Gedeon Barcza
Encyclopedia
Gedeon Barcza (August 21, 1911 in Kisújszállás
– February 27, 1986 in Budapest
) was a Hungarian chess master
.
In 1940, Barcza took third place, behind Max Euwe
and Milan Vidmar
, at Maróczy Jubiläum in Budapest. In September 1942, he took sixth place at the first European Championship in Munich; the event was won by Alexander Alekhine
. In 1948, he took second place in Karlovy Vary
; the event was won by Jan Foltys
. In 1948, he tied for second/third place in Venice; the event was won by Miguel Najdorf
. In 1950, he tied for second/fourth place in Salzbrunn (Szczawno Zdrój); the event was won by Paul Keres
. In 1952, he took fifteenth place in Saltsjöbaden (interzonal). In 1957, he won in San Benedetto del Tronto. In 1961, he took third place in Vienna. In 1962, he tied for third/sixth place in Moscow. In 1962, he tied for fourteenth/fifteenth place in Stockholm (interzonal).
Barcza won the Hungarian Chess Championship
eight times (1942, 1943, 1947, 1950, 1951, 1955, 1957, and 1958) and played for Hungarian team in seven Chess Olympiads (1952, 1954, 1956,1958, 1960, 1962, and 1968). He was awarded the Grandmaster
title in 1954.
once said of Barcza, "[he] is a most versatile player in the openings. He plays g2–g3 sometimes on the first, sometimes on the second, sometimes on the third, and sometimes not until the fourth move."
Kisújszállás
Kisújszállás is a town in Jász-Nagykun-Szolnok county, in the Northern Great Plain region of central Hungary.-Geography:It covers an area of and has a population of 12,869 people .-History:History of the city...
– February 27, 1986 in Budapest
Budapest
Budapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter...
) was a Hungarian chess master
Chess master
A chess master is a chess player of such skill that he/she can usually beat chess experts, who themselves typically prevail against most amateurs. Among chess players, the term is often abbreviated to master, the meaning being clear from context....
.
In 1940, Barcza took third place, behind Max Euwe
Max Euwe
Machgielis Euwe was a Dutch chess Grandmaster, mathematician, and author. He was the fifth player to become World Chess Champion . Euwe also served as President of FIDE, the World Chess Federation, from 1970 to 1978.- Early years :Euwe was born in Watergraafsmeer, near Amsterdam...
and Milan Vidmar
Milan Vidmar
Milan Vidmar was a Slovene electrical engineer, chess player, chess theorist, philosopher, and writer. He was a specialist in power transformers and transmission of electric current.- Biography :...
, at Maróczy Jubiläum in Budapest. In September 1942, he took sixth place at the first European Championship in Munich; the event was won by Alexander Alekhine
Alexander Alekhine
Alexander Alexandrovich Alekhine was the fourth World Chess Champion. He is often considered one of the greatest chess players ever.By the age of twenty-two, he was already among the strongest chess players in the world. During the 1920s, he won most of the tournaments in which he played...
. In 1948, he took second place in Karlovy Vary
Karlovy Vary
Karlovy Vary is a spa city situated in western Bohemia, Czech Republic, on the confluence of the rivers Ohře and Teplá, approximately west of Prague . It is named after King of Bohemia and Holy Roman Emperor Charles IV, who founded the city in 1370...
; the event was won by Jan Foltys
Jan Foltys
Jan Foltys , was a Czech chess International Master.-Biography:...
. In 1948, he tied for second/third place in Venice; the event was won by Miguel Najdorf
Miguel Najdorf
Miguel Najdorf was a Polish-born Argentine chess grandmaster of Jewish origin, famous for his Najdorf Variation....
. In 1950, he tied for second/fourth place in Salzbrunn (Szczawno Zdrój); the event was won by Paul Keres
Paul Keres
Paul Keres , was an Estonian chess grandmaster, and a renowned chess writer. He was among the world's top players from the mid-1930s to the mid-1960s....
. In 1952, he took fifteenth place in Saltsjöbaden (interzonal). In 1957, he won in San Benedetto del Tronto. In 1961, he took third place in Vienna. In 1962, he tied for third/sixth place in Moscow. In 1962, he tied for fourteenth/fifteenth place in Stockholm (interzonal).
Barcza won the Hungarian Chess Championship
Hungarian Chess Championship
The inaugural Hungarian Chess Championship was held in the city of Győr in 1906. Initially, there was no governing body responsible for its organisation, until the formation of the Hungarian Chess Federation. The HCF first appeared in 1911, but failed to establish itself properly until 1923...
eight times (1942, 1943, 1947, 1950, 1951, 1955, 1957, and 1958) and played for Hungarian team in seven Chess Olympiads (1952, 1954, 1956,1958, 1960, 1962, and 1968). He was awarded the Grandmaster
International Grandmaster
The title Grandmaster is awarded to strong chess players by the world chess organization FIDE. Apart from World Champion, Grandmaster is the highest title a chess player can attain....
title in 1954.
Legacy
Barcza is remembered for the opening 1.Nf3 d5 2.g3, known as the Barcza System. Harry GolombekHarry Golombek
Harry Golombek OBE , was a British chess International Master and honorary grandmaster, chess arbiter, and chess author. He was three times British chess champion, in 1947, 1949, and 1955 and finished second in 1948. He became a grandmaster in 1985.He was the chess correspondent of The Times...
once said of Barcza, "[he] is a most versatile player in the openings. He plays g2–g3 sometimes on the first, sometimes on the second, sometimes on the third, and sometimes not until the fourth move."
Notable games
- Gedeon Barcza vs Harry Golombek, Sweden izt (18) 1952, Queen's Indian Defense: Spassky System (E14), 1–0
- Gedeon Barcza vs Lodewijk Prins, Sweden izt (14) 1952, Zukertort Opening: Queen Pawn Defense (A06), ½–½
- Gedeon Barcza vs Robert James Fischer, Zurich 1959, Formation: King's Indian Attack (A07), ½–½