IA and GM Istvan Csom

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Simon Rogers
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IA and GM Istvan Csom

Post by Simon Rogers » Thu Jul 29, 2021 1:12 pm

I am sorry to report that Hungarian International Arbiter and Grandmaster Istvan Csom died yesterday (28th July) at the age of 81.
Istvan was born on 2nd June 1940 in Hungary.
He was awarded the International Master title in 1967 and the Grandmaster title in 1973.
Istvan was Hungarian Champion in 1972 and 1973 (jointly).
His tournament victories include Olot 1973, Cleveland 1975, Olot 1975, Pula Zonal 1975, Berlin 1979, Copenhagen 1983, Jarvenpaa 1985 and Delhi 1987.
He played for the Hungarian team in seven Chess Olympiads (1968-1974, 1978-1982, 1986-1988).
Over the course of his career, Istvan defeated many top Grandmasters including Ulf Andersson, Boris Gulko, Lajos Portisch, Samuel Reshevsky, Rafael Vaganian and Artur Yusupov.
Istvan also defeated our own Tony Miles and Nigel Short
and the former World Champion Mikhail Tal.
RIP

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Matt Mackenzie
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Re: IA and GM Istvan Csom

Post by Matt Mackenzie » Thu Jul 29, 2021 1:31 pm

Was one of the Hungarian team that beat the USSR to gold medals in the 1978 Olympiad, which sent shockwaves across the chess world.
"Set up your attacks so that when the fire is out, it isn't out!" (H N Pillsbury)

Roger Lancaster
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Re: IA and GM Istvan Csom

Post by Roger Lancaster » Thu Jul 29, 2021 7:02 pm

At an only slightly less exalted level, he was top board for the Budapest Spartacus team which visited London en route to winning the European Club Cup in 1981. In round 2, the Hungarians - headed by GMs Csom and Farago - were paired against English champions Kings Head [Speelman, Cooper, Whiteley, Pigott, Rayner, Hillyard]. Matches took place over two days and, on the first, the visitors confirmed their status as favourites with a 4-2 win only to be rocked by an English recovery next day which, in taking the form of a 3.5-2.5 win, fell just short of what was needed. Otherwise only the Israeli team, in the final, managed to run the Hungarians that close. As one of the Kings Head reserves, as indeed was Nick Faulks, I can attest that the match - despite being played during the Cold War years - was played in a friendly [although naturally highly competitive] atmosphere.

Edit: On checking back, I was wrong in that Spartacus beat the Israelis in the semi-finals and it was the Russians, in the finals, who lost 6.5-5.5

David Sedgwick
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Re: IA and GM Istvan Csom

Post by David Sedgwick » Thu Jul 29, 2021 10:35 pm

Roger Lancaster wrote:
Thu Jul 29, 2021 7:02 pm
At an only slightly less exalted level, he was top board for the Budapest Spartacus team which visited London en route to winning the European Club Cup in 1981. In round 2, the Hungarians - headed by GMs Csom and Farago - were paired against English champions Kings Head [Speelman, Cooper, Whiteley, Pigott, Rayner, Hillyard]. Matches took place over two days and, on the first, the visitors confirmed their status as favourites with a 4-2 win only to be rocked by an English recovery next day which, in taking the form of a 3.5-2.5 win, fell just short of what was needed. Otherwise only the Israeli team, in the final, managed to run the Hungarians that close. As one of the Kings Head reserves, as indeed was Nick Faulks, I can attest that the match - despite being played during the Cold War years - was played in a friendly [although naturally highly competitive] atmosphere.

Edit: On checking back, I was wrong in that Spartacus beat the Israelis in the semi-finals and it was the Russians, in the finals, who lost 6.5-5.5
I remember that the Kings Head v Budapest Spartacus match featured in CHESS's obituary of Andrew Whiteley, to which you and I both contributed.

Chris Rice
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Re: IA and GM Istvan Csom

Post by Chris Rice » Sun Aug 01, 2021 11:42 pm

Article from chess.com with games and photos of a true legend.

James Plaskett
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Re: IA and GM Istvan Csom

Post by James Plaskett » Fri Sep 10, 2021 11:06 pm

R.I.P.
But Csom did NOT win Jaavenpa in 1985.
I did.

Chris Rice
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Re: IA and GM Istvan Csom

Post by Chris Rice » Sat Sep 11, 2021 1:11 am

James Plaskett wrote:
Fri Sep 10, 2021 11:06 pm
R.I.P.
But Csom did NOT win Jaavenpa in 1985.
I did.
Simon Rogers post above seems to have been a copy and paste from any number of sources, for example, a Chessbase article by Andre Schulz. I'm curious as I believe the tournament result was a three way tie with the two of you and Axel Ornstein, finishing on 7/9. Did they decide the winner by tie-break? Because Mega Database 2021 has the tournament result showing Ornstein with the highest TB of 27.25 and the highest Performance rating of 2610 and the games played between the three of you all ended in draws. Are any of these figures incorrect or was the winner decided some other way?

James Plaskett
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Re: IA and GM Istvan Csom

Post by James Plaskett » Thu Jan 13, 2022 11:31 am

I know Ornstein and I both won it. He making a GM norm thereby and I the title.
Also recall I was reading D.M.Thomas´novel The White Hotel throughout and it features "improvisatorices" including a girl improvising spontaneous poetry at a kind of Olympiad held by a Finnish lake. The chess tournament was held by a Finnish lake. 8)

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