Piatigorsky Cups

I recently came across an account of these two events in a couple of old Chess Review magazines and it brought back memories of the events. The players were the elite of the chess world and in those days there was no Internet. You had to wait eagerly for the latest issues of Chess Review and Chess Life to find out what happened. We got our news months after the fact in those days.

First Piatigorsky Cup - 1963
Tigran Petrosian and Paul Keres shared first place at the First Piatigorsky Cup Tournament. It was the biggest tournament in the US since Dallas 1957 and took place from July 2nd to July 30th, 1963. The event was organized by Jacqueline Piatigorsky, the wife of famed cellist and chess enthusiast Gregor Piatigorsky.

The original plan was to have a double round format consisting of 8 world class players to be held every two years.

Petrosian had dethroned Mikhail Botvinnik earlier in the year.

Samuel Reshevsky and Bobby Fischer were sent invitations but Fischer declined. It was quietly rumored he refused to play because the Piatigorsky’s would not pay his $2000 appearance fee so Pal Benko ended up taking the second American spot. Other players were Miguel Najdorf and Oscar Panno of Argentina, Svetozar Gligoric of Yugoslavia, and Fridrik Olafsson of Iceland.

Reshevsky and Keres both came down with the flu early in the event which resulted in some postponed games and a more difficult schedule for all the players. Keres had adjourned two games in winning positions (against Benko and Panno) when he fell ill. In an unusual display of sportsmanship, both players resigned their games.

About halfway through the tournament Gligoric, Najdorf, Keres, and Olafsson all tied at 4½ with Petrosian and Reshevsky a half point behind. Benko and Panno were bringing up the rear at 3 points each. Petrosian ended up with a strong second half and Keres recovered from the flu well enough that he was able to tie the new world champion for first place.

Veteran GM Isaac Kashdan was the chief arbiter of the tournament and later wrote the official tournament book.

FINAL RESULTS
1. Petrosian ** ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ 0 1 ½ 1 1 1 8½
2. Keres ½ ½ ** ½ 0 1 1 0 0 ½ 1 ½ 1 1 1 8½
3. Najdorf ½ ½ ½ 1 ** ½ 0 1 ½ ½ ½ 1 ½ 0 ½ 7½
4. Olafsson ½ ½ 0 0 ½ 1 ** ½ 1 ½ 1 ½ ½ 1 0 7½
5. Reshevsky ½ ½ 1 1 0 ½ ½ 0 ** ½ ½ 0 ½ 1 ½ 7
6. Gligoric 1 0 ½ 0 ½ ½ ½ 0 ½ ½ ** 1 ½ ½ 0 6
7. Panno ½ 0 ½ 0 0 ½ ½ ½ 1 ½ 0 ½ ** 0 1 5½
8. Benko 0 0 0 0 1 ½ 0 1 0 ½ ½ 1 1 0 ** 5½

Some of the best games are available here.

Second Piatigorsky Cup-1966
The Second Piatigorsky Cup prize money had doubled to $20,000 which was enough to lure Fischer to into playing. In this tournament ten world class players participated and the tournament turned out to be a race between Spassky and Fischer.

Fischer started poorly but finished second due to a score of 7½/9 in the second cycle. Larsen was also one of the world’s top players at this time and finished 3rd. World champion Petrosian had passed his peak.
Petrosian and Spassky had just finished a World Championship match earlier in the spring in which Petrosian retained his title. The remaining players were: Samuel Reshevsky (U.S.A), Lajos Portisch )Hungary), Wolfgang Unzicker (West Germany), Miguel Najdorf (Argentina), Borislav Ivkov (Yugoslavia) and Jan Donner (The Netherlands).
One sensation was Fischer’s loss of three games in a row in the second week of play (rounds 6, 7, and 8) and he was next to last with 3½/9 at the halfway point. Fischer then won four straight games, drew one, and then won two more to catch up to Spassky.

1 Spassky ** 1½ ½1 1½ ½½ ½½ ½½ ½½ 1½ ½1 11½
2 Fischer 0½ ** 01 ½½ ½1 ½1 ½½ 01 11 ½1 11
3 Larsen ½0 10 ** ½0 1½ ½1 11 1½ 01 ½0 10
4 Unzicker 0½ ½½ ½1 ** ½½ ½½ ½½ ½½ 1½ ½½ 9½
5 Portisch ½½ ½0 0½ ½½ ** ½½ 1½ ½½ ½1 ½1 9½
6 Reshevsky ½½ ½0 ½0 ½½ ½½ ** ½½ ½1 ½½ 1½ 9
7 Petrosian ½½ ½½ 00 ½½ 0½ ½½ ** 11 ½½ ½1 9
8 Najdorf ½½ 10 0½ ½½ ½½ ½0 00 ** 1½ ½1 8
9 Ivkov 0½ 00 10 0½ ½0 ½½ ½½ 0½ ** ½1 6½
10 Donner ½0 ½0 ½1 ½½ ½0 0½ ½0 ½0 ½0 ** 6

Some of the best games are available here.