Siegen Olympiad 1970

[JustinHorton]

There is, apparently, an old Keene/Levy book on this event. I wondered - do any forum readers have a copy? If so, can they tell me whether it includes the score of the Preliminary Group 4 (round seven) game between Patterson (Ireland) and Gheorghiu (Romania)?

(I'm aware that the score of this game is on databases - but I ask because I'm not convinced that it's necessarily correct.)

[Richard James]

Justin

I have the book, but the game you're looking for isn't there.

[John Upham]

Justin,

You are in luck. I have a mint copy of this book, dedicated to Erasmus Homberg and KLW (??).

There is a draw between Larsen and Patterson lasting 93 moves.

Sadly, the game you seek is not given.

These were days when being 2600 meant you were a title challenger and not just another player needing to be 2600 to be invited to tournaments.

Not everyone was over 2700...

Happy memories...

Is this the Olympiad in which one English team member turned up two weeks early, ran out of money and went home before it started!

[Richard James]

From what I remember, Erasmus Homburg was Ray Keene's cat. I never found who (or what) K.L.W. was.

[JustinHorton]

Thanks to all. There is a little mystery involving this game, which I hope to write about, perhaps next week.

I didn't know Ray liked cats. He's not all bad then.

[John Saunders]

Justin

You really are in luck... I have the book with all the bulletins of Siegen 1970. The game Patterson-Gheorghiu was played in round 2 of preliminary group 4 and ended in a draw after 66 moves. Mega Database has 14 moves of a completely different game! So your suspicions are justified. I'll get the real game keyed in and sent to you via email.

John

[JustinHorton]

John, that would be fantastic, many thanks.

[John Saunders]

Justin - the email address I have for you doesn't seem to work, so here is the PGN...

[Event "Siegen ol prelim-grp-4"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1970.09.06"]
[Round "2"]
[White "Patterson, Nicholas J"]
[Black "Gheorghiu, Florin"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "B33"]
[PlyCount "131"]
[EventDate "1970.09.??"]

1. e4 c5 2. Ne2 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 e5 6. Ndb5 h6 7. Nd6+ Bxd6 8.
Qxd6 Qe7 9. Qxe7+ Kxe7 10. b3 d6 11. Ba3 Be6 12. O-O-O Rhd8 13. Nd5+ Bxd5 14.
exd5 Nb8 15. f3 a5 16. c4 Na6 17. Kb1 Nd7 18. Bd3 Ndc5 19. g4 Nxd3 20. Rxd3
Rab8 21. Rc1 Rdc8 22. Rdd1 Kd7 23. h4 b5 24. cxb5 Nc7 25. b6 Nb5 26. Rxc8 Kxc8
27. Rc1+ Kd7 28. Bb2 Rxb6 29. Bc3 Nxc3+ 30. Rxc3 Rb5 31. Rd3 Rb4 32. h5 Rf4 33.
a3 g6 34. Kc2 gxh5 35. gxh5 f5 36. b4 axb4 37. axb4 Rxb4 38. Ra3 Rf4 39. Ra7+
Kd8 40. Rh7 Rxf3 41. Rxh6 Kc7 42. Rh8 Rh3 43. h6 Kb6 44. h7 Kb7 45. Kd2 f4 46.
Ke1 Rh2 47. Kf1 e4 48. Ke1 f3 49. Re8 Rxh7 50. Rxe4 Kb6 51. Rc4 Kb5 52. Rc6 Rh6
53. Kf2 Rf6 54. Rc3 Rf5 55. Rxf3 Rxd5 56. Ke2 Kc4 57. Rh3 Rd4 58. Rg3 Rh4 59.
Kd2 Rh2+ 60. Kd1 d5 61. Rf3 Kd4 62. Ra3 Rb2 63. Rh3 Kc4 64. Rh4+ d4 65. Rh3 Rg2
66. Rf3 {Source: Siegen bulletin} 1/2-1/2

[John Upham]

John,
What is the process for making corrections to Mega base etc?

This includes instances of the same player with several versions of their name.

Who does one contact to get a photo added for someone who currently resembles Mr. Swirl?

John

[JustinHorton]

Justin - the email address I have for you doesn't seem to work

John - many thanks again.

I'll PM you my email address - if there's a problem, let me know.

[John Saunders]

John

That's a good question. I'm not sure what the formal procedure is but, if you find errors in UK-based games, you could send the corrections to me and I will feature them in what I call 'Korrection Korner' on the Britbase website (http://www.saund.co.uk/britbase/). The people who compile ChessBase's Mega/Big Database seem to do a trawl round the web every year, updating their database, and Britbase is one place they regularly check. I post errors discovered in Mega Database there and I've noticed that in recent years the compilers usually act on them. They also scoop up any new games they find there (without giving any acknowledgement of the source, it has to be said).

As regards photos, I think they pay people for photos but I'm not sure if you could send them a self-portrait or pictures of your chessplaying mates and demand cash. No harm in trying, I suppose.

Re the Patterson-Gheorghiu game: I've just noticed that the correct score can be found on the estimable 'Starbase' commercial database which used to be a snip at £29.99 from the BCM Chess Shop. However, I'm not sure if you can easily get it in the UK these days. If you can source it from elsewhere, it could be worth the money. Although it is a complete mess as regards duplicates, the multiplicity of names, and the inclusion of lots of rubbishy online games, etc, in some significant ways it reaches the parts Mega Database doesn't reach. It's not a replacement for the Mega/Big database but it supplements it with lots of elderly but theoretically important games which the ChessBase offering doesn't have (perhaps because CB tend to concentrate on 'complete' tournaments rather than individual games).

On that theme... a few years ago an eagle-eyed BCM reader wrote in to say that quite a number of the so-called 'novelties' claimed in our pages were actually no such thing. On checking, I found he was right. What seemed to have happened was that some writers (including my good self!) had believed Mega Database when they gave a move as a novelty. The reader had consulted books and magazines and found precedents for some of the TNs. I then checked them against Starbase and it found a substantial number of the claimed novelties had precedents which had found their way into Starbase but not into Mega Database. Proving that there's nowt so new as what's been long forgotten... these days I always run a check against Starbase (and one or two other databases as well as Mega Database) when a writer dares to claim a novelty.

John S

[JustinHorton]

Chessbase used to have a magnificent photo of me, taken at Paignton, in which I resembled Frankenstein's monster. Unfortunately it long sincedisappeared, I don't know why.

[Jonathan Bryant]

... I then checked them against Starbase and it found a substantial number of the claimed novelties had precedents which had found their way into Starbase but not into Mega Database ....

Come now John. If they put all that rubbish into megabase how would they find room for all those oh so important girls under-8s games?

[JustinHorton]

Chessbase used to have a magnificent photo of me, taken at Paignton, in which I resembled Frankenstein's monster. Unfortunately it long since disappeared, I don't know why.

It's back!

[Greg Breed]

Chessbase used to have a magnificent photo of me, taken at Paignton, in which I resembled Frankenstein's monster.

Uncanny