ASunday Gazette-Mail Charleston, West Virginia Sunday, October 07, 1962 - Page 40
Speaking of Chess 07 Oct 1962, Sun Sunday Gazette-Mail (Charleston, West Virginia) Newspapers.com
Americans Trail In Olympic Play
The 1962 Chess Olympics have passed the half-way mark but news from Varna, Bulgaria, regarding this event is rather sparse. With about one-third of the matches completed, the entire dozen teams from as many countries were surprisingly bunched together.
The Soviet team, top-heavy favorite to again win the world championship, was close to first place but still one-half point behind Yugoslavia, the leader with a match score of 9 to 6. USSR was tied with West Germany with 8½ to 5½, while the United States team had 8½ to 6½.
Following were Rumania (7½ to 6½), Argentina and Bulgaria (each 7 to 7), Holland and Hungary (6½ to 7½), Czechoslovakia (6 to 8) East Germany (6 to 9) and Austria (5 to 10).
A SURPRISE of the early rounds was world champion Mikhail Botvinnik's defeat at the hands of Wolfgang Uhlman of East Germany. However, we think Russia won that particular match.
In the early final rounds we do not recall seeing the name of U.S. champion Larry Evans. Bobby Fischer, Pal Benko, the Byrne brothers, Edmar Mednis, yes. But Evans, no. Perhaps he has been sick.
The Americans do not seem to have done too well in the first four sessions. However, we are still waiting for the clash between the USA and the USSR. Especially Fischer and Botvinnik at board one! There is apt to be a certain coldness, to say the least between the Soviet masters and Fischer, resulting from Fischer's remarks on certain Russian tactics at Curacao.
