The Los Angeles Times Los Angeles, California Sunday, June 30, 1963 - Page 81
World Chess Champion in L.A. Tourney
Top Players Will Vie for Richest Purse Tuesday
Tigran Petrosian, new world chess champion from Russia, and seven other top players will meet here Tuesday for the richest international chess tournament in the world.
Petrosian, 33, bushy-haired former janitor from Tilfis, Georgia, will be pitted against players from the United States, Argentina, Iceland, Yugoslavia and his own country for the $3,000 first prize.
Total prizes of the new international tournament—the Piatagorsky Cup—are $10,000 in cash. Most tournaments offer from $3,000 to $5,000.
U.S. Players
Representing the United States will be Samuel Reshevsky and Pal Benko, both of New York. Others will be Miguel Najdorf and Oscar Panno of Argentina, Svetozar Gligoric of Yugoslavia, Frederik Olafsson of Iceland and Paul Keres of Russia.
The eight contestants are judged among today's greatest grand masters.
Play will start at 6:30 p.m. in the Ambassador and will be held almost daily either in regular or adjournment sessions through July 28.
Large Boards
Large chess boards will be set up in the tournament room so the audience can follow the action. An adjoining room will have experts analyzing the play as it progresses.
The tournament is set up as a double round robin in which each player will face the other seven in two games.
Although Petrosian's title is not at stake, play is expected to be lively because this is the first time he has appeared in a tournament since he captured the title May 19 from Mikhail Botvinnik.
Conservative Champion
Petrosian up to now has proved himself a methodical, conservative player who counter-punches to win by exploiting his opponents' mistakes.
It is expected he will be a bit more daring and play a livelier and more imaginative game to try for an impressive win in the tournament, since his title is safe.
The United States' best hope is Reshevsky, 51, who plays an inventive game. He recently beat by forfeit young Bobby Fischer, generally considered America's finest player. Fischer declined to enter the tourney before it was known Petrosian would play.
Kashdan Director
Isaac Kashdan, international grandmaster and chess columnist for The Times, will be director of the event.
“There is intense interest all over the world in this tournament,” he said. “I expect everyone will be playing very hard because this already is a status tournament.”
It was established by Mrs. Jacqueline Piatagorsky, an avid chess fan, and her famous husband, cellist Gregor. They put up $40,000 for the prizes and expenses through a foundation they control.
Petrosian will be the first world champion to visit this country since 1932, when Russian grandmaster Alexander Alekhine played in Pasadena.
Master at 16
Petrosian swept sidewalks with his father as a youth, playing chess at night. By the time he was 16 he was a chess master. He became an international grandmaster at 23.
Petrosian graduated from a correspondence course of the Teachers' College of Erivan and this year became a postgraduate in philosophy at the college.
He says he is a disciple of the chess style of the man he defeated for the world title, Botvinnik.
