Remembering Svetozar Gligoric (Part three)
10/10/2012 – He was one of the great players of the 20th Century, record national champion of Yugoslavia, friend of Bobby Fischer, theoretician, musician, author and gentleman. He died in August at the age of 89. Kiril Penusliski, a Macedonian art historian, has selected games that better illustrate the unique Gligoric style, and narrates them in their historical context – with
exquisite descriptive analysis.
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Remembering Svetozar Gligoric (Part three)
By Kiril Penušliski
The last two games of our Gligoric Memorial are presented by Borislav Ivkov. I selected the first, Bilek-Gligoric, as it is not the typical type of game associated with Gligoric. Here he sacrifices the strongest chess piece not in the hope of later gathering more material, as material in this position was irrelevant, but for the sake of dominating the black squares on the board. The game also shows how creative and imaginative Gligoric could be.
Game five, Bilek-Gligoric
This game was played in Teeside in 1972. Gligoric played a lot of impressive games, but I have a particular fondness for this one. As the comments by Borislav Ivkov say, this is really a triumph of imagination over matter. I can see Bilek’s cigarette dropping from his mouth after Ne4.
Gligoric around 1950, in "Velemajstor Gligoric" by V. Cicek and
B. Ivkov, 1973 (provided
by E. Winter)
The last game, Fischer-Gligoric, was chosen because it was a game of incredible importance. It was played in the last round of a Chess Olympiad and was to determine what team was going to get the silver medal.
Game six, Fischer-Gligoric
Game six, Fischer-Gligoric, comes from the Varna Olympiad in 1962, and it is a magnificent struggle. The game is presented by GM Ivkov (Ivkov, Borislav, Povratak Bobija Fišera, Chess Press, Novi Sad, 1993, pp. 33-35) who paints a vivid picture of how the game unfolded.
‘In the previous Olympiad in Leipzig 1960, the Americans pushed us away from our ‘silver’ position. That was the first time Fischer played for the US. To Zlatni pjasci [which translates to Golden sands], the famous resort near Varna, they came as gold prospectors. Silver was not enough for them. They were lead by Fischer, who went into the match with us [the Yugoslav team] as the acknowledged moral victor over Botvinik.
Botvinnik vs Fischer in Varna 1962 – the game ended in a draw
The round pairings were done according to the wishes of the best film directors. The drama was rising. The Soviets had already secured the gold medal. Whereas a direct clash with the Americans, in the last round of the tournament, was to decide how the plot was going to unfold. Before the start of the round we had half a point more than the youthful confident Fischer team, but not a particularly great tradition in matches with our main competitors. They beat us in Leipzig and had two more points than our bronze. In Zlatni pjasci we only needed a 2:2 score. In any other situation nothing impossible, nothing worrisome. But now?
Before the start of the match it seemed that my friends had an unhealthy
pale-green colour. No one was eager to play, and those who ‘voluntarily’
had to, were not very calm. It felt like they were already stomping on us...
Gligoric had the most difficult task. Bobby was eager for a rematch for his
defeat in Leipzig, and what was worse, he had the white pieces. A decisive
game. But in whose favour?
Until that round, against e4 we (Gligoric, Matanovic and myself), very successfully
played an un-penetrable variant of the Spanish game. But now, should we just
stubbornly defend or play something sharper, with chances for both sides?
Gligoric’s choice was the bravest, a Sicilian. The first good move,
the tenth, belongs to Fischer. By the adjournment it seemed to us, in fear
the eyes are big, that there was no salvation for Gliga.
A rare thing happened to me in that round. I played my game with Robert Byrne quickly and efficiently and was able to adjourn it a full hour before the time control. With a sense of comfort I moved into the audience. Feeling like I already had the full point in my pocket, I sat down near ‘Gica’ Maric who was immersed in Gligoric’s position against Fischer. Joining Gica, I right away shared his concerns. It was the critical moment of the game; will Fischer keep or even increase his advantage?
‘Bobby’s pawn on f6 reminds me of horror films – Maric whispered. Like those scenes when the attacker pushes his foot into the door and doesn’t allow the victim to close it...’ But almost imperceptibly, the position changed. Gligoric’s queen cut the diagonals, and then the rooks, long entrenched in the defence of the king, left their trenches and.... an adjournment. But an adjournment which Fischer himself would have wanted if he had Gligoric’s pieces.’
Ivkov pp. 35-36:
'It was 2 am. The captain of the American team knocked on the door [of Ivkov’s room, which was serving as the Yugoslav team headquarters]. Someone immediately knocked down the pieces on the boards where we we're looking at the adjourned games. The guest addressed Karaklajic, our captain. He suggested – well, in words suggested, but in tone, expressions, gestures, body language, he pleaded – Fischer will resign without resuming play, so could the other game, R. Byrne-B. Ivkov, be declared a draw without resumption?
Karaklajic said that he had to ask me, and by shaking my head and with the expression on my face I declined the offer. When our night visitor left, I explained. It's not only the sports aspect; I have a winning position when it's enough that both I and Gliga draw our games. I have three subjective reasons. First, at the previous Olympiad in Leipzig I lost a much better positions in time pressure to that same Byrne. Second, before the match they were so sure of themselves, they were even arrogant. And third, how can I damage Argentina, my second homeland, where I became a grandmaster when I was 22.
The next day, everything ended according to our expectations – and the American fears. In the golden sands near Varna, Yugoslavia again rose to the silver pinnacle of world chess, the Argentines overtook the Americans and claimed the bronze, and the silver team from Leipzig, the Fischer four, ended fourth without a medal'.
Fischer – Gligoric is not a perfect game. It has no brilliant sacrifices or a remarkable strategic plan, and it ends after a serious blunder. Moreover, there is no doubt that White had a significant pull for most of the game. But, I can't find the moment when White was supposed to pull the trigger. Perhaps there was no such moment, as Black's defence was always equal to the task. Either way, a closer inspection of the game reveals Gligoric's character as a player, that of a true fighter. In the opening (by choosing a Sicilian) he showed that he wasn’t just going to sit quietly and defend, he then survived a pawn storm (that whole g4, g5, f5 business), demonstrated no fear (as shown by moves like Re8 and Ne5), organized a rather unusual defence with two rooks guarding his king, and in the end (by playing the scary looking h6) confirmed his readiness to fight for the full point.
If these games are not enough and you want to see more of Gligoric’s play, I would suggest you play over:
- Gligoric – Smyslov, from the 1959 Yugoslavia – USSR match, where Gliga’s contest with the ex-world champion ended 2-2;
- Korchnoi – Gligoric from the 1969 Capa memorial in Havana, a KID and another win for Gligoric;
- Smyslov – Gligoric from the Rovinj- Zagreb tournament in 1970;
- Gligoric – Yanofsky from Saltsjobaden 1948;
- Gligoric – Velimirovic, from the Zonal tournament in Haag 1966 which, in my opinion, is the best blockade/piton-stranglehold game ever;
- and finally Gligoric – Petrosian, Belgrade 1954, which Gligoric himself once pointed out as one of his dearest games.
- I would also highly recommend his own book I Play Against the Pieces.
Svetozar Gligoric was a true legend of the chess board and his presence will be missed. Adios amigo.
Kiril Penušliski is a Macedonian art historian with tempestuous hair, an expert in Italian Renaissance art and is supposedly writing his doctorate (the last pages), but can on most nights be found playing on the Playchess.com server. He learned to play chess at age six and formerly played second board for the Penušliski family team (comprising of: first board Dr. Kiril Penušliski (now deceased), second board Kiril Penušliski Jr., third board Ilija Penušliski and fourth board Ilija Penušliski Jr.). His most lofty goal and ambition in life is some day to learn how to avoid making mouse slips. See also: The Contemporary Chess Art of Ilija Penušliski, by Kiril Penušliski |
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Previous articles
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Svetozar Gligoric 1923-2012 15.08.2012 – He was one of the great players of the 20th century, record national champion of Yugoslavia, friend of Bobby Fischer, theoretician, musician, author and gentleman. He was also a close personal friend, and we will provide more material on his career in the coming weeks and months. Svetozar Gligoric died in Belgrade on August 14 at the age of 89. The chess world will miss this great human being. |
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Remembering Svetozar Gligoric (Part one) 20.08.2012 – "If you post a follow-up article on Gligoric, please don't make the mistake of other sites and simply copy & paste his win versus Petrosian from Rovinj-Zagreb from Wikipedia," wrote Kiril Penusliski. We asked the Macedonian art historian to select examples that better illustrate the unique Gligoric style, and he sent us some beautifully annotated games of his teacher and mentor. Do not miss this one. |
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Remembering Svetozar Gligoric (Part two) 02.09.2012 – One of the truly great chess players of the 20th Century, record national champion of Yugoslavia, theoretician, musician, author and gentleman, died two weeks ago at the age of 89. He is sorely missed by many, especially chess fans like Macedonian art historian Kiril Penusliski, who grew up with Gligoric as his great hero. In part two of his tribute Kiril shows us two beautifully games annotated. |
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