Matter of Opinion?

[James Pratt]

I have been writing about Bronstein-v-Szabo from the 1948 Interzonal. BCM at the time called it ' .. rather a disappointing game .. ' but Keene/Taulbut's book on the Tarrasch French pipe-up ' a beautiful game.'
Can they both be right? Easy to overlook, but apparently it decided much in qualification terms.
James

[Geoff Chandler]

The game in question. Do not know how one would class a game as `disappointing` a 10 move prearranged draw falls into the disappointing category. This game had it's moments.

https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1033718

Regarding qualification, without a doubt this victory by Bronstein helped, Bronstein finished one point ahead of Szabo. However, In the final round Szabo lost to Lundin who finished last, his win (as black) v Szabo was his only win in the event.

[Matt Mackenzie]

Lundin's win being a "genesis" of what we now know as the Benko Gambit. What is maybe more remarkable is his beating Szabo (ostensibly a stronger player) in all three of their tournament meetings, and each time with the Black pieces.

[Roger de Coverly]

The game in question. Do not know how one would class a game as `disappointing` a 10 move prearranged draw falls into the disappointing category. This game had it's moments.

Perhaps the BCM saw it as a GM playing on a piece down rather than as a rapid bust of the French.

However, In the final round Szabo lost to Lundin who finished last, his win (as black) v Szabo was his only win in the event.

Lundin also played one of the earliest examples of the Benko/Volga Gambit idea against Bronstein. Bronstein later used the same idea against Taimanov in the 1953 Candidates.

It later appears in a game in the 1960/61 Hastings between Barden and John Littlewood.

[John Clarke]

Norman Littlewood encountered it at the 1966 Olympiad (see here) where, to quote Hartston's comment in Chess, he "made [it] look faintly ridiculous".

[NickFaulks]

Norman Littlewood encountered it at the 1966 Olympiad (see here) where, to quote Hartston's comment in Chess, he "made [it] look faintly ridiculous".

5.e3 ( found at the board? ) remains one of the most irritating lines for Benko players.