1988 World Mixed Challenge, 22-30 October, London (Eccleston Hotel)

1988 World Mixed Challenge London		Nat'y	Elo	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	Total
1	Judit Polgar	HUN	2365me	&;	1	½	½	1	1	1	½	½	1	7
2	Michael Hennigan	ENG	2295	0	&;	½	1	0	1	1	½	1	1	6
3	Yair Kraidman	ISR	2405g	½	½	&;	½	1	1	½	½	1	½	6
4	Sofia Polgar	HUN	2345	½	0	½	&;	1	½	0	½	1	½	4½
5	Susan K Arkell (Lalic)	ENG	2355	0	1	0	0	&;	½	½	1	0	1	4
6	Keith C Arkell	ENG	2430m	0	0	0	½	½	&;	½	½	1	1	4
7	Angus J Dunnington	ENG	2280	0	0	½	1	½	½	&;	½	0	1	4
8	Jana Bellin	ENG	2300wg	½	½	½	½	0	½	½	&;	0	½	3½
9	Heikki MJ Westerinen	FIN	2395g	½	0	0	0	1	0	1	1	&;	0	3½
10	Sheila Jackson	ENG	2245wm	0	0	½	½	0	0	0	½	1	&;	2½

Average Elo: 2341, Category 4, IM norm = 6, WGM = 5½, WIM = 3½.

[BCM, December 1988, ppn 528-530]

The Duncan Lawrie World Mixed Challenge

A training tournament for the BCF [British Chess Federation] women’s team was played 22-30 October [1988] at the Eccleston Hotel, near London’s Victoria Station. The opportunity was taken to pit five women against five men in a contest that seemed likely to attract media attention. Sure enough, the participation of the two younger Polgar sisters and their excellent results led to a great deal of national publicity.

An article by Dominic Lawson in the Spectator hailed the sisters, and particularly Judit, as outstanding talents. “... her mother read a book or knitted, looking for all the world like Madame Lafarge at the foot of the guillotine. Little Judit told me she thought she would be ready to put Garry Kasparov’s head into the tumbril in about three years’ time. Place your bets now ...”

A front-page report in The Times by Brian James went even further: “The game awaits the inevitable clash for the title of world champion between Miss Polgar and Kasparov. It could even happen within the next year.”

We think the non-specialist reporter was misled by talk of an exhibition contest of a couple of games or so that is being mooted. We can confirm that the next title match is due in 1990 and the only Hungarian in with a chance in this cycle is Lajos Portisch!

As will be seen, 12-year-old Judit Polgar dominated the tournament and it was left mainly to Michael Hennigan to uphold the honour of the men. He suffered this defeat in the second round [to Judit Polgar - see games file] .

There are rumours that Hungarian communities in both the USA and Australia would be eager to see the Polgar sisters settle there.

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File Updated

Date	Notes
5 September 1998	Zipped game file first uploaded to BritBase.
30 April 2023	Updated with a games viewer, crosstable and report.