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The best ever chess player in Serbia and ex-Yugoslavia, GM Svetozar Gligoric turned 85 on February 2nd, 2008. On his birthday there was a big celebration tournament, entitled “To Gligoric with Love”, in the city of Pancevo, near to Belgrade. It was the idea of Milorad Mitrovic, international chess organizer, to make this day very special for Gligoric and all chess players in Serbia. In the rapid chess tournament, the number of invited players was limited to exactly 85, in order to show symbolism of Gligoric’s present age.
Happy birthday, dear Gligo!
The living chess legend was warmly welcomed by many chess lovers who came to show him their gratitude and respect. Svetozar Gligorić (Serbian Cyrillic: Светозар Глигорић) was born in Belgrade on February 2, 1923, and won the Yugoslav championship eleven times. He earned twelve Chess Olympiad medals, starting with Gold in Dubrovnik 1950 and totalling one gold, six silver and five bronze. He won six medals (5 silver, one bronze) in European championships, the last in 1983. During three decades after II World war he was candidate for World Championship title and one of the best players outside the Soviet Union.
Tournament poster “To Gligoric with Love”
First congratulations and presents came from Maric sisters:
IM Alisa Maric and WGM Mirjana Maric-Stamenkovic
The hall was packed, not a single seat left empty
A gift from the Major of Pancevo, Srdjan Mikovic – a beautiful Danube
river landscape
Gligoric with the Nedeljkovic chess family
WGM Verica Nedeljkovic was second on World Chess Championship Candidates Tournament in Plovdiv 1959, her husband Srecko, a well known cardiologist, was the trainer of the Yugoslav national team at the Chess Olympiad in Dubrovnik 1950 (Gold medal!), and their son Milos (left), President of the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering at Belgrade University, is a keen chess enthusiast.
Gligoric with a recognition plaque awarded by Pancevo Town
This is from the the Valjevo Chess Club
Birthday songs by a local music orchestra
Before the start of the commemorative tournament
The tournament had exactly 85 players, including 23 GMs, 21 IMs, twelve FMs, four WGMs, one WIM and three WFMs. It was a nine round Swiss at 15 minutes per game. Five players shared first, with Serbia's “number one”, GM Ivan Ivanisevic, taking the trophy.
Place |
Seed |
Player |
Title |
Rating |
Pts |
1 |
1 |
Ivanisevic, Ivan |
GM |
2649 |
7.0 |
2 |
28 |
Marinkovic, Ivan |
IM |
2453 |
7.0 |
3 |
5 |
Kovacevic, Aleksandar |
GM |
2575 |
7.0 |
4 |
10 |
Savic, Miodrag R. |
GM |
2536 |
7.0 |
5 |
27 |
Zlatic, Mihajlo |
IM |
2455 |
7.0 |
6 |
6 |
Perunovic, Milos |
GM |
2570 |
6.5 |
7 |
9 |
Vuckovic, Bojan |
GM |
2556 |
6.5 |
8 |
30 |
Kojovic, Dragan |
FM |
2444 |
6.0 |
9 |
8 |
Popovic, Dusan |
GM |
2556 |
6.0 |
10. |
2. |
Solak, Dragan |
GM |
2626 |
6.0 |
11 |
4 |
Damljanovic, Branko |
GM |
2582 |
6.0 |
12 |
29 |
Martinovic, Slobodan |
GM |
2449 |
6.0 |
13 |
11 |
Pikula, Dejan |
GM |
2524 |
6.0 |
14 |
22 |
Drazic, Sinisa |
GM |
2489 |
6.0 |
15 |
7 |
Sedlak, Nikola |
GM |
2568 |
6.0 |
16 |
12 |
Pavlovic, Milos |
GM |
2522 |
6.0 |
17 |
15 |
Milanovic, Danilo |
IM |
2510 |
6.0 |
18-26th were IM D. Nestorovic, FM Bogosavljevic, GM Cabrilo, GM Rajkovic, IM Pap, IM Brenjo, IM Z.Arsovic, GM Lajthajm, GM Miladinovic with 5.5 points.
Generations: Gligoric and 12-year-young tournament participant Vladimir
Lukovic
Nine-year-old talent Filip Stamenkovic, son of WGM Mirjana Maric-
Stamenkovic and nephew of Serbia’s top female player, IM Alisa Maric
IM Zoran Arsovic and FM Budimir Vujacic, behind IM Sasa Velickovic and IM
Misa Pap
GMs Branko Damljanovic and Dragan Solak waiting for their opponents
Top seed GM Ivan Ivanisevic plays FM Boban Bogosavljevic – draw
An Italian GM? No, it’s Serbia's current champion GM Milos Perunovic
Best placed women participant: WGM Irina Cheluskina with 5/9
Trophy for the winner: GM Ivan Ivanisevic with organizers from Pancevo Town
All Photos by Josip Asik, Petar Katanic and Nebojsa Baralic
Josip Asik is a FIDE Master and sports editor of Television Politika in Belgrade, as well as chess columnist of newspaper Vecernje Novosti.