Lone Pine International was a series of

chess Chess is a board game for two players. It is an abstract strategy game that involves Perfect information, no hidden information and no elements of game of chance, chance. It is played on a square chessboard, board consisting of 64 squares arran ...

tournaments A tournament is a competition involving at least three competitors, all participating in a sport or game. More specifically, the term may be used in either of two overlapping senses: # One or more competitions held at a single venue and concentr ...

held annually in March or April from 1971 through 1981 in Lone Pine,

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

. The tournaments were formally known as the Louis D. Statham Masters, named after sponsor Louis D. Statham (1907–1983), an engineer and millionaire inventor of medical instruments who was also a Los Angeles-based chess aficionado. The events were seven- to ten-round

Swiss system tournament A Swiss-system tournament is a non-eliminating tournament format that features a fixed number of rounds of competition, but considerably fewer than for a round-robin tournament; thus each competitor (team or individual) does not play all the other ...

s, with entrance requirements that made them the strongest recurring Swiss tournaments in the U.S. in the 1980s. Grandmaster Isaac Kashdan served as the

tournament director A tournament director (TD) is an official at a competitive sporting or gaming event, who typically perform a number of key functions. The extent of the tournament director's duties varies depending on the size of the tournament, the nature of the ...

Summary

Tournaments

1971

The first Louis D. Statham tournament was open to all USCF masters (rated 2200+) and Experts (rated 2000–2199). The field of 33 had an average

Elo rating The Elo rating system is a method for calculating the relative skill levels of players in zero-sum games such as chess or esports. It is named after its creator Arpad Elo, a Hungarian-American chess master and physics professor. The Elo system wa ...

of 2190. Grandmaster Larry Evans (USA) won the $1000 first prize in the seven-round event with the score 6–1. Second place was a four-way tie among

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 ...

(Yugoslavia), James Tarjan (USA), William Martz (USA), and

Walter Browne Walter Shawn Browne (10 January 1949 – 24 June 2015) was an Australian-born American chess and poker player. Awarded the title Grandmaster (GM) by FIDE in 1970, he won the U.S. Chess Championship six times. Early years Browne was born to ...

(USA) with 5 points each.

1972

For the second year of the tournament, eligibility requirements were increased slightly. Expert rating was required for juniors (under age twenty-one); adults needed to be masters. The field of 35 had an average rating of 2262. GM

(

Yugoslavia , common_name = Yugoslavia , life_span = 1918–19921941–1945: World War II in Yugoslavia#Axis invasion and dismemberment of Yugoslavia, Axis occupation , p1 = Kingdom of SerbiaSerbia , flag_p ...

) won the $2000 first prize in the seven-round event with the score 6–1. Second place was a four-way tie at 5–2 among James Tarjan, Anthony Saidy, Andrew Karklins, and Paul Brandts (all USA).

1973

The third year of the tournament, masters were allowed as well as any juniors with a rating over 2100. The field grew to 48, with an average rating of 2322. GM Arthur Bisguier (USA) won with the score 6–1. Second–third places with 5½–1½ were

(USA) and László Szabó (Hungary). Next at 5–2 were

Edward Formanek Edward William Formanek (born May 6, 1942). is an American mathematician and chess player. He is a professor emeritus of mathematics at Pennsylvania State University,.. and a FIDE International Master in chess.

(USA), John Grefe (USA), and Tony Miles (England).

1974

In the fourth tournament, for the first time an Expert rating was not sufficient for entrance, even for juniors. Also for the first time some masters were also excluded, as any player who was not a junior required a rating of 2250 or more or the

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 ...

International Master FIDE titles are awarded by the international chess governing body FIDE (''Fédération Internationale des Échecs'') for outstanding performance. The highest such title is Grandmaster (GM). Titles generally require a combination of Elo rating and ...

or Grandmaster title to qualify. Despite the more stringent entrance requirements the field grew again to 53, with an average rating of 2310.

(USA and Australia) won with a score of 6–1, the first time the highest rated entrant (2612) was the victor. Tied for second with 5½ points were Pal Benko and John Grefe, and next with 5 points were Larry Evans, Julio Kaplan, Kim Commons, and Andrew Karklins (all USA).

1975

In 1975 the eligibility requirements were increased again. Entrants needed an IM or GM title or a rating of 2350 or higher (2250 for juniors) to qualify. The field shrank slightly to 44, but included 22 GMs and the average rating increased to 2428. The tournament was lengthened to ten rounds, which allowed it for the first time to be rated by

. (Previous tournaments had been USCF rated only.) This made

FIDE titles FIDE titles are awarded by the international chess governing body FIDE (''Fédération Internationale des Échecs'') for outstanding performance. The highest such title is Grandmaster (GM). Titles generally require a combination of Elo rating and ...

and norms available for the first time. In order to enhance title and norm chances for the participants, some flexibility was introduced into the Swiss system pairings in the later rounds. These adjustments led to some controversy, as a last-round pairing was disputed. Norman Weinstein (USA) earned a GM norm, and Kim Commons (USA) and Alla Kushnir (Israel) earned IM norms. Kushnir was the first woman to compete at Lone Pine and defeated GM Larry Evans in the first round. Vladimir Liberzon of

Israel Israel, officially the State of Israel, is a country in West Asia. It Borders of Israel, shares borders with Lebanon to the north, Syria to the north-east, Jordan to the east, Egypt to the south-west, and the Mediterranean Sea to the west. Isr ...

won the $4000 first prize with the score 7½–2½. Evans (USA) placed second at 7–3, and there was a six-way tie at 6½–3½ for positions three through eight among

(USA), Florin Gheorghiu (Romania), Weinstein, Oscar Panno (Argentina), Miguel Quinteros (Argentina), and

(Yugoslavia).

1976

In 1976 the eligibility requirements were made slightly less strict, with the required rating for adult masters lowered to 2300. The field increased to 57, including 11 GMs and 10 IMs, but the average rating dropped to 2371. The event was returned to the seven-round length, and as a result was expected to be rated only by the USCF as it did not meet FIDE requirements for Swiss system tournaments. In a controversial decision, FIDE made an exception to rate the tournament anyway. Subsequent Lone Pine tournaments would be nine-round events and thus meet FIDE requirements for rated Swiss tournaments. Former World Champion

Tigran Petrosian Tigran Vardani Petrosian (; ; 17 June 1929 – 13 August 1984) was a Soviet-Armenian chess grandmaster and the ninth World Chess Champion from 1963 to 1969. He was nicknamed "Iron Tigran" due to his almost-impenetrable defensive playing s ...

(USSR) won the $8000 first prize, with a 5½–1½ score, the lowest winning seven-round score in Lone Pine history. Second place at 5–2 was shared by

Larry Christiansen Larry Mark Christiansen (born June 27, 1956) is an American chess player of Danish ancestry. He was awarded the title Grandmaster by FIDE in 1977. Christiansen was the U.S. champion in 1980, 1983, and 2002. He competed in the FIDE World Champ ...

(USA),

Vasily Smyslov Vasily Vasilyevich Smyslov (; 24 March 1921 – 27 March 2010) was a Soviet and Russian chess grandmaster who was the seventh World Chess Champion from 1957 to 1958. He was a Candidates Tournament, Candidate for the World Chess Championship on ...

(USSR), Oscar Panno (Argentina),

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 ...

(Argentina), Miguel Quinteros (Argentina), Tony Miles (England), Ken Rogoff (USA), Győző Forintos (Hungary), and

(USA). No FIDE norms were available at this tournament due to its seven-round length.

1977

The 1977 tournament had a number of firsts. For the first time, there was no clear winner. Also for the first time, a woman shared the top of the score card. The increase in the number of entrants in 1976 required that the qualification standards be increased in 1977, so the requirements were returned to those of 1975. The field of 48 had an average rating of 2410.

Nona Gaprindashvili Nona Gaprindashvili ( ka, ნონა გაფრინდაშვილი; born 3 May 1941) is a Georgian chess Grandmaster. Noted for her aggressive style of play, she was the women's world chess champion from 1962 to 1978, and in 1978 ...

(USSR) tied for first with Yuri Balashov (USSR), Oscar Panno (Argentina), and Dragutin Sahović (Yugoslavia), with the score 6½–2½. Nona's performance at Lone Pine made her the first woman ever to earn a

norm Norm, the Norm or NORM may refer to: In academic disciplines * Normativity, phenomenon of designating things as good or bad * Norm (geology), an estimate of the idealised mineral content of a rock * Norm (philosophy), a standard in normative e ...

for the title of Grandmaster. This was the first elite tournament victory by a woman. Fifth and sixth place at 6–3 was shared by

William Lombardy William James Joseph Lombardy (December 4, 1937 – October 13, 2017) was an American chess grandmaster, chess writer, teacher, and former Catholic priest. He was one of the leading American chess players during the 1950s and 1960s, and a conte ...

and

(both USA).

1978

The 1978 tournament retained the same entrance requirements and tournament format as 1977. The field of 68 was a record, with a greater number of international participants and an average rating of 2431. GM

Bent Larsen Jørgen Bent Larsen (4 March 1935 – 9 September 2010) was a Danish chess Grandmaster (chess), grandmaster and author. Known for his imaginative and unorthodox style of play, he was the second-strongest non-Soviet Union, Soviet player, behind ...

(Denmark) won with 7½–1½, the best score ever in a 9-round Lone Pine tournament. The larger number of international participants made norm opportunities more plentiful than before, and the eleven norms achieved set a record for an individually paired Swiss or

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. & ...

. (The Olympiads are paired by team rather than individual.) GM norms were earned by Jack Peters, Vitaly Zaltsman, Ken Rogoff (all USA), and Peter Biyiasas (Canada). IM norms were earned by

Yasser Seirawan Yasser Seirawan (; born March 24, 1960) is a Syrian-born American chess grandmaster and four-time United States Chess Championship, United States champion. He won the World Junior Chess Championship in 1979. Seirawan is also a published chess au ...

and Tim Taylor (both USA), Jaime Sunyé (Brazil), Jon Speelman (England), Haukua Angantysson (Iceland), Margeir Petursson and Helgi Ólafsson (both Iceland).

1979

Requirements were tightened in 1979, with an IM or GM title, USCF senior master (rating 2400+), or junior rated over 2300 required for entrance. The field grew to a new record of 73 including players from 18 countries, and 27 GMs and 22 IMs. The average rating was 2444. Again there was no clear winner, with four players tying for the top score. Svetozar Gligorić and Vladimir Liberzon became the first repeat winners, joined by

Vlastimil Hort Vlastimil Hort (12 January 1944 – 12 May 2025) was a Czech and German chess grandmaster. During the 1960s and 1970s he was one of the world's strongest players and reached the World Chess Championship 1978, 1977–78 Candidates Tournament for ...

(

Czechoslovakia Czechoslovakia ( ; Czech language, Czech and , ''Česko-Slovensko'') was a landlocked country in Central Europe, created in 1918, when it declared its independence from Austria-Hungary. In 1938, after the Munich Agreement, the Sudetenland beca ...

) and Florin Gheorghiu (

Romania Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern and Southeast Europe. It borders Ukraine to the north and east, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, Bulgaria to the south, Moldova to ...

) with the score 6½–2½. The newly created

FIDE Master FIDE titles are awarded by the international chess governing body FIDE (''Fédération Internationale des Échecs'') for outstanding performance. The highest such title is Grandmaster (GM). Titles generally require a combination of Elo rating and ...

(FM) title was available for the first time. Yasser Seirawan (USA) earned a GM norm; Walter Morris (USA), Jack Peters (USA), Joe Bradford (USA),

Nick de Firmian Nicholas Ernest de Firmian (born July 26, 1957) is an American chess player who received the FIDE title of Grandmaster (GM) in 1985. He is a three-time U.S. chess champion, winning in 1987 (with Joel Benjamin), 1995, and 1998. He also tied f ...

(USA) and Paul van der Sterren (the

Netherlands , Terminology of the Low Countries, informally Holland, is a country in Northwestern Europe, with Caribbean Netherlands, overseas territories in the Caribbean. It is the largest of the four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Nether ...

), earned IM norms; and Doug Root (USA) and David Strauss (USA) earned FM norms.

1980

In 1980, an

title was no longer sufficient for entry. Eligibility requirements were increased to Grandmaster, adults rated over 2450, and juniors rated over 2350. The average rating of the field of 43 jumped to 2487. Roman Dzindzichashvili (Israel) won with the score 7–2. Dzindzichashvili had emigrated from Israel to the U.S. the year before and would subsequently become a U.S. citizen. Michael Wilder, Jay Whitehead, Doug Root, and Ron Henley (all USA) earned IM norms; Joel Benjamin (USA) earned an FM norm.

1981

The final Lone Pine tournament was held in 1981. GM

Viktor Korchnoi Viktor Lvovich Korchnoi (, ; 23 March 1931 – 6 June 2016) was a Soviet (before 1976) and Swiss (after 1980) chess grandmaster (GM) and chess writer. He is considered one of the strongest players never to have become World Chess Champion. Bor ...

topped a field of 61 with the score 7–2 to win the $15,000 first prize. Three grandmasters tied for second with 6½–2½:

(USA), Gennadi Sosonko (Netherlands), and

(Yugoslavia). The tournament included two Soviet grandmasters, Artur Yusupov and Oleg Romanishin, making it the first tournament aside from the Olympiads since Korchnoi's 1976 defection from the Soviet Union in which a Soviet player competed with him. No U.S. players earned title norms at this tournament. The 1982 Canadian documentary The Great Chess Movie included footage from the 1981 tournament throughout the movie.

References

* * * * (the primary reference for all tournaments except 1981)