The 1948 Interzonal tournament was a major qualification event for the 1951 World Chess Championship, held in

Saltsjöbaden Saltsjöbaden is a locality in Nacka Municipality, Stockholm County, Sweden with 9,491 inhabitants in 2010. It is on the Baltic Sea coast, deep in the Stockholm Archipelago. History Saltsjöbaden () was developed as a resort by Knut Agathon W ...

, Sweden from 16 July to 14 August in 1948. It was the first

Interzonal Interzonal chess tournaments were tournaments organized by the World Chess Federation FIDE from the 1950s to the 1990s. They were a stage in the triennial World Chess Championship cycle and were held after the Zonal tournaments, and before the Ca ...

tournament organised by

FIDE The International Chess Federation or World Chess Federation, commonly referred to by its French acronym FIDE ( , ), is an international organization based in Switzerland that connects the various national chess federations and acts as the Spor ...

, which was at the time emerging as the game's international governing body. The 20 player

round robin tournament A round-robin tournament or all-play-all tournament is a competition format in which each contestant meets every other participant, usually in turn.''Webster's Third New International Dictionary of the English Language, Unabridged'' (1971, G. & ...

was won by

David Bronstein David Ionovich Bronstein (; February 19, 1924 – December 5, 2006) was a Soviet chess player. Awarded the title of International Grandmaster by FIDE in 1950, he narrowly missed becoming World Chess Champion in World Chess Championship 195 ...

, who along with seven other players advanced to the 1950 Candidates Tournament.

Organization

Following the death of World Champion

Alexander Alekhine Alexander Aleksandrovich Alekhine. He disliked when Russians sometimes pronounced the of as , , which he regarded as a Yiddish distortion of his name, and insisted that the correct Russian pronunciation was . (March 24, 1946) was a Russian ...

in March 1946, FIDE endeavoured to take over administration of the

World Chess Championship The World Chess Championship is played to determine the world champion in chess. The current world champion is Gukesh Dommaraju, who defeated the previous champion Ding Liren in the World Chess Championship 2024, 2024 World Chess Championship. ...

. Previously, all world championship matches had been privately organized with no formal qualification process. The process of organizing the new World Championship cycle ran into numerous problems in the chaotic post-war environment. In a 1946 meeting in

The Hague The Hague ( ) is the capital city of the South Holland province of the Netherlands. With a population of over half a million, it is the third-largest city in the Netherlands. Situated on the west coast facing the North Sea, The Hague is the c ...

, in addition to making plans for a multi-player World Championship tournament, FIDE formulated the plan to hold eight Zonal tournaments, with the winners of these events advancing to a new tournament, dubbed the "Interzonal". The top five players from the Interzonal were to advance to the

Candidates Tournament The Candidates Tournament (or in some periods Candidates Matches) is a chess tournament organized by FIDE, chess's international governing body, since 1950, as the final contest to determine the challenger for the World Chess Championship. The win ...

alongside the five unsuccessful participants of the upcoming World Championship tournament. The United States were invited to send two players to the World Championship; it was assumed at the time that

Samuel Reshevsky Samuel Herman Reshevsky (born Szmul Rzeszewski; November 26, 1911 – April 4, 1992) was a Polish chess prodigy and later a leading American chess grandmaster. He was a contender for the World Chess Championship from the mid 1930s to the late 1 ...

and

Reuben Fine Reuben C. Fine (October 11, 1914 – March 26, 1993) was an American chess player, psychologist, university professor, and author of many books on both chess and psychology. He was one of the strongest chess players in the world from the mi ...

, leading grandmasters and participants in the 1938 AVRO tournament, would be chosen. However, there was a feeling within the

United States Chess Federation The United States Chess Federation (also known as US Chess or USCF) is the governing body for chess competition in the United States and represents the U.S. in FIDE, The World Chess Federation (FIDE). USCF administers the official national Chess ...

that they should have the right to determine their own selection process, and they decided to send the top two players from the 1946 U.S. Championship. Fine was unable to participate in this event due to his studies, and Reshevsky won the tournament by a 2½ point margin from

Isaac Kashdan Isaac Kashdan (November 19, 1905, in New York City – February 20, 1985, in Los Angeles) was an American chess grandmaster and chess writer. He was twice U.S. Open champion (1938, 1947). He played five times for the United States in chess Oly ...

. It was later decided that Fine would be allowed to play in the World Championship after all, and Kashdan would be treated as the qualifier from the United States Zonal. The first Zonal event, covering most of Europe, was held in

Hilversum Hilversum () is a List of cities in the Netherlands by province, city and List of municipalities of the Netherlands, municipality in the Provinces of the Netherlands, province of North Holland, Netherlands. Located in the heart of the Gooi, it is ...

, Netherlands in July 1947. The Belgian champion Albéric O'Kelly was the surprise winner, ahead of more fancied players such as

Petar Trifunović Petar Trifunović (31 August 1910 – 8 December 1980) was a Yugoslav and Serbian chess player, who was awarded the international grandmaster title, and was a five-time Yugoslav champion. Chess career Yugoslavia was for ...

Luděk Pachman Luděk Pachman (German: Ludek Pachmann, May 11, 1924 – March 6, 2003) was a Czechoslovak-German chess grandmaster, chess writer, and political activist. In 1972, after being imprisoned and tortured almost to death by the Communist regime i ...

and László Szabó. The 1947

Nordic Chess Championship The Nordic Chess Championship (''Nordiska Schackkongressen'') is a biennial chess tournament which determines the champion of the Nordic countries. The first edition took place in Stockholm in 1897. History The winners in the Nordic Championship in ...

Helsinki Helsinki () is the Capital city, capital and most populous List of cities and towns in Finland, city in Finland. It is on the shore of the Gulf of Finland and is the seat of southern Finland's Uusimaa region. About people live in the municipali ...

was treated as a Zonal event for World Championship qualification purposes. This event finished in a tie for first place between

Eero Böök Eero Einar Böök (9 February 1910 – 7 January 1990) was a Finnish chess player and engineer. Chess career A five-time Finnish champion who represented his country six times in the Chess Olympiad, Böök was awarded the International Master ...

and

Gösta Stoltz Gösta Stoltz (May 9, 1904 – July 25, 1963) was a Swedish chess Grandmaster (chess), grandmaster. Stoltz won the Swedish championships at Halmstad 1951, Hålland 1952, and Örebro 1953. He was awarded the International Master title in 1950, and t ...

. The two played an eight-game play-off match, which however also resulted in a tie with one win apiece. Böök was declared the winner due to his superior Sonneborn-Berger score. The 1947

Canadian championship The Canadian Championship () is an annual soccer tournament contested by Canadian professional teams. The winner is awarded the Voyageurs Cup and a berth in the CONCACAF Champions Cup. It is contested by Major League Soccer sides Toronto FC, Va ...

, won by

Daniel Yanofsky Daniel Abraham "Abe" Yanofsky (March 25, 1925 – March 5, 2000) was a Canadian chess player, chess arbiter, writer, lawyer, and politician. An eight-time Canadian chess champion, Yanofsky was Canada's first grandmaster and the first grandmaste ...

, was also treated as a Zonal event, however no other Zonals were organised. Eventually it was decided to hold a ballot among FIDE delegates to determine the make-up of the tournament. From this, a list of sixteen players was created to join O'Kelly, Kashdan, Böök and Yanofsky. In order of selection, the following players were nominated: :

Miguel Najdorf Miguel Najdorf ( ; born Mojsze Mendel Najdorf; 15 April 1910 – 4 July 1997) was a Polish-Argentine chess grandmaster. Originally from Poland, he was in Argentina when World War II began in 1939, and he stayed and settled there. He was a leadin ...

Isaac Boleslavsky Isaac Yefremovich Boleslavsky (, ; 9 June 1919 – 15 February 1977) was a Soviet chess grandmaster and writer. Early career Born in Zolotonosha in Ukraine to Jewish parents, Boleslavsky taught himself chess at age nine. In 1933, he became sch ...

Gideon Ståhlberg Anders Gideon Tom Ståhlberg (26 January 1908 – 26 May 1967) was a Swedish chess player. He was among the inaugural recipients of the title International Grandmaster from FIDE in 1950. He won the Swedish Chess Championship of 1927, became No ...

Salo Flohr Salomon Mikhailovich Flohr (November 21, 1908 – July 18, 1983) was a Czechoslovak and Soviet chess player and writer. He was among the first recipients of the title International Grandmaster from FIDE in 1950. Flohr dominated many tournam ...

, László Szabó,

Alexander Kotov Alexander Alexandrovich Kotov (Алекса́ндр Алекса́ндрович Ко́тов; ( – 8 January 1981) was a Soviet chess International Grandmaster, grandmaster and author. He was a Soviet chess champion, a two-time world title Cand ...

Viacheslav Ragozin Viacheslav Vasilyevich Ragozin (; 8 October 1908 – 11 March 1962) was a Soviet chess player, writer and editor. He was world champion in correspondence chess and held the title of Grandmaster in both over-the-board and correspondence chess. ...

Arnold Denker Arnold Sheldon Denker (February 21, 1914 – January 2, 2005) was an American chess player and author. He was U.S. champion in 1944 and 1946. In later years he served in various chess organizations, receiving recognition from the United States ...

Igor Bondarevsky Igor Zakharovich Bondarevsky (; May 12, 1913 – June 14, 1979) was a Soviet Russian chess player, trainer, and chess author. He held the title of Grandmaster in both over-the-board and correspondence chess. Bondarevsky shared the 1940 Soviet t ...

Lajos Steiner Lajos Steiner (14 June 1903, in Nagyvárad ( Oradea) – 22 April 1975, in Sydney) was a Hungarian–born Australian chess master. Steiner was one of four children of Bernat Steiner, a mathematics teacher, and his wife Cecilia (née Schwarz) ...

Erich Eliskases Erich Gottlieb Eliskases (15 February 1913 – 2 February 1997) was a chess player who represented Austria, Germany and Argentina in international competition. In the late 1930s he was considered a potential contender for the World Championship. ...

Svetozar Gligorić Svetozar Gligorić ( sr-Cyrl, Светозар Глигорић; 2 February 1923 – 14 August 2012) was a Serbian and Yugoslav chess grandmaster and musician. He won the championship of Yugoslavia a record 11 times, and is considered the best ...

Savielly Tartakower Savielly Tartakower (also known as ''Xavier'' or ''Ksawery'' ''Tartakower'', less often ''Tartacover'' or ''Tartakover''; 21 February 1887 – 4 February 1956) was a Polish chess player. He was awarded the title of Grandmaster (chess), Internatio ...

In addition an extensive reserve list was created to cater for the inevitable withdrawals: :

Andor Lilienthal Andor (André, Andre, Andrei) Arnoldovich Lilienthal Reuben Fine, ''The World's Great Chess Games'', Dover Publications, 1983, p. 216. . (5 May 1911 – 8 May 2010) was a Hungarian and Soviet chess player. In his long career, he played against ...

, I. A. Horowitz,

Erik Lundin Erik Ruben Lundin (2 July 1904 – 5 December 1988) was a Swedish chess master. In 1928, he won in Oslo, took 5th in Helsingborg, tied for 2nd-3rd in Stockholm (''Quadrangular'', Richard Réti won). In 1929, he took 2nd in Gothenburg (Nordic Ch ...

Folke Ekström Nils Johan Folke Ekström (12 October 1906, in Lund – 25 January 2000, in Saltsjobaden) was a Swedish International Master (IM) of chess and of correspondence chess (IMC). He won the Swedish Championships in 1947 and 1948; Swedish Correspondenc ...

Ossip Bernstein Ossip Samoilovich Bernstein (20 September 1882 – 30 November 1962) was a French chess player and businessman. He was one of the inaugural recipients of the title Grandmaster (chess), International Grandmaster from FIDE in 1950. Biography Born ...

, C. H. O'D. Alexander,

Vasja Pirc Vasja Pirc ( ; ) (December 19, 1907 – June 2, 1980) was a Yugoslav chess player. He is best known in competitive chess circles as a strong exponent of the hypermodern defense now generally known as the Pirc Defence. Pirc was champion of Yugo ...

Vladas Mikėnas Vladas Mikėnas (17 April 1910 – 3 November 1992) was a Lithuanian and Soviet chess player and journalist. He was awarded the titles of International Master and Honorary Grandmaster by FIDE. Early career Vladas Mikėnas played for Lithuani ...

Alexander Tolush Alexander Kazimirovich Tolush (1 May 1910 – 3 March 1969) was a Soviet chess grandmaster. He was one of Boris Spassky's mentors. Tolush was born and died in Saint Petersburg (in 1969 called Leningrad). He earned the title of International Ma ...

Jan Foltys Jan Foltys (13 October 1908 – 11 March 1952) was a Czech chess International Master. Biography Foltys was born on 13 October 1908 in Svinov. In 1933, he tied for 8-12th in Mnichovo Hradiště (13th Czech championships). In 1933, he tied for ...

Julio Bolbochán Julio Bolbochán (20 March 1920 – 28 June 1996) was the Argentine chess champion in 1946 and 1948. Career He learned the game from his older brother, Jacobo Bolbochán, later an International Master. He represented Argentina in seven Chess ...

Hermann Pilnik Hermann Pilnik (8 January 1914, Stuttgart, Germany – 12 November 1981, Caracas, Venezuela) was a German Argentines, German-born Argentine chess Grandmaster (chess), Grandmaster. Career In 1929, he won the championship of Stuttgart. Pilnik emi ...

Esteban Canal Esteban Canal (April 19, 1896 – February 14, 1981) was a leading Peruvian chess player who had his best tournament results in the 1920s and 1930s. Born in Chiclayo, Peru, he later lived in Italy, and died in Varese. As a chess player Canal wa ...

Nikolay Novotelnov Nikolay Novotelnov (; 14 December 1911, Saint Petersburg – 30 December 2006, Saint Petersburg) was Russian chess International Master (1951) and author. He was champion of Leningrad and won Russian Federated Republics championship in 1947. He w ...

Olaf Barda Olaf Barda (17 August 1909 – 2 May 1971 in Oslo), born Olaf M. Olsen, was a Norwegian chess player. He was the first Norwegian awarded the chess title of International Master, which he received in 1952. Barda won the Norwegian Chess Champion ...

, Jens Enevoldsen, Miguel Alemán Dovo''British Chess Magazine'', July 1948, p239 Players or their federations were required to finance their own travel and accommodation. In the end, O'Kelly, Kashdan, Denker, and Eliskases withdrew. They were replaced by Lilienthal, Stoltz, Lundin and Pirc. Horowitz also declined a place; it is unclear why Pirc was accepted ahead of Ekström, Bernstein and Alexander.

Result

Najdorf was the pre-tournament favourite, and many believed he should have been invited to play in the 1948 World Championship tournament. However, he was in poor form; in round 4 he failed to win a won pawn endgame against Kotov, and in round 5 he lost quickly to Lilienthal, who won a brilliancy prize for his effort. Szabó led for most of the tournament but stumbled towards the end. His loss in the final round to tail-ender Lundin allowed Bronstein to overtake him and win the tournament. : Originally five players were to advance to the Candidates tournament. Following the withdrawal of Reshevsky, Fine and Euwe, this number was increased to eight. The four players who tied for sixth place were to have played off for three spots in the Candidates tournament, but Bondarevsky had to withdraw due to illness, so the other three qualified automatically. According to some accounts, all four players plus Trifunović were originally invited to play in the Candidates Tournament, however following Bondarevsky's withdrawal Trifunović was "uninvited" in order to keep the numbers even.

References

External links

Mark Weeks, ''The World Chess Championship Zonals 1948-1951 (C01)''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Interzonal tournament, Saltsjobaden 1948 Interzonal chess tournaments 1948 in chess Chess in Sweden 1948 in Swedish sport Saltsjöbaden 20th century in Stockholm County