Zvonko Vranesic - Near-misses in Canadian Championships

Near-misses in Canadian Championships

Vranesic placed 2nd, with 8/11, in the 1961 Canadian Chess Championship, at Brockville, Ontario 1961 (Lionel Joyner won); he repeated this placing in the 1963 Canadian Chess Championship, Winnipeg 1963, with 11.5/15 (Daniel Yanofsky won). Vranesic placed 2nd, to GM Pal Benko, at the 1964 Canadian Open Chess Championship.

He represented Canada in the Interzonal at Amsterdam 1964 (Yanofsky had qualified, but declined his place in favour of Vranesic), but placed 24th (last). However, his game was improving with opportunities to compete at high levels. He tied for first place at the Canadian Chess Championship, Pointe-Claire 1969. He earned the International Master title for this result. But he lost the Vancouver playoff match (and the right to advance to the 1970 Interzonal) to Duncan Suttles, by 1.5-0.5.