Rovinj, Round 7: Smyslov scores, Fischer dominates

by André Schulz
4/16/2020 – After one loss and five draws former World Champion Vassily Smyslov (pictured) won his first game at the Tournament of Peace in Rovinj/Zagreb. He defeated Borislav Ivkov. Bobby Fischer continues to show why he is the world's number one: he won with Black against Theodor Ghitescu and now leads the field with 6½-½. | Photo: Dutch National Archive
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Tournament of Peace, Round 7

Vassily Smyslov did not have a good start at Rovinj/Zagreb. He lost in the first round against Svetozar Gligoric and then drew his next five games. But in round 7 he finally won, against the Yugoslavian Grandmaster Borislav Ivkov.

 
Smyslov-Ivkov

After 28.Nf5 White had the better of it. [After 28.Qxb7 f3 29.gxf3 (29.Bxf3 g4) 29...Be5 Black gets counterplay.] After 28...Be5 [28...Bxf5 29.exf5 Qd7 30.Bc4 followed by 31.Be6] 29.Nxh6 Qh7 30.Ng4 Bxg4 31.Bxg4 f3 32.gxf3 Black resigned. White's king escapes to e2. 1-0

Bobby Fischer continues to dominate the tournament: in round 7 he defeated Theodor Ghitescu and now leads with 6½–½. Against Fischer's beloved King's Indian Ghitescu tried the Sämisch and Fischer followed a concept that the Icelandic IM Gudmundur Sigurjonsson had recently tried against Ghitescu: he played his  bishop to b7 and soon after followed up with ...c5, which led to a Benoni-structure. Later in the game Fischer uncorked a surprising pawn sacrifice on the kingside to put White under pressure – which turned out to be too much for Ghitescu.

 
Ghitescu-Fischer

The bishop on e5 is the best piece on the board and after Fischer's powerful 25...b5! Ghitescu decided to give up the exchange with 26. cxb5 Bxb5 27.Nxb5 but could not hold the endgame.

Theodor Ghitescu | Photo: Dutch National Archive

Gligoric also won with Black. Against his countryman Drazen Marovic Gligoric opted for a kind of Grünfeld Defense but later used the chance to attack White's king.

 
Marovic-Gligoric

Black crowned his attack with the nice tactical shot 37...Bxh4!  

Viktor Kortschnoi, one of the leading Soviet players and three-times Soviet Champion, also won with Black, against Walter Browne from the US. In the middlegame of a Taimanov-Sicilian Browne lost the thread in time-trouble.

 

After 35...Nb3 White decided to sacrifice his e-pawn but after 36.Qb6 Qxe5 37.Rd7 Be8 38.Rxb7 Nc5 39.Re7 Rb8 40.Qa7 Rxb2 Black's counterattack was too strong.

In the Yugoslavian duel between Risto Nicevski and Mijo Udovcic Black also was successful.

 
Nicevski-Udovic

Black missed the immediate win 40...Bxf3+ 41.Kxf3 (41.Qxf3 Qxe1) 41...Qh3+, but in the end still won after 40...Qb4. 

Games: Rounds 1 to 7

 
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Standings after round 7

Rk Name 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 Pts.
1 Robert James Fischer                 1   ½ 1   1   1 1 1 6.5 / 7
2 Svetozar Gligoric     1   ½ ½ 1     ½             1 1 5.5 / 7
3 Tigran V Petrosian   0           ½       ½ 1   1   1 ½ 4.5 / 7
4 Viktor Lvovich Kortschnoj         ½ 1 ½   0 1 1         ½     4.5 / 7
5 Vlastimil Hort   ½   ½       ½       ½ 1 ½ 1       4.5 / 7
6 Walter Shawn Browne   ½   0       ½       0 1   1     1 4.0 / 7
7 Vassily V Smyslov   0   ½       ½ ½   1   ½ ½         3.5 / 7
8 Mario Bertok     ½   ½ ½ ½     ½ ½         ½     3.5 / 7
9 Dragoljub Minic 0     1     ½     ½ ½     ½   ½     3.5 / 7
10 Bojan Kurajica   ½   0       ½ ½       ½ ½ ½       3.0 / 7
11 Borislav Ivkov ½     0     0 ½ ½         1   ½     3.0 / 7
12 Wolfgang Uhlmann 0   ½   ½ 1                 0   0 1 3.0 / 7
13 Mijo Udovcic     0   0 0 ½     ½           1 1   3.0 / 7
14 Bruno Parma 0       ½   ½   ½ ½ 0         ½     2.5 / 7
15 Vlatko Kovacevic     0   0 0       ½   1         ½ ½ 2.5 / 7
16 Theodor Ghitescu 0     ½       ½ ½   ½   0 ½         2.5 / 7
17 Risto Nicevski 0 0 0                 1 0   ½     ½ 2.0 / 7
18 Drazen Marovic 0 0 ½     0           0     ½   ½   1.5 / 7

Translation from German: Johannes Fischer

Links

Rovinj/Zagreb 1970: Fischer starts with five wins and a draw

André Schulz started working for ChessBase in 1991 and is an editor of ChessBase News.

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adbennet adbennet 4/17/2020 06:31
When Fischer plays Kovacevic, will the controversy be covered?
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