New York Times, New York, New York, Monday, April 23, 1962 - Page 25
Chess: Benko, an End-Game Expert, Demonstrates How It's Done
By Al Horowitz
Pal Benko, who fled from Hungary, has garnered many chess titles since he came to this country about five years ago. He and Bobby Fischer will represent the United States at the Curacao, Netherlands West Indies, which begins May 2.
Three times in a row Benko captured the Western Open at Milwaukee, and he is the present United States Open champion, having won the tournament at San Francisco last year.
The 33-year-old wizard of the chessboard was awarded the degree of master in Hungary when he was 17. At 20 he became champion of his native land, and at 22 he was elected an international master. In 1958 he became a grand master, a rank second only to that of world champion.
When queried about his playing strength, he volunteered that it was in the middle and end game; that he could not keep pace with the daily vicissitudes of opening play. And on the subject of how he will do at Curacao, he parried deftly:
“Curacao has a great climate; there will be plenty of sunshine and relaxation.”
White Takes Control
The following game, played against Eugenio German (Black) of Brazil, at Stockholm, is typical of Benko's style. It begins on a note peculiar to the French Defense. White takes pawn control of the center with Black's knowledge and consent (White's moves 2, 4 and 6). These moves form an apparently powerful pawn phalanx.
Black's strategy, as mapped out in thousands of previous contests in this line, is to try to destroy the phalanx (Black's 5 and 8). The outcome of the game will reflect in large measure the success or failure of the plan.
The tenuous line of battle is drawn, when suddenly, for no good reason—except perhaps that he was fearful of an enemy penetration—German has a change of heart and takes much of the pressure off the phalanx by advancing his king bishop pawn (Black's move 11). The relaxation of the tension, however, gives Benko an opportunity to build up an attack in his own good time, which he begins with the advance of his king knight pawn (White's move 14).
The attack mounts and German staves it off, but not before creating a pawn weakness on the queen-side of the board. This is a deciding factor. Benko rapidly switches to that wing, pins on to the weakness and picks off the pawn.
In the interim, Benko has managed to win the exchange (a rook for a minor piece). All this would usually mean quick capitulation by German. But Benko's rook gets boxed in, and perforce he must return a rook for a knight. Then comes a pawn end game.
Here Benko is at his best. One sharp move after another drives the black king into an untenable position. Finally, an outright blunder costs German a rook, and he resigns. Even had he not blundered, though, he could not have last much longer.
