Rovinj, Round 8: Vlatko Kovacevic beats Bobby Fischer!
4/17/2020 – Bobby Fischer started the tournament in Rovinj/Zagreb with 6½/7 and seemed to be unstoppable. But in round 8 he suffered a sensational loss against Vlatko Kovacevic who surprised the American in the opening and continued to outplay him convincingly. This is Fischer's first loss since his defeat against Efim Geller in Skopje 1967. Fischer still leads the tournament with 6½/8 but Svetozar Gligoric is only half a point behind. | Photo: Vlatko Kovacevic
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Tournament of Peace, Round 8
The big sensation of yesterday's 8th round of the 2nd Tournament of Peace in Rovinj/Zagreb was Bobby Fischer's loss against Vlatko Kovacevic. But who is this Kovacevic? He is 28 years old and comes from Dubrovnik. We met him after the game.
ChessBase: That was a sensational game, wasn't it...?
Kovacevic: Thanks. I have studied the French Defence intensively for years and I know it very well. Fischer's line is not particularly good.
The move ...b6 is a novelty, isn't it...?
Yes, in the past Black usually played 9...c5, like Euwe did against Alekhine, in their World Championship match 1935. Byrne also played like this against Fischer four years ago. The move is OK, but ...b6 is much better. The Bc8 comes into play.
When did you learn to play chess?
Late, I didn't start until I was 15. Then I was in the Marine Corps in Split but I made good progress in chess. In 1959 I became Junior Champion of Croatia and third at the Junior Championships of Yugoslavia. In 1961 I became a Master Candidate. But then I started to study.
What did you study?
Electrical engineering. They offered me an assistant position, but I decided to play chess.
With success, as you can see!
Yes, last year I also became Croatian Champion.
Do you still live in Dubrovnik?
No, I moved to Zagreb this year. I now play for SK Mladost.
Are you a professional chess player?
No, I work as a sports reporter for the radio in Zagreb.
During the game, when you took a walk, I saw Rona Petrosian talking to you. What did she want?
I don't know. I didn't understand her.
Thank you very much and good luck with your tournament.
Thanks.
Vlatko Kovacevic with his team: Udovcic, Damjanovic, Kovacevic, Hulak, Mrda, Nikolac and Bukal | Photo: Sah.hr
After this interview a player who wants to remain anonymous waved me aside:
"I'll tell you something, but don't mention my name or I'll get in trouble and in the end I might have to leave my country in a couple of years. When Fischer and Kovacevic were playing I sat next door in the café and watched the game, with Tigran and his wife Rona. You know, for him she is a blessing and she helped him to become World Champion, but nobody likes her.
Then Fischer set this trap with f3. Interesting I said, Fischer is allowing him to win the queen but if Kovacevic accepts the 'gift' he may even lose. Great was my astonishment when Petrosian's wife announced that she was going to tell Kovacevic about this trap. Kovacevic avoided it and won. He later confirmed that Rona did approach him. But he did not understand her Russian and found Fischer's trap on his own."
Rona and Tigran
Games
Standings after round 8
| 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 | 0 | ½ | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 6.5 / 8 | ||||||||||
| 2 | Svetozar Gligoric | 1 | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | 6.0 / 8 | ||||||||||
| 3 | Tigran V Petrosian | 0 | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | ½ | 1 | ½ | 5.0 / 8 | ||||||||||
| 4 | Viktor Lvovich Kortschnoj | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | 0 | 1 | 1 | ½ | 5.0 / 8 | ||||||||||
| 5 | Vlastimil Hort | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | ½ | ½ | 5.0 / 8 | ||||||||||
| 6 | Walter Shawn Browne | ½ | 0 | ½ | 1 | 1 | 0 | ½ | 1 | 4.5 / 8 | ||||||||||
| 7 | Mario Bertok | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | 4.5 / 8 | ||||||||||
| 8 | Vassily V Smyslov | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | 4.0 / 8 | ||||||||||
| 9 | Dragoljub Minic | 0 | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 4.0 / 8 | ||||||||||
| 10 | Mijo Udovcic | 0 | 0 | 0 | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4.0 / 8 | ||||||||||
| 11 | Bojan Kurajica | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 3.5 / 8 | ||||||||||
| 12 | Vlatko Kovacevic | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | 3.5 / 8 | ||||||||||
| 13 | Borislav Ivkov | ½ | 0 | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | 3.5 / 8 | ||||||||||
| 14 | Wolfgang Uhlmann | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3.5 / 8 | ||||||||||
| 15 | Bruno Parma | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | 3.0 / 8 | ||||||||||
| 16 | Theodor Ghitescu | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | 3.0 / 8 | ||||||||||
| 17 | Risto Nicevski | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ½ | 1 | ½ | 2.0 / 8 | ||||||||||
| 18 | Drazen Marovic | 0 | 0 | ½ | 0 | 0 | ½ | 0 | ½ | 1.5 / 8 |
Games
Translation from German: Johannes Fischer; Viktor Kortschnoi (Chess is My Life) contributed reporting.
Links
- Tournament page...
- Rovinj/Zagreb 1970: Fischer starts with five wins and a draw
- Round 7: Smyslov scores, Fischer dominates
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bbrodinsky..ha ha, that's a good one ! She tried her best, that's for sure.
Petrosian's wife defeated Fischer this round!
Kovacevic is commenting the game on Youtube:
https://youtu.be/HyExPILebTw?t=867
Talking about Petrosian but I do not understand due to missing subtitles.
Nice if someone could provide subtitles to this legendary game commented by the winner.
I found this video due to a long great comment to the Daniel King video by the user Кајмакам Ефенди
https://youtu.be/HyExPILebTw?t=867
Talking about Petrosian but I do not understand due to missing subtitles.
Nice if someone could provide subtitles to this legendary game commented by the winner.
I found this video due to a long great comment to the Daniel King video by the user Кајмакам Ефенди
Rambus, the Ukraine was part of the USSR in 1971. That was were Petrosian's wife was born.
Petrosian's wife is not the USSR
Korchnoi recounts the story about Rona Petrosian "helping" Kovacevic (and her husband) in his book Chess is my Life (a chess classic, in my opinion).
The player who didn't want to be named is Korchnoi. Before the game Fischer had been to a reception and had consumed two glasses of wine, hence his uncharacteristically poor play in this game. Not to take any thing away from Kovacevic, who outprepared Fischer's 4.a3 and had everything worked out. Fischer always seemed to have a bit of trouble against the Winawer, but the following year in his first match game against Larsen, he showed that he'd overcome this and won an absolutely brilliant game.
Isledoc, you obviously missed the part about Petrosian's wife trying to tell Kovacevic the solution to the problem on the board. That's cheating on her (the USSR) part. Btw, she had done it before, iirc.
@ Harry Pillsbury.Americans never lose they are always cheated on. As Randy Newman used to sing' No one likes us I don't know why we may not be perfect but heaven knows we try......
More cheating from the USSR.
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