Overseas masters’ tour
20-02-1975 > 09-03-1975
1st test match, Johannesburg, 20,24/02
| 1 | Friedgood, David | 2310 | 0-1 | 1-0 | GM | Robatsch, Karl | AUT | 2455 |
| 2 | Kroon, Piet | 2370 | 1-0 | ½-½ | GM | O’Kelly de Galway, Alberic | BEL | 2445 |
| 3 | Korostenski, Frank | 2235 | 0-1 | 0-1 | IM | Westerinen, Heikki | FIN | 2475 |
| 4 | De Villiers, Charles | 2310 | 0-1 | ½-½ | IM | Ree, Hans | NED | 2470 |
| 5 | Aalbersberg, Pieter | 0-1 | 0-1 | IM | Hug, Werner | SUI | 2420 | |
| T | South Africa | 1-4 | 2-3 | Overseas Masters | ||||
2nd West Rand open, Roodepoort 21-22,27-28/02,01/03
1. Ree 6½/7 2-3. Robatsch & Westerinen 6 4-10. O’Kelly de Galway, Hug, Friedgood, De Villiers, Korostenski, Aalbersberg & Price 5½ 11-20. Van Tets, Hillman, Wasas, Laurie, Southern, N. de Jong, De Klerk, O’Sullivan, Van Vliet & Serfontein 5 21-34. Gannholm, Levy, Schackis, Dreyer, Robbertse, Salverda, Jones, Van der Westhuizen, Cattaneo, Spirou, A. de Jong, Meiboom, Bowen & Van der Hoven 4½ … 132
Match against Transvaal, Johannesburg 01/03
| 1 | Friedgood, David | 2310 | ½-½ | IM | Ree, Hans | NED | 2470 |
| 2 | Aalbersberg, Pieter | 0-1 | GM | O’Kelly de Galway, Alberic | BEL | 2445 | |
| 3 | Price, Eddie | 0-1 | GM | Robatsch, Karl | AUT | 2455 | |
| 4 | Griffiths, Bob | 0-1 | IM | Westerinen, Heikki | FIN | 2475 | |
| 5 | Ponelis, Albert | 0-1 | IM | Hug, Werner | SUI | 2420 | |
| T | Transvaal | ½-4½ | Overseas masters | ||||
Match against Western Province, Cape Town 07/03
| 1 | Kroon, Piet | 2370 | ½-½ | IM | Ree, Hans | NED | 2470 |
| 2 | De Villiers, Charles | 2310 | ½-½ | IM | Westerinen, Heikki | FIN | 2475 |
| 3 | Rubinsztein, Arnold | ½-½ | GM | O’Kelly de Galway, Alberic | BEL | 2445 | |
| 4 | de Ponte, Manuel | 0-1 | GM | Robatsch, Karl | AUT | 2455 | |
| 5 | Tsalicoglou, Jack | ½-½ | IM | Hug, Werner | SUI | 2420 | |
| T | Western Province | 2-3 | Overseas masters | ||||
Second test match, Cape Town 08-09/03
| 1 | Friedgood, David | 2310 | 0-1 | 0-1 | IM | Westerinen, Heikki | FIN | 2475 |
| 2 | Kroon, Piet | 2379 | 0-1 | ½-½ | IM | Hug, Werner | SUI | 2420 |
| 3 | Korostenski, Frank | 2235 | 0-1 | ½-½ | GM | O’Kelly de Galway, Alberic | BEL | 2445 |
| 4 | De Villiers, Charles | 2310 | ½-½ | 0-1 | GM | Robatsch, Karl | AUT | 2455 |
| 5 | Rubinsztein, Arnold | 0-1 | ½-½ | IM | Ree, Hans | NED | 2470 | |
| T | South Africa | ½-4½ | 1½-3½ | Overseas Masters | ||||
Five strong European players, including Belgian grandmaster O’Kelly, were invited for a tour of several weeks throughout South Africa. They played a couple of training matches against local teams, gave simultaneous exhibitions, and played in what was probably the strongest open tournament in Africa up to that point.
The schedule was a little bit strange. [1] claims that the first round of the first test match was played on Thursday, February 21, but February 21 was a Friday that year. Almost certainly Thursday, February 20 was meant, because on Friday, February 21 the West Rand open started. On Saturday, there were two rounds in the West Rand open, which was then interrupted for five days. On Sunday, February 23 (my source gives the erroneous Sunday, February 24th), there was the second round of the first test match. Then the West Rand open resumed with one round played on both Thursday, February 27 and Friday, February 28, followed by the two final rounds on Saturday, March 1. On March 5th, the masters reached Cape Town. My source now mentions first a simultaneous exhibition in Goodwood (O’Kelly scored +24,=1,-1), then a match against the Western Provinces, and finally the second test match on March 8th and 9th. Presumably, then, the simultaneous exhibition was held on March 6th and the match against Western Province on March 7th. Both that match and the second test match took place at the Banquetting Hall.
The first test match took place in the Skyline Hotel, as did the match against Transvaal. The time control was 40 moves in 2:30. Probably, this same time control was used in the other matches and maybe even the West Rand open, too. The latter took place in the Horizon primary school under direction of Gert van Blerk. Here O’Kelly won his first three rounds against lower rated opponents, then beat De Villiers, drew against Ree, beat Friedgood and lost in the final round against Westerinen. He won 50 rand.
Wanted
- Almost all games.
- The crosstable for the West Rand open.
Sources
- The South African Chessplayer 1975/2, 3, 4
( )