Yuri Balashov (50); Svetozar Gligoric (76); Vlastimil Hort (55); Borislav Ivkov (65); Bent Larsen (64); Lajos Portisch (62); Vasily Smyslov (78); Boris Spassky (62); Mark Taimanov (73); Vitaly Tseshkovsky (54).

Sounds nice, but think about it. Ten players, ranging in age from 50 to 78, playing in a <Petrosian Memorial> . So how do you best honor Tigran Petrosian?

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 Pts 01 Ivkov * ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ 1 ½ ½ 5.0 02 Portisch ½ * ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ 1 5.0 03 Taimanov ½ ½ * ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ 4.5 04 Spassky ½ ½ ½ * ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ 4.5 05 Smyslov ½ ½ ½ ½ * ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ 4.5 06 Hort ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ * ½ ½ ½ ½ 4.5 07 Balashov ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ * ½ ½ ½ 4.5 08 Tseshkovsky 0 ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ * 1 ½ 4.5 09 Gligoric ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ 0 * ½ 4.0 10 Larsen ½ 0 ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ * 4.0

So who stepped out of line? Larsen, of course, but you have to expect that. The big offender was the youthful Tseshkovsky, with two decisive results in the first four rounds. I imagine his elders sat him down and told him to get with the program, and he took the advice: every game in the last five rounds was drawn.

But mocking and criticizing this tournament is the wrong attitude to take. Instead, it should probably be regarded more as an exhibition than a truly serious competition. Many sports will have "Old-Timers" games, where retired players will dress up in their uniforms and go through the motions. The attraction is not who wins or loses or what the final score is, but just watching the legends of long ago gathered together - here, in tribute to a fallen comrade.