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1st Saturday Chess Tournaments
Budapest, HUNGARY

1st Round

All the games have started yet and I take a look to the playing hall with some thoughts in my mind: some of players have come to Budapest to try to gain a FM, IM or GM norm, to improve their ratings, etc. I suppose they have a lot of pressure on them, they've wasted much money in coming to Budapest from their countries, they've got an hotel and they have to live in Budapest during the tournament... that's much money and I wonder... what happens if they don't succeed in their goal?

Round 1 Start

As each player starts playing their opening moves, Mr. Nagy approaches me and asks me if I would go with him to have a coffee and maybe an Hungarian cake, I couldn't resist his offer.... ;-)

While we're having our coffee and cake in a small Hungarian coffee shop near the Chess Federation, I ask Mr. Nagy some questions about him and his tournament. When Mr. Nagy was a young man (not much time ago) he worked as a Chemistry teacher for the Hungarian Army; he tells me that the money wasn't enough to live with his family (he's married and has three sons) so he started with his famous 1st Saturday Tournaments in 1991.

These tournaments are celebrated each month, except in January when Mr. Nagy rests. They provide a chance for chess players to gain FM, IM or GM norms, improve their rating, visit Budapest and talk with chess players from other countries, exchange ideas, points of view, etc. This is the only monthly tournament that gives any chess player the chance to get a chess title, improve their ELO ratings, etc.

I ask Mr. Nagy if he has met some "conflictive players" in the past during the celebration of his tournaments, he explains to me that conflictive players don't have a place in his tournaments because he's up to date about those persons as he keeps communication with other chess tournaments organizers, International Arbiters, etc..

It's time to go back to the Chess Federation as Mr. Nagy has to keep an eye on the tournaments, as he told me he doesn't allow problems into his tournaments...

IM Kim Pilgaard (Denmark) - IM Jerzy Slaby (Poland)

You can sense the tension in the playing hall as I start walking, taking a look at the games. My attention goes mainly to FM Fucak (2330) - Ilfeld (2175), they're playing the Ruy Lopez (Spanish Opening) and FM Fucak, from Croatia, has played a new move - 15.f4, so Etan Ilfeld (from Israel) is thinking about his next move....

FM Emilijo Fucak (2332) - Etan Ilfeld (2176)

At the next table, WIM Adina Bogza (from Romania) is facing Gellert Papp (from Hungary). I remember Mr. Nagy telling Ms. Bogza that Gellert Papp has been playing quite well lately and as I look at the position I notice White is doing well in this Benoni Defence game.

Papp, G (2275) - WIM Bogza, A (2270)

There are more interesting games taking place; I'm surprised to see an American player here, his name is Clark Harmon and he's playing vs. FM Miroslav Zufic from Croatia. Zufic hasn't much time left in his clock...but he'll finish winning this game.
Did I tell you the time control used in these tournaments? 120 minutes/player + 30 seconds added after each move, as the International Arbiter told us during the drawing of lots. This is the new time control accepted by FIDE for titles :-)

Start of game FM Zufic, M (2321) - Harmon, C (2223)

Behind FM Zufic's I found two young players playing each other; one of them is a young Russian player. His name is Vladislav Simakov (21) and he's non-rated. Simakov is playing the Nimzo Indian vs. Mads Svendsen (20 years old, from Denmark)...

Svendsen, M (2175) - Simakov, V

Another interesting game is taking place in the GM tournament; IGM Goran Todorovic (Yugoslavia) is playing vs. IGM Csaba Horvath (Hungary) - the game features a Sicilian Defense...

GM Todorovic, G (2467) - GM Horvath, C (2506)

It´s time to lunch, so Mr. Nagy comes with me to an Italian food restaurant called Pinocchio, we ordered some pizzas and we talk again the tournament. Mr.Nagy has been looking for a sponsor for his tournaments. I was surprised because he isn't asking for much money, only $1000 USD each month to cover tournament expenses, as life is more expensive every year. He's offering to modify his tournament's name to "1st Saturday "sponsor name" Chess Tournaments" (e.g. 1st Saturday McDonalds Chess Tournaments, etc.).

His tournaments receive players from all the world: Hungary, Israel, Spain, USA, Germany, Poland, Denmark, Yugoslavia, England, Romania, Croatia, Finland, etc. and his tournaments are covered by important chess web pages on the Internet as TWIC (The Week in Chess), Chessville, etc. so it's a good chance for a company interested in good advertisement.

As we come back from the Italian restaurant we meet Ivo Timmermans, a Dutch player who got a bye for this round (there are 13 players in the IM Section). He's going to walk but he tells us he'll be back to check the result of some games.
As we enter the Hungarian Chess Federation we notice IM Kim Pilgaard in the hall, and Mr. Nagy introduces us. He surprises me with his fluent Spanish; he's from Denmark but has been playing the Galician Chess Circuit (Galicia is a region located in the NW of Spain). He also tells me he has got a draw vs. Polish IM Jerzy Slaby in a Sicilian Defense (28 moves); not a bad start playing Black!

An hour and a half later all the games are over and I left for my nice hotel to have a rest before Sunday, when the 2nd round takes place...

--- Round 2 ---

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