vitaly Zaltsman, Kenneth Rogoff, Peter Biyiasas. IM Norms: Yasser Seirawan, Timothy Taylor, Jaime Sunye Neto, Jonathan Speelman, Haukur Angantysson, Margeir Petursson, Helgi Olafsson. PRIZES 1st - Larsen: $12,000 2nd - Polugaevsky: $7,500 3rd-5th - Portisch, Lein, Peters: $3,267 6th-10th - Rogoff, Evans, Ree, Zaltsman, Petrosian: $650 11th-16th - Timman, Miles, Benko, Sahovic, Ligterink, Biyiasas: $125 Total prize fund: $33,300 PREVIOUS: Lone Pine (1977). NEXT: Lone Pine (1979). Original collection: by Game Collection: Lone Pine 1978, by User: Phony Benoni.  page 1 of 12; games 1-25 of 300  Game   Result Moves Year Event/Locale Opening 1. W J Donaldson vs Bisguier   0-1 44 1978 Lone Pine C77 Ruy Lopez 2. Browne vs S Taulbut 1-0 31 1978 Lone Pine B08 Pirc, Classical 3. Fedorowicz vs A Lein   ½-½ 38 1978 Lone Pine A36 English 4. L Christiansen vs C Brasket 1-0 18 1978 Lone Pine A19 English, Mikenas-Carls, Sicilian Variation 5. Lombardy vs Van der Sterren   0-1 45 1978 Lone Pine A34 English, Symmetrical 6. M Rohde vs Miles 0-1 46 1978 Lone Pine B42 Sicilian, Kan 7. Petrosian vs H Bohm 1-0 30 1978 Lone Pine E00 Queen's Pawn Game 8. E Formanek vs Polugaevsky   0-1 60 1978 Lone Pine B81 Sicilian, Scheveningen, Keres Attack 9. Portisch vs A Balshan   ½-½ 62 1978 Lone Pine A29 English, Four Knights, Kingside Fianchetto 10. Shamkovich vs R Filguth 1-0 55 1978 Lone Pine C07 French, Tarrasch 11. Speelman vs Larsen 1-0 36 1978 Lone Pine B10 Caro-Kann 12. Tarjan vs R Henley 0-1 59 1978 Lone Pine E41 Nimzo-Indian 13. Timman vs Seirawan 0-1 44 1978 Lone Pine C16 French, Winawer 14. V Zaltsman vs R Gruchacz   1-0 47 1978 Lone Pine A30 English, Symmetrical 15. H Angantysson vs N Weinstein   0-1 46 1978 Lone Pine A34 English, Symmetrical 16. R C Balinas vs P Whitehead 1-0 16 1978 Lone Pine B23 Sicilian, Closed 17. Benko vs H van Riemsdijk   1-0 48 1978 Lone Pine B08 Pirc, Classical 18. P Biyiasas vs Panno   ½-½ 66 1978 Lone Pine A30 English, Symmetrical 19. R Bogdanovic vs J Whitehead   1-0 50 1978 Lone Pine B32 Sicilian 20. C Coudari vs Reshevsky 0-1 36 1978 Lone Pine B25 Sicilian, Closed 21. J P Erlingsson vs J Peters   ½-½ 32 1978 Lone Pine A04 Reti Opening 22. R Ervin vs G Ligterink   ½-½ 47 1978 Lone Pine E17 Queen's Indian 23. Evans vs G Garcia   ½-½ 35 1978 Lone Pine A17 English 24. Gheorghiu vs C Garcia Palermo   ½-½ 47 1978 Lone Pine A17 English 25. Janosevic vs A T Arnason 1-0 1 1978 Lone Pine B00 Uncommon King's Pawn Opening  page 1 of 12; games 1-25 of 300    REFINE SEARCH:   White wins (1-0) | Black wins (0-1) | Draws (1/2-1/2)   < Earlier Kibitzing  · PAGE 2 OF 2 ·  Later Kibitzing> Jun-23-17    Fusilli: <WB> Maybe Statham lived there and wanted to have the tournament in his backyard? And to promote his town? Jun-23-17    saffuna: Statham did live in Lone Pine, which is located at the base of Mt. Whitney, highest mountain in the 48 states, and Sequoia National Park. Jun-23-17    Boomie: <Fusilli: Maybe Statham lived there> Yes. He moved there when he retired. Before that, he lived in a Playboy mansion in Chicago that he bought from Hugh Hefner. That gives you a sense of how valuable his patents were. The view of the High Sierras from town is awesome. A road runs out of town toward Mt. Whitney. Lone Pine has a colorful history. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lone_... Just outside town is formation of huge boulders called, strangely, the Alabama Hills. Many movies and TV westerns were shot there including "Gunga Din" and "Bonanza". I did a lot of hiking through there. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alaba... The Owens Valley of the upper Mojave Desert is the site of the events alluded to in the movie "Chinatown". The valley used to be an agricultural paradise. But after the LA Aqueduct was built, the valley dried up. Statham had a running struggle with the LA Water thugs. He dug enormous trout ponds to keep at least that water in the valley. Heh. Jun-23-17    kingfu: Also near Lone Pine are Badwater, 300 feet below sea level, The Methusaleh Tree and the General Sherman Tree. The Methusaleh tree is a bristlecone pine that is almost 5000 years old making it the oldest living thing on the planet. General Sherman is the largest living thing on the planet. It is in the aforementioned Sequoia National Park. Don't go now. TOO HOT. Jun-23-17    saffuna: Sorry, it's a great time to go hiking on the Eastern Slope of the Sierrra from the Owens Valley, starting from Lone Pine, Independence, Big Pine (great short hike to Palisades!), Bishop, Tom's Place and Mammoth. Beautiful trails and passes over the crest to the John Muir Trail in Sequoia and Kings Canyon. The Bristlecone Pines <unferth> mentions are also fascinating, and with a great view across the Owens Valley to the Sierra Crest. Death Valley is 100 miles east of Lone Pine, but it's an open road. Fascinating that the highest and lowest points of the lower 48 are so close together. Getting to the General Sherman tree is pretty difficult from Lone Pine as far as I know. There are no roads across the Sierra in this area, so it means either long, tough and spectacular hike across the range, or diving far around to the south. Spectacular area. Jun-23-17    saffuna: Also, hundreds of movies have been filmed in and around Lone Pine, mainly in the nearby Alabama Hills. A good example is "Bad Day at Black Rock." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_... Jun-23-17    kingfu: Sequoia National Park is close if you have a helicopter! I like to drive. So, I go up 395, check out Mono Lake and Mammoth Lakes. Go to The Mono Inn with original Ansel Adams works. Then I turn around, go back to Lee Vining and take 120 across the Sierras to Yosemite. What a great drive! More than 400 Westerns have been filmed in Lone Pine. Graboids, too. Hey, wait. That is what Victor Wong called them. The movie was Tremors. Jun-23-17    boz: Great stories, guys, keep it up. Jun-23-17    saffuna: <Then I turn around, go back to Lee Vining and take 120 across the Sierras to Yosemite. What a great drive!> No kidding. Tioga Pass. Tuolumne Meadows. I've gone into the Sierra from Mammoth, Tom's Place, Bishop, Big Pine and Independence, and come out to Lone Pine. All great trails. The trail to the lakes above Big Pine are absolutely beautiful and easy to reach, below the Palisades. https://www.google.com/search?q=pal... Mono Lake is a sad story. Written about by Mark Twain, now its level lower and lower due to LA water needs. Jun-23-17    kingfu: Here is more about Mono Lake. I am glad to hear that Mr. Statham supported Mono Lake. http://www.monolake.org/about/story Jun-23-17    kingfu: saffuna, click on the above link. Then click on Mono Lake Committee. Then click on restoration. There seems to be some promising news. Jun-23-17    saffuna: Mark Twains's adventure getting trapped in the middle of Mono Lake. Chapters 38 and 39. Great stuff. http://publicliterature.org/pdf/317... Probably not true, but so what? Jun-25-17    Howard: Yes, Statham lived in Lone Pine, which is apparently the reason the event was held there every year for 11 years, until he died. Incidentally, CL&R mentioned in its 1978 article on the event (the year Larsen won it) that the playing hall was a bit limited as far as seating and playing space, which is why the tournament had rather strict limits as far as the number of spectators, not to mention rating requirements. Lone Pine was, therefore, probably as good a place as any to hold the event given the space limitations. Oct-27-18    Granny O Doul: Chess Life also said that year that the latest Lone Pine was unquestionably the greatest in the series, and that the same could have been said with equal truth about each of the previous editions. After that, though, they never said it again. To pick a "tipping point" year, though, 1975 seems to be when it truly arrived as a top-flight international event. Oct-27-18    Howard: Offhand, I'd call 1977 the "tipping point". There was not only a four-way tie for first that year, but that particular edition seemed to have more world-class players than the previous editions. Oct-27-18    rgr459: It must have been a bummer for Timman to come all the way from the Netherlands for $125 Oct-27-18    HeMateMe: Cal. marijuana was only $20 for a full bag, a full ounce, at the time. I'm sure Timman found a use for his $125. Oct-29-18    Howard: How do you know about the price of pot in CA back in 1977? Oct-29-18    perfidious: <Howard>, maybe you don't want to know. (laughs) Oct-29-18    Check It Out: Now that pot is legal so close to NY, <HMM> can't stop thinking about it. Forget that junk seed from 1977 HMM, the legal stuff is way better, or so I've been told. Oct-29-18    HeMateMe: I'm keeping an open mind, my friend. When I was a teenager 'home grown' marijuana was just garbage, it tasted like smoking wads of dried up Kleenex, it was that gnarly. I'm just from the old school that stuff grown properly means it was grown in good ol' fresh air and plenty of warm sunshine. Apparently these pot farm greenhouses grow good stuff, and it isn't laced with add-on chemicals to boost the THC component. Seems irrational to me that greenhouses can compete with sunlight and warm air, but I'm trying to keep an open mind. It's been a long time since I spent a dime on pot but I'll probably give it a try when it shows up in stores in new York and new jersey. I don't really trust these boutique shops either. I'm kind of waiting for big farming industry to get their hooks into it, make a big fat crap, pass FDA inspection, and it will cost something reasonable, not the price gauging you see now ($200 an ounce! Even more?). Feb-10-19    Troller: Good stories from Lone Pine area above. I will be taking the 395 route with my family in April - is there anything related to the chess tournament still to be seen? Feb-10-19    saffuna: Don't know about the chess, but you will have a spectacular trip. Depending on the snow level, I highly recommending taking a day hike to the lakes below the Palisades, from the road above Big Pine. Beautiful. Plus the Bishop and Mammoth/Lake Ediza/Minarets areas. Feb-12-19    Troller: <saffuna> thanks! Indeed hiking trips are being planned in several places. We will be visiting Joshua Tree National Park first, then also Death Valley and along the way one or two hiking trips, possibly from the area around Big Pine. Mono Lake and perhaps through Yosemite (depending on weather conditions) heading towards SF and the plane home. Feb-12-19    saffuna: Doubtful Tioga Pass w8ll be open in April to drive into Yosemite. But you could drive east into the White Mountains to the bristlecone pine forest. World's oldest living plants. search thread:    < Earlier Kibitzing  · PAGE 2 OF 2 ·  Later Kibitzing> NOTE: Create an account today to post replies and access other powerful features which are available only to registered users. Becoming a member is free, anonymous, and takes less than 1 minute! If you already have a username, then simply login login under your username now to join the discussion. Please observe our posting guidelines: No obscene, racist, sexist, or profane language. No spamming, advertising, duplicate, or gibberish posts. No vitriolic or systematic personal attacks against other members. Nothing in violation of United States law. 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