LINARES CHESS TOURNAMENTS (1978-2009)
New annotations by Jan van Reek
f 26 tournaments (494 selected games) zip of CBase-files of 26 tournaments
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Closed mine |
Playing hall til 1983 |
Jaan Eslon gets his prize in 1978 Rentero watches (second on the left) |
Larry Christiansen |
The Spanish city of Linares lies in Andalusia on the crossing of railroads to Madrid in the North, Granada in the South and Sevilla in the West. Metal mining was its main activity. Linares lead had an unsurpassed quality. Industry became a main activity.
A dull existence changed when a series of tournaments started in 1978. The first Ciudad de Linares was a master tournament. We find the name of the Swedish master Jaan Eslon (1952-2000) above the Argentine Debarnot, the Columbian Castro Rojas and seven Spanish players. Jaan had moved to Valencia in the previous year and participated in local tournaments. Nine rounds were played from 30 xi until 8 xii 1978. I have analysed one Eslon game.
The change from a master event to a small grandmaster tournament took place in Linares 1979. Twelve participants played from 30 xi until 12 xii. The victor of the previous year, Eslon, became fifth at 2˝ points of the new winner Larry Christiansen. Star player of the event was Viktor Kortschnoj, runner-up of the world championship. Although he defeated Christiansen, he did not triumph in the contest. Two games by Christiansen have been analysed.
The grocery stores’ tycoon Luis Rentero Suárez contracted world champion Karpov and the grandmasters Larsen, Kavalek, Ljubojevic and Gligoric in Bugojno 1980 for the third contest. He was able to realise his ideal of a strong grandmaster tournament. Twelve grandmasters played in Linares from 17 - 31 i 1981. The tempo of 40 moves in 2˝ hours followed by 16 in 1 hour was applied, if Karpov participated in the 1980's.
Christiansen played the best tournament of his life. Eventually Karpov won due to a better Sonneborn-Berger score. Later the number of won games would become the criterion for shared leads. Ljubojevic stayed in Linares and married a local beauty, like Hannibal once did with Princess Imilce. Ljubo prepared the next event.
The miracle of snowfall had occurred in Andalusia before the tournament started and Hotel Cervantes had no heating. So the playing hall and rooms were cold. The fourth 'Torneo Internacional Ciudad de Linares’ took place from 11 until 25 ii 1983. Christiansen had not been invited. Ljubojevic withdrew because Geller participated instead of Tal. The wins by the top three have been analysed.
Spassky played a very economic tournament and won $6000. He scored three wins and seven short draws. Karpov and Andersson nearly had the same result. Boris started the tournament with his usual ‘end of the winter’ influenza and infected other players. Tolya hated him for it. Soon Spassky lost his Soviet stipend.
Twelve strong players participated in Linares from 8 - 22 iii 1985. Karpov could not partake due to the exhausting aborted match against Kasparov. Adorjan took his place. The Soviets sent Makarychev as replacement, but he was refused. Hübner did not trust the playing conditions, stayed in the nearby Ubeda and arrived each round by taxi with warm clothes, Timman reported. Ljubojevic and Hübner competed for the first place. Ljubo won due to a better Sonneborn-Berger score. Eslon wrote the bulletin. He castigated short draws. His idea of value for money appealed to Rentero.
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Kortschnoj wears a coat and Spassky a thick pullover in 1985 |
Playing hall from 1988 |
Jan Timman |
No tournament occurred in 1986. The final of the candidates’ tournament between Karpov and Sokolov was played in Linares during the next year. Ciudad de Linares number six took place from 23 ii until 7 iii 1988. The participants stayed and played in the new Hotel Anibal, a comfortable place with central heating. Rentero bought the hotel later. The sale of his stores had made him rich. Karpov did not partake, but his favourite time control of 40 moves in 2˝ hours was applied and Baturinsky functioned as chief arbiter. Women's world champion Chiburdanidze replaced Tolya. Poor Maia started with ˝/7 and cried each night, the story goes. Jan Timman played his adventurous chess. This time it led to an overwhelming victory. Media followed the tournament with great interest. The Spaniard Illescas scored a grandmaster norm in the last round. Rentero decided to organise the event annually.
Players from the Soviet union could be invited personally for the first time in 1989. As a result, five instead of two Soviet grandmasters were invited and the average rating rose. Illescas’ invitation was cancelled for a further increase of the rating. The hated apparatchik Baturinsky became chief arbiter. This meant an affront for the refugees Kortschnoj and Gulko. It led to a showdown on the day of the first round. When the ‘red colonel’ stayed in place, Kortschnoj left Linares.
The tournament became a race between Ivanchuk and Karpov from 18 ii until 5 iii. Timman noticed a remarkable feature: Ivanchuk watched the ceiling, when he contemplated his move. Ivanchuk won.
Although the Soviet union was falling apart and would dissolve in 1991, its influence remained. Eight participants had a Soviet background in 1990. World champion Kasparov entered for the first time. His preparation was poor, because he had to help his family in their flight from Baku. He wanted to conquer Karpov territory and cash the appearance fee of $30,000. Gary won and would win the event many times.
Spassky was allowed to participate if he did not play short draws. The agony lasted from 18 ii until 3 iii. An exhausted Boris begged Luis to lift the obligation. The ban on short draws became a general policy during the next years.
The ninth Linares tournament took place from 22 ii to 15 iii 1991. Time controls were made at the moves forty and sixty before the adjournment. Luis Rentero had increased the number of participants to fourteen. Eight players were top ten and six were top fifty. The event became a race between the technician Kasparov and mad genius Ivanchuk. This competition was very similar to the contest of Capablanca and Rubinstein in San Sebastian 1911.
Ivanchuk won the race of Kasparov. Their technical ability after the opening was similar to the level of Rubinstein and Capablanca. Like Rubinstein, Ivanchuk was mentally too unstable for the world championship quest. Rentero had a great success as the organiser, because the best players in the world participated, and only 42% of the games were drawn. Players got a bonus of $2000 if they played an average of at least forty moves per game. Beliavsky got an extra prize because he drew the least.
Again Rentero managed to improve the field of participants in the tenth Linares tournament (22 ii - 14 iii 1992). All top ten players took part. The tournament had become the Wimbledon of chess. Kasparov won with two points before the rest. Timman played scintillating chess. We follow their games.
World champion Kasparov defeated all candidates for the world championship: Timman, Karpov, Jussupow and Short. Timman showed a great fighting spirit. He played a long endgame of two bishops versus knight against Speelman and won the beauty prize for his game against Short.
The field of players was highly impressive in the eleventh Linares tournament (22 ii until 15 iii 1993), although Short refused to participate in the 'Russian championship'. It would become another race between Kasparov and Karpov. Howevever, their games of the first round had to be postponed due to flu. They began a fast race after the slow start. Kasparov defeated Karpov brilliantly in round ten and won the tournament eventually. Kramnik made a fine debut. Only 42% of the games ended in a draw. Still Rentero was upset after a few short draws but he calmed down by Timman's diplomacy.
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No draw but blood |
Vassily Ivanchuk |
Gary Kasparov |
Anatoly Karpov |
The number of participants had stayed fourteen in the twelfth Linares tournament (12 ii - 14 iii 1994). It began as a race between Karpov and Kasparov. Shirov started poorly, but chased Kasparov later. Karpov scored nine wins and four draws. He ended for the only time with a big lead on his main rival Kasparov. It was the greatest tournament victory in his career.
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he thirteenh Linares tournament was played from 1 until 17 iii 1995. It became a race between Karpov and Ivanchuk. Vassily won.
No Linares super tournament took place in 1996, because Rentero had been involved in the world championship match between Zsuzsa Polgar and Xie Jun. It was played in the nearby Jaen.
Karpov got an angry letter from the organiser. Piket took his place. Twelve grandmasters played from 4 until 16 ii 1997. Kasparov and Kramnik showed great chess. They scored 7˝ points in ten rounds. The outcome of the event depended on their confrontation in the last round. Kasparov won a fine game.
Rentoro had changed the formula of his tournament in Linares 1998. Seven top players played double rounds. It led to a higher percentage of draws. Karpov refused the invitation due to Rentero’s attack in the previous year. The fifteenth 'Torneo Internacional Ciudad de Linares' took place from 23 ii - 10 iii 1998. Anand played an excellent tournament and triumphed. Shirov won a famous endgame against Topalov.
Linares 1998 functioned as a candidates’ tournament of the WCC mini-cycle. The qualifier became Anand, but he refused. Then Shirov accepted to play a match against Kramnik. Shirov won but the match against Kasparov never took place.
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Poster in 2002 |
Dirk Jan ten Geuzendam describes the station in his |
book about Linares 1999 |
Eight top chess players participated in an event with double rounds in Linares from 21 ii - 10 iii 1999. Kasparov ruled.
Six top chess players participated in an event with double rounds in Linares from 28 ii - 10 iii 2000. The sponsor Luis Rentero got the Escudo de Oro at the opening of the seventeenth "Torneo Internacional Ciudad de Linares". Kramnik and Kasparov tied for the first place in Linares 2000. All clauses showed identical results for both players, as Dirk Jan ten Geuzendam described. This happened for the first time in the "Ciudad de Linares". They decided to share the prize money. Gary generously gave the trophy to Vladimir. Actually, Kramnik’s games were more forceful.
The number of draws was remarkable high. After Rentero's car accident in late 1998, the city had become the main organiser and Don Luis had lost his grip on the fighting spirit.
Six top players took part in the Linares tournament from 23 ii - 6 iii 2001. Kasparov ruled.
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Don Luis Rentero and son in 2002 |
Lékó in 2003 |
Kramnik holds the trophy in 2004 |
Six top ten players and a great Spanish talent participated in the nineteenth 'Torneo Internacional Ciudad de Linares' from 23 ii - 10 iii 2002. The event had double rounds. Kasparov and Ponomariov led after ten rounds. Then Gary defeated his rival and won the tournament. The local hero Vallejo Pons scored an honourable result by beating Shirov.
Five top ten players and two great talents participated in the twentieth tournament from 22 ii - 9 iii 2003. The event had double rounds. The games of this tournament have a high level, but the distance to computer chess is shrinking. Obvious errors in some endgames are remarkable. Lékó and Kramnik ended with the same number of points. Lékó won the tournament because he scored more wins.
Seven top players participated in the twenty-first event from 19 ii - 5 iii 2004. The percentage of draws increased to 79%. There were many short draws. The fighting spirit had lessened since the introduction of the present system. The economical win by Kramnik reminded of Tigran Petrosian. Vladimir was unbeatable and scored enough wins for the general triumph. Only the decided games have been analysed, as a punishment.
The open Anibal has been played since 1994. A tournament for the blind started in 2001. All events are supported by regional sponsors.
Seven super grandmasters played double rounds in Linares from 23 ii - 10 iii 2005. It became the 22nd event. Kasparov and Topalov scored 8/12. Gary won the tournament, because he achieved more black wins. Anand followed at the third place. One game per round plus an extra game have been analysed. Kasparov gave a press conference at the end of the event. He announced his retirement from competitive chess. Linares was conquered by him ten times. His world championship in different organisations lasted from 1985 until 2000.
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Palacio de Clavijero in Morelia |
Three important changes had occurred since the previous time: Kasparov did not partake anymore, the number of players had increased from seven to eight and the first cycle was played in the Mexican city Morelia from 18 until 26 ii 2006. Playing hall was the Palacio de Clavijero. Lékó led by 5/7 before Aronian 4˝ and Svidler 4. Topalov had only scored 2˝ points at the end of the first cycle. The players flew from Mexico to Spain. Cycle two was played in Linares from 3 until 11 iii. Topalov retorted. Aronian won the tournament (8˝/14) before Topalov, Radjabov (8) and Lékó (7˝). Lékó lost the last two games.
The first cycle was played in the Mexican city Morelia from 17 until 25 ii 2007. Playing hall was Teatro Ocampo. The second cycle was played in Linares from 2 until 10 iii 2007. Anand won the tournament and was the number one of the world. 16-years-old Carlsen competed at the top for the first time. He shared the second place with Morozevich.
The cycles happened in Morelia from 16 until 24 ii and in Linares from 28 ii until 7 iii 2008. Anand led after a few rounds and triumphed at the end. Carlsen pursued him and finished at half-a-point.
Number 26 was completely played in Linares from 19 ii until 7 iii 2009. The usual two cycles were carried out by eight grandmasters. Grischuk and Ivanchuk ended at the top, half-a-point before Carlsen. Grischuk triumphed on tie-break (he scored more wins). The tournament had a prize fund of 314,000 Euros but no appearance fees.
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