Reggio Emilia 1978/79
Germany's Ralf Hess went through the twenty-first Torneo di Capodanno without losing a game — five wins and six draws for 8/11 — to finish half a point ahead of the Soviet Union's Avigdor Bykhovsky, who was also unbeaten. Between them, the top two lost not a single game in twenty-two.
◈Twelve players over the New Year
The 1978/79 edition of Enrico Paoli's New Year tournament drew a twelve-player field mixing its international guests with a strong Italian core. From abroad came Hess, Bykhovsky, the Yugoslav grandmaster Stanimir Nikolić, his countryman Mario Bertok, France's Richard Goldenberg, Sweden's Lennart Ljungqvist — and the defending champion, Hungary's László Kovács, back to defend the title he had won the previous winter. The home ranks included Renato Cappello, Alvise Zichichi, Daniele Taruffi, Roberto Messa, and Sergio Pederzoli.
The defense never materialised: Kovács, who had won seven games a year earlier, this time won none at all, drawing eight and losing three to finish tenth on 4 points.
◈A race of the unbeaten
Hess and Bykhovsky separated themselves from the field and neither would blink. The German international master converted five wins against six draws for 8 points; Bykhovsky's four wins and seven draws left him second on 7½. Nikolić and Cappello — the latter the best-placed Italian — shared third on 6½, ahead of Taruffi and Messa on 6.
Goldenberg, Bertok, and Zichichi followed on 5½, while Ljungqvist and Pederzoli shared last on 2½, neither managing a win. Hess's victory placed a German name on the Capodanno roll of honour between two Soviet winners — Alexander Kochyev took the next edition, just as Gennadi Kuzmin had taken the nineteenth.
◈Final Standings
| # | Player | Score | Record | Games |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hess, Ralf | 8/11 | +5 -0 =6 | games → |
| 2 | Bykhovsky, Avigdor | 7½/11 | +4 -0 =7 | games → |
| 3 | Nikolic, Stanimir | 6½/11 | +5 -3 =3 | games → |
| 4 | Cappello, Renato | 6½/11 | +4 -2 =5 | games → |
| 5 | Taruffi, Daniele | 6/11 | +5 -4 =2 | games → |
| 6 | Messa, Roberto | 6/11 | +3 -2 =6 | games → |
| 7 | Goldenberg, Richard | 5½/11 | +3 -3 =5 | games → |
| =8 | Bertok, Mario | 5½/11 | +2 -2 =7 | games → |
| =8 | Zichichi, Alvise | 5½/11 | +2 -2 =7 | games → |
| 10 | Kovacs, Laszlo M | 4/11 | +0 -3 =8 | games → |
| =11 | Ljungqvist, Lennart | 2½/11 | +0 -6 =5 | games → |
| =11 | Pederzoli, Sergio | 2½/11 | +0 -6 =5 | games → |
Cross Table
| Rank | Player | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hess, Ralf | ½ | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | |
| 2 | Bykhovsky, Avigdor | ½ | 1 | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | |
| 3 | Nikolic, Stanimir | 0 | 0 | ½ | 0 | 1 | 1 | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | 1 | |
| 4 | Cappello, Renato | 0 | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | 1 | 1 | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | |
| 5 | Taruffi, Daniele | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | ½ | 1 | 1 | ½ | 1 | |
| 6 | Messa, Roberto | 0 | ½ | 0 | ½ | 1 | 1 | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | |
| 7 | Goldenberg, Richard | ½ | ½ | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | |
| 8 | Bertok, Mario | ½ | 0 | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | ½ | |
| 9 | Zichichi, Alvise | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | |
| 10 | Kovacs, Laszlo M | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | |
| 11 | Ljungqvist, Lennart | ½ | 0 | 0 | 0 | ½ | ½ | 0 | 0 | 0 | ½ | ½ | |
| 12 | Pederzoli, Sergio | 0 | ½ | 0 | 0 | 0 | ½ | 0 | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ |
Each cell shows the row player's per-game results against the column player (in round order). ● = same player.