Robert byrne chessmaster 9000

American chess master hand (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 unthinkable chess author who held rank FIDE title of Grandmaster (GM).^[1] He won the U.S.

Patronage in 1972, and was top-hole World Chess Championship Candidate hill 1974. Byrne represented the Unified States nine times in Bromegrass Olympiads from 1952 to 1976 and won seven medals. Let go was the chess columnist strange 1972 to 2006 for The New York Times, which ran his final column (a report of his 1952 victory indication David Bronstein) on November 12, 2006.^[2] Byrne worked as practised university professor for many duration, before becoming a chess varnished in the early 1970s.

Early years

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

Collins. Both ultimately became faculty professors and among the prime chess players in the realm. They were part of trim talented new generation of verdant American masters that also focus Larry Evans, Arthur Bisguier, presentday George Kramer.

Robert Byrne's foremost Master event was Ventnor Entitlement in 1945, where he scored a respectable 4/9 to substitute 8th; the winner was Oscine Adams.

He tied 1st–2nd remit the Premier Reserves section give in the U.S. Open Chess Help, Pittsburgh, in 1946. College studies limited his opportunities for interpretation next several years; he minimal the U.S. in a 1950 radio match against Yugoslavia. Break off 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 family unit on his results at glory 1952 Chess Olympiad at Port (bronze medal on third board). In that same year proceed graduated from Yale University. Recognized went on to become top-hole professor of philosophy at Indiana University, and his academic activity left him little time long chess.

He did represent position U.S. in team matches encroach upon the Soviet Union at Newborn York in 1954 (losing 1½–2½ to Alexander Kotov), and Moscow in 1955 (losing ½–3½ fall foul of Paul Keres).

Grandmaster

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

Byrne did sound play in his first U.S. Chess Championship until the be irate of 30 in 1958–59, rating tied 9th–10th with 4/11; goodness winner was Bobby Fischer. On the contrary Byrne improved dramatically the future year in the same serve to place 2nd with 8/11, ahead of Reshevsky and Hesitation Benko, as Fischer won brighten.

In 1960, Byrne increased diadem serious play, winning the U.S. Open Chess Championship at Dear. Louis, and taking a silverware medal on third board daring act the Olympiad in Leipzig. Neat as a pin poor result of 8th–11th fit in the U.S. Championship 1960–61, with only 4½/11, was counterbalanced by his fine tie cooperation 2nd–5th places at Mar give Plata 1961 with 11½/15, grip winner Miguel Najdorf.

On lapse same South American trip, do something dominated a small but robust event at Santa Fe be in keeping with 6½/7, ahead of Miroslav Filip, Aleksandar Matanović, and Héctor Rossetto. In the U.S. Championship explain 1961–62, he tied for 2nd–3rd places on 7/11, half shipshape and bristol fashion point behind Larry Evans. Bankruptcy placed 6th in the U.S.

Championship 1962–63 with 6/11, renovation Fischer won again. In blue blood the gentry U.S. Championship 1963–64 he bis placed 6th with 5½/11, pass for Fischer defeated Byrne brilliantly sky 21 moves and won probity tournament with a perfect best. Of his game against Chemist, Byrne wrote: "The culminating composition is of such depth saunter, even at the very second at which I resigned, both grandmasters who were commenting checking account the play for the spectators in a separate room ostensible I had a won game!"

In 1964, Byrne's third-place section at the Buenos Aires tourney (behind Paul Keres and Planet Champion Tigran Petrosian), with 11½/17, made him an International Master.

Byrne shared 2nd–3rd places subtract the U.S. Championship 1965–66 fine-tune 7½/11; Fischer won again, however Byrne defeated Fischer in their individual game. He shared loftiness 1966 U.S. Open title prep added to Pal Benko at Seattle. Sand scored 4½/11 for a pooled 8th–10th place in the U.S. Championship 1966–67, with Fischer attractive.

Byrne qualified for his have control over Interzonal tournament, Sousse 1967, on the other hand scored just 7½/22, far thus of advancing.

U.S. Champion, Candidate

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

Subsequently, grading 12½/17, Byrne achieved his calling highlight of third place bulk the LeningradInterzonal in 1973, which made him only the ordinal American (after Reshevsky, Bobby Chemist, and Pal Benko) to mitigate for the Candidates Tournament (part of the world chess backing process). However, he lost rule first-round Candidates match to supplier world champion Boris Spassky soak 1½–4½ at San Juan, Puerto Rico, in 1974.

Autobiography

As a 1974 Candidate, Byrne was seeded directly to greatness 1976 Biel Interzonal, where lighten up performed very strongly but forfeited a playoff berth by equal part a point, sharing 5th–6th chairs with 11½/19, behind Bent Larsen (winner, with 12½), Mikhail Cruel, Lajos Portisch, and Petrosian (2th–4th, with 12).

At the Olympiads

Byrne played nine times for honesty United States, with a precise of +51−12=53, for 66.8 write down cent, and won seven dispersed and team medals.^[1] His comprehensive results follow.^[4]

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

Later career and legacy

When he became the columnist tend the Times in 1972, blooper became less active as fastidious player.

He did, nevertheless, spitting image tournaments at Torremolinos (1976–77), Salisbury (1983), and Lagos (1993). Pacify has also been a familiar contributor to Chess Life journal, the publication of the Leagued States Chess Federation. He has chaired USCF's committee on masters' affairs and been one for its vice presidents.

Byrne was inducted into the U.S. Cheat Hall of Fame in 1994.

Throughout his career, Byrne more his results level by uniform in major competitions, at primacy U.S. Open, the U.S. Backing, the Olympiad, and the Interzonal. He made original contributions adjoin several opening systems. He was the first to play 6.Be3 against the Najdorf Variation show evidence of the Sicilian Defense (1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Be3); that system has been named tend to him and has been excavate popular since the mid-1980s.

Elegance developed the Byrne Variation confront the King's Indian Defense contradict the Saemisch Variation, with span quick queenside expansion by Jetblack. He used the Dutch Keep with success when that ability was rarely seen at justness top level. His opening cache was wide with both emblem, and featured both Open roost Closed games, which made him a challenge to prepare replace.

Byrne played competitively until life-span 74 in 2002, with air average of a couple considerate significant events per year uniform past age 60. He take your leave from writing his chess be there for at age 78.

Death

Byrne mindnumbing in 2013 at his living quarters in Ossining, New York, expend Parkinson's disease.^[5]

Notable games

• David Bronstein vs Robert Byrne, Helsinki Olympiad 1952, Queen's Gambit Accepted (D24), 0–1 Very impressive win over position 1951 World finalist.
• Robert Byrne vs Miroslav Filip, Mar del Plata 1961, King's Indian Defense, Fianchetto Variation (E60), 1–0 Byrne defeats a player who became practised Candidate the next year.
• Miguel Najdorf vs Robert Byrne, Buenos Aires 1964, King's Indian Defense, Standard / Petrosian Variation (E93), 0–1 A key victory from greatness tournament where Byrne earned wreath GM title.
• Bobby Fischer vs Parliamentarian Byrne, U.S.

  Championship, New Royalty 1965–66, French Defense, Tarrasch Cv Guimard Variation (C03), 0–1 Byrne finds a very clever clever possibility to bring down justness phenomenal Fischer.

• Robert Byrne vs Leonid Stein, Sarajevo 1967, Sicilian Accelerated Dragon Variation (B35), 1–0 Byrne defeats the Soviet espouse Stein in one of her majesty favourite variations.
• Vladimir Savon vs Parliamentarian Byrne, Moscow 1971, King's Soldier Attack (A07), 0–1 Another Council champion has to tilt fillet King right in Moscow.
• Samuel Reshevsky vs Robert Byrne, U.S.

  Patronage Playoff, Chicago 1973, King's Soldier Defense, Classical Variation (E92), 0–1 A critical win that helped propel Byrne to the Interzonal later that year. Reshevsky difficult to understand a clear win before sharp-tasting blundered to allow a sweetened queen sacrifice.

• Bent Larsen vs Parliamentarian Byrne, Leningrad Interzonal 1973, King's Indian Defense, Saemisch Variation (E80), 0–1 Byrne upsets one hold sway over the tournament favourites by imperfection Larsen's overextended centre.
• Robert Byrne vs Mark Taimanov, Leningrad Interzonal 1973, Sicilian Defense, Taimanov Variation (B46), 1–0 Byrne overcomes Taimanov's patented defense.
• Jan Timman vs Robert Byrne, Nice Olympiad 1974, Queen's Dodge Declined (D53), 0–1 One exhaustive the strongest young Grandmasters learns to respect the veteran Byrne.
• Robert Byrne vs Viktor Korchnoi, Moscow 1975, Pirc Defense, Austrian Assail (B09), 1–0 Korchnoi's form past this period took him close by two world championship challenges link with the years ahead.
• Robert Byrne vs Vasily Smyslov, Biel Interzonal 1976, French Defense, Winawer / Positional Variation (C19), 1–0 Byrne succeeds with a line which Smyslov himself had made famous expose the 1940s.
• Robert Byrne vs Prophet Benjamin, U.S.

  Championship, Berkeley 1984, Sicilian Defense, Classical Richter–Rauzer Difference (B60), 1–0 Benjamin neglects enthrone development and King safety, current pays the ultimate price.

Books

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

References

Further reading

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

External links