1960-1969 Toronto Closed Championships

1960s

In 1962 Alexander Knox of the Scarborough Chess Club got things rolling organizing a swiss Toronto Closed, Team matches and the Canadian Open (won by Benko). 50 players played in five TCs. ’63 saw a 16 player round-robin played in one month, after that the TC was split into two or more sections, with the winner of the lower section qualifying for the top section the next year. Tournament reports to Canadian Chess Chat from ’66 were by Walter Dobrich who was a member of the U of T’s ’65 Intercollegiate Chess Championship. 72 players were in the ’66 Secondary School CC, Oakwood winning the Globe & Mail trophy. In ’67 Scarborough C.C. had grown to sixty members. Distinguished visitors included Fischer in ’64, Keres in 67, and Larsen in ’68.

Zoltan L. Sarosy, Canadian Correspondence Champion ’67, won the ’63 TC, and the ’68 TCR, being one of two people to have won both sections (the other is Dobrich). His score in the four TCs and one TCR was +25=12-13, 62%. In ’63 the top three got chess clocks, the next three sets. Sarosy was the Canadian distributor of Koopman clocks. John Kegel, Canadian Correspondence Champion ’66, won in ’66, tied for first in ’61 and his score in six TCs was +27=18-15, 60%. IM Zvonko Vranesic, Olympic Team member,Canadian Champion ’63 and rep in the Interzonal, won in ’67. His score in two TCs was +12=5-4, 69%. Dr. George Berner won in ’68. In the ’50s he was active in organizing chess at the U of T and Casa Loma. His score was +7=3-1, 77%. Geza Fuster, won in ’62, finished second in ’63, ’66, ’67, last in ’68 and won in ’69 and went on to win an IM title at the Canadian Closed. He scored the most wins. His score in the seven TCs was +39=7-21, 63% with one of the lowest drawing percentages 10% (versus 24% average). Apparently, he was often in time trouble by the 15th move.

By the end of the sixties young players Allan, Dobrich, Bruce Amos, and Paul Selick, from Saint John, were a strong force. Denis Allan was second in ’68 and his score in four TCs was +18=12-9, 62%. Bruce Amos score in three TCs was +11=13-8, 55% and he went on to win an IM title in Europe in ’69. Walter Dobrich score in three TCs and one TCR was +17=13-9, 60%. Jack Patty’s score in five TCs was +23=9-19, 54% (and played in three in the ’70s). Milan Zager, Toronto C.C. TD, also played in four TCs scoring +15=7-24, 40%. Alvin Zuntaks played in four TCs scoring +12=7-17, 43%. Organizer Tom Carleton played in 2 TC and 2 TCR, veteran Peter Avery played in one TC and 4 TCR. Russel Shurig and Scarborough C.C. Champion Bill Albin played in three TCR, high school organizer Mohan Rajagopal in two TCR. Hart House Board 1 player Dave Grimshaw has the record for the most draws with eight to finish second in ’67.

1969

Toronto Closed 1969 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Total
1 Geza Fuster 2210 X ½ ½ 1 1 0 1 1 0 1 1 7.0
2 Walter Dobrich 2194 ½ X ½ 1 1 ½ ½ ½ 0 1 1 6.5
3 Zvonko Vranesic 2250 ½ ½ X ½ 1 1 0 0 1 1 1 6.5
4 Denis Allan 2202 0 0 ½ X 1 ½ 1 ½ 1 1 1 6.5
5 Paul Selick 2127 0 0 0 0 X 1 1 1 1 1 1 6.0
6 Alex Panayotou 2088 1 ½ 0 ½ 0 X 0 1 1 1 1 6.0
7 John Kegel 2111 0 ½ 1 0 0 1 X ½ 1 ½ 1 5.5
8 Bruce Amos 2133 0 ½ 1 ½ 0 0 ½ X 1 ½ 1 5.0
9 Milan Zagar 1985 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 X ½ 1 3.5
10 Ian Hambleton 1991 0 0 0 0 0 0 ½ ½ ½ X 1 2.5
11 Tom Carleton (won ’68 R) 1916 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 X 0.0
  2110post  

1968

Toronto Closed 1968 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Total
1 Dr. George Berner 2234 X ½ ½ 1 0 1 ½ 1 1 1 1 1 8.5
2 Denis Allan 2136 ½ X ½ 1 ½ 0 1 1 1 1 ½ 1 8.0
3 Walter Dobrich 2032 ½ ½ X 1 1 ½ 1 1 1 0 0 ½ 7.0
4 F. Furstner 2013 0 0 0 X 0 ½ 1 1 1 1 1 1 6.5
5 Bruce Amos 2167 1 ½ 0 1 X 1 ½ ½ 0 1 0 ½ 6.0
6 John Kegel 2057 0 1 ½ ½ 0 X ½ 1 0 1 1 ½ 6.0
7 Alar Puhm 2079 ½ 0 0 0 ½ ½ X ½ 1 0 1 ½ 4.5
8 Milan Zagar 1980 0 0 0 0 ½ 0 ½ X 1 1 1 ½ 4.5
9 Paul Hyttinen (won ’67 R) 1909 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 X 1 0 1 4.0
10 Jack Patty 2090 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 X 1 1 4.0
11 Geza Fuster 2163 0 ½ 1 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 X 0 3.5
12 Alex Panayotou 2129 0 0 ½ 0 ½ ½ ½ ½ 0 0 1 X 3.5
  2077c  

1967

Toronto Closed 1967 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Total
1 Zvonko Vranesic 2336 X ½ 1 0 1 1 1 0 1 1 ½ 1 8.0
2 David Grimshaw 2184 ½ X ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ 1 ½ ½ 1 1 7.0
3 Geza Fuster 2137 0 ½ X 0 ½ 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 7.0
4 Bruce Amos 2145 1 ½ 1 X 1 0 ½ ½ ½ ½ 1 0 6.5
5 Denis Allan 2097 0 ½ ½ 0 X ½ ½ 1 0 1 1 1 6.0
6 Andrew Kalotay 2145 0 ½ 1 1 ½ X 0 ½ 0 ½ ½ 1 5.5
7 John Kegel 2102 0 ½ 0 ½ ½ 1 X ½ 1 0 ½ 1 5.5
8 Alvis Zuntaks 2068 1 0 0 ½ 0 ½ ½ X ½ 1 1 0 5.0
9 Jack Patty 2055 0 ½ 0 ½ 1 1 0 ½ X 1 0 ½ 5.0
10 Walter Dobrich (won ’66 R) 2060 0 ½ 0 ½ 0 ½ 1 0 0 X 1 ½ 4.0
11 Zoltan Sarosy 2012 ½ 0 0 0 0 ½ ½ 0 1 0 X 1 3.5
12 Milan Zagar 19xx 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 ½ ½ 0 X 3.0
  2111  

1966

Toronto Closed 1966 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Total
1 John Kegel 2098 X 1 1 0 ½ 1 1 1 5.5
2 Geza Fuster 2112 0 X 0 1 1 1 1 1 5.0
3 Zoltan Sarosy 2087 0 1 X 1 1 1 ½ ½ 5.0
4 Rudolph Draxl 2186 1 0 0 X 1 0 1 1 4.0
5 Denis Allan 2142 ½ 0 0 0 X 1 1 1 3.5
6 Jack Patty 2022 0 0 0 1 0 X 1 1 3.0
7 F. Furstner 2012 0 0 ½ 0 0 0 X 1 1.5
8 Alvis Zuntaks 1989 0 0 ½ 0 0 0 0 X 0.5
  2111  

1963

Toronto Closed 1963 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 Total
1 Zoltan Sarosy 2022 X ½ 1 ½ ½ ½ 1 1 1 1 1 0 ½ 1 1 1 10.5
2 Jack Patty 2094 ½ X 1 1 1 ½ 1 1 1 ½ 0 0 ½ 1 1 1 10.0
3 Geza Fuster 2122 0 0 X 1 ½ 1 1 1 1 0 1 1 1 ½ 1 0 10.0
4 John Kegel 1958 ½ 0 0 X 1 1 ½ 1 1 ½ 1 0 ½ 1 1   9.0
5 M. Bodetic unr. ½ 0 ½ 0 X 1 1 0 0 1 1 1 1 1 1   9.0
6 Jacob Katz 2003 ½ ½ 0 0 0 X 1 1 0 + ½ 1 1 1 1 1 8.5
7 Milan Zagar 1983 0 0 0 ½ 0 0 X 1 0 1 1 1 1 1 1   7.5
8 J. Greenberg 2000 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 X 1 1 1 1 1 1 ½ 1 7.5
9 A. Hoffman unr. 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 0 X ½ 1 ½ ½ 1 0 1 6.5
10 R. O’Brien unr. 0 ½ 1 ½ 0 0 0 ½ X 0 + ½ 1 ½   5.5
11 Howard Ridout 1903 0 1 0 0 0 ½ 0 0 0 1 X + 1 0 1 ½ 5.5
12 Alvis Zuntaks 1967 1 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 ½ X 1 1   5.5
13 Andrew Pressburger unr. ½ ½ 0 ½ 0 0 0 0 ½ ½ 0 0 X 0 1   3.5
14 A. Patrick unr. 0 0 ½ 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 X 1   3.5
15 Peter Avery 1928 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 ½ 1 ½ 0 + 0 0 X   3.0
16 Zoltan Leskowsky unr. 0 0 1     0   0 0   ½         X 1.5
  2111 (unr. could be below 1900, not published)

1961

Toronto Closed 1961 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Total
1 John Kegel   X ½ 1 0 1 1 0 1 4.5
2 Alvis Zuntaks   ½ X 0 1 1 0 1 1 4.5
3 Jack Patty 2047 0 1 X 0 1 1 ½ 1 4.5
4 Geza Fuster 2192 1 0 1 X 0 1 1 0 4.0
5 H. Anto   0 0 0 1 X ½ 1 1 3.5
6 Zoltan Sarosy   0 1 0 0 ½ X ½ 1 3.0
7 Earl Jewitt   1 0 ½ 0 0 ½ X 1 3.0
8 Zoltan Leskowsky   0 0 0 1 0 0 0 X 1.0
     

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