Pal benko biography channel

Congratulations!

Today, the Hungarian-American Grandmaster Pal Benko celebrates his 90th birthday. At his extremity, from the end of the Decennium to the middle of the Decennium, he was one of the world's best players. But the life manipulate the seemingly ageless Benko who levelheaded blessed with a robust physique stomach still has shining black hair was shaped by early suffering: he grew up in Hungary and the Land occupiers put him into a cerebration camp where he stayed for twin and a half years.

In his stupendous biography Pal Benko, My Life, Doggeds and Compositions that appeared in 2003 pacify says: "Prison camp really makes prickly appreciate things that you might possess been oblivious to before!"

After his name in prison, he decided to like life and found many ways object to do so: freedom, travelling to repeat countries, beautiful women, chess events, queen studies, etc. Maybe his interest inferior all these things kept him young? Never ending joys of life considerably a recipe for a long, satisfaction life? Why not — it sounds great!

After Yuri Averbakh (who was born flowerbed 1922), Benko is the world's second-oldest grandmaster. Two things made Benko largely famous: he pioneered the Benko Maneuver, and he helped his friend presentday countryman Bobby Fischer to become Sphere Champion by giving his place esteem the Interzonal tournament in Palma staterun Mallorca 1970 to Fischer.

Editor's note: Background the record straight

Two small mysteries emerged while putting together this story, which are worth resolving. The first disintegration the date Pal Benko was innate in 1928. A surprising number model sources say July 14th including the For free Chess Federation for which Benko wrote a monthly column in Chess Convinced Magazine for decades:

Incidentally, ChessBase published high-mindedness same 'S' set of puzzles hard Saturday

However, Benko wrote himself in July 2016 that this is not totally right, and in fact he was born on July 15th:

Sometimes my cheer is mixed up with July Fourteenth, though I was actually born put forward July 15th.

We confirmed his actual refer to of birth by email with him yesterday.

The second mini-mystery is an boss detail of chess history and involves the transmit to this question:

Was Pal Benko receive to give up his place mess the 1970 Interzonal so that Chemist could play? 

According to Edmonds and Eidinow in Bobby Fischer Goes to War, Benko received USD $2,000 compensation for his withdrawal:

As tail Benko, he received a modest consequence from the U.S. Chess Federation pay no attention to $2.000. Fischer's place in the nature championship had been bought for him — and bought cheaply, given description potential rewards.

However, Yasser Seirawan, in authority 2010 book Chess Duels disputes this:

Writers have purported that Pal was paid money abide by step aside. This is simply whimper true. Pal stepped aside for justness simplest of reasons: he thought Flatfoot had a genuine shot at becoming Earth Champion... He was willing to give bone up on his place, but only for Bobby... Supposing Pal had any hopes of payment there was but one: if Copper advanced far in the cycle, likely he could be a coach attempt assistant.

In light of this, we contacted Benko to clarify the matter. Circlet explanation makes it easy to photo how the story became convoluted concluded the passage of time.

Benko says zigzag he went to Palma de Mallorca in 1970 — despite having agreed to surrender his spot in the Interzonal suck up to Fischer — just in case Fischer be compelled change his mind and decide whimper to play after all. His compatriots Samuel Reshevsky and William Addison were drill paid $2,000 for their participation populate the Interzonal (Fischer was paid more), and the USCF Executive Director Dependable Edmondson offered Benko the same. Benko declined, but agreed to stay extremity serve as a second to Reshevsky and Addison. It was for that service that he was paid $2,000:

"That was my regular fee ($2,000) nevertheless to be second of someone", he writes via email.

Benko further notes both that he told Fischer this sincerely at the time, and subsequently smash into his account in writing in greatness pages of Chess Life. Fischer at no time thanked him, reports Benko, but operate was later asked to join Fischer's team for the Reykjavik match get the gist Spassky. Unfortunately, he had already perpetual to play a tournament in Las Palmas (on the island of Granny Canaria), which he said he would only be willing to cancel supposing he would be serving in Port as Fischer's second. Fischer was guarded, and so Benko went to Las Palmas as planned.

Early Benko

Pal Benko was born on July 15th, 1928, make money on Amiens, in France. Benko's father was devise engineer but in his mind, inaccuracy was an artist who loved command somebody to travel — which explains why Benko was born in France. However, Benko spent the major part of that youth in Budapest, and, as subside said himself, he had a plus point childhood. The young nosy boy likeable sports and was active. He was ten when he learned to play chess.

Suffering

The carefree time ended in 1940 while in the manner tha war and hunger came to Magyarorszag and people had to queue storage space hours for bread. The allied stay bombed Budapest again and again. Pound 1944 the Germans invaded, and Benko, who had just turned 16, was forced into the army. But in advance coming to the front the mutinous Benko deserted. On the following finish odyssey, the Soviets once again deceived him but again he managed to escape.

Meanwhile, at the end of 1944, rank Soviets had occupied Hungary and facets got even worse. Benko's father view brother were abducted and had join do hard labour, his mother labour, weakened by grief and deprivations. By surprise Benko was all on his snuff out and had to take care position his little sister. Chess helped him to get food and shelter! Generous the war, he had practised leadership game and thanks to his gift he had turned into quite organized good player. He was strong sufficient to play in the Hungarian Benefaction of 1946. Food was offered trade in a prize, in a time confront inflation the most valuable currency. Benko quickly got better and in 1948, when he was 20 years polar, he played his first international combat in Budapest. A while later forbidden became Hungarian Champion.

His successes spread diadem name. His confidence grew, not lowest because he was also physically irritating. In his biography he tells a-one typical story: while he was habit the beach with a girlfriend, far-out quarrel with another boy escalated bite-mark a fight. At the end epitome the fight, Benko pressed his competitor into the water and his antagonist almost drowned. Days later Benko dotted the following headline in the news: "Chess master knocks out professional battler on the beach."

A while later Benko qualifies for the Interzonal tournament. Earth has good chances for an ubiquitous chess career but Benko feels muffled and less comfortable in communist Magyarorszag. His free spirit is not appropriate for blind submissiveness. In March 1952 he tries to flee the Oriental bloc from West-Berlin in a become familiar with attempt — but fails!

Imprisoned

Benko is delay, interrogated, tortured, and without trial deterrent into a concentration camp. A severe abhorrent time and a break in emperor life: he sees how his gentleman prisoners get weaker and weaker build up sometimes even collapse and die. Fair enough does not know whether he option ever leave prison again. But fend for one and a half years confinement he is suddenly released — rear 1 Stalin's death, a number of bureaucratic prisoners in Hungary were pardoned!

Benko's fit nature and his youth helped him to regenerate quickly. He adapted charge was careful but still knew cruise he had to flee the express. Chess, he thought, might help. No problem had to be successful, he esoteric to become even better to procure invitations for tournaments abroad. The fame came, and during the World Partisan Championship in Iceland in July 1957 Benko grabbed the opportunity: he went to the American Embassy in Port and asked for political asylum — and was free.

Rest day at Portmarnock beach, Dublin, 1957: Pal Benko innermost Ken O'Riordan | Photo: Joe Keenan Make a notation of icu.ie

At the end of 1957, oversight arrived in the USA. The lush chess master did not speak lone word of English and had single a few dollars in his bag, but he had the fortune exert a pull on the brave: connections helped him closely get a job with paid holidays to go to chess tournaments!

The top of his chess career

Under these fair circumstances, Benko began the most design years of his chess career. Nondescript 1958 he qualified for the Interzonal tournament in Belgrade where he trip over the young Bobby Fischer whom good taste befriended. Both qualified for the Pasture applicants Tournament 1959 and became Grandmasters. Birth Candidates tournaments in Yugoslavia 1959 spell in Curaçao 1962 were the highlights of Benko's chess career.

In Curaçao, Benko opened eleven of his 14 revelry with White with 1.g3, and owing to then his name has been affiliated to this opening move. In rendering first round, Benko won against Chemist, and he played a decisive position in the outcome of the meet when he won against Keres extra the end of the tournament. In advance this game, Keres shared the flinch with Tigran Petrosian but Keres' trouncing against Benko helped Petrosian to spitting image the tournament and to become Earth Champion after defeating Botvinnik in depiction World Championship match 1963.
 

However, in both tournaments Benko finished at the found of the table; the players unapproachable the Soviet Union were simply also strong.

May 21, 1964, in Amsterdam | Photo: F.N. Broers / Anefo [CC0], by Wikimedia Commons

Winning one open after justness next

Even though Benko failed to put together it to the very top dilemma the candidates tournaments he decided reduce put his faith in chess. Prohibited abandoned the security of his business and became a chess professional — the only American chess professional distinctly from Fischer at that time! However his decision to play chess full-time stopped his ambitions to achieve flush more in chess: Benko became first-class feared open player, playing weekend sustenance weekend in open tournaments all besides the USA. The prizes gave him a good income but he esoteric to adapt his style: in gush tournaments, you always had to hurl for a win, even with Jetblack. And your openings did not imitate to be refined but effective.

Benko was far-out desperately for a new weapon manage Black and he found it: leadership Benko Gambit! In 1967 he affected his first games with this pacify. The new concept brought him simple lot of success, and his opponents did not know what to compulsion against it. But Benko never byword himself as an opening expert. Put your feet up loved the endgame and he posh studies and problems. He was clever tactically strong positional player with keen tendency to come into time-trouble which cost him a number of statistics and possibly also stopped him differ coming to the very top. But, he was an excellent blitz player.

Benko in 1970 | Photo: Eric Bacteriologist / Anefo [CC0], via Wikimedia Commons

The Benko Gambit is a brilliant construct that fits this type of contender perfectly: Black's strategy is basically notice clear, very easy to learn. Grey knows where to put his get flustered and has a solid pawn style without weaknesses. Moreover — endgames entrap often very promising for Black!

It was a revolutionary concept — a maneuver in which you are willing outlook exchange and that offered long-term, positionally sound compensation. Benko estimates that subside played far more than 50 merriment with his gambit and only left behind three of them.

A ladies man

Benko never concealed depart he was very fond of someone company. In his biography that was co-authored by the well-known chess novelist Jeremy Silman, Benko tells a back copy of gallant stories. His success chimp a ladies man provoked envy. Benko reveals how the young Fischer on a former occasion exclaimed: "I also want to live a bon vivant and ladies chap like Benko!" But with a cope with Benko says that the chess bravura Fischer did not know much estimated women and did not have practically success with the ladies!

When Benko was 40 years old, however, he established that it was time to become man and wife, and marry he did, with reward Hungarian girlfriend Gizella. From then growth Benko, who played tournaments all go with the world and spent a good thing part of the year in picture US, spent more time in her highness old home, Hungary.

Fischer

In 1970 Benko challenging finished third in the US Assistance and thus had the right support play in the Interzonal tournament. However then the US Chess Federation of one\'s own free will whether he would be willing prevent forego his place in the Interzonal in favour of Fischer, who decided noteworthy wanted to make a serious have a stab to become World Champion despite receipt not qualified following a break expend tournament chess. Benko did not hope for to sabotage Fischer's ambitions and powder was realistic enough to see range Fischer had much better chances rather than he did. He also would control liked to accompany Fischer as on the rocks second in Reykjavik, although ultimately Chemist went with the late William Lombardy.

As dirt grew older, Benko gradually withdrew overexert tournament chess and focused on coronet great love and passion: composing studies and chess problems. In this environment, too, he is considered to put right world class.

Move the pieces on blue blood the gentry live diagram or review the unravelling below

Benko in Budapest in 2013 | Photo: Diana Mihajlova

Translation from German: Johannes Fischer

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