A strange thing happened on the way to the Gedeon Barcza Memorial in Budapest. Even stranger things happened after the tournament started. It went all of one round before it fell apart for financial reasons. One of the players, Robert Ris of the Netherlands, tells the sad tale from his perspective in an open letter on TWIC. Basically the players ended up having to pay their own travel to and, abruptly, from Budapest, while the hotel was apparently stiffed for a few days before finally kicking the event and the players out when no money was forthcoming from organizer Gabor Pali.
Aside from his eponymous System -- involving playing g3 promptly, pretty much -- Barcza is most familiar to me from his book on the 1942 so-called European Championship, which took place in Munich at the height of WWII. Alekhine and Keres starred, with the world champion winning by a point over Keres thanks to a victory in their head-to-head matchup. Barcza's Wikipedia page has some career highlights. Not exactly a world-beater, but certainly the poor guy deserves better than having his name sullied by a catastrophe like this one.
Does someone have to call for a FIDE investigation that might lead to stripping a fraudulent and/or incompetent organizer of the ability to organize FIDE events? A few years ago they eventually came down pretty hard on Jean Paul Touze, who epically bungled the World Youth Games in Belfort in 2005.
http://chess.hu/hu/hirek.php#524
the official news from hungarian chess association - see for yourself. very interesting. i’m actually hungarian and i just don’t understand anything about this tournament…
Fischer-Barcza Sousse '67 was a sweet cherrybomb miniature, wonderful game.
Shameful. Throw the book at them.
Gabor Pali should be sent to prison.
Hmmm. Barcza wasn't a participant at Sousse 1967.
Clubfoot probably meant Fischer - Barczay, Sousse, 24 moves, Ruy Lopez. Similar name.
So did that guy get his 1000 Euros back? Forget FIDE isn't this a criminal matter? Cheating etc
FIDE should do something but we know FIDE already for too long and "legal" does not mean anything for them.
This is clearly Fraud and should be taken to civil courts.
Barcza is known for a famous win over Spassky (or was it Smyslov???), a signature victory for his g3 system.
not so famous if you don't even know who he beat or the year of the victory.
"Clubfoot probably meant Fischer - Barczay, Sousse, 24 moves, Ruy Lopez. Similar name."
Quite right. Sorry 'bout that.
Wow, imagine that. Having to pay your own travel and expenses. It's sad they got ripped off but whining about not getting a free meal ticket...
Playing in tournaments is their job. Do you have to pay hundreds of Euros to get to work every week?
Some of us, yes. Commuter vans, subways, busses.
Warranted criticism and legitimate complaints are not "whining". Expenses and appearance fees are part and parcel of chess tournaments. If you make promises, they should be kept.
You pay hundreds of Euros weekly for the subway?
If you read the letter of Postny
http://chessbase.com/newsdetail.asp?newsid=5342
closely, you might understand why that story happened.
Postny writes:
"I personally already played in his tournament in 2004 (category 9), also Sergey Erenburg played there, and the tournament was running more or less smoothly, even though we were running after Gabor Pali every day to get our appearence fees untill the end of last round."
As we might see from this quote, they had already bad experience with that guy. However, instead of telling to other chessplayers about this unreliable organizer, they preferred to come to his tournament again!
No wonder this story happened- nowadays professional chess players agree to play for any conditions, many times just for "bed and breakfast". No signed contracts, all based on "promises".
If you don't respect your job and yourself, don't expect others to respect you!
100% RIGHT!!!
That's why most of the 'normal GM's' left chess searching for dignity and showing self respect...
There are so many chess professional gipsies that so often humiliate themself without any self respect,and doing almost nothing for a better future...as to warn others about such great organisers...Nothing to do in April-so let's make a diet and run after a cheater organisers to pay us! A great sport! And if he can't pay us the conditions-what's the problem? We can maybe have a free night sleep in a friendly house and save few euros so we can comeback next year! Bravoo Postny,a real inspiration for any chess lover!
Bobby and Kasparov had to open there chess School to teach GM's how to get more respect and better payment for there job ,but considering this two complex selfish personalities...This is the mirror of the chess world!
Wake up sleepy lazy GM's and fight for rights before is too late....or maybe it is already?!
Jon, I think the game you are thinking of is probably Barcza-Smyslov, 1956 Olympiad, Moscow.
Perhaps the game is more famous for giving Hungary an Olympiad match victory over the USSR [the other three games were draws] - the first time the USSR ever lost an Olympiad match.
[Smyslov was a culprit in the next USSR Olympiad match loss, too (Tel Aviv, 1964). He lost as white vs Unzicker. Keres also lost, as black, to Schmid, thus giving the West Germans a sensational 3-1 win.
And, oh dear, a unique record!, Smyslov was also involved in the third USSR Olympiad match loss (at Skopje 1972, to Hungary). Although he didn't lose his individual game this time, his result wasn't too hot - a draw with white against Forintos.
Well, a bit off-topic, but sort of interesting.]
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