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Viktor Korchnoi
Korchnoi in 1993
Full name Viktor Lvovich Korchnoi
Country Flag of Switzerland Switzerland
Born March 23, 1931 (1931-03-23) (age 77)
Leningrad, USSR
Title Grandmaster 1956
FIDE rating 2598 (April 2008)
Peak rating 2695 (January 1979)[1]

Viktor Lvovich Korchnoi (also Korchnoy, Kortchnoy, Kortschnoi, etc. Switzerland (English pronunciation; Schweiz Swiss German: Schwyz or Schwiiz Suisse Svizzera Svizra officially the Swiss Confederation Events 1174 - Jocelin, Abbot of Melrose, is elected Bishop of Glasgow. Year 1931 ( MCMXXXI) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1931 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Saint Petersburg ( tr: Sankt-Peterburg,) is a city and a federal subject of Russia located on the Neva River The title Grandmaster is awarded to extremely strong Chess masters by the world chess organization FIDE. Fédération Internationale des Échecs or World Chess Federation is an international organization that connects the various national Chess federations around the The Elo rating system is a method for calculating the relative skill levels of players in two-player games such as Chess and Go. The Elo rating system is a method for calculating the relative skill levels of players in two-player games such as Chess and Go. ; pronounced in the original Russian as "karch NOY") (Ви́ктор Льво́вич Корчно́й), born March 23, 1931, in Leningrad, USSR, is a professional Swiss chess player and currently the oldest active grandmaster on the world tournament circuit. Events 1174 - Jocelin, Abbot of Melrose, is elected Bishop of Glasgow. Year 1931 ( MCMXXXI) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1931 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Saint Petersburg ( tr: Sankt-Peterburg,) is a city and a federal subject of Russia located on the Neva River The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR was a constitutionally Socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991 Switzerland (English pronunciation; Schweiz Swiss German: Schwyz or Schwiiz Suisse Svizzera Svizra officially the Swiss Confederation Chess is a recreational and competitive Game played between two players. The title Grandmaster is awarded to extremely strong Chess masters by the world chess organization FIDE. Korchnoi is also a chess author.

Korchnoi is best known for playing three matches against Anatoly Karpov for the World Chess Championship. Anatoly Yevgenyevich Karpov (Анатолий Евгеньевич Карпов born May 23, 1951) is a Russian Chess grandmaster See also Development of the World Chess Championship The World Chess Championship is played to determine the World Champion in the Board game Chess In 1974, he lost the Candidates final to Karpov, who went on to win the World championship by forfeit against Bobby Fischer. The Candidates Tournament was a triennial Chess tournament organized by the world chess federation FIDE as the final contest to determine the challenger for the Robert James "Bobby" Fischer ( March 9 1943 – January 17 2008) was an American -born Chess Grandmaster Then, after defecting from the Soviet Union in 1976, he won the Candidates twice to qualify for World Championship matches against Karpov in 1978 and 1981, losing both times.

In all, Korchnoi was a Candidate for the World Championship on ten occasions (1962, 1968, 1971, 1974, 1977, 1980, 1983, 1985, 1988 and 1991). Korchnoi is also a four-time USSR chess champion (1960, 1962, 1964–65, 1970), a five-time European champion, and a six-time member of Soviet teams that won the Chess Olympiad. This is a list of all the winners of the USSR Chess Championship. The Chess Olympiad is a Biennial Chess tournament in which teams from all over the world compete against each other In September 2006, he won the World Senior Chess Championship. The World Senior Chess Championship is an annual Chess tournament established in 1991 by FIDE, the World Chess Federation

Contents

Early career

Korchnoi graduated from Leningrad State University with a major in History. Saint Petersburg State University ( Санкт-Петербургский государственный университет) is a Russian federal state-owned higher History is the study of the past particularly the written record Those who study history as a Profession are called Historians Etymology [2]

He learned to play chess from his father at the age of seven. In 1943, he joined the chess club of the Leningrad Pioneer Palace, and was trained by Abram Model, Andrei Batuyev, and Vladimir Zak. Saint Petersburg ( tr: Sankt-Peterburg,) is a city and a federal subject of Russia located on the Neva River In 1947, he won the Junior Championship of the USSR, with 11. 5/15 at Leningrad, and tied for that title again in 1948 with 5/7 at Tallinn. Tallinn (historically known by the German, Swedish and Danish name Reval or the Polish name Rewal, among other names [3] In 1951 he earned the Soviet Master title, following his second place in the 1950 Leningrad Championship, with 9/13.

Grandmaster

One year later he first qualified for the finals of the USSR Chess Championship, which he won four times throughout his career (1960, 1962, 1964, 1970). This is a list of all the winners of the USSR Chess Championship. In the semi-final at Minsk 1952, he scored 10. Minsk (Мінск mʲinsk Минск mʲinsk is the Capital and largest city in Belarus, situated on the Svislach and Niamiha rivers 5/17 for a shared 2nd–4th place, to advance. His first finals attempt was a success; in URS-ch20 at Moscow, he scored 11/19 for 6th place, with Mikhail Botvinnik and Mark Taimanov winning. Moscow (Москва́ romanised: Moskvá, IPA: see also other names) is the Capital and the largest city of Mikhail Moiseyevich Botvinnik (mʲixaˈiɫ̺ mʌiˈs̺ʲɛjɛvʲiʧʲ bʌt̺ˈvʲin̺n̻ʲik Михаи́л Моисе́евич Ботви́нник) ( &ndash May Mark Evgenievich Taimanov (Марк Евгеньевич Тайманов (born February 7, 1926, Kharkov) is a leading Russian Chess He still had to qualify at the semi-final level, but succeeded in the semi-final at Vilnius 1953, with 9/14 for a shared 3rd–4th place. Korchnoi showed that he was ready to join the Soviet elite level with his shared 2nd–3rd place in URS-ch21 at Kiev 1954, on 13/19, as Yuri Averbakh won. Kiev, also known as Kyiv ( Ukrainian:, Kyiv, ˈkɪjiw Russian:, Kiyev; see also Cities' alternative names) is the Yuri Lvovich Averbakh (born February 8, 1922, in Kaluga, Russia) is a Russian Chess This high championship placing was rewarded with his first international opportunity, and he did not disappoint, taking clear first at Bucharest 1954 with 13/17. Bucharest ( Romanian: Bucureşti) is the Capital city, industrial and commercial centre of Romania. [4] The FIDE awarded him the title of International Master in 1954. Fédération Internationale des Échecs or World Chess Federation is an international organization that connects the various national Chess federations around the The title International Master is awarded to outstanding Chess players by the world chess organization FIDE. He won the 1955 Leningrad Championship with a massive score of 17/19, and shared 1st-2nd places at Hastings 1955–56 on 7/9. The Hastings International Chess Congress is an annual Chess congress which takes place in Hastings, England, around the turn of the year He was promoted to Grandmaster in 1956. The title Grandmaster is awarded to extremely strong Chess masters by the world chess organization FIDE.

International Soviet teams standout

Korchnoi earned his first international team selection for the Soviet student team in 1954, joined the full national team for the European Team Championship three years later, and would represent the USSR with distinction through 1974. He defected in 1976. He won 21 medals for the USSR. His complete Soviet international team play results follow:

Rising to prominence

Korchnoi rose to prominence within the Soviet chess school system, where he competed against stars such as Mikhail Tal, Tigran Petrosian, and Boris Spassky, following in the path laid out by Mikhail Botvinnik. Mikhail Tal (Mihails Tāls Михаил Нехемьевич Таль Mikhail Nekhemievich Tal, mʲixa'iɫ̺ n̻ʲɛ'xɛmjɛvʲiʨ t̺al̻ sometimes transliterated Mihails Tigran Petrosian (Տիգրան Պետրոսյան ( June 17, 1929 &ndash August 13, 1984) was World Chess Champion from 1963 Boris Vasilievich Spassky (also Spasskij (Бори́с Васи́льевич Спа́сский (born January 30, 1937) is a Russian French Mikhail Moiseyevich Botvinnik (mʲixaˈiɫ̺ mʌiˈs̺ʲɛjɛvʲiʧʲ bʌt̺ˈvʲin̺n̻ʲik Михаи́л Моисе́евич Ботви́нник) ( &ndash May

Korchnoi's playing style initially was an aggressive counter-attack. He excelled in difficult defensive positions. His results during the 1950s were often inconsistent, as dominance alternated with disaster. One horrific result was his 19th place (only one from bottom) at the URSch-22, Moscow 1955, with just 6/19. During the 1960s he became more versatile, mastering all the required techniques to become a world championship contender. He won at Krakow 1959 with 8. Kraków, in English also spelled Krakow or Cracow (ˈkrækaʊ M-W: krăk'ou krāk'ō is one of the largest and oldest cities in Poland 5/11, shared 1st–2nd places with Samuel Reshevsky at Buenos Aires 1960 with 13/19, won at Cordoba 1960 with 6/7. Samuel Herman (Sammy Reshevsky (born Szmul Rzeszewski, November 26, 1911, Ozorków near Lodz, (then Russian Empire Buenos Aires is the Capital and largest city of Argentina. It is geographically located on the southern shore of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern [18] After his victory at Budapest 1961 (Géza Maróczy Memorial) with 11. Budapest ( also /ˈbʊ-/) is the capital city of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary it serves as the country's principal Political, Géza Maróczy (ˈɡeːzɒ ˈmɒroːtsi 3 March 1870 – 29 May 1951) was a leading Hungarian Chess Grandmaster 5/15 ahead of Bronstein and Miroslav Filip each with 9. Miroslav Filip (born October 27 1928 in Prague) is a Grandmaster of Chess from the Czech Republic. 5, Korchnoi was recognized as one of the world's four best players along with Botvinnik, Tal, and Fischer. [19]

Korchnoi won the USSR Chess Championship four times during his career. This is a list of all the winners of the USSR Chess Championship. At Leningrad 1960 for URS-ch27, he scored 14/19. Saint Petersburg ( tr: Sankt-Peterburg,) is a city and a federal subject of Russia located on the Neva River He won at Yerevan 1962, URS-ch30, with 13/19. Yerevan (Երևան Երեւան or Երեվան ˌjɛrəˈvɑːn sometimes written as Erevan, Iravan, Erewan, Ayrivan, and Erivan He won at Kiev 1964–65 with 15/19. Kiev, also known as Kyiv ( Ukrainian:, Kyiv, ˈkɪjiw Russian:, Kiyev; see also Cities' alternative names) is the His final title was at Riga 1970, for URS-ch38, with 16/21. Riga (Rīga riːga) the Capital of Latvia, is situated on the Baltic Sea coast on the mouth of the river Daugava. [20]

He never succeeded in becoming World Champion, but many people consider him the strongest player never to have done so, a distinction also often attributed to Paul Keres. Paul Keres ( January 7, 1916 – June 5, 1975) was an Estonian Chess grandmaster. When Spassky beat Petrosian to claim the World Title in 1969, the Soviet Chess Federation started pursuing a youth policy which largely classed Korchnoi and Vasily Smyslov as the old vanguard; as a consequence, they were sometimes overlooked when it came to distribution of opportunities to play in international chess tournaments. Vasily Vasiliyevich Smyslov (Васи́лий Васильевич Смысло́в (born March 24, 1921, in Moscow) is a Russian Chess

World title Candidate

He first qualified as a Candidate from the 1962 Stockholm Interzonal, scoring 14/22 for a shared 4–5th place finish, as Bobby Fischer won. ('stɔkhɔlm is Sweden 's Capital and its largest City. It is the site of the national Swedish government, the parliament, and the Interzonal chess tournaments were tournaments organized by FIDE, the World Chess Federation Robert James "Bobby" Fischer ( March 9 1943 – January 17 2008) was an American -born Chess Grandmaster The 1962 Candidates tournament was held at Curacao only a few months later, and Korchnoi placed fifth out of eight with an even score, 13. At the World Chess Championship 1963 Tigran Petrosian narrowly qualified to challenge Mikhail Botvinnik for the World Chess Championship, and then won the Curaçao (ˈkjuːrəsaʊ in English Dutch: Curaçao, Papiamento: Kòrsou) is an Island in the southern Caribbean Sea, 5/27, as Tigran Petrosian won. Tigran Petrosian (Տիգրան Պետրոսյան ( June 17, 1929 &ndash August 13, 1984) was World Chess Champion from 1963 [21]

Korchnoi won at Havana 1963 with 16. Havana ( IPA: aˈβana officially Ciudad de La Habana, is the Capital city, major port and leading 5/21, but fared poorly in the next Soviet Championship, URS-ch31 at Leningrad, with just 10/19 for 10th place. He missed qualifying for the next world championship cycle, 1964–66, because of a relatively poor showing at the 1964 Zonal tournament in Moscow, where he made 5. 5/12 for a shared 5–6th place, so did not advance to the Interzonal. Korchnoi regained his form with an overwhelming triumph at Gyula 1965 with 14. Gyula is a Hungarian male given name It was adopted as a Given name sometime after the establishment of the Kingdom of Hungary. 5/15. He won at Bucharest 1966 with 12. Bucharest ( Romanian: Bucureşti) is the Capital city, industrial and commercial centre of Romania. 5/14, and at Sochi 1966 with 11. Sochi (Сочи ˈsotɕɪ is a Russian Resort city, situated in Krasnodar Krai just north of the southern Russian border 5/15. [22]

He tied for 3rd-5th places at the URS-ch34, Tbilisi 1966–67, with 12/20, and advanced from a playoff at Tallinn 1967 to the Sousse Interzonal later that year. Tbilisi (ˌtbiˈliːsi in Georgian: თბილისი is the capital and the largest city of the Republic of Georgia, lying on the banks of the Mt'k'vari Tallinn (historically known by the German, Swedish and Danish name Reval or the Polish name Rewal, among other names Sousse ( Arabic سوسة Sousa) is a city of Tunisia. Located 140 km south of Tunis, the city has 173 047 inhabitants (2004 A strong performance at the 1967 Sousse Interzonal, with 14/22, for a shared 2nd–4th place, took him through to the Candidates' matches. Sousse ( Arabic سوسة Sousa) is a city of Tunisia. Located 140 km south of Tunis, the city has 173 047 inhabitants (2004 [23] In his first match, he defeated American Samuel Reshevsky at Amsterdam 1968 by (+3 =5 -0). Samuel Herman (Sammy Reshevsky (born Szmul Rzeszewski, November 26, 1911, Ozorków near Lodz, (then Russian Empire Amsterdam (pronounced) is the capital and largest city of the Netherlands, located in the province of North Holland in the west Next up was Mikhail Tal, against whom Korchnoi had had a big edge in previous games. Mikhail Tal (Mihails Tāls Михаил Нехемьевич Таль Mikhail Nekhemievich Tal, mʲixa'iɫ̺ n̻ʲɛ'xɛmjɛvʲiʨ t̺al̻ sometimes transliterated Mihails The match, held in Moscow 1968, was close, but Korchnoi won by 5. 5 to 4. 5, and moved on to face Boris Spassky in the Candidates final. Boris Vasilievich Spassky (also Spasskij (Бори́с Васи́льевич Спа́сский (born January 30, 1937) is a Russian French Spassky proved to be too much for him, at Kiev 1968, winning 6. Kiev, also known as Kyiv ( Ukrainian:, Kyiv, ˈkɪjiw Russian:, Kiyev; see also Cities' alternative names) is the 5–3. 5.

Korchnoi, as the losing finalist, was exempt from qualifying for the next cycle (1970–72), and advanced directly to the Candidates' matches. First, he played a training match against Anatoly Karpov, with whom he was close at the time, at Leningrad 1971; this wound up drawn in six games. Anatoly Yevgenyevich Karpov (Анатолий Евгеньевич Карпов born May 23, 1951) is a Russian Chess grandmaster Korchnoi won his first round 1971 match against Efim Geller at Moscow by 5. Efim Petrovich Geller (Ефим Петрович Геллер March 8 1925 &ndash November 17 1998) was a Soviet Chess 5–2. 5, but then lost to Tigran Petrosian by 5. Tigran Petrosian (Տիգրան Պետրոսյան ( June 17, 1929 &ndash August 13, 1984) was World Chess Champion from 1963 5–4. 5, also at Moscow. Anatoly Karpov, in his book Karpov on Karpov (Atheneum 1993), writes that, because of Bobby Fischer's overwhelming form at that time, Korchnoi and Petrosian were asked by Soviet chess authorities to choose among themselves, before the match, who they thought would have the better chance of stopping Fischer in the finals. Anatoly Yevgenyevich Karpov (Анатолий Евгеньевич Карпов born May 23, 1951) is a Russian Chess grandmaster Robert James "Bobby" Fischer ( March 9 1943 – January 17 2008) was an American -born Chess Grandmaster Petrosian apparently believed strongly in himself, and so Korchnoi was asked to throw the match, receiving as compensation invitations to the three most prestigious tournaments in western Europe. Petrosian, however, lost to Fischer by a one-sided score late in 1971.

Korchnoi's mood largely dictated his plan for the game. He was comfortable playing with and without the initiative. He could attack, counterattack, play positionally, and was a master of the endgame. In Chess, the endgame (or end game or ending) refers to the stage of the game when there are few pieces left on the board He became known as the master of counter-attack, and strangely enough he was Mikhail Tal's (an out-and-out attacker) most difficult opponent. Mikhail Tal (Mihails Tāls Михаил Нехемьевич Таль Mikhail Nekhemievich Tal, mʲixa'iɫ̺ n̻ʲɛ'xɛmjɛvʲiʨ t̺al̻ sometimes transliterated Mihails He has a large lifetime plus score against Tal, and also has plus scores against world champions Petrosian and Spassky. He has equal records against Botvinnik and Bobby Fischer. Robert James "Bobby" Fischer ( March 9 1943 – January 17 2008) was an American -born Chess Grandmaster He has beaten the eight undisputed world champions from Botvinnik to Garry Kasparov, as well as FIDE world champions Ruslan Ponomariov and Veselin Topalov. Garry Kasparov (Га́рри Ки́мович Каспа́ров) (born as Garry Kimovich Weinstein on April 13 1963 in Baku, Azerbaijan SSR, Soviet Ruslan Ponomariov (Руслан Пономарьов Русла́н Пономарёв (born October 11, 1983) is a Ukrainian Chess player Veselin Topalov (vɛsɛ'lin to'pɑlof Веселин Топалов (born 15 March 1975) is a Bulgarian Chess grandmaster

Korchnoi and Anatoly Karpov, the newest young star of the Soviet chess school, tied for first in the 1973 Leningrad Interzonal. Anatoly Yevgenyevich Karpov (Анатолий Евгеньевич Карпов born May 23, 1951) is a Russian Chess grandmaster Year 1973 ( MCMLXXIII) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display full calendar of the 1973 Gregorian calendar. Saint Petersburg ( tr: Sankt-Peterburg,) is a city and a federal subject of Russia located on the Neva River Interzonal chess tournaments were tournaments organized by FIDE, the World Chess Federation [24] In the 1974 Candidates' matches, Korchnoi first beat the young Brazilian star Henrique Costa Mecking (who had won the other Interzonal, in Petropolis) by 7. Year 1974 ( MCMLXXIV) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the 1974 Gregorian calendar. |utc_offset = -2 to -4 |time_zone_DST = BRST |utc_offset_DST = -2 to -5 |cctld Henrique Mecking (born 23 January 1952; first name spelled Enrique in some references also known as "Mequinho" in Brazil was a leading Brazilian Petrópolis, also known as The Imperial City of Brazil, is a town in the state of Rio de Janeiro, about 65 km from Rio de Janeiro. 5–5. 5 at Augusta – in what he later described as a tough match in his autobiography. Korchnoi next played former World Champion Tigran Petrosian at Odessa. Tigran Petrosian (Տիգրան Պետրոսյան ( June 17, 1929 &ndash August 13, 1984) was World Chess Champion from 1963 ODESSA which stands for the German phrase O rganisation d er e hemaligen SS - A ngehörigen which in turn translates The two were not on friendly terms, and it was even rumored that the two resorted to kicking each other under the table during this match. However, Korchnoi denies this. According to him, Petrosian just kicked his legs nervously and shook the table. Although the match was supposed to go to the first player to win four games, Petrosian resigned the match after just five games, with Korchnoi enjoying a lead of 3-1, with one draw. [25]

With his victory over Petrosian, Korchnoi advanced to the Candidates' Final, the match to determine who would challenge reigning World Champion Bobby Fischer in 1975. Korchnoi's opponent was Karpov. In the run-up period before the match, Korchnoi was constantly subjected to threats and harassment, and was virtually unable to find any Grandmasters to assist him. David Bronstein apparently assisted Korchnoi somewhat, for which he was punished. David Ionovich Bronstein (Дави́д Ио́нович Бронште́йн February 19 1924 &ndash December 5 2006) was renowned as a leading Clearly, the Soviet chess hierarchy favoured the younger Karpov, reasoning that the generation which had been defeated by Fischer (of which Korchnoi was part), could not hope to battle him successfully. Korchnoi did receive some assistance later in the match from two strong British Masters, Raymond Keene and William Hartston. Raymond Dennis Keene OBE (born 29 January 1948) is a Chess grandmaster, but is better known as a chess organiser columnist and author William Roland Hartston (born London 12 August 1947) is an English Chess player who played competitively from 1962 to 1987 with a highest [26] Korchnoi trailed 3-0 late in the match, but won games 17 and 21 to make it very close right to the end. Karpov eventually won this epic battle, played in late 1974 in Moscow, by a 12. Moscow (Москва́ romanised: Moskvá, IPA: see also other names) is the Capital and the largest city of 5–11. 5 score. By default, Karpov became the Twelfth World Champion in April 1975, when Fischer refused to defend his title because of disputed match conditions. See also Development of the World Chess Championship The World Chess Championship is played to determine the World Champion in the Board game Chess

During the match between Karpov and Korchnoi, an amusing incident occurred. In the 21st game, Korchnoi played a strong opening novelty and, after a terrible blunder by Karpov, had achieved an overwhelming position. During this game, Korchnoi got up from the board, walked over to the arbiter and asked whether he could legally castle king-side in the current position, in which a bishop was attacking his rook on h1. The arbiter, Salo Flohr, informed him that he could. Salomon Mikhailovich Flohr ( November 21, 1908 &ndash July 18, 1983) was a leading Czech and later Soviet Chess Korchnoi did so, and Karpov soon resigned.

Defection

In the lead-up to the Candidates' Final in 1974, as part of a campaign to promote Karpov over Korchnoi, Tigran Petrosian made a public statement in the press against Korchnoi. Tigran Petrosian (Տիգրան Պետրոսյան ( June 17, 1929 &ndash August 13, 1984) was World Chess Champion from 1963 At the closing ceremony of the Candidates' Final, Korchnoi had made his mind up that he had to leave the Soviet Union. The central authorities prevented Korchnoi from playing any international tournaments, and even when invited by Paul Keres and Iivo Nei to participate in an International Tournament in Estonia, Korchnoi was not allowed to play, and both Keres and Nei were reprimanded. Paul Keres ( January 7, 1916 – June 5, 1975) was an Estonian Chess grandmaster. Iivo Nei (born 31 October 1931, Tartu) is an Estonian chess master Estonia, officially the Republic of Estonia ( Eesti or Eesti Vabariik) is a Country in Northern Europe in the Baltic region

Korchnoi, in a 2006 lecture in London, mentioned that the breakthrough that allowed him to resume international appearances came when Anatoly Karpov inherited the World Championship title (resigned by Bobby Fischer). London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. Anatoly Yevgenyevich Karpov (Анатолий Евгеньевич Карпов born May 23, 1951) is a Russian Chess grandmaster Questions arose about how Karpov qualified to be a World Champion, when he had never beaten Fischer. Since Korchnoi was not publicly visible, it was largely believed that he (and Karpov) could not be very strong. Korchnoi was then allowed to play the 1976 Amsterdam tournament, as a means to prove Karpov was a worthy World Champion. Amsterdam (pronounced) is the capital and largest city of the Netherlands, located in the province of North Holland in the west

Korchnoi was joint winner of the tournament along with Tony Miles. Anthony John Miles ( 23 April 1955 in Edgbaston, Birmingham &ndash 12 November 2001 in Harborne, Birmingham At the end of the tournament, Korchnoi asked Miles to spell 'political asylum' for him. As a result, after the chess tournament in Amsterdam, Korchnoi was the first strong Soviet grandmaster to defect from the Soviet Union. Efim Bogolyubov did not defect, but emigrated after they had been detained in Germany when WWI broke out, whereas Alexander Alekhine left the Soviet Union shortly after winning the first championship of the Soviet Union. Efim Dmitriyevich Bogoljubow (Bogoljubov Bogolyubov (Ефи́м Дми́триевич Боголю́бов April 14, 1889 &ndash June 18, Alexander Alexandrovich Alekhine (alʲɛkˈsandr̠ alʲɛkˈsandr̠ovʲiʨ aˈlʲɛxin Russian Алекса́ндр Алекса́ндрович Але́хин) (October Korchnoi's defection resulted in a turbulent period of excellent tournament results, losses in the two matches for the World Title – all overshadowed by the oppressive political climate of the Cold War. Cold War is the state of conflict tension and competition that existed between the United States and the Soviet Union (USSR and their respective allies from the

Korchnoi resided in the Netherlands for some time, giving simultaneous exhibitions. The Netherlands ( Dutch:, ˈnedərlɑnt is the European part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, which consists of the Netherlands the Netherlands A simultaneous exhibition or simultaneous display (often abbreviated to "simul" is an event where one player (commonly a Chess master or grandmaster He played a short match against Jan Timman – the strongest active non-Soviet player at that time – and comprehensively defeated him. Jan Timman (born December 14, 1951) is a Dutch Chess Grandmaster who was one of the world's leading players from the late 1970s to He moved to West Germany, and then eventually settled in Switzerland by 1978. West Germany ( Inf German: Westdeutschland or West-Deutschland) was the common English name for the Federal Republic of Germany ( Switzerland (English pronunciation; Schweiz Swiss German: Schwyz or Schwiiz Suisse Svizzera Svizra officially the Swiss Confederation

First World Championship match against Karpov

In the next world championship cycle (1976-78), Korchnoi narrowly defeated Petrosian again in the Candidates quarter finals, then comfortably won his matches against Lev Polugaevsky and Boris Spassky to emerge as the official challenger to Karpov. Lev Abramovich Polugaevsky ( Russian: Лев Абрамович Полугаевский) (sometimes transliterated as Lyev Polugayevsky) ( Boris Vasilievich Spassky (also Spasskij (Бори́с Васи́льевич Спа́сский (born January 30, 1937) is a Russian French [27]

The World Championship match of 1978 was held in Baguio in the Philippines, and deserves its reputation as the most bizarre World Championship match ever played. Geography The three main access roads leading to Baguio from the lowlands are Kennon Road, Marcos Highway The Philippines ( Filipino: Pilipinas, officially known as the Republic of the Philippines (fil ''Republika ng Pilipinas'' RP Karpov's team included a Dr. Zukhar (a well known hypnotist), while Korchnoi adopted two local renegades currently on bail for attempted murder. [28] There was more controversy off the board, with histrionics ranging from X-raying of chairs, protests about the flags used on the board, the inevitable hypnotism complaints and the mirror glasses used by Korchnoi. When Karpov's team sent him a blueberry yogurt during a game without any request for one by Karpov, the Korchnoi team protested, claiming it could be some kind of code. Blueberries are Flowering plants in the genus Vaccinium, sect Yoghurt, yogurt, yoghourt, youghurt or yogourt (see spelling below is a They later said this was intended as a parody of earlier protests, but it was taken seriously at the time. [29]

In quality of play the match itself never measured up to the press headlines that it generated, although as a sporting contest it had its share of excitement. The match would go to the first player to win six games, draws not counting. After 17 games, Karpov had an imposing 4–1 lead. Korchnoi won game 21, but Karpov won game 27, putting him on the brink of victory with a 5–2 lead. Korchnoi bravely fought back, scoring three wins and one draw in the next four games, to equalise the match at 5–5 after 31 games. However, Karpov won the very next game, and the match, by 6–5 with 21 draws. [30]

Second World Championship match against Karpov

Korchnoi won the next Candidates' cycle to again earn the right to challenge Karpov in 1981. The match was held in Merano, Italy. Merano ( Italian, now most common in English German: Meran, also used in English Ladin: Meran; Archaic (857 AD Mairania Italy (Italia officially the Italian Republic, (Repubblica Italiana is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest The headline of the tournament again largely centered on the political issues. Korchnoi's wife and son were still in the Soviet Union. His son was promised to be released to join his father in exile if he gave up his passport. When he did so, he was promptly drafted into the Soviet army.

Korchnoi took the opportunity of the match to publicize the situation of his wife and son, drafting an open letter to the Soviet government to release them both.

In what was dubbed the "Massacre in Merano", Karpov defeated Korchnoi convincingly by 6 wins to 2, with ten draws.

In spite of the protests, Korchnoi's son was arrested for evading army service, sentenced to two and a half years in labour camp, and served the full sentence. After the release, he was again refused permission to leave the USSR. Six years after Korchnoi's defection, his son finally succeeded in leaving the country.

Later career

Korchnoi, however, still had a vital part to play in the next (1984) Candidates' cycle, although he never reached the highest pinnacle again. Korchnoi was matched to play the young Soviet Garry Kasparov who at the time was battling against the Soviet Chess Federation that was clearly in favour of Anatoly Karpov. Garry Kasparov (Га́рри Ки́мович Каспа́ров) (born as Garry Kimovich Weinstein on April 13 1963 in Baku, Azerbaijan SSR, Soviet Korchnoi seems to have great fondness for Garry Kasparov – possibly, because he recognized the situation Kasparov was in – a prominent talent blocked by the Soviet bureaucracy.

The match was to be held in Pasadena, California, but the Soviet Chess Federation protested (possibly because Korchnoi was a defector and the match was in the cold-war enemy's back yard, and because of the soon-to-be-announced Soviet decision to boycott the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles), and Kasparov was not allowed to fly there to play the match. Pasadena ( is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. California ( is a US state on the West Coast of the United States, along the Pacific Ocean. The 1984 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIII Olympiad, were an International Multi-sport event held in Los Angeles, Los Angeles (lɑˈsændʒələs los ˈaŋxeles in Spanish) is the largest City in the state of California and the American West This defaulted the match to Korchnoi.

However, after a remarkable series of events, spearheaded by the British Grandmaster Raymond Keene, Korchnoi agreed to play the match in London. Raymond Dennis Keene OBE (born 29 January 1948) is a Chess grandmaster, but is better known as a chess organiser columnist and author London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. This was a gracious gesture by Korchnoi, since technically he had already won by default. After a good start, Korchnoi was blown away by Kasparov's attacking play and remarkable maturity. [31]

After the 1983 Kasparov match, Korchnoi continued playing at a top level but without seriously threatening the world championship again. In the 1985–87 World Championship cycle he finished equal thirteenth out of 16 in the Candidates' Tournament. The Candidates Tournament was a triennial Chess tournament organized by the world chess federation FIDE as the final contest to determine the challenger for the [32] In the 1988–90 cycle he made the final 16 again, but was eliminated in the first round of Candidates' matches. [33] In the 1991–93 cycle he reached the final 8 of the Candidates' before being eliminated. [34]

He continues playing in Europe to this day, living in his adopted country of Switzerland, which he represents on the top board of the World Chess Olympiad, most recently playing in Torino, Italy, in 2006. Switzerland (English pronunciation; Schweiz Swiss German: Schwyz or Schwiiz Suisse Svizzera Svizra officially the Swiss Confederation The Chess Olympiad is a Biennial Chess tournament in which teams from all over the world compete against each other Italy (Italia officially the Italian Republic, (Repubblica Italiana is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest

Korchnoi is noted for his unusual longevity at the chessboard. He has been at or near the top of the game for nearly half a century. He continues to play many tournaments every year, playing more than 15 tournaments in 2006. He won the 2005 Quebec Open in Montreal. Montreal, or Montréal in French ( pronounced in French, in English) is the largest city in the Canadian province of Quebec In August 2006 at age 75 he won the Banyoles Open in Spain ahead of Sergei Tiviakov. Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Sergei Tiviakov (born February 14, 1973 in Krasnodar, Soviet Union) is a naturalised Dutch Chess Grandmaster

On the January 2007 FIDE rating list[35] Korchnoi was ranked number 85 in the world at age 75, by far the oldest player ever to be ranked in the FIDE top 100. Fédération Internationale des Échecs or World Chess Federation is an international organization that connects the various national Chess federations around the The second-oldest player on the January 2007 list was Alexander Beliavsky, age 53, who is 22 years younger than Korchnoi. Alexander Henrikhovich Beliavsky (sometimes transliterated as Belyavsky born December 17, 1953) is a Ukrainian Chess grandmaster.

World Senior Chess Champion

In September 2006 Korchnoi won the 16th World Senior Chess Championship, held in Arvier (Valle d’Aosta, Italy), with a 9–2 score. The World Senior Chess Championship is an annual Chess tournament established in 1991 by FIDE, the World Chess Federation Arvier is a Town and Comune in the Aosta Valley region of north-western Italy. Italy (Italia officially the Italian Republic, (Repubblica Italiana is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest Korchnoi scored 7. 5–0. 5 in his first eight games, then drew his last three games. [36] This is the first world title Korchnoi has won.

Books

Quotations attributed to Korchnoi

References

  1. ^ staff.cs.utu.fi/~juhkivij/chess/elo_records_en.shtml.
  2. ^ Great Chess Upsets, by Samuel Reshevsky, New York 1976, Arco Publishing, p. Samuel Herman (Sammy Reshevsky (born Szmul Rzeszewski, November 26, 1911, Ozorków near Lodz, (then Russian Empire 244.
  3. ^ Karpov–Korchnoi 1978: The Inside Story of the Match, by Raymond Keene, Batsford 1978, p. Raymond Dennis Keene OBE (born 29 January 1948) is a Chess grandmaster, but is better known as a chess organiser columnist and author Batsford_Stud_Imagejpg|right|125px|Batsford Stud Farm]] Batsford is a village and Civil parish in the Cotswold district of Gloucestershire, England 10.
  4. ^ http://www.chessmetrics.com, the Viktor Korchnoi player file
  5. ^ www.olimpbase.org/playersy/c6ak4qqi.html.
  6. ^ www.olimpbase.org/playersy/c6ak4qqi.html.
  7. ^ www.olimpbase/org/playerse/c6ak4qqi.html.
  8. ^ www.olimpbase.org/players/c6ak4qqi.html.
  9. ^ www.olimpbase/org/playerse/c6ak4qqi.html.
  10. ^ www.olimpbase/org/playerse/c6ak4qqi.html.
  11. ^ www.olimpbase.org/players/c6ak4qqi.html.
  12. ^ www.olimpbase.org/players/c6ak4qqi.html.
  13. ^ www.olimpbase/org/playerse/c6ak4qqi.html.
  14. ^ www.olimpbase.org/players/c6ak4qqi.html.
  15. ^ www.olimpbase.org/players/c6ak4qqi.html.
  16. ^ www.olimpbase/org/playerse/c6ak4qqi.html.
  17. ^ www.olimpbase.org/players/c6ak4qqi.html.
  18. ^ Karpov–Korchnoi 1978, the Inside Story of the Match, by Raymond Keene, pp. Raymond Dennis Keene OBE (born 29 January 1948) is a Chess grandmaster, but is better known as a chess organiser columnist and author 10–11
  19. ^ The field also included Mark Taimanov at 9/15, Lajos Portisch (9), Vladimir Simagin (9), Péter Dely (9), Wolfgang Uhlmann (8. Mark Evgenievich Taimanov (Марк Евгеньевич Тайманов (born February 7, 1926, Kharkov) is a leading Russian Chess Lajos Portisch (born April 4, 1937 in Zalaegerszeg, Hungary) is a Hungarian chess Grandmaster, whose positional style earned Vladimir Simagin (born Moscow June 21, 1919, died Kislovodsk September 25, 1968) was a Russian Grandmaster 5), Gedeon Barcza (8), István Bilek (7), Jan Hein Donner (6. Gedeon (Gideon Barcza ( August 21, 1911 in Kisújszállás – February 27, 1986 in Budapest) was a Hungarian István Bilek (born 11 August 1932) is a Hungarian Chess Grandmaster (GM born in Budapest. Johannes Hendrikus "Jan Hein" Donner ( July 6, 1927 – November 27, 1988) was a Dutch Chess grandmaster 5), and Arthur Bisguier (6). Arthur Bernard Bisguier (born 8 October 1929) is an American Chess International Grandmaster, chess promoter and writer Horowitz, I. A. (January 1962), “The World of Chess: Watch Kornjoj!”, Chess Review 30 (1): 3 
  20. ^ http://www. Israel Albert Horowitz (often known as Al Horowitz or I A Horowitz) ( November 15 1907, in Brooklyn New York – January Chess Review (January 1933 to April 1941 The Chess Review) is a U chessmetrics. Chessmetrics is a system for rating Chess players devised by Jeff Sonas. com, the Viktor Korchnoi player file
  21. ^ http://www. chessmetrics. Chessmetrics is a system for rating Chess players devised by Jeff Sonas. com, the Viktor Korchnoi player file
  22. ^ Karpov–Korchnoi 1978: the Inside Story of the Match, by Raymond Keene, Batsford 1978
  23. ^ http://www. Raymond Dennis Keene OBE (born 29 January 1948) is a Chess grandmaster, but is better known as a chess organiser columnist and author Batsford_Stud_Imagejpg|right|125px|Batsford Stud Farm]] Batsford is a village and Civil parish in the Cotswold district of Gloucestershire, England chessmetrics. Chessmetrics is a system for rating Chess players devised by Jeff Sonas. com, the Viktor Korchnoi player file
  24. ^ www.geocities.com/TimesSquare/Ring/4860/karpov.html.
  25. ^ www.mark-weeks.com/chess/7375$cix.htm.
  26. ^ Karpov–Korchnoi 1978: the Inside Story of the Match, by Raymond Keene, Batsford 1978, pp. Raymond Dennis Keene OBE (born 29 January 1948) is a Chess grandmaster, but is better known as a chess organiser columnist and author Batsford_Stud_Imagejpg|right|125px|Batsford Stud Farm]] Batsford is a village and Civil parish in the Cotswold district of Gloucestershire, England 17–19
  27. ^ www.mark-weeks.com/chess/7678$cix.htm.
  28. ^ Karpov–Korchnoi 1978, Keene
  29. ^ www.mark-weeks.com/chess/78kk$$01.htm.
  30. ^ www.mark-weeks.com/chess/7678$wix.htm.
  31. ^ www.mark-weeks.com/chess/8284$cix.htm.
  32. ^ www.mark-weeks.com/chess/8587tcix.htm.
  33. ^ www.mark-weeks.com/chess/8890$cix.htm.
  34. ^ www.mark-weeks.com/chess/9193$cix.htm.
  35. ^ www.fide.com/ratings/toparc.phtml?cod=105.
  36. ^ Viktor Korchnoi wins World Senior Championship, Chessbase.com News, 23 September 2006, <http://www.chessbase.com/newsdetail.asp?newsid=3358> 

Further reading

External links

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