XIth WORLD STUDENT TEAM CHESS CHAMPIONSHIP
In the period from July 18th to August 2nd, 1964, the World Student Team Chess Championship — the XIth in succession - was held in Crakow.
The beginning of the second decade of these events proved to he an all-round success. The steadily growing popularity of this world championship, which has been regularly organised every year since 1954 by FIDE in conjunction with the International Union of Students, is borne out by the fact that it was attended by a record number of teams — 21 altogether.
This year's event was also distinguished by being closely linked with university life. It was organised in the historic town of Cracow on the occasion of the 600th anniversary of one of the oldest universities in Europe — the Jagellonian University, next to Prague's Charles University, established sixteen years earlier, in 1348, this is the oldest university in Central Europe. It was founded on May 12th, 1346 by King Kazimir the Great and modernised by King Ladislav of Jagellonia. Among its most famous students was the world-famous astronomer, Nicholas Copernicus, who studied there from 1492-1496. One of the most interesting sights of the university is the Collegiun Majus, built in the 15th and 16th centuries. Teaching was started there on May 22nd, 1400. Such university buildings are very rare. Apart from England, only Prague, Erfurt, and Salamanca can boast similar Gothic colleges.
The ceremonial inauguration of the 9th World Student Team Chess Championship took place in the great hall of the Jagellonian University on July 18th. Zdzisław Straszak, president of the Academic Sports Union (AZS), welcomed the participants on behalf of the organisers. The greetings of the IUS were conveyed to the participants and guests by the Head of the IUS Sports Department, Miroslav Chmelík, Vice-Rector Dr. Kazimirz Wyka then declared the 11th World Student Team Chess Championship open. At the conclusion of the opening ceremony a concert was given, with pianist A. Ablewicz playing works by Chopin.
In view of the record number of teams registered, it proved necessary to form six team groups. The two first teams from each group advanced to the victorious Group A. Among the new participant, in the championship we also welcomed the students from Austria, whose achievements surprised us on several occasions, first of all by their advance to the final victorious group after ousting the Dutch team, which had participated several times in the finals. In the finals, they were the only ones whose match with the victiorious Soviet team ended in a draw.
In the other groups the favourites on the whole were the ones who advanced, though even in these cases there was no lack of unexpected feats. In the second group the relatively clear-cut advance of the Danish team, apart from that of the favourite, Yugoslavia, came as a surprise. In the group, the advance of the second team to the finals was attained only after closest victory of the Mongolian students over Iceland.
In the fourth group, the team of the host country (Poland) won decidedly, but the US chess team had to fight hard for its advance after a crushing defeat suffered by the Polish team.
In the fifth group the GDR students fought their way through to the finals, thus requiting the Italian students for their defeat last year in Budva.
In the sixth group the greatest surprise was in store for us when the very strong Rumanian tram headed by the junior world champion from Vrnjacka Banja — international champion, Gheorgiu — did not qualify for the finals. In the decisive contest of the last round they unexpectedly succumbed to the Israeli team.
The best survey of the detailed results in the individual groups is given in the tournament charts.
Interesting contests took place in the finals. First place, and hence the proud title of World Master, was deservedly gained by the team of the Soviet Union. Several changes had been made in the team since last year. Anoshin and Kapengut were newcomers. At the first chessboard Pelc was comparatively weak, but the excellent achievements of Chodos and Mnacakanjan — who, by scoring 10 points in 11 games, obtained the best individual result of the entire championship - as well as those of Anoshin and Savon were sufficient for the team as a whole to gain the highest title of World Master. The whole team acquired itself as a well-prepared collective group, displaying great militancy and a maximum effort for success. They permitted their rivals only one draw, and this in the last round when they had practically secured first place. Thus, after failure in Budva past year, the title of World Master goes back to the Soviet Union, and there is no doubt that Soviet students will again be serious candidates for retaining it next year.
The Czechoslovak team, which gained the title of World Master last year, found itself in the thankless role of a favourite. The international champion, Hort, was a support for the team, and also Kaválek and Jansa did well, but their successes were marred by failures n some of the decisive games.
Janata's performance was weaker. In any case, however, the scoring of the Czechoslovak chess players may be considered as a very remarkable success, and I am convinced that next year this team will again fight seriously for the lost World Master title, awarded to it in Budva.
The greatest surprise was certainly the placing of the Hungarian student team. With a team whose composition was almost the same as in Budva, they placed a six notches higher on the chart compared to last year's results, and by occupying third place they attained one of their best results at the World Student Championship within the last five years. The best players of the team were Kovacs, Polgár and Farago.
The members of the US team which succeeded in obtaining fourth place had probably expected an even better placing. Their team was backed by Kalm. Yet some members of the team did not play as well as they had been expected to. The most disappointing results were those of the internaational Champion, Weinstein, and Grand Master, Lombardy, also gave only an average performance.
Another disappointment was the placing of the Yugoslav team, which obtained second place last year. Except for the Grandmaster, Parma, it played with the same composition as in Budva. But none of the members distinguished himself by an outstanding feat. I believe that the worsening of their form is only temporary and that the coming annual events will again see them take front-rank places.
The place gained by Poland on the whole corresponded to the level of the entire team, and in my opinion the result may he considered as a fine success for Polish chess.
The placing of the Israeli team was a surprise; this team appeared as a well-balanced group, dangerous to any rival. Credit for the good results goes mainly to Avner and Romm.
The eight and the ninth place were shared by the students of Bulgaria and the GDR. Whereas the chess players from the German Democratic Republic may he satisfied with their results after last year's failure in Budva where they did not break into the victorious group, quite the opposite must be said about the results of the students from the Bulgarian People's Republic. In Budva they placed third, ahead the chess players of the Soviet Union, and their ranking five places lower on the tournament chart is very disappointing. The team badly missed their most successful player from Budva, international champion, Tringov. Nevertheless I suppose the team is capable of doing better than they did in Cracow.
The popular students from the Mongolian People's Republic have been upholding a good average standard for several years, and their participation in the victorious group means an appreciable success for them, especially if we take into account the fact that throughout the year they have no possibility of playing at other international contests.
The placing of the Danish students may likewise be looked upon as a success considering their overall strength.
The Austrian team, a newcomer to the championship, placed last in the final group. The very fact that they fought their way up to the victorious group of this extremely demanding competition, must be considered a success. This team also had one of the greatest surprises in store for us by scoring a draw of 2 : 2 in its last round with the victorious team of the Soviet Union. This would indicate that a further improvement in its results is possible.
In the final group, an obstinate fight for first places was waged between the students of the Rumanian People's Republic and those of England. In the end, better results were achieved by the Rumanian students, who out-played their competitiors from England and placed first with 23 points. Third place was gained by the students from Holland, whose team sorely missed their former support, international champion, Langeweg. The Finnish and Swedish team maintained their average level, which on the whole conforms to time strength of these teams. A better placing was probably expected from the Cuban students. Iceland, which again took part in the World Student Team Chess Championship after a fairly long interruption, has not thus far assembled a team equal in strength to the one on which Grandmaster F. Olafsson, Palmasson and others played. The Italian students results constitute a failure as compared with their success achieved last year. The popular team of the Belgian students again placed last, just as they had done a year ago.
The progress of the fights on the chessboards was watched by a large audience. Among the visitors we also welcomed IUS president Z. Vokrouhlický, FIDE Secretary Hugo Björk and many others.
The whole championship proceeded smoothly and no serious incident occurred. This confirms the fact that a militant, friendly sports spirit has already become a characteristic feature of the World University Championships. Praise for this also goes to the main referree Wiktor Witkowski (Poland) and his deputy, international referree Dr. Wilfried Dorazil (Austria), who, together with the other members of the Arbitration Committee, directed the entire contest in a very tactful manner.
The bulk of the organisational work for the 11th World Student Team Chess Championship was shouldered by the AZS (Academic Sports Union), which ensured the smooth running of this event together with the Polish Chess Federation, the Union of Polish Students, and in close co-operation with the IUS. I feel we should stress the very good work done by the entire organising committee under the leadership of its president, Ignacy Włodek, which created very favourable conditions for the success of the whole Championship. Substantial help was extended by the Rector and leading officials of the Jagellonian University, as well as by the responsible political officials of Cracow.
A trip to Auschwitz was organised for the participants. In this largest concentration camp, four million people had been tortured to death during the Second World War. All the young people were most deeply impressed by the facts about the inhuman bestialities perpetrated by the Nazis against innocent victims, and it was a grave warning to them that we must never allow anything of this kind to be repeated in future.
On Sunday, August 2nd, the ceremonial conclusion of the 11th World Student Team Chess Championship took place at a festive evening in the Rotunda. After distribution of the prizes to the victorious teams and the presenting of diplomas and souvenirs to the participants and organisers, I took the floor on behalf of FIDE to declare the 11th World Student Team Chess Championship in Cracow closed.
It has once again been proven that the World Student Team Chess Championships are an excellent tncans of consolidating and expanding friendly cooperation among young people of the whole world. There old friends greet each other every year, and new friendships are made. For a very long time the participants in the 11th World Student Team Chess Championship will remember the exciting fights on 64 chessboards and the friendly Polish people who at that time were celebrating the 20th anniversary of the beginning of a free and happy life in their homeland liberated from the Nazi occupants - the Polish People's Republic.
They all parted with the wish to meet again in the same warm harmony at the 12th World Student Team Chess Championship.
International Chess Master
Ing. Jaroslav Š a j t a r
Vice-President of FIDE
