05 July 2016

July 1966 'On the Cover'

Fifty years ago the U.S. chess community was just as interested in the World Championship as it is today. After the January 1966 'On the Cover', at least one of the two main chess magazines featured the 1966 Petrosian - Spassky Title Match on its monthly cover (*). In July they returned to U.S. events.


Left: 'U.S. Junior Champion Walter Browne'
Right: 'The Chicago 2000'

Chess Life

Walter Browne, a 17-year-old senior at Brooklyn's Erasmus High School, scored a thrilling come-from-behind victory in the first annual invitational United States Junior Chess Championship. Browne scored 5-2 in the eight-player round robin held at the Henry Hudson Hotel in New York City June 20-26. • See also Name that Player.

Chess Review

Robert Byrne won the Chicago 2000 Tournament at the Edgewater Beach Hotel. He scored 5 points in 6 rounds, conceding draws to Edgar T. McCormick and Paul Tautvaisas. Called by Frank Skoff of the sponsoring Chicago Chess Foundation "The Poor Man's Piatigorsky," the tournament admitted only those with master or expert ratings (of any time since 1960). Hence the 2000 in the title: it does not refer to the near end of the Century.

The Second Piatigorsky Cup, which started in July 1966, will appear in next month's 'On the Cover'.

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(*) Previous months: Feb (CL), Mar (CR), Apr (CL), May (CL&CR), Jun (CR).

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