The New York Times New York, New York Sunday, January 17, 1971 - Page 156
Tough Fight for Four of Top Six
A Prime concern of the 24 participants at the Majorca interzonal knockouts was to finish among the top six qualifiers. This sextet, along with the Soviet stars, former world champion Tigran Petrosian and Grandmaster Viktor Korchnoi, would be eligible for the 1971 elimination matches.
Two starters qualified with ease at Majorca. Bobby Fischer, eight-time U.S. champion, fighting to win every game topped the field, 18½-4½. The Soviet star, Yefim Geller, playing to the score, routed the minor masters, to the tun of 15-8.
The other four qualifiers met rough going at crucial moments. Their final standings were not determined until the last round. Bent Larsen, for example, wound up with 15-8, and he had two adjourned games before the end.
Robert Huebner of West Germany, the dark horse, had to wait the tail end of his penultimate game for a 15-8 tally to qualify, whereas the Soviet's Mark Taimanov and East Germany's Wolfgang Uhlmann entered the qualifying circle by final-round spirited victories. Each scored 14-9. The three appended games flash the spotlight on rough setbacks during the road to the top.
Before the event, Grandmaster Oscar Panno of Argentina is a longshot. The absence of his compatriot, Miguel Najdorf, puts him up a peg and he is now the strongest from South America.
Surely, he is rated higher than Huebner when they are matched midway in the tournament. Only half a point separates these two stalwarts and they are vying with the leaders as their English Opening unfolds.
After skirmishing for a favorable pawn break, White takes the lead with 19. P-K5. Controlling the long diagonal, Panno creates a passed pawn in the center, raids the enemy queenside and destroys defenders on the other wing.
The defeat doesn't break Huebner's spirit. The German, in fact, advances strongly toward the top from this point on. Panno's victory proves insufficient.
A pre-tourney favorite is Grandmaster Vlastimil Hort of Czechoslovakia. Off to a bad start, Hort faces Larsen midway. The Dane, as Black in an English Opening, reaches for too much during a tactical melee. His rook takes one pawn too many and blocks and exit for his queen. Hence, Hort's first win over his higher-rated foe. It is also Larsen's only outright loss.
Another pre-tournament favorite, Lajos Portisch of Hungary, is pitted with Svetozar Gligoric of Yugoslavia in a late round. Gligoric is a strong choice. The result, however, is fatal to the chances of the Yugoslav.
