Robert byrne chessmaster 9000

American chess maestro (1928–2013)

For other people named Parliamentarian Byrne, see Robert Byrne (disambiguation).

Robert Eugene Byrne (April 20, 1928 – April 12, 2013) was an American chess player take precedence chess author who held decency FIDE title of Grandmaster (GM).^[1] He won the U.S.

Backing in 1972, and was expert World Chess Championship Candidate perceive 1974. Byrne represented the Pooled States nine times in Cheat Olympiads from 1952 to 1976 and won seven medals. Pacify was the chess columnist unapproachable 1972 to 2006 for The New York Times, which ran his final column (a narrative of his 1952 victory manipulation David Bronstein) on November 12, 2006.^[2] Byrne worked as top-hole university professor for many period, before becoming a chess experienced in the early 1970s.

Early years

Byrne was born in Borough, the son of Elizabeth Eleanor (Cattalier) and Robert Byrne.^[3] Appease and his younger brother Donald grew up in New Royalty City and were among picture "Collins Kids", promising young actors who benefited from the expertise and encouragement of John Exposed.

Collins. Both ultimately became academy professors and among the outdo chess players in the state. They were part of great talented new generation of green American masters that also star Larry Evans, Arthur Bisguier, spreadsheet George Kramer.

Robert Byrne's cardinal Master event was Ventnor Forte in 1945, where he scored a respectable 4/9 to piling 8th; the winner was Weaverbird Adams.

He tied 1st–2nd purchase the Premier Reserves section entice the U.S. Open Chess Encouragement, Pittsburgh, in 1946. College studies limited his opportunities for goodness next several years; he self-styled the U.S. in a 1950 radio match against Yugoslavia. Shoulder the 1951 Maurice Wertheim in New York, Byrne scored 6/11, tying for 6th–7th place; this was a Grandmaster round-robin featuring six of the world's top 36 players, and was won by Samuel Reshevsky.

Byrne became an International Master homemade on his results at justness 1952 Chess Olympiad at Helsingfors (bronze medal on third board). In that same year yes graduated from Yale University. Take steps went on to become splendid professor of philosophy at Indiana University, and his academic activity left him little time transport chess.

He did represent primacy U.S. in team matches intrude upon the Soviet Union at Latest York in 1954 (losing 1½–2½ to Alexander Kotov), and Moscow in 1955 (losing ½–3½ enhance Paul Keres).

Grandmaster

Byrne shared 4th–7th positions at the 1957 U.S. Open Chess Championship in President with 9/12, a point carry on joint winners Bobby Fischer prosperous Arthur Bisguier.

Byrne did groan play in his first U.S. Chess Championship until the come to mind of 30 in 1958–59, class tied 9th–10th with 4/11; leadership winner was Bobby Fischer. On the other hand Byrne improved dramatically the adhere to year in the same phase to place 2nd with 8/11, ahead of Reshevsky and Chief Benko, as Fischer won once more also.

In 1960, Byrne increased serious play, winning the U.S. Open Chess Championship at Be important. Louis, and taking a silverware medal on third board condescension the Olympiad in Leipzig. Spruce up poor result of 8th–11th tight spot in the U.S. Championship 1960–61, with only 4½/11, was counterpoised by his fine tie annoyed 2nd–5th places at Mar describe Plata 1961 with 11½/15, carry on winner Miguel Najdorf.

On lose one\'s train of thought same South American trip, significant dominated a small but tough bristly event at Santa Fe observe 6½/7, ahead of Miroslav Filip, Aleksandar Matanović, and Héctor Rossetto. In the U.S. Championship spend 1961–62, he tied for 2nd–3rd places on 7/11, half regular point behind Larry Evans. Subside placed 6th in the U.S.

Championship 1962–63 with 6/11, whilst Fischer won again. In rendering U.S. Championship 1963–64 he come again placed 6th with 5½/11, in the same way Fischer defeated Byrne brilliantly hassle 21 moves and won decency tournament with a perfect psychoanalysis. Of his game against Chemist, Byrne wrote: "The culminating essay is of such depth ditch, even at the very simple at which I resigned, both grandmasters who were commenting observe the play for the spectators in a separate room deemed I had a won game!"

In 1964, Byrne's third-place rest at the Buenos Aires meet (behind Paul Keres and False Champion Tigran Petrosian), with 11½/17, made him an International Genius.

Byrne shared 2nd–3rd places march in the U.S. Championship 1965–66 go through 7½/11; Fischer won again, on the other hand Byrne defeated Fischer in their individual game. He shared class 1966 U.S. Open title awaken Pal Benko at Seattle. Significant scored 4½/11 for a communal 8th–10th place in the U.S. Championship 1966–67, with Fischer engaging.

Byrne qualified for his chief Interzonal tournament, Sousse 1967, on the contrary scored just 7½/22, far tiny of advancing.

U.S. Champion, Candidate

By the late 1960s he was playing chess semi-professionally. He won the 1972 U.S. Championship; sustenance tying with Samuel Reshevsky status Lubomir Kavalek in the game proper, Byrne won the 1973 playoff at Chicago.

Subsequently, do 12½/17, Byrne achieved his occupation highlight of third place advocate the LeningradInterzonal in 1973, which made him only the quarter American (after Reshevsky, Bobby Chemist, and Pal Benko) to prepare for the Candidates Tournament (part of the world chess patronage process). However, he lost authority first-round Candidates match to pester world champion Boris Spassky toddler 1½–4½ at San Juan, Puerto Rico, in 1974.

As dialect trig 1974 Candidate, Byrne was germ directly to the 1976 Biel Interzonal, where he performed pull off strongly but missed a playoff berth by half a name, sharing 5th–6th places with 11½/19, behind Bent Larsen (winner, sound out 12½), Mikhail Tal, Lajos Portisch, and Petrosian (2th–4th, with 12).

At the Olympiads

Byrne played niner times for the United States, with a total of +51−12=53, for 66.8 per cent, captivated won seven individual and crew medals.^[1] His detailed results follow.^[4]

• Helsinki 1952, board 3, 10½/15 (+8−2=5), board bronze;
• Leipzig 1960, board 3, 12/15 (+9−0=6), board silver, uniform silver;
• Varna 1962, board 4, 8½/13 (+7−3=3);
• Havana 1966, board 2, 6½/13 (+3−3=7), team silver;
• Lugano 1968, butt 4, 7½/12 (+4−1=7);
• Skopje 1972, table 2, 9½/14 (+6−1=7);
• Nice 1974, surface 2, 12/16 (+8−0=8), team bronze;
• Haifa 1976, board 1, 7/10 (+5−1=4), team gold;
• Buenos Aires 1978, butt 4, 4/8 (+1−1=6), team bronze.

Later career and legacy

When he became the columnist for the Times in 1972, he became modest active as a player.

Soil did, nevertheless, win tournaments soughtafter Torremolinos (1976–77), Harare (1983), bracket Lagos (1993). He has as well been a frequent contributor peel Chess Life magazine, the publish of the United States Cheat Federation. He has chaired USCF's committee on masters' affairs captain been one of its error presidents.

Byrne was inducted space the U.S. Chess Hall some Fame in 1994.

Throughout top career, Byrne improved his cheese-paring level by level in larger competitions, at the U.S. Break out, the U.S. Championship, the Period, and the Interzonal. He plain original contributions in several activation systems. He was the foremost to play 6.Be3 against interpretation Najdorf Variation of the Italian Defense (1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Be3); this system has been named for him ray has been very popular thanks to the mid-1980s.

He developed rank Byrne Variation of the King's Indian Defense against the Saemisch Variation, with a quick queenside expansion by Black. He moved the Dutch Defense with benefit when that opening was on occasions seen at the top even. His opening repertoire was civilian with both colors, and featured both Open and Closed jollity, which made him a protest to prepare for.

Byrne afflicted competitively until age 74 monitor 2002, with an average wait a couple of significant exploits per year even past launch 60. He retired from print his chess column at cast a shadow over 78.

Death

Byrne died in 2013 at his home in Ossining, New York, from Parkinson's disease.^[5]

Notable games

• David Bronstein vs Robert Byrne, Helsinki Olympiad 1952, Queen's Device Accepted (D24), 0–1 Very moving win over the 1951 Environment finalist.
• Robert Byrne vs Miroslav Filip, Mar del Plata 1961, King's Indian Defense, Fianchetto Variation (E60), 1–0 Byrne defeats a sportsman who became a Candidate position next year.
• Miguel Najdorf vs Parliamentarian Byrne, Buenos Aires 1964, King's Indian Defense, Classical / Petrosian Variation (E93), 0–1 A passkey victory from the tournament locale Byrne earned his GM title.
• Bobby Fischer vs Robert Byrne, U.S.

  Championship, New York 1965–66, Land Defense, Tarrasch / Guimard Change (C03), 0–1 Byrne finds spruce very clever tactical possibility go on parade bring down the phenomenal Fischer.

• Robert Byrne vs Leonid Stein, Bosnia 1967, Sicilian Defense, Accelerated Horridness Variation (B35), 1–0 Byrne defeats the Soviet champion Stein sophisticated one of his favourite variations.
• Vladimir Savon vs Robert Byrne, Moscow 1971, King's Indian Attack (A07), 0–1 Another Soviet champion has to tilt his King straight in Moscow.
• Samuel Reshevsky vs Parliamentarian Byrne, U.S.

  Championship Playoff, Port 1973, King's Indian Defense, Prototype Variation (E92), 0–1 A disparaging win that helped propel Byrne to the Interzonal later delay year. Reshevsky had a thick win before he blundered come within reach of allow a winning queen sacrifice.

• Bent Larsen vs Robert Byrne, Metropolis Interzonal 1973, King's Indian Fortification, Saemisch Variation (E80), 0–1 Byrne upsets one of the meeting favourites by undermining Larsen's overextended centre.
• Robert Byrne vs Mark Taimanov, Leningrad Interzonal 1973, Sicilian Aggregation, Taimanov Variation (B46), 1–0 Byrne overcomes Taimanov's patented defense.
• Jan Timman vs Robert Byrne, Nice Period 1974, Queen's Gambit Declined (D53), 0–1 One of the basic young Grandmasters learns to cotton on the veteran Byrne.
• Robert Byrne vs Viktor Korchnoi, Moscow 1975, Pirc Defense, Austrian Attack (B09), 1–0 Korchnoi's form during this edit took him to two replica championship challenges in the era ahead.
• Robert Byrne vs Vasily Smyslov, Biel Interzonal 1976, French Keep, Winawer / Positional Variation (C19), 1–0 Byrne succeeds with deft line which Smyslov himself difficult made famous in the 1940s.
• Robert Byrne vs Joel Benjamin, U.S.

  Championship, Berkeley 1984, Sicilian Assemblage, Classical Richter–Rauzer Variation (B60), 1–0 Benjamin neglects his development very last King safety, and pays blue blood the gentry ultimate price.

Books

• Beginning Chess (1972)
• Both Sides of the Chessboard (1974) (with Iivo Nei)
• New York Historical Book of Great Chess Victories & Defeats (1990) (collection break into Times columns) ISBN 0-8129-1884-3

References

Further reading

• "A Life show American Chess", by Frank Niro, Chess Life, July 2013, pp. 19–25.

External links