AThe Province Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada Tuesday, August 31, 1971 - Page 27
Canadian Open Chess - Grandmasters Falter Tue, Aug 31, 1971 – 27 · The Province (Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada) · Newspapers.com
Canadian Open Chess - Grandmasters Falter by Paul Raugust
The elite grandmaster division isn't fairing well at all in the Canadian Open Chess Championship. The third of four grandmasters competing in the tournament went down in defeat Monday night.
The latest victim was U.S. grandmaster Lubomir Kavalek who lost to international master Hans Ree of Holland. The win gave Ree a narrow lead in the seventh round of the 11-game tournament being held at the Ponderosa Cafe on the University of B.C. campus. Ree now has 6½ points from six wins and one draw.
The other grandmasters defeated to date are Pal Benko, also of the U.S., and Walter Browne of Australia, who won the U.S. Open in Ventura, California earlier this month.
The fourth grandmaster, world champion Boris Spassky of the Soviet Union had to settle for his second drawn of the tournament Monday night in a game against international master Zvonko Vranesic of Toronto. Spassky's earlier draw was in the fifth round against Kavalek.
The seventh round left three players tied for second place behind Ree, although more could join the second place tie as at least two key games were adjourned to this morning.
Tied for second place were Spassky, Vranesic and Canadian champion Duncan Suttles who defeated Craig Barnes of the U.S. Monday. All have six points.
The two adjourned games that could provide more second-place contenders were between George Kuprejanov and Ian Hambleton, both of Toronto, and former B.C. champion Bob Zuk and Stan Pakost, both of Vancouver. All had five points going into the seventh round.
Grandmaster Browne moved into third place, along with at least four other players, by defeating Peter Murry of London, Ontario. Also in third place were Ed Formanek of Ottawa, who defeated American Mike Franett, and E. Bone of the U.S., who defeated Dr. Elrod Mackasy of Vancouver. Kavalek is also in third place, but more players will join this position after the adjourned games are completed this morning.
All of the 153 competitors remaining in the tournament -- three have withdrawn -- have now recorded at least half a point. J. Riddle of Victoria became the last player to pick up points Monday when he defeated R. Hughes of White Rock who has half a point for one draw so far.
There are 10 Canadian from six provinces playing in the tournament, 40 Americans from 10 states, two Brazilians, two from Holland, one Australian and one player from the Soviet Union, representing the strongest field ever in a Canadian open chess tournament.
The competition ends Friday night.
