Milunka Lazarevic

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Matt Mackenzie
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Milunka Lazarevic

Post by Matt Mackenzie » Tue Dec 18, 2018 6:08 pm

One of the strongest non-Soviet women players in the post-war period.

Also quite a glamorous figure in her day, who reportedly "distracted" a former world champion amongst others.
"Set up your attacks so that when the fire is out, it isn't out!" (H N Pillsbury)

John McKenna

Re: Milunka Lazarevic

Post by John McKenna » Wed Dec 19, 2018 1:31 am

Can't help with that distraction.

A bit more background -

Markovic, Milunka (nee Lazarevic) was born 1932/12/01 in Santarovac - WIM 1954, WGM 1976, Yugoslav women's champion 1952 (joint), 1954, 1956, 1957, 1960, 1962, 1963, 1975, 1976, 1972,1979,1982 (all as Lazarevic)

She played very few British players (if you don't count Dr. Jana Bellin/Miles)- the first seems to be 'Peggy' Steedman, sometimes Scottish women's champion -

http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1486299

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Matt Mackenzie
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Re: Milunka Lazarevic

Post by Matt Mackenzie » Wed Dec 19, 2018 1:04 pm

It was Jana Hartston back then, and since she was then playing for England at the Olympiad perhaps she should count as such ;)
"Set up your attacks so that when the fire is out, it isn't out!" (H N Pillsbury)

Ken Norman
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Re: Milunka Lazarevic

Post by Ken Norman » Wed Dec 19, 2018 2:17 pm

Dinah remembers beating Lazarevic at Belgrade 1969.

Lazarevic was recently married and played under the name Markovic.

We don't have the game score but it would be listed as Dobson v Markovic.

Roger de Coverly
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Re: Milunka Lazarevic

Post by Roger de Coverly » Wed Dec 19, 2018 2:54 pm

Ken Norman wrote:
Wed Dec 19, 2018 2:17 pm
We don't have the game score but it would be listed as Dobson v Markovic.
I'd suspect either there wasn't a bulletin or no copies survived to the internet era, as database searches don't find anything.

Milunka's recorded games are mostly from Olympiads and Women's Zonals/Interzonals. There's one against Rowena Bruce, but otherwise she always seemed to face Jana.

Leonard Barden
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Re: Milunka Lazarevic

Post by Leonard Barden » Wed Dec 19, 2018 5:04 pm

Ken Norman wrote:
Wed Dec 19, 2018 2:17 pm
Dinah remembers beating Lazarevic at Belgrade 1969.

Lazarevic was recently married and played under the name Markovic.

We don't have the game score but it would be listed as Dobson v Markovic.
I remember following that Belgrade tournament and that Dinah had a very fast start, maybe 2.5/3 or 3/3, including her shock win over Markovic/Lazarevic.
There was a report by GM Trifunovic with several pictures and games in one of the following issues of the US Chess Review, probably late 1969 or early 1970, which specifically mentioned Dinah's excellent play in the early rounds. Trifunovic was very taken by Dinah and wrote something like "the spectators were fascinated by her miniskirt and that she is a pupil of international master RG Wade". I no longer have that magazine but maybe somebody with a good library can track it down. I am absolutely sure that Trifunovic's report is there to be found.

James Pratt
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Re: Milunka Lazarevic

Post by James Pratt » Wed Dec 19, 2018 11:19 pm

The report is on p.179 of the June 1969 'Chess Life & Review' and is indeed by Trifunovich. Dinah is called Diane and her tutoring from Bob Wade is mentioned together with comment from the Yugoslav GM as to Dinah's appearance as Leonard indicates. I may be wrong but the press may have been looking for another Lisa Lane. In the tournament in question Dinah - then Miss Dobson, of course - finished 14th. She would have been joint British Ladies Champion at the time.

There is a photo of Milunka, listed as No.45, in Keene/Levy's Batsford on Skopje Olympiad 1972.

http://essexroad.blogspot.com

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