The British representatives were the promising 1969 British Under 18 champion Martyn Corden, who had also come equal second in the 1969 British Championship.
John Littlewood had played three times in the Hastings Premier tournament and had represented England at the 1962 Varna Olympiad. He had also come second equal in the 1969 British Championship.
David Levy had represented Scotland at the 1968 Lugano Olympiad and had finished 5th at the 1969 Praia da Rocha Zonal Tournament.
Smyslov failed to repeat his previous tournament victory at Hastings, but he appeared to be nervous and his surprise loss to the young British player Corden was put down to trying to win too hard. "Having watched both players from a ringside seat, I am sure that Smyslov lost this game because he had the fixed idea that he had to win at all costs to keep in the running for the first prize" (Bernard Cafferty in Birmingham Mail).
Golombek commented that a fighting spirit pervaded and inspired the players from the top to the bottom. Of the 45 games, only 17 were drawn.
British Pathe news filmed the opening speech by Lieutenant-General Sir John Bagot Glubb and the players in round one, but there is no sound. Watch
[Event "Hastings 1969/70"]
[Site "Hastings ENG"]
[Date "1970.01.07"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Dolfi Drimer"]
[Black "John Littlewood"]
[Result "1-0"]
[PlyCount "35"]
[EventDate "1970.??.??"]
{Scotch Four Knights} 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. d4 {This is the
Scotch
Four Knights Game which leads to an open position.} Bb4 {Much more common
is 4. ..exd4. White normally replies 5.Nxd4 but but the Belgrade Gambit
(5.Nd5) is interesting.} 5. Nxe5 Nxe4 6. Qg4 Nxc3 { The only correct move.
} 7. Qxg7 {Black's next move looks awkward, but it is better than 7...Qf6 8.Qxf6
Ne4+ 9. c3 Nxf6 10.Nxc6 Bxc3+ where white has the two Bs and better
P-formation.} Rf8 8. a3 {Black has two main moves here: 8...Nxd4 (most
popular) and 8...Ba5 (best),} Qh4 { A Littlewood innovation, but a very
bad one. He needed to remove one of his minor pieces from danger. White had
a quick refutation in 9. axb4 and 10.Bh8 and black will have to give up the
exchange.} 9. Nxc6 dxc6 10. axb4 {Black's best chance was to force the
exchange of Qs with 10...Qe7+ but his position would not have been very
good.} Bg4 {After this he faces a debacle.} 11. Qe5+ {Black can't
interpose Qs because after 11... Qe7 white trades Qs and takes the N on b3
leaving black a piece down.} Kd7 12. g3 {Even stronger was 12.Bg5.
} Qd8 13. Qf4 Re8+ 14. Be3 { The consequences of black failing to remove
one of his pieces from attack on move 8 are still with his... he still has two
pieces under attack plus, nor the P on f7 is threatened. Black simply cannot
meet all three threats.} Re4 15. Qxf7+ {Black can't wriggle out of the
mess he's in with 15...Re7 16.Qf4 Re4 17.Qh6! because his K is still exposed
and he is too many Ps down.} Kd6 16. bxc3 {It's taken a few moves, but
the consequence of black's 8th move have been made manifest.} Qh8 {
} 17. Bg2 {Equally crushing was 17.c4} Rf8 18. Qc4 {Being a piece and two Ps
down, Littlewood gave up.} 1-0
Four Knights Game which leads to an open position.} Bb4 {Much more common
is 4. ..exd4. White normally replies 5.Nxd4 but but the Belgrade Gambit
(5.Nd5) is interesting.} 5. Nxe5 Nxe4 6. Qg4 Nxc3 { The only correct move.
} 7. Qxg7 {Black's next move looks awkward, but it is better than 7...Qf6 8.Qxf6
Ne4+ 9. c3 Nxf6 10.Nxc6 Bxc3+ where white has the two Bs and better
P-formation.} Rf8 8. a3 {Black has two main moves here: 8...Nxd4 (most
popular) and 8...Ba5 (best),} Qh4 { A Littlewood innovation, but a very
bad one. He needed to remove one of his minor pieces from danger. White had
a quick refutation in 9. axb4 and 10.Bh8 and black will have to give up the
exchange.} 9. Nxc6 dxc6 10. axb4 {Black's best chance was to force the
exchange of Qs with 10...Qe7+ but his position would not have been very
good.} Bg4 {After this he faces a debacle.} 11. Qe5+ {Black can't
interpose Qs because after 11... Qe7 white trades Qs and takes the N on b3
leaving black a piece down.} Kd7 12. g3 {Even stronger was 12.Bg5.
} Qd8 13. Qf4 Re8+ 14. Be3 { The consequences of black failing to remove
one of his pieces from attack on move 8 are still with his... he still has two
pieces under attack plus, nor the P on f7 is threatened. Black simply cannot
meet all three threats.} Re4 15. Qxf7+ {Black can't wriggle out of the
mess he's in with 15...Re7 16.Qf4 Re4 17.Qh6! because his K is still exposed
and he is too many Ps down.} Kd6 16. bxc3 {It's taken a few moves, but
the consequence of black's 8th move have been made manifest.} Qh8 {
} 17. Bg2 {Equally crushing was 17.c4} Rf8 18. Qc4 {Being a piece and two Ps
down, Littlewood gave up.} 1-0
I played in the 9-round Open in this tournament. It was my first proper tournament. I was 14. Happy days.
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