IMPORTANT WILLIAM LOMBARDY CHESS GAMES

William Lombardy competed in both the Men’s Olympiad as well as playing for the U.S. Student Team U26, the tables below show his results in the main completions in which he competed.

Men’s Olympiad Board No. Individual Results U.S. Team Results
Munich 1958 2 11/17 (Seventh) Fourth
Leipzig 1960 2 11½/17 (Fifth) Silver
Lugano 1968 Reserve 7½/11 (Silver) Fourth
Siegen 1970 Reserve 11/14 (Gold) Fourth
Nice 1974 Reserve 11/16 (Silver) Bronze
Haifa 1976 Reserve 7/9 (Silver) Gold
Buenos Aires 1978 2nd. Res. 7/9 (Silver) Bronze
Student Team U26 Board No. Individual Results U.S. Team Results
Uppsala 1956 2 7/9 (Gold) Eighth
Reykjavik 1957 1 7/12 Silver
Varna 1958 1 5½/10 Silver
Leningrad 1960 1 12/13 (Gold) Gold
Helsinki 1961 1 9/11 (Silver) Silver
Budva 1963 1 7½/11 (Fifth) Fifth
Krakow 1964 1 7½/13 (Eighth) Fourth

NOTABLE GAMES OF HIS CAREER

1950’s

After a lackluster, but still better than average, performance at the August ’54 New Orleans US Open, the pundits considered Lombardy no threat to win the State Championship. But those pundits failed to notice at least two brilliant games, against proven masters, produced by Lombardy at New Orleans! The pundits could have been fore-warned of Lombardy’s quick ascendancy. Present, with over-confidence, at the New York State was Half the Columbia University Collegiate U.S. Championship Team, aside from other notable Masters, including Upstater Master Roy T. Black. Nevertheless, versus such stellar opposition, the possibly inexperienced, 16-year-old Lombardy became the youngest player to have won the NYState Title. Was it in Round one of that event that he efficiently dispatched Eliott Hearst, who played First Board for the Columbia Team?

In 1957, Lombardy became the first American to win the World Junior Chess Championship. He won the tournament in Toronto with a perfect score of 11-0, a record that “still stands today” and it is highly improbable that the record will ever be damaged, let alone broken! His performance at Toronto was “the first time an individual world title had been won by an American since the distant days (1837-84) of Paul Morphy”. Based on his performance, he was automatically awarded the International Master title.

In 1958, he played in the Mar del Plata tournament and went “undefeated in second place”, scoring 11/15.

In 1959, he took first place in the U.S. Log Cabin Invitational, scoring 7/10.

1960’s

Leningrad-In 1960, the politicians could not help but allow Lombardy the Grandmaster Title, as a result of the 1960 Leningrad World Students Team Championship, where Lombardy, with over a 93% score at First Board and a shocking defeat of Spassky in the bargain at the USSR-USA Match(USA won that Match 2.5-1.5, and could have won by 3-1!), Lombardy led the USA Team to a Second World Championship within three years. All this while the USA Government was collecting kudos from Chess and Lombardy’s keen participation, in helping the Government in its “so-called” Peaceful Cold War! Not a drop of appreciation was ever expressed by the USA Government in all this achievement, and worse, through all the years of Lombardy’s productive career.

He finished second in the 1960-61 U.S. Championship behind Bobby Fischer and ahead of Raymond Weinstein in a star-studded field. With this result, Lombardy qualified to compete in the Interzonal tournament to be held in Stockholm for the right to advance to a match for the world championship. However, Lombardy decided to retire from tournament competition and become a Roman Catholic priest. Before retiring, he lost a match to Larry Evans by the score of 5½-4½. At the 1961 Zurich Chess Tournament, Lombardy tied for fourth place with Svetozar Gligorić, scoring 6.5/11

In 1962, Lombardy tied for second at the U.S. Open, then won the New England Championship, and, shortly thereafter, gave a lecture at the Manhattan Chess Club in which he analyzed the game: Lombardy-Lyman, New England Championship, Haverhill, September 1962 Ruy Lopez (1-0).

In 1963, Lombardy won the U.S. Open Chess Championship, along with Robert Byrne, scoring 11/13.

In 1965, Lombardy tied with Robert Byrne for first at the Western Open in St. Louis, and shared first place with Pal Benko at the USA Open Championship in Puerto Rico.

In 1966, Lombardy took clear first at the Southern Open in Atlanta, and tied with Ivkov for second at the Canadian Open.

In 1969, Lombardy tied for second with Vlastimil Hort, going undefeated at Monte Carlo, scoring 7/11. In the same year, Lombardy tied for second with Benko and Mato Damjanović at Netanya, Israel.

1970’s

Lombardy tied for first with Pal Benko at Lincoln, Nebraska in 1975.

In 1979, Lombardy tied for fifth-tenth place in The Lone Pine Open, scoring 6/9, and winning an upset against tournament favorite Victor Korchnoi.

In 1978 and 1979, Lombardy served as the lead instructor at an “all day”, week-long chess camp at Michigan State University. This was perhaps the first camp of its type in the United States and attracted juniors from all over the country.

1980’s

In 1982, Lombardy took “equal first in Caracas”, Venezuela.

In 1984, Lombardy took second place in Neskaupstaður, Iceland, scoring 7/11.