Australian Championship 1960

[Carl Gorka]

I have recently come across this tournament by accident and noticed that Averbakh was playing, along with Bagirov.

Does anyone know the story behind a player of Averbakh's calibre playing in the Australian Championship?

[Rincewind]

Not sure why Averbakh was there but there was a well-known incident in the Averbakh-Purdy game when Purdy castles queenside. The b-file is open and Averbakh has a rook beaming down attacking b8. Averbakh protested that castling wasn't possible in this situation. Purdy convinced him it was ok and play proceeded. The final result was 1-0.

[Rincewind]

I note in the link below that Denis makes mention of a full report of the event by Cecil Purdy in Chess World 1960 pp 201. Perhaps a visit to the library will solve the mystery. (Or perhaps Denis can cast some light on the matter).

http://www.chesschat.org/showpost.ph...77&postcount=5

[Carl Gorka]

I note in the link below that Denis makes mention of a full report of the event by Cecil Purdy in Chess World 1960 pp 201. Perhaps a visit to the library will solve the mystery. (Or perhaps Denis can cast some light on the matter).

http://www.chesschat.org/showpost.ph...77&postcount=5

I'll be heading to the State Library early in the New Year so I'll check out some material in the Andersson Collection

[Denis_Jessop]

I have recently come across this tournament by accident and noticed that Averbakh was playing, along with Bagirov.

Does anyone know the story behind a player of Averbakh's calibre playing in the Australian Championship?

The two of them came here on a tour arranged (? by the ACF) in consultation with the Russian authorities. There is quite a bit about the tour in "Chess World" for 1960.

As a matter of interest, GM Kotov came here a few years later (from recollection). I saw him play a simul in Melbourne, I think at the St Kilda CC of which I was then a member and which had a reasonably large playing hall.

DJ

[Carl Gorka]

The two of them came here on a tour arranged (? by the ACF) in consultation with the Russian authorities. There is quite a bit about the tour in "Chess World" for 1960.

As a matter of interest, GM Kotov came here a few years later (from recollection). I saw him play a simul in Melbourne, I think at the St Kilda CC of which I was then a member and which had a reasonably large playing hall.

DJ

Thanks for that, I'll go check at the state library

[Tony Dowden]

The two of them came here on a tour arranged (? by the ACF) in consultation with the Russian authorities. There is quite a bit about the tour in "Chess World" for 1960.

As a matter of interest, GM Kotov came here a few years later (from recollection). I saw him play a simul in Melbourne, I think at the St Kilda CC of which I was then a member and which had a reasonably large playing hall.

DJ

Maybe the Soviets were implementing their version of 'ping pong diplomacy' in the region - because some years later GM Yuri Averbach also played in a New Zealand Congress and then conducted a few(?) simuls around NZ (one of which definitely included Dunedin).

I think he played in the Christchurch Congress which was part of the Canterbury Club centenary - the oldest club in NZ by the way - which must have been around the 1968/69-1970/71 time frame (just before I started playing in tournaments in 1972).

I have an idea the above is correct (as far as it goes) because I think this same Congress was NM Peter Stuart's best NZ Championship result where he came 3rd (or 3rd=) not counting foreign place-getters.

Maybe Jono or Adamski will know more ...

[Adamski]

Maybe the Soviets were implementing their version of 'ping pong diplomacy' in the region - because some years later GM Yuri Averbach also played in a New Zealand Congress and then conducted a few(?) simuls around NZ (one of which definitely included Dunedin).

I think he played in the Christchurch Congress which was part of the Canterbury Club centenary - the oldest club in NZ by the way - which must have been around the 1968/69-1970/71 time frame (just before I started playing in tournaments in 1972).

I have an idea the above is correct (as far as it goes) because I think this same Congress was NM Peter Stuart's best NZ Championship result where he came 3rd (or 3rd=) not counting foreign place-getters.

Maybe Jono or Adamski will know more ...

Or maybe Jono Adamski?

There is a thread that mentions this NZ Championship. I will have to check but I think its the John Harraway thread, which was on George Trundle Memorial, maybe 2008.
Edit: have checked:

http://chesschat.org/showthread.php?t=8690 post #3 and following. It was 1967.

[Tony Dowden]

According to a history of NZ Champions by NM Peter Stuart of Auckland:

The Canterbury Chess Club celebrated its centennial with the 1966/67 Congress and a 14-round Swiss system Championship tournament which attracted a number of players from overseas. It has always surprised me that the New Zealand contingent was so weak – no Phillips, no Sutton, no Feneridis, no Court. Yuri Averbakh won with 13/14 followed by Rodolfo Tan Cardoso (Philippines) 11½, Paul Dozsa (Australia) 11, and Sarapu 10½. Then followed four more Australians!

[Denis_Jessop]

According to a history of NZ Champions by NM Peter Stuart of Auckland:

The Canterbury Chess Club celebrated its centennial with the 1966/67 Congress and a 14-round Swiss system Championship tournament which attracted a number of players from overseas. It has always surprised me that the New Zealand contingent was so weak – no Phillips, no Sutton, no Feneridis, no Court. Yuri Averbakh won with 13/14 followed by Rodolfo Tan Cardoso (Philippines) 11½, Paul Dozsa (Australia) 11, and Sarapu 10½. Then followed four more Australians!

There is a reasonably comprehensive report on the Canterbury Centennial written by Bill Geus in Chess World 1967. There were many Australians in the tournament (15). Averbakh then came to Australia and played in tournaments in Melbourne and Goolwa. Cardoso also came to Melbourne and gave a simul at the St Kilda CC which I helped to organise. I'm not sure if he visited other places.

DJ