HAVANA

 The capital of Cuba where in 1885 one of the first chess clubs of America was opened. The Club staged the world championship matches Steinitz-Chigorin in 1889 and 1892 as well the 1921 Lasker-Capablanca title match. The 17th Chess Olympiad was held in Havana in 1966. Premier Castro was on the Organizing Committee and showed up for many of the rounds. He played games against Tigran Petrosian and Bobby Fischer among others. The American chess team was the first American cultural team to visit Cuba since Fidel Castro took over in 1958. USSR took first place followed by the USA. At the end of the Olympiad, a simultaneous exhibition of 6,480 boards was given. Since 1962 the city is the venue of the Capablanca Memorials. The winners of the main international tournaments of Havana were (see also Capablanca Memorial): 1952 Reshevsky, 1963 (Pan American) Jimenez, 1967 Hort, 1970 (Pan American) Jimenez, 1978