August 1966 'On the Cover'

In the July 1966 'On the Cover', we saw the 'The Poor Man's Piatigorsky'. This month, 50 years ago, we get the real deal. Before reading further, can you identify the player shown in the right photo? His name is much better known than his face.

Left: 'Piatigorsky Cup - Relaxing before the tournament: Najdorf, Fischer, Portisch, Larsen, Ivkov, Unzicker'
Right: 'Wins record Eastern Open'

Chess Life

The First Piatigorsky Cup, presented in Los Angeles in July 1963, saw the introduction of a momentous event in the world of chess. Five nations were represented by eight of the most outstanding Grandmasters of our time as World Champion Tigran Petrosian tied for first place with his fellow player from the U.S.S.R., Paul Keres.

The Second Piatigorsky Cup, which began on July 17 and continued through August 15, 1966, at the Miramar Hotel in Santa Monica, California, surpassed even the first event in this series with its drama, its grip on chess enthusiasts the world over, and the sometimes surprising results of its individual encounters between the titans of the 64 squares. This double round robin, eighteen games over a one-month period, will undoubtedly rank with the greatest chess competitions of all time.

Chess Review

Nick [Nicolas] Rossolimo emerged on top of the record-breaking field of 269 in the Eastern Open in Washington, D.C. He was undefeated in scoring 7-1 but triumphed by tie-break over fellow New Yorkers, Arthur B. Bisguier and Mike Valvo and 17-year-old Leroy Jackson of St. Louis. Pal Benko and Bernard Zuckerman were among those who finished "out of the money."

I predict that next month's 'On the Cover' will feature the Piatigorsky Cup for both magazines. As for GM Rossolimo, he deserves a post of his own.