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Saltsjöbaden Interzonal (1948) The system of zonal and interzonal tournaments was not yet firmly established, and the participants of this first interzonal were selected by FIDE based on 'zonal performances'. From Budapest (1948) came Szabó and Gligoric. From Hilversum (1947) arrived Pachman and Trifunovic (but not the winner Alberic O'Kelly de Galway). From Helsinki (1947) came the co-winners Böök and Stoltz. From Quebec (1947) came the winner Yanofsky, and from Mar del Plata (1948) arrived Najdorf and Ståhlberg (but not Erich Eliskases). From New York (1946) came none (all declined or could not come). The Soviet players were also selected by FIDE, partly based on Moscow (1947). Steiner was chosen to represent Australia, and O'Kelly and Eliskases were replaced by Pirc and Lundin. The plan was that the top five from Saltsjöbaden and the five (or, as it turned out, four) losers of the FIDE World Championship Tournament (1948) would compete in the Budapest Candidates (1950). But on 12 August, before the penultimate round, FIDE decided that nine players could go to the Candidates. But Bondarevsky got sick, and when Reuben Fine, Max Euwe and Samuel Reshevsky also withdrew, eight players from Saltsjöbaden ended up against Paul Keres and Vasily Smyslov in the Budapest Candidates (1950). Sweden was relatively well off after the War. They also had a well organized chess life (much thanks to the efforts of Ludvig Collijn), three world class players, and the FIDE Vice President, Folke Rogard. In addition to the interzonal tournament, the program consisted of a competition between the Nordic countries Sweden, Denmark, Finland and Norway (10-14 August), and the FIDE Congress (11-14 August). The opening ceremony took place on 15 July in the Stockholm City Hall, after which the players went to luxurious Grand Hôtel* in Saltsjöbaden, 12 km east of Stockholm where play started the next day at 6 pm. Thinking time was 40 moves in 2½ hours then 16 moves every hour. Any time during play, the participants could have fresh air (or a cigarette) on a nearby balcony with a view to the Baltic Sea. The Hungarian Szabó held the lead during rounds 7-17, but in the last round he unexpectedly lost to Lundin whereas Bronstein defeated Tartakower. Thus the only Soviet who did not have the Russian GM title won the tournament. He was also the only player who went undefeated. Grand Hôtel Saltsjöbaden, Stockholm, Sweden, 16 July - 14 August 1948 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 Pts SEK# 1 Bronstein * 1 ½ 1 ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ 1 ½ ½ 1 ½ 1 ½ 1 1 1 13½ 2000 2 Szabó 0 * ½ ½ 1 ½ 1 ½ ½ 1 ½ 1 1 1 ½ 1 ½ ½ 1 0 12½ 1000 3 Boleslavsky ½ ½ * ½ ½ ½ 0 1 ½ 1 ½ ½ 1 ½ ½ ½ 1 1 1 ½ 12 700 4 Kotov 0 ½ ½ * ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ 1 ½ ½ ½ ½ 1 1 1 1 ½ 11½ 500 5 Lilienthal ½ 0 ½ ½ * 1 1 ½ ½ ½ 0 ½ ½ ½ 1 ½ 1 ½ ½ 1 11 300 =6 Bondarevsky ½ ½ ½ ½ 0 * ½ ½ 1 0 ½ 1 ½ 0 ½ ½ 1 ½ 1 1 10½ 210 =6 Najdorf ½ 0 1 ½ 0 ½ * ½ ½ 1 0 1 ½ 0 ½ 1 ½ ½ 1 1 10½ 210 =6 Ståhlberg ½ ½ 0 ½ ½ ½ ½ * ½ 0 ½ 1 1 ½ ½ ½ ½ 1 ½ 1 10½ 210 =6 Flohr ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ 0 ½ ½ * ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ 1 ½ 1 1 10½ 210 10 Trifunovic ½ 0 0 ½ ½ 1 0 1 ½ * ½ ½ 0 1 ½ ½ 1 ½ 1 ½ 10 200 =11 Pirc 0 ½ ½ 0 1 ½ 1 ½ ½ ½ * ½ ½ 0 1 0 ½ 1 ½ ½ 9½ 190 =11 Gligoric ½ 0 ½ ½ ½ 0 0 0 ½ ½ ½ * 1 ½ 1 1 1 ½ 0 1 9½ 190 =11 Böök ½ 0 0 ½ ½ ½ ½ 0 ½ 1 ½ 0 * ½ ½ ½ ½ 1 1 1 9½ 190 =14 Ragozin 0 0 ½ ½ ½ 1 1 ½ ½ 0 1 ½ ½ * 0 0 ½ 0 ½ 1 8½ 170 =14 Yanofsky ½ ½ ½ ½ 0 ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ 0 0 ½ 1 * 0 ½ ½ ½ 1 8½ 170 16 Tartakower 0 0 ½ 0 ½ ½ 0 ½ ½ ½ 1 0 ½ 1 1 * 0 ½ ½ ½ 8 160 17 Pachman ½ ½ 0 0 0 0 ½ ½ 0 0 ½ 0 ½ ½ ½ 1 * 1 ½ 1 7½ 150 18 Stoltz 0 ½ 0 0 ½ ½ ½ 0 ½ ½ 0 ½ 0 1 ½ ½ 0 * ½ ½ 6½ 130 19 Steiner 0 0 0 0 ½ 0 0 ½ 0 0 ½ 1 0 ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ * ½ 5½ 110 20 Lundin 0 1 ½ ½ 0 0 0 0 0 ½ ½ 0 0 0 0 ½ 0 ½ ½ * 4½ 90 Tournament controller: Fritz Andersson, assisted by Herman Söderborg and John Collett (among others). Appeals committee: Fritz Andersson plus four of the players. The banquet was attended by 125 people. Speeches were made by heavyweights such as Gustaf Collijn, Erik Olson, Carl Oscar Hovind, and David Bronstein! Prizes were awarded by FIDE President Alexander Rueb. First Brilliancy Prize went to Lilienthal for Lilienthal vs Najdorf, 1948. The event was a success and the next of its kind was the Stockholm Interzonal (1952). Two tournament books: Interzonala Schackturneringen Saltsjöbaden 1948 by Gideon Ståhlberg (Sveriges Schackförbunds Forlag, Örebro 1949. 359 pp.) and Meduzonski Turnir Saltsjöbaden, 1948 by Vasja Pirc (Tipografija Graficko-Nakladini Zavod, Zagreb 1949. 301 pp.). The tournament program, and a report afterwards in Tidskrift för Schack, are available online at http://www.schack.se/tfs/history/19... and http://www.schack.se/tfs/history/19... (both in Swedish). Harry Golombek wrote a report for the September 1948 issue of the British Chess Magazine. Round dates (rounds 9-12 and 18-19 did not follow the program) are from reports in the Swedish newspaper Dagens Nyheter. Original collections: Game Collection: 1948 Saltsjöbaden interzonal by User: jww and Game Collection: Saltsjöbaden Interzonal 1948 by User: Tabanus. *http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikiped... #Players behind the top 5 received 10 Swedish Kroner (SEK) for each half point.  page 1 of 8; games 1-25 of 190  Game   Result Moves Year Event/Locale Opening 1. Stoltz vs Gligoric   ½-½ 46 1948 Saltsjöbaden Interzonal E09 Catalan, Closed 2. E R Lundin vs Stahlberg 0-1 65 1948 Saltsjöbaden Interzonal D44 Queen's Gambit Declined Semi-Slav 3. Tartakower vs L Steiner   ½-½ 29 1948 Saltsjöbaden Interzonal B40 Sicilian 4. Boleslavsky vs E E Book 1-0 25 1948 Saltsjöbaden Interzonal B85 Sicilian, Scheveningen, Classical 5. Najdorf vs Bronstein ½-½ 32 1948 Saltsjöbaden Interzonal A90 Dutch 6. Lilienthal vs Flohr   ½-½ 29 1948 Saltsjöbaden Interzonal C90 Ruy Lopez, Closed 7. Yanofsky vs Pirc   0-1 67 1948 Saltsjöbaden Interzonal B58 Sicilian 8. Kotov vs P Trifunovic   ½-½ 25 1948 Saltsjöbaden Interzonal D48 Queen's Gambit Declined Semi-Slav, Meran 9. Bondarevsky vs Ragozin 0-1 54 1948 Saltsjöbaden Interzonal D99 Grunfeld Defense, Smyslov 10. Pachman vs Szabo   ½-½ 40 1948 Saltsjöbaden Interzonal C15 French, Winawer 11. Ragozin vs Yanofsky 0-1 43 1948 Saltsjöbaden Interzonal C13 French 12. Flohr vs Boleslavsky   ½-½ 76 1948 Saltsjöbaden Interzonal B07 Pirc 13. P Trifunovic vs Lilienthal ½-½ 108 1948 Saltsjöbaden Interzonal E67 King's Indian, Fianchetto 14. Tartakower vs Najdorf 0-1 57 1948 Saltsjöbaden Interzonal B21 Sicilian, 2.f4 and 2.d4 15. Stahlberg vs Pachman   ½-½ 54 1948 Saltsjöbaden Interzonal D97 Grunfeld, Russian 16. Bronstein vs Kotov 1-0 59 1948 Saltsjöbaden Interzonal D87 Grunfeld, Exchange 17. L Steiner vs Szabo 0-1 39 1948 Saltsjöbaden Interzonal C97 Ruy Lopez, Closed, Chigorin 18. E E Book vs Bondarevsky ½-½ 41 1948 Saltsjöbaden Interzonal C09 French, Tarrasch, Open Variation, Main line 19. Pirc vs Stoltz   1-0 47 1948 Saltsjöbaden Interzonal A06 Reti Opening 20. Gligoric vs E R Lundin 1-0 63 1948 Saltsjöbaden Interzonal D47 Queen's Gambit Declined Semi-Slav 21. Pachman vs Gligoric 0-1 83 1948 Saltsjöbaden Interzonal C84 Ruy Lopez, Closed 22. Bondarevsky vs Flohr 1-0 38 1948 Saltsjöbaden Interzonal D99 Grunfeld Defense, Smyslov 23. Kotov vs Tartakower 1-0 81 1948 Saltsjöbaden Interzonal D07 Queen's Gambit Declined, Chigorin Defense 24. Boleslavsky vs P Trifunovic   1-0 70 1948 Saltsjöbaden Interzonal B45 Sicilian, Taimanov 25. Szabo vs Stahlberg   ½-½ 31 1948 Saltsjöbaden Interzonal D49 Queen's Gambit Declined Semi-Slav, Meran  page 1 of 8; games 1-25 of 190    REFINE SEARCH:   White wins (1-0) | Black wins (0-1) | Draws (1/2-1/2)   Jun-16-14    offramp: A really well-written and comprehensive introduction. They get better and better. My thanks to the writer! Mar-17-17    MissScarlett: <The banquet was attended by 125 people. Talks were held by heavyweights such as Gustaf Collijn, Erik Olson, Carl Oscar Hovind, and Bronstein!> Were talks held or speeches made? May-25-17    cunctatorg: GM Szabo's last round Benko Gambit tragedy... NOTE: You need to pick a username and password to post a reply. Getting your account takes less than a minute, is totally anonymous, and 100% free—plus, it entitles you to features otherwise unavailable. Pick your username now and join the chessgames community! If you already have an account, you should login now. Please observe our posting guidelines: No obscene, racist, sexist, profane, raunchy, or disgusting language. No spamming, advertising, duplicate or nonsense posts. 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