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| Gosta Stoltz |
The top rated players in the US were: Samuel Reshevsky (2752), Reuben Fine (2676), Larry Evans (2660), George Kramer (2564), I.A. Horowitz (2545) Arnold Denker (2538) and Max Pavey (2502)
In April, Samuel Reshevsky defeated Miguel Najdorf 11-7, in an informal match for “The Championship of the Free World.” The games were played in New York, Mexico City, and San Salvador.
In May Svetozar Gligoric took first place on tiebreak over Oscar Pomar in the Hollywood International tournament. The event was played at Mama Weiss' Czardas Restaurant in Beverly Hills. Herman Steiner took 3rd place, followed by Arthur Dake, Lionel Joyner, Jim Cross, Isaac Kashdna, W. Pafnutieff, Ray Martin, and Mrs. Graf-Stevenson. George Koltanowski was invited to play in the event, but a feud between him and Steiner prevented that from happening.
The big news was the Interzonal tournament at Saltsjobaden. The opening ceremony took place on July 15th in the Stockholm City Hall, after which the players went to luxurious Grand Hotel in Saltsjobaden where play started the next day at 6 pm. 
The tournament was dominated by Alexander Kotov whose undefeated 16.5-3.5 score put him in first with 3 points to spare. Kotov started by winning 7 straight games and his lead was never challenged. Fellow Russians Tigran Petrosian and Mark Taimanov, who tied for second were also undefeated.
The fourth place tie between Geller, Averbach, Gligoric, Stahlberg and Szabo was broken in favor of the Russians and so the Soviet players made a clean sweep of the top five places, which qualified them to take part in the 1953 candidates' tournament.
Samuel Reshevsky, along with Max Euwe, David Bronstein, Isaac Boleslavsky, Vassily Smyslov, Paul Keres and Miguel Najdorf were all seeded into the candidates' tournament. But, Hermann Helms reported in the Brooklyn Daily Eagle that Reshevsky declared that too many Russians would be playing in the Zurich candidates' tournament (9 out of 15) and for that reason he was unwilling to play. However, Reshevsky stated that he was willing to meet any of the the leading Russians in a match. He had challenged Paul Keres, but received no reply.
In the end, Reshevsky did play at Zurich and finished tied for second place. He and Najdorf (tied for places 6-7) were the only non-Russians to finish in the top 11 places.
Chess Review commented that at Saltsjobaden it was noteworthy that all the games between the Russians were GM draws. Julio Bolbochan of Argentina fell ill and was compelled to withdraw after a first-round adjournment.
At the FIDE conference during Saltsjobaden the GM title was conferred upon Erich Eliskases and Herman Pilnik and the IM title was awarded to Larry Evans, Robert Byrne, Paul Vaitonis and Luis Sanchez.
The following game won the First Brilliancy Prize. Sometimes one sees speculative sacrifices of a Pawn or a piece just for the sake of attack, but in this game Stoltz made two such sacrifices and in the end was left with only the exchange for his Queen and no win in sight yet his attack became irresistible. Who cares that the engines found better moves for both players? Perfect games are boring.
Gosta Stoltz - Herman Steiner
Result: 1-0
Site: Saltsjobaden
Date: 1952.09.19
English Opening
[...] 1.c4 e5 2.♘c3 d6 3.g3 f5 4.♗g2 ♘f6 5.d4 This position could arise from an unusual variation of the Dutch Defense. 5...♗e7 6.e3 O-O 7.♘ge2 This position occurred several times in the 1952 Botvinnik-Bronstein world championship match, but with the difference that black's P was on e6. Here the tension in the center offers white somewhat better chances of beginning an attack, 7...♔h8 This move received criticism for being positionally wrong because Steiner had not evaluated the position correctly and believed he had attacking chances after white castles K-side. Black can then play ...Rg8 and ...g5. However, at present he should be thinking of development and 7...Nc6 was recommended.
17...hxg6 18.♕xg6 ♘g7 19.h4 ♗xf4 20.gxf4 ♗f5 21.♕h6 ♗h7 22.♘e3 Preventing ...Nf5 and threatening 23.d5 which would be decisive. 22...♖f6
7...♘a6 8.O-O c6 9.d5 ♗d7 10.b3 ♕e8 11.dxc6 bxc6 12.♗a3 ♗e6 13.♕d2 ♖d8 Schandorff,L (2520) -Agrest,E (2554)/Reykjavik 2000. The position is roughly equal.
7...♘c6 Actually, this favors white. 8.O-O and black will find it difficult to complete his development.
8.♕c2
8.O-O ♕e8 9.b3 c6 10.♗a3 ♘a6 11.♕d2 is equal. Von Bahr,O (2314)-Agrest,E (2591)/Sweden 2014
8.b3 c6 9.♗b2 ♗e6 10.♕d2 ♘bd7 11.♖d1 ♗f7 12.O-O with equality. Kaczur,F (2482)-Vovk,I (2294)/ Riga 2018
8...♕e8 9.b3 ♘c6 10.♗a3 exd4 This turns out to be a mistake. Simply 10...a5 or evern 10...Bd7 was better. 11.exd4 f4 12.O-O-O Beginning with this move white quickly builds up a strong attack. (12.♘xf4 ♘xd4 equalizes.)
12.gxf4 is obviously bad. 12...d5 13.♗xe7 ♘xe7 and black stands well.
12...♘h5 13.♗e4 With the obvious threat of Bxh7, so how should black meet it? Not 13...Nf6 defending h7 because after 14.Nxf4 white is better. 13...g6 Definitely not this way which results in a fatal weakening of his K.
13...f3 Ignoring the threat to h7 and counterattacking assures black of at least equality. 14.♘g1 ♗g5 15.♔b1 ♘f6 with equal chances.
14.♘d5 ♕d8 Once again, black only reacts to a threat (his c-Pawn) instead of counterattacking.
14...f3 is still the best though it effectiveness is gone and after 15.♘ef4 ♘xf4 16.gxf4 ♗d8 17.♗b2 black would be in a difficult, but defensible position.
15.♗b2 f3 By now this move has lost all effectiveness. Comparatively best was 15...fxg3. Stoltz now could go after black's f-Pawn with 16.Nec3. Instead he sets up a sacrifice leads to a winning attack. 16.♘ef4 ♗g5 17.♗xg6 The point of his last move...it opens the g-file and a later d5 becomes more effective because...Ne5 is prevented. Another advantage for white is that control of f6 falls into his hands. Unfortunately for him, black has a defense and, as is often the case, only further errors cost him the game.
17.h4 Technically this move preparing the sacrifice is stronger. For example,,, 17...♗h6 18.♖de1 ♗g4 19.♗xg6 ♕d7 20.♗xh5 ♗xh5 21.♗c3
21.♔b1 is a mistake allowing black to obtain draw. 21...♗xf4 22.♘xf4 ♘b4 23.d5 ♔g8 24.♕c3 ♕f5 25.♔a1 ♘c2
21...♗g6 22.♕d1 ♗f7 23.♕xf3 White is winning, but black still has some play. 22...d5 By sacrificing a P black can gain time to defend himself. For example... 23.♘xd5 ♖f7 24.♖hg1 ♕d6 25.♕xd6 cxd6 Black is 3 Ps down and losing, but at least he has some counterplay.
23.♕g5 ♖g6 Once again 23...d5 offered better chances. 24.d5 This move was given two !! and described as brilliant and surprising. Unfortunately, engine analysis reveals that, while it's OK, it is not nearly as effective as 24.Qxd8.
24.♕xd8 ♘xd8 25.d5 ♔g8 26.h5 ♖g2 27.♘xg2 fxg2 28.♖hg1 ♘f5 29.♖xg2 ♔f8 30.♖e1 and with a R and 3 Ps against 2 Ns white has a technically won position that any GM could utilize.
24...♖xg5 25.hxg5 While white's advantage in this position is only slight, you must admire Stoltz' pluck. 25...♘e7 26.♘g4 This is the point of white's Q sacrifice; he has a terrible threat of Nf6. 26...♕c8 This meets the threat, but it would have been better to slide the Q one square in the other direction. Then white has a tremendous attack, but the issue is not so clear.
26...♕e8 27.♖h6 (27.♘f6 fails to 27...♕g6 which equalizes.) 27...♘ef5 28.♘f6 ♘xh6 The point of going to e8, returning the Q makes his defense easier. 29.♘xe8 ♖xe8 30.gxh6 ♖e2 31.♗xg7 ♔g8 32.♖d2 ♖e1 and black is still kicking although white should win in the long run.
27.g6
27.♘f6 can be met by 27...♕f5 28.♖xh7 ♕xh7 29.♘xh7 ♔xh7 which is to black's advantage.
27...♕xg4 28.♖xh7 ♔g8 29.♖xg7 ♔f8 30.♖f7 ♔e8 31.♖e1 ♕xg6 32.♖exe7 ♔d8 33.♗f6 Black must return the Q, but it's no help. 33...♕xf6 34.♖xf6 Black lost on time. It's possible that had he been able to play on, he could have made things difficult for white.
34.♖xf6 ♔xe7 35.♖h6 leaves white with a won ending. However, in Shootouts the games lasted at least another 40 moves, so the win would by no means be easy.
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