May 6 1978, Masterfall
One important reason for organising the Burroughs Computers Grandmaster Tournament (Wellington, April 6-19) was to give New Zealand players a chance to meet top international competition on home soil. Previously our opportunities to play in grandmaster company have been few, and even then have involved lengthy travel and the inevitable fundraising problems.
The Burroughs tournament was designed to change all that, and in round 1 it did so dramatically. The five New Zealand players were paired against five of the top Asians and in front of a home crowd they scored 4/5, an unprecedented collective result. First Vernon Small of Christchurch, drawing on his book knowledge of international grandmaster Eugene Torre, scored a stunning victory (the first grandmaster he had ever played).
Next to step down from the Asian squad was Jacobus Sampouw, national master from Indonesia who resigned when faced with mate in three in our game. A few minutes later Kamran Shirazi (Iran) lost to Ewen Green of Auckland and New Zealand was leading 3-0! At adjournment Richard Sutton (Auckland) agreed to a draw immediately with Indonesian Herman Suradiradja, leaving only Ortvin Sarapu's game against Mershad Sharif unfinished. Later that evening Sarapu defended accurately and secured a draw, leaving the home team with high hopes for the tournament.
Small, Vernon A - Torre, Eugenio
Burroughs Computers GM Tournament 1978
1.e4 d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.Nc3 g6 4.f4 Bg7 5.Nf3 c5 6.Bb5+ ( In my game versus Torre in Manila I played 6.dxc5 Qa5 7.Bd3 Qxc5 8.Qe2 followed by 8...-- 9.Be3 and castling kingside which leads to well known positions in which White attacks on the king's wing while Black counterplays on the Queenside. ) 6...Bd7 7.e5 Ng4 8.e6 Bxb5 (8...fxe6? 9.Ng5! ) 9.exf7+ Kd7 ( And if 9...Kxf7 again 10.Ng5+ exploits the hole on e6 ) 10.Nxb5 Qa5+ 11.Nc3 cxd4 12.Nxd4 Bxd4 13.Qxd4 Nc6
Moves are clickable
This theoretical position has been extensively analysed and Small had concentrated most of his attention on it the night before as he prepared for Torre 14.Qc4! As played in Bednarski-Peev Lublin 1975 (14.Qd1 Qh5 seems to give Black adequate counter chances and after another recommendation ) (14.Qd5 Qxd5 15.Nxd5 Black regains the pawn on f7 and stands no worse, so Small prepared a different Queen move ) 14...Rac8 ( Peev tried 14...Rhf8?! but after 15.Bd2 Qf5 16.h3 Nh6 17.O-O-O Rac8 18.Rhe1 White is better off ) (14...Qb6 is also inferior due to 15.Qe2! ) ( but possibly Black can try the sharp alternative 14...Qf5!? ) 15.h3 Nh6 16.Bd2 Nf5? The fatal error by Torre. ( After the game he suggested that 16...Qb4! would equalise or be marginally better for White after the exchange of Queens. ) 17.Nd5 Qd8 ( The only alternative to this retreat would be 17...Qa6 allowing White to double Black's pawns, but typically the grandmaster refuses to accept an inferior, though perhaps tenable position, preferring instead a do or die situation. Unfortunately . . . (!) ) 18.Bc3 Ncd4 19.Qa4+ ( Won positions don't win themselves and Small correctly sidesteps 19.Qd3 Rc5! which gives Black sufficient counterplay ) 19...Nc6 20.Bxh8 Qxh8 21.O-O-O e6 22.Nc3 Qf8 23.Rhe1 Qxf7 24.Ne4 With unstoppable threats of Ng5 or Nc5+ 24...b5 25.Qxb5 Black resigns (25.Qxb5 On 25...Rb8 26.Nc5+ wins ) 1-0
After this game Small walked soberly from the room as though he had anticipated the whole game in advance - I mean, what's a grandmaster!
For the Burroughs Computers Grandmaster Tournament it was intended to have three IGMs participating, one from the Philippines and two from Europe. Unfortunately at the last minute Grandmaster O'Kelly of Belgium had to withdraw and although we tried, our substitute, Kraidman of Israel, could not get the flight connections to arrive in New Zealand in reasonable time for the event.
So we played a GM short, meaning that although IM norms were a little easier to obtain on 8/12 (previously 8½/13) the grandmaster norm would be no longer possible, a disappointment to myself and the other international masters in the tournament.
The tournament was a category 5 event, the average international rating being higher than 2351.
Masters' Tournament
Wellington, 1978
The players in order of Elo rating were:
| 1 | Eugene Torre IGM | Philippines | 2490 |
| 2 | Miguel Quinteros IGM | Argentina | 2480 |
| 3 | Murray Chandler IM | NZ | 2390 |
| 4 | Vernon Small | NZ | 2385 |
| 5 | Mershad Sharif IM | Iran | 2380 |
| 6 | Rico Mascarinas | Philippines | 2355 |
| 7 | Herman Suradiradja IM | Indonesia | 2350 |
| 8 | Rudolfo Tan Cardoso IM | Philippines | 2320 |
| 9 | Jacobus Sampouw | Indonesia | 2315 |
| 10 | Kamran Shirazi | Iran | 2300 |
| 11 | Ortvin Sarapu IM | NZ | 2290 |
| 12 | Richard Sutton | NZ | 2290 |
| 13 | Ewen Green | NZ | 2265 |