At 21, Yugoslavia's Borislav Ivkov, the first World Junior Champion, joined the world's elite at Mar del Plata 1955, winning the international outright on 11½/15 ahead of Miguel Najdorf and Svetozar Gligorić.
The resort international
The Mar del Plata international, played at the Atlantic resort, was the marquee event of Argentine chess and a regular magnet for strong South American and European players through the 1950s. Its 1953 edition had even lent its name to the Mar del Plata Variation of the King's Indian Defence.
Ivkov ahead of the field
Borislav Ivkov, then just 21 and already the first World Junior Champion of 1951, won the 1955 international outright with 11½ from 15 games. He finished half a point clear of Miguel Najdorf on 11, with Svetozar Gligorić third on 10. Luděk Pachman and László Szabó shared fourth on 9½, ahead of Oscar Panno and Herman Pilnik.
For the young Yugoslav the result was a genuine breakthrough onto the world stage, coming against an established field of grandmasters on their favoured South American ground.
Final standings
| # | Player | Score | Record | Games |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ivkov, Borislav | 11½/15 | +9 -1 =5 | games |
| 2 | Najdorf, Miguel | 11/15 | +8 -1 =6 | games |
| 3 | Gligoric, Svetozar | 10/15 | +6 -1 =8 | games |
| =4 | Pachman, Ludek | 9½/15 | +7 -3 =5 | games |
| =4 | Szabo, Laszlo | 9½/15 | +6 -2 =7 | games |
| 6 | Panno, Oscar | 9/15 | +6 -3 =6 | games |
| 7 | Pilnik, Hermann | 8½/15 | +6 -4 =5 | games |
| 8 | Toran Albero, Roman | 8/15 | +4 -3 =8 | games |
| 9 | Wexler, Bernardo | 7½/15 | +6 -6 =3 | games |
| 10 | Rossetto, Hector | 7/15 | +6 -7 =2 | games |
| 11 | Flores Alvarez, Rodrigo | 6/15 | +1 -4 =10 | games |
| 12 | Letelier Martner, Rene | 5/15 | +2 -7 =6 | games |
| =13 | Bauza, Lorenzo | 4½/15 | +2 -8 =5 | games |
| =13 | Idigoras Guisasola, Gregorio | 4½/15 | +2 -8 =5 | games |
| =13 | Dodero, Emilio | 4½/15 | +0 -6 =9 | games |
| 16 | De Greif, Boris | 4/15 | +2 -9 =4 | games |
Cross Table
| Rank | Player | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ivkov, Borislav | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | ½ | 1 | 1 | |
| 2 | Najdorf, Miguel | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | 0 | 1 | 1 | ½ | 1 | ½ | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | ½ | |
| 3 | Gligoric, Svetozar | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | 1 | 1 | 1 | ½ | 1 | 0 | ½ | 1 | |
| 4 | Pachman, Ludek | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | |
| 5 | Szabo, Laszlo | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | 0 | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | |
| 6 | Panno, Oscar | 0 | 1 | ½ | 0 | 1 | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | ½ | 1 | ½ | 0 | ½ | 1 | |
| 7 | Pilnik, Hermann | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | |
| 8 | Toran Albero, Roman | 0 | 0 | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | ½ | 1 | |
| 9 | Wexler, Bernardo | 1 | ½ | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ½ | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | ½ | 1 | |
| 10 | Rossetto, Hector | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | ½ | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | ½ | 1 | |
| 11 | Flores Alvarez, Rodrigo | 0 | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | 0 | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | |
| 12 | Letelier Martner, Rene | 0 | 0 | ½ | ½ | 0 | 0 | 0 | ½ | 0 | 0 | ½ | 1 | 1 | ½ | ½ | |
| 13 | Bauza, Lorenzo | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ½ | ½ | 0 | 1 | 0 | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | 1 | |
| 14 | Idigoras Guisasola, Gregorio | ½ | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | ½ | 0 | 0 | 0 | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | 0 | |
| 15 | Dodero, Emilio | 0 | 0 | ½ | 0 | 0 | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | |
| 16 | De Greif, Boris | 0 | ½ | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ½ | 0 | 0 | 0 | ½ | ½ | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Each cell shows the row player's recorded results against the column player. ● = same player.