Gedeon Barcza

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "Gedeon Barcza" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (July 2012) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

Gedeon Barcza

Barcza in 1964
Personal information
Born	(1911-08-21)August 21, 1911 Kisújszállás, Austria-Hungary
Died	February 27, 1986(1986-02-27) (aged 74) Budapest, Hungary
Chess career
Country	Hungary
Title	Grandmaster (1954) International Correspondence Chess Master (1966)
Peak rating	2490 (July 1971)
Peak ranking	No. 83 (July 1971)

Gedeon Barcza (August 21, 1911 – February 27, 1986) was a Hungarian chess grandmaster. He won the Hungarian Chess Championship eight times and represented his country in seven Olympiads. The Barcza System is named after him.^[1]

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 1966). He played for the Hungarian team in seven Chess Olympiads (1952, 1954, 1956,1958, 1960, 1962, and 1968). Barcza was awarded the Grandmaster title in 1954.

Barcza is remembered for the opening 1.Nf3 d5 2.g3, known as the Barcza System. Harry Golombek 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."

• Gedeon Barcza vs. Harry Golombek, Sweden izt (18) 1952, Queen's Indian Defense: Spassky System (E14), 1–0.^[2]
• Gedeon Barcza vs. Lodewijk Prins, Sweden izt (14) 1952, Zukertort Opening: Queen Pawn Defense (A06), ½–½.^[3]
• Gedeon Barcza vs. Robert James Fischer, Zurich 1959, Formation: King's Indian Attack (A07), ½–½.^[4]

• King's Indian Attack

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Gedeon Barcza.

• Gedeon Barcza player profile and games at Chessgames.com
• Gedeon Barcza player details at ICCF