Hastings (1981/82)

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Hastings (1981/82)
Compiled by Chessical

Introduction

The 57th Hastings International Congress 1 took place at the White Rock Pavilion (https://www.google.co.uk/maps/place...) between 28th December 1981 and 12th January 1982. The tournament was won outright by the 32-year-old Viktor Kupreichik who remained in first place from Round 1. Half of Kupreichik's games in this tournament were decisive. He started with 5/6 and lost only one game (Short vs Kupreichik, 1982) after an uncharacteristic blunder in the penultimate round. His first prize brought him £1,200 (approximately £4,000/$6,700 in 2014 values).

The participants:

The tournament had fourteen participants, comprised of eight grand masters and six masters. This was a Category 11 tournament with the GM norm at 8.5 points and the IM at 6. The average ELO was 2511.

There was increasing tension between the Soviet bloc and the West over the recent imposition of martial law in Poland (13th December 1981). Although a dispute with the organizers the previous year resulted in no Soviet player being accepted to play in Hastings 1980-81, the Soviet Chess Federation was now represented by an ex-world champion and a new grandmaster who was riding a notable upwards trajectory: Vasily Smyslov and Viktor Kupreichik.

The British players did better than expected. Jonathan Speelman , who had been awarded the GM title in 1980, lost only one game and came equal second with Smyslov. Jonathan Mestel was only one point short of a grandmaster norm, and he continued to play strongly, qualifying for the Las Palmas (Interzonal), July 1982, where he shared an 8th-10th place. The British Champion Paul Littlewood won his first four games, but then losses set in as he encountered the players who were to come in the top half of the tournament table.

This tournament was 23 years old Shaun Taulbut 's best individual performance with a 2604 ELO result. He had been European Junior Championship in 1977-78 but within a year he was to give up professional chess. As one promising British player left the field of battle, another announced his presence. This was 16-year old 's Nigel Short 's best performance (ELO 2624) to date and can now be seen as the beginning of his steady rise into the world's top five by the end of the decade.

21-year-old Manuel Rivas Pastor had qualified from the previous year's Challengers Tournament. He had been awarded the IM title in 1980 and was the Spanish Champion in 1978, 1979, 1981 and would be again in 1991. The early 1980's were to be his best period, and at Hastings, he achieved a better result than most previous Challengers' winners. He had realistic hopes of a GM norm until Round 11, and he showed he could also defend - L Christiansen vs M Rivas Pastor, 1982

The three grandmasters at the bottom of the tournament table were completely out of form.

Laszlo Szabo at 64 years old was a three-time winner of this tournament in 1938/39, 1947/48 and 1949/50. Now his play showed only sparks of his former strength; he lost to Kupreichik in only 18 moves (Kupreichik vs Szabo, 1981), but he kept on fighting and defeated Short and Christiansen in sharp games.

Larry Christiansen had come second at the very strong Linares tournament behind Karpov in January 1981 and then had qualified for the Moscow Interzonal (1982) at the American Championship and zonal tournament at South Bend in July 1981. At Hastings, he could only win one game and that against fellow tail-ender Ree.

Hans Ree, who had been awarded the GM title in 1980, gave no indication of the form which he displayed in winning the 1982 Dutch championship. He suffered five successive losses between Rounds 4 and 8 and never recovered.

The prizewinners:

First prize £1,200, second £850, and third £600. Sponsored by a British computer company ICL, the first prize was 20% greater than the previous year's, and the tournament was stronger at Category 11 as compared to Category 10.

The tournament's winner Kupreichik had been awarded the GM title in 1980, but he was relatively unknown outside of the Soviet Union. Running up to Hastings, he strung several successful tournament results together. In the 1979 USSR Championship he was fifth through seventh of eighteen players - Game Collection: USSR Championship 1979 - (having been last in three previous championships). In 1980, he had taken the first prizes at Medina del Campo and Reykjavik and in the 1981 Rubinstein Memorial he was second out of fourteen.

Vasily Smyslov had won Hastings twice before, in 1954/5 (with Paul Keres) and outright in 1968/69. The early 1980's were a swan song period for Smyslov after a long but gradual period of decline in the 1970's. In July 1982 at the age of 61, he was to come second at Las Palmas Interzonal (1982)), and from there he reached the Candidates final against Garry Kasparov in 1984 defeating Robert Huebner and Zoltan Ribli on the way. In this tournament he played cautiously, winning only three games and drawing the remaining ten.

It could have been Ulf Andersson 's fourth consecutive victory at the Hastings Premier. Andersson drew all but two of his games and often in very short order. After two wins, he was content to draw eight times in succession. He explained, "I do not believe in straining for these things, I take each game as it comes. This is a much stronger tournament than the others" 2.

Notable games:

Kupreichik vs L Christiansen, 1981 - White breaks through to Black's King.

Szabo vs Short, 1981 - Black's king flees but cannot escape.

A Lein vs Short, 1983 - Attack and counter-attack.

A Lein vs Kupreichik, 1981 - Black sacs the exchange for an attack.

P Littlewood vs Chandler, 1981 - White gives up two pawns for a King hunt.

Szabo vs L Christiansen, 1981 - Violent Benoni

The final standings and cross-table:

Kupreichik,Viktor 2580 * ½ ½ ½ ½ 0 1 1 ½ 1 ½ 1 1 1 9.0/13 Smyslov,Vassily 2580 ½ * 1 ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ 1 ½ ½ ½ 1 8.0/13 Speelman,Jonathan 2520 ½ 0 * ½ 1 ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ 1 1 1 8.0/13 Andersson,Ulf 2600 ½ ½ ½ * ½ ½ 1 ½ 1 ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ 7.5/13 Mestel,A Jonathan 2475 ½ ½ 0 ½ * 1 0 ½ ½ 1 1 ½ ½ 1 7.5/13 Short,Nigel 2440 1 ½ ½ ½ 0 * 1 ½ 0 ½ 1 ½ 1 0 7.0/13 Rivas Pastor,Manuel 2470 0 ½ ½ 0 1 0 * 1 ½ 1 ½ 1 ½ ½ 7.0/13 Lein,Anatoly 2510 0 ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ 0 * ½ 1 1 ½ 1 ½ 7.0/13 Taulbut,Shaun 2420 ½ ½ ½ 0 ½ 1 ½ ½ * 0 ½ ½ ½ 1 6.5/13 Littlewood,Paul 2435 0 0 ½ ½ 0 ½ 0 0 1 * 1 ½ 1 1 6.0/13 Chandler,Murray 2530 ½ ½ ½ ½ 0 0 ½ 0 ½ 0 * 1 0 1 5.0/13 Christiansen,Larry 2575 0 ½ 0 ½ ½ ½ 0 ½ ½ ½ 0 * 1 0 4.5/13 Ree,Hans 2510 0 ½ 0 ½ ½ 0 ½ 0 ½ 0 1 0 * ½ 4.0/13 Szabo,Laszlo 2510 0 0 0 ½ 0 1 ½ ½ 0 0 0 1 ½ * 4.0/13

<Notes>

1. Introductory material and round details based on information from: "Chess Magazine", vol.46, nos 869-70, p. 307 - 334, January 1982.

2. Quote from "Chess Magazine", vol.46, nos 869-70, p. 298-299, January 1982.

This text and original research by User: Chessical.

Thanks to User: OhioChessFan and User: Paint My Dragon for suggesting improvements to the text.

Round 1 - Monday 28th December 1981.
Short vs A Lein, 1981
(B40) Sicilian, 41 moves, 1/2-1/2
Round 1 - Monday 28th December 1981.
P Littlewood vs Szabo, 1981
(E14) Queen's Indian, 38 moves, 1-0
Round 1 - Monday 28th December 1981.
Andersson vs S Taulbut, 1981
(A15) English, 37 moves, 1-0
Round 1 - Monday 28th December 1981.
Kupreichik vs L Christiansen, 1981
(B11) Caro-Kann, Two Knights, 3...Bg4, 34 moves, 1-0
Round 1 - Monday 28th December 1981.
Smyslov vs Chandler, 1981
(B11) Caro-Kann, Two Knights, 3...Bg4, 38 moves, 1/2-1/2
Round 1 - Monday 28th December 1981.
Speelman vs J Mestel, 1981
(A57) Benko Gambit, 26 moves, 1-0
Round 1 - Monday 28th December 1981.
M Rivas Pastor vs H Ree, 1981
(D12) Queen's Gambit Declined Slav, 59 moves, 1/2-1/2
Round 2 - Tuesday 29th December 1981.
Szabo vs Short, 1981
(A06) Reti Opening, 27 moves, 1-0
Round 2 - Tuesday 29th December 1981.
H Ree vs Smyslov, 1981
(E11) Bogo-Indian Defense, 26 moves, 1/2-1/2
Round 2 - Tuesday 29th December 1981.
A Lein vs Kupreichik, 1981
(C44) King's Pawn Game, 28 moves, 0-1
Round 2 - Tuesday 29th December 1981.
Chandler vs Andersson, 1981
(A07) King's Indian Attack, 25 moves, 1/2-1/2
Round 2 - Tuesday 29th December 1981.
S Taulbut vs P Littlewood, 1981
(A48) King's Indian, 39 moves, 0-1
Round 2 - Tuesday 29th December 1981.
J Mestel vs L Christiansen, 1981
(B46) Sicilian, Taimanov Variation, 35 moves, 1/2-1/2
Round 2 - Tuesday 29th December 1981.
Speelman vs M Rivas Pastor, 1981
(A12) English with b3, 16 moves, 1/2-1/2
Round 3 - Wednesday 30th December 1981.
Andersson vs H Ree, 1981
(A20) English, 30 moves, 1/2-1/2
Round 3 - Wednesday 30th December 1981.
Smyslov vs Speelman, 1981
(B58) Sicilian, 58 moves, 1-0
Round 3 - Wednesday 30th December 1981.
P Littlewood vs Chandler, 1981
(D31) Queen's Gambit Declined, 37 moves, 1-0
Round 3 - Wednesday 30th December 1981.
Kupreichik vs Szabo, 1981
(C84) Ruy Lopez, Closed, 17 moves, 1-0
Round 3 - Wednesday 30th December 1981.
Short vs S Taulbut, 1981
(A46) Queen's Pawn Game, 36 moves, 0-1
Round 3 - Wednesday 30th December 1981.
M Rivas Pastor vs J Mestel, 1981
(A56) Benoni Defense, 41 moves, 1-0
Round 3 - Wednesday 30th December 1981.
L Christiansen vs A Lein, 1981
(A27) English, Three Knights System, 17 moves, 1/2-1/2
Round 4 - Thursday 31st December 1981.
Szabo vs L Christiansen, 1981
(A63) Benoni, Fianchetto, 9...Nbd7, 40 moves, 1-0
Round 4 - Thursday 31st December 1981.
Speelman vs Andersson, 1981
(A00) Uncommon Opening, 12 moves, 1/2-1/2
Round 4 - Thursday 31st December 1981.
S Taulbut vs Kupreichik, 1981
(B51) Sicilian, Canal-Sokolsky (Rossolimo) Attack, 64 moves, 1/2-1/2
Round 4 - Thursday 31st December 1981.
H Ree vs P Littlewood, 1981
(D29) Queen's Gambit Accepted, Classical, 20 moves, 0-1
Round 4 - Thursday 31st December 1981.
J Mestel vs A Lein, 1981
(B18) Caro-Kann, Classical, 32 moves, 1/2-1/2
Round 4 - Thursday 31st December 1981.
M Rivas Pastor vs Smyslov, 1981
(D27) Queen's Gambit Accepted, Classical, 21 moves, 1/2-1/2
Round 4 - Thursday 31st December 1981.
Chandler vs Short, 1981
(B07) Pirc, 41 moves, 0-1
Round 5 - Saturday 2nd January 1982.
Short vs H Ree, 1982
(B20) Sicilian, 43 moves, 1-0
Round 5 - Saturday 2nd January 1982.
L Christiansen vs S Taulbut, 1982
(A16) English, 46 moves, 1/2-1/2
Round 5 - Saturday 2nd January 1982.
Andersson vs M Rivas Pastor, 1982
(D56) Queen's Gambit Declined, 56 moves, 1-0
Round 5 - Saturday 2nd January 1982.
Kupreichik vs Chandler, 1982
(B18) Caro-Kann, Classical, 38 moves, 1/2-1/2
Round 5 - Saturday 2nd January 1982.
Smyslov vs J Mestel, 1982
(A04) Reti Opening, 31 moves, 1/2-1/2
Round 5 - Saturday 2nd January 1982.
P Littlewood vs Speelman, 1982
(D37) Queen's Gambit Declined, 33 moves, 1/2-1/2
Round 5 - Saturday 2nd January 1982.
A Lein vs Szabo, 1982
(E14) Queen's Indian, 57 moves, 1/2-1/2
Round 6 - Sunday 3rd January 1982.
J Mestel vs Szabo, 1982
(B92) Sicilian, Najdorf, Opocensky Variation, 50 moves, 1-0
Round 6 - Sunday 3rd January 1982.
H Ree vs Kupreichik, 1982
(D45) Queen's Gambit Declined Semi-Slav, 40 moves, 0-1
Round 6 - Sunday 3rd January 1982.
S Taulbut vs A Lein, 1982
(B28) Sicilian, O'Kelly Variation, 28 moves, 1/2-1/2
Round 6 - Sunday 3rd January 1982.
M Rivas Pastor vs P Littlewood, 1982
(D42) Queen's Gambit Declined, Semi-Tarrasch, 7.Bd3, 42 moves, 1-0
Round 6 - Sunday 3rd January 1982.
Speelman vs Short, 1982
(A44) Old Benoni Defense, 22 moves, 1/2-1/2
Round 6 - Sunday 3rd January 1982.
Chandler vs L Christiansen, 1982
(B05) Alekhine's Defense, Modern, 41 moves, 1-0
Round 6 - Sunday 3rd January 1982.
Smyslov vs Andersson, 1982
(E17) Queen's Indian, 13 moves, 1/2-1/2
Round 7 - Monday 4th January 1982.
Szabo vs S Taulbut, 1982
(A12) English with b3, 36 moves, 0-1
Round 7 - Monday 4th January 1982.
Kupreichik vs Speelman, 1982
(B17) Caro-Kann, Steinitz Variation, 41 moves, 1/2-1/2
Round 7 - Monday 4th January 1982.
L Christiansen vs H Ree, 1982
(C96) Ruy Lopez, Closed, 46 moves, 1-0
Round 7 - Monday 4th January 1982.
Andersson vs J Mestel, 1982
(A17) English, 41 moves, 1/2-1/2
Round 7 - Monday 4th January 1982.
Short vs M Rivas Pastor, 1982
(B30) Sicilian, 49 moves, 1-0
Round 7 - Monday 4th January 1982.
A Lein vs Chandler, 1982
(B13) Caro-Kann, Exchange, 35 moves, 1-0
Round 7 - Monday 4th January 1982.
P Littlewood vs Smyslov, 1982
(D45) Queen's Gambit Declined Semi-Slav, 75 moves, 0-1
Round 8 - Tuesday 5th January 1982.
Chandler vs Szabo, 1982
(B22) Sicilian, Alapin, 94 moves, 1-0
Round 8 - Tuesday 5th January 1982.
Speelman vs L Christiansen, 1982
(B81) Sicilian, Scheveningen, Keres Attack, 42 moves, 1-0
Round 8 - Tuesday 5th January 1982.
Andersson vs P Littlewood, 1982
(A30) English, Symmetrical, 59 moves, 1/2-1/2
Round 8 - Tuesday 5th January 1982.
M Rivas Pastor vs Kupreichik, 1982
(E90) King's Indian, 53 moves, 0-1
Round 8 - Tuesday 5th January 1982.
J Mestel vs S Taulbut, 1982
(C24) Bishop's Opening, 26 moves, 1/2-1/2
Round 8 - Tuesday 5th January 1982.
Smyslov vs Short, 1982
(A15) English, 71 moves, 1/2-1/2
Round 8
H Ree vs A Lein, 1982
(A26) English, 70 moves, 0-1
Round 9 - Wednesday 6th January 1982.
S Taulbut vs Chandler, 1982
(B12) Caro-Kann Defense, 19 moves, 1/2-1/2
Round 9 - Wednesday 6th January 1982.
A Lein vs Speelman, 1982
(A17) English, 17 moves, 1/2-1/2
Round 9 - Wednesday 6th January 1982.
Szabo vs H Ree, 1982
(A14) English, 17 moves, 1/2-1/2
Round 9 - Wednesday 6th January 1982.
Short vs Andersson, 1982
(B20) Sicilian, 34 moves, 1/2-1/2
Round 9 - Wednesday 6th January 1982.
Kupreichik vs Smyslov, 1982
(C67) Ruy Lopez, 18 moves, 1/2-1/2
Round 9 - Wednesday 6th January 1982.
L Christiansen vs M Rivas Pastor, 1982
(A16) English, 69 moves, 0-1
Round 9
P Littlewood vs J Mestel, 1982
(E60) King's Indian Defense, 54 moves, 0-1
Round 10 - Friday 8th January 1982.
P Littlewood vs Short, 1982
(E11) Bogo-Indian Defense, 41 moves, 1/2-1/2
Round 10 - Friday 8th January 1982.
J Mestel vs Chandler, 1982
(A00) Uncommon Opening, 49 moves, 1-0
Round 10 - Friday 8th January 1982.
Smyslov vs L Christiansen, 1982
(A39) English, Symmetrical, Main line with d4, 17 moves, 1/2-1/2
Round 10 - Friday 8th January 1982.
Andersson vs Kupreichik, 1982
(A15) English, 13 moves, 1/2-1/2
Round 10 - Friday 8th January 1982.
M Rivas Pastor vs A Lein, 1982
(D12) Queen's Gambit Declined Slav, 68 moves, 1-0
Round 10 - Friday 8th January 1982.
Speelman vs Szabo, 1982
(D11) Queen's Gambit Declined Slav, 41 moves, 1-0
Round 10 - Friday 8th January 1982.
H Ree vs S Taulbut, 1982
(E11) Bogo-Indian Defense, 27 moves, 1/2-1/2
Round 11 - Saturday 9th January 1982.
S Taulbut vs Speelman, 1982
(B17) Caro-Kann, Steinitz Variation, 30 moves, 1/2-1/2
Round 11 - Saturday 9th January 1982.
Szabo vs M Rivas Pastor, 1982
(A17) English, 41 moves, 1/2-1/2
Round 11 - Saturday 9th January 1982.
Chandler vs H Ree, 1982
(A07) King's Indian Attack, 88 moves, 0-1
Round 11 - Saturday 9th January 1982.
L Christiansen vs Andersson, 1982
(B87) Sicilian, Fischer-Sozin with ...a6 and ...b5, 23 moves, 1/2-1/2
Round 11 - Saturday 9th January 1982.
Kupreichik vs P Littlewood, 1982
(C84) Ruy Lopez, Closed, 45 moves, 1-0
Round 11 - Saturday 9th January 1982.
A Lein vs Smyslov, 1982
(D11) Queen's Gambit Declined Slav, 21 moves, 1/2-1/2
Round 11 - Saturday 9th January 1982.
Short vs J Mestel, 1982
(B17) Caro-Kann, Steinitz Variation, 23 moves, 0-1
Round 12 - Sunday 10th January 1982.
Short vs Kupreichik, 1982
(C61) Ruy Lopez, Bird's Defense, 42 moves, 1-0
Round 12 - Sunday 10th January 1982.
Smyslov vs Szabo, 1982
(B70) Sicilian, Dragon Variation, 41 moves, 1-0
Round 12 - Sunday 10th January 1982.
Andersson vs A Lein, 1982
(A15) English, 16 moves, 1/2-1/2
Round 12 - Sunday 10th January 1982.
Speelman vs Chandler, 1982
(D37) Queen's Gambit Declined, 41 moves, 1/2-1/2
Round 12 - Sunday 10th January 1982.
P Littlewood vs L Christiansen, 1982
(E45) Nimzo-Indian, 4.e3, Bronstein (Byrne) Variation, 31 moves, 1/2-1/2
Round 12 - Sunday 10th January 1982.
M Rivas Pastor vs S Taulbut, 1982
(E11) Bogo-Indian Defense, 39 moves, 1/2-1/2
Round 12 - Sunday 10th January 1982.
J Mestel vs H Ree, 1982
(A07) King's Indian Attack, 39 moves, 1/2-1/2
Round 13 - Tuesday 12th January 1982.
S Taulbut vs Smyslov, 1982
(C50) Giuoco Piano, 24 moves, 1/2-1/2
Round 13 - Tuesday 12th January 1982.
H Ree vs Speelman, 1982
(D37) Queen's Gambit Declined, 41 moves, 0-1
Round 13 - Tuesday 12th January 1982.
Szabo vs Andersson, 1982
(A36) English, 16 moves, 1/2-1/2
Round 13 - Tuesday 12th January 1982.
L Christiansen vs Short, 1982
(A30) English, Symmetrical, 34 moves, 1/2-1/2
Round 13 - Tuesday 12th January 1982.
A Lein vs P Littlewood, 1982
(E63) King's Indian, Fianchetto, Panno Variation, 39 moves, 1-0
Round 13 - Tuesday 12th January 1982.
Kupreichik vs J Mestel, 1982
(B51) Sicilian, Canal-Sokolsky (Rossolimo) Attack, 61 moves, 1/2-1/2
Round 13 - Tuesday 12th January 1982.
Chandler vs M Rivas Pastor, 1982
(C53) Giuoco Piano, 20 moves, 1/2-1/2
91 games

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