I was rummaging about in my basement and came across the tournament brochure and related material.
My opponent in Round 8 was Peter Tamburro Jr., who is still active in chess circles in New Jersey.
The documents indicate that entry fee was $ 12, and one could stay at the University of Montreal residence for $ 20 / week !!! (of course that is where most of us stayed).
Several Manitobans made the trip including; John Burstow, Cecil Rosner, Neil Kirton, Fletcher Baragar, Jeff Babb, Scott Cleghorn, Ferd Bernjack, Ron Sloboda, Eric Jefferson, Harold Poustie, and Barry Rasmussen(who had to withdraw early if I recall correctly). Results below from Chess Canada magazine. (click for larger image)
GM Kevin Spraggett has provided some additional commentary at
http://kevinspraggett.blogspot.com/2009/08/1974-canadian-open-great-tournament.html
4 comments:
Thanks for posting this piece of history. It was memorable for me, since I won $200........which stood as the most money I had ever won in a tournament till the Icelandic Invasion event of a few years ago. Now you all know why I insisted on getting a day job. I remember we took the train to Montreal, and the sight of more than 600 people in a chess tournament was something I had never seen before, nor have I seen it since.
Yes, the site/attendance was so large I don't think I viewed the GM stage often.
But since, the HB Global Challenge in 2005 in Minneapolis had something like 1700 players.
You're right..........I should have clarified that I meant "in Canada." Can you imagine a Canadian Open with more than 600 players? It was a unique time......so soon after Fischer-Spassky, in a province that was bursting with chess promise, and with high profile sponsors like La Presse doling out money. I wonder what it would take to re-create that combination of factors.
What a surprise--and a pleasant one! Thanks to Ed Yetman and his substack blog as well. I am not only still active in NJ chess, but I have been writing a monthly Openings for Amateurs column for British Chess Magazine for nine years and have two books out with that title. I'm also senior editor and co-founder of American Chess Magazine, which is in its seventh year. Chatting with Larsen at breakfast and asking Ljubojevic on an elevator how to pronounce his name are favorite moments.--Pete Tamburro
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