World Chess Championship 1984–1985

Three Interzonal tournaments were held. The top two finishers in each qualified. Zoltán Ribli won the Las Palmas Interzonal ahead of 61-year-old former World Champion Vasily Smyslov.[http://www.mark-weeks.com/chess/82841iix.htm World Chess Championship : 1982-84 cycle : 1982 Las Palmas Interzonal] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080420031456/http://www.mark-weeks.com/chess/82841iix.htm |date=20 April 2008 }}. Mark-weeks.com. Retrieved on 1 July 2016. Kasparov, 19 years old, won the Moscow Interzonal by a 1½ point margin ahead of Alexander Beliavsky.[http://www.mark-weeks.com/chess/82842iix.htm World Chess Championship : 1982-84 cycle : 1982 Moscow Interzonal] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20000311150352/http://www.mark-weeks.com/chess/82842iix.htm |date=11 March 2000 }}. Mark-weeks.com. Retrieved on 1 July 2016. The Toluca Interzonal was won jointly by Lajos Portisch and Eugenio Torre.[http://www.mark-weeks.com/chess/82843iix.htm World Chess Championship : 1982-84 cycle : 1982 Toluca Interzonal] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160506023958/http://www.mark-weeks.com/chess/82843iix.htm |date=6 May 2016 }}. Mark-weeks.com. Retrieved on 1 July 2016.

:

class="wikitable" |+ July 1982 Interzonal, Las Palmas
		Rating	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	Total	Tie break
style="background:#cfc;" | 1	align=left|{{flagathlete|Zoltán Ribli|Hungary}}	2580	–	1	½	1	½	½	1	½	½	½	½	1	1	½	9
style="background:#cfc;" | 2	align=left|{{flagathlete|Vasily Smyslov|Soviet Union}}	2565	0	–	1	0	½	½	½	½	1	1	1	½	1	1	8½
3	align=left|{{flagathlete|Mihai Suba|Romania|1965}}	2525	½	0	–	0	½	1	1	1	½	1	1	½	1	0	8
4	align=left|{{nowrap|{{flagathlete|Vladimir Tukmakov|Soviet Union}}}}	2555	0	1	1	–	1	½	½	0	1	½	0	½	½	1	7½	48.00
5	align=left|{{flagathlete|Tigran Petrosian|Soviet Union}}	2605	½	½	½	0	–	1	½	½	½	1	½	1	½	½	7½	47.00
6	align=left|{{flagathlete|Jan Timman|Netherlands}}	2600	½	½	0	½	0	–	½	1	1	½	0	½	½	1	6½	39.25
7	align=left|{{flagathlete|Bent Larsen|Denmark}}	2595	0	½	0	½	½	½	–	0	0	½	1	1	1	1	6½	37.50
8	align=left|{{flagathlete|József Pintér|Hungary}}	2550	½	½	0	1	½	0	1	–	0	½	½	½	½	½	6	39.25
9	align=left|{{flagathlete|Jonathan Mestel|England}}	2540	½	0	½	0	½	0	1	1	–	0	1	½	0	1	6	36.00
10	align=left|{{flagathlete|Lev Psakhis|Soviet Union}}	2615	½	0	0	½	0	½	½	½	1	–	½	½	½	1	6	35.00
11	align=left|{{flagathlete|Lars Karlsson|Sweden}}	2505	½	0	0	1	½	1	0	½	0	½	–	½	½	½	5½	35.25
12	align=left|{{flagathlete|Slim Bouaziz|Tunisia|1959}}	2360	0	½	½	½	0	½	0	½	½	½	½	–	½	1	5½	32.75
13	align=left|{{flagathlete|Jaime Sunye Neto|Brazil|1968}}	2500	0	0	0	½	½	½	0	½	1	½	½	½	–	1	5½	31.25
14	align=left|{{flagathlete|Walter Browne|United States}}	2590	½	0	1	0	½	0	0	½	0	0	½	0	0	–	3

:

class="wikitable" |+ September 1982 Interzonal, Moscow
		Rating	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	Total	Tie break
style="background:#cfc;" | 1	align=left|{{flagathlete|Garry Kasparov|Soviet Union}}	2675	–	½	½	½	½	½	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	½	10
style="background:#cfc;" | 2	align=left|{{flagathlete|Alexander Beliavsky|Soviet Union}}	2620	½	–	1	½	1	1	0	0	1	1	0	1	½	1	8½
3	align=left|{{flagathlete|Mikhail Tal|Soviet Union}}	2610	½	0	–	½	½	½	1	½	½	1	1	½	1	½	8	48.00
4	align=left|{{flagathlete|Ulf Andersson|Sweden}}	2610	½	½	½	–	0	½	1	½	½	½	1	1	½	1	8	47.50
5	align=left|{{flagathlete|Efim Geller|Soviet Union}}	2565	½	0	½	1	–	½	½	0	1	1	½	½	1	½	7½	46.50
6	align=left|{{flagathlete|Guillermo Garcia Gonzales|Cuba}}	2500	½	0	½	½	½	–	1	1	0	1	1	½	0	1	7½	45.25
7	align=left|{{flagathlete|Jacob Murey|Israel}}	2500	0	1	0	0	½	0	–	1	½	½	½	½	1	1	6½
8	align=left|{{flagathlete|Gyula Sax|Hungary}}	2560	0	1	½	½	1	0	0	–	½	½	0	½	½	1	6	37.50
9	align=left|{{flagathlete|Larry Christiansen|United States}}	2505	0	0	½	½	0	1	½	½	–	0	½	½	1	1	6	34.25
10	align=left|{{flagathlete|Dragoljub Velimirović|Yugoslavia}}	2495	0	0	0	½	0	0	½	½	1	–	½	1	1	½	5½
11	align=left|{{flagathlete|John van der Wiel|Netherlands}}	2520	0	1	0	0	½	0	½	1	½	½	–	½	0	½	5	31.25
12	align=left|{{flagathlete|Florin Gheorghiu|Romania|1965}}	2535	0	0	½	0	½	½	½	½	½	0	½	–	1	½	5	29.25
13	align=left|{{flagathlete|Ruben Rodríguez|Philippines|1936}}	2415	0	½	0	½	0	1	0	½	0	0	1	0	–	1	4½
14	align=left|{{flagathlete|Miguel Quinteros|Argentina|alt}}	2520	½	0	½	0	½	0	0	0	0	½	½	½	0	–	3

Tal and Andersson contested a playoff in Malmö for a reserve spot for the Candidates Tournament. The match ended 3–3; Tal became first reserve because of his better tie break score, but no reserves were needed.

:

class="wikitable" |+ 1982 Interzonal, Toluca
		Rating	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	Total	Tie break
style="background:#cfc;" | 1	align=left|{{flagathlete|Lajos Portisch|Hungary}}	2625	–	½	1	½	0	½	0	1	1	1	½	1	1	½	8½	51.75
style="background:#cfc;" | 2	align=left|{{flagathlete|Eugenio Torre|Philippines|1936}}	2535	½	–	½	0	½	1	1	½	½	½	1	½	1	1	8½	51.00
3	align=left|{{flagathlete|Boris Spassky|France}}	2610	0	½	–	½	½	½	½	½	½	1	1	1	½	1	8
4	align=left|{{flagathlete|Igor Ivanov|Canada}}	2505	½	1	½	–	½	½	½	½	½	½	1	½	0	1	7½	48.00
5	align=left|{{flagathlete|Artur Yusupov|Soviet Union}}	2555	1	½	½	½	–	½	½	½	½	0	½	1	½	1	7½	46.00
6	align=left|{{flagathlete|Lev Polugaevsky|Soviet Union}}	2610	½	0	½	½	½	–	1	½	½	½	½	½	1	1	7½	44.50
7	align=left|{{flagathlete|Yasser Seirawan|United States}}	2595	1	0	½	½	½	0	–	0	1	1	½	½	1	1	7½	44.25
8	align=left|{{flagathlete|John Nunn|England}}	2565	0	½	½	½	½	½	1	–	½	½	½	½	½	1	7
9	align=left|{{flagathlete|Yuri Balashov|Soviet Union}}	2555	0	½	½	½	½	½	0	½	–	1	0	1	½	1	6½	38.00
10	align=left|{{flagathlete|András Adorján|Hungary}}	2510	0	½	0	½	1	½	0	½	0	–	1	½	1	1	6½	36.75
11	align=left|{{flagathlete|Krunoslav Hulak|Yugoslavia}}	2495	½	0	0	0	½	½	½	½	1	0	–	½	½	1	5½
12	align=left|{{flagathlete|Jorge Rubinetti|Argentina|alt}}	2415	0	½	0	½	0	½	½	½	0	½	½	–	½	0	4	27.00
13	align=left|{{flagathlete|Amador Rodríguez Céspedes|Cuba}}	2480	0	0	½	1	½	0	0	½	½	0	½	½	–	0	4	26.75
14	align=left|{{flagathlete|Bachar Kouatly|Lebanon}}	2440	½	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	1	–	2½

The six Interzonal qualifiers were joined by Viktor Korchnoi and Robert Hübner, the Candidates finalists from the previous cycle (World Chess Championship 1981). The eight players participated in a series of knockout matches. The winner was Garry Kasparov.{{cite web|url=http://www.mark-weeks.com/chess/8284$cix.htm|title=World Chess Championship : 1982-84 cycle : Candidates Matches|website=Mark-weeks.com|access-date=1 July 2016|archive-date=15 September 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070915055615/http://www.mark-weeks.com/chess/8284$cix.htm|url-status=live}}

{{8TeamBracket-info

| RD1T1-loc=Moscow, 1983

| RD1-team1={{flagicon|URS}} Garry Kasparov

| RD1-score1=6

| RD1-team2={{flagicon|URS}} Alexander Beliavsky

| RD1-score2=3

| RD1T2-loc=Bad Kissingen, 1983

| RD1-team3={{flagicon|HUN}} Lajos Portisch

| RD1-score3=3

| RD1-team4={{flagicon|SUI}} Viktor Korchnoi

| RD1-score4=6

| RD1T3-loc=Alicante, 1983

| RD1-team5={{flagicon|HUN}} Zoltán Ribli

| RD1-score5=6

| RD1-team6={{flagicon|PHI|1936}} Eugenio Torre

| RD1-score6=4

| RD1T4-loc=Velden am Wörther See, Mar–Apr 1983

| RD1-team7={{flagicon|FRG}} Robert Hübner

| RD1-score7=7

| RD1-team8={{flagicon|URS}} Vasily Smyslov

| RD1-score8=7

| RD2T1-loc=London, Nov–Dec 1983

| RD2-team1={{flagicon|URS}} Garry Kasparov

| RD2-score1=7

| RD2-team2={{flagicon|SUI}} Viktor Korchnoi

| RD2-score2=4

| RD2T2-loc=London, Nov–Dec 1983

| RD2-team3={{flagicon|HUN}} Zoltán Ribli

| RD2-score3=4½

| RD2-team4={{flagicon|URS}} Vasily Smyslov

| RD2-score4=6½

| RD3T1-loc=Vilnius, March–April 1984

| RD3-team1={{flagicon|URS}} Garry Kasparov

| RD3-score1=8½

| RD3-team2={{flagicon|URS}} Vasily Smyslov

| RD3-score2=4½

}}

The Smyslov–Hübner match was tied at 5–5. After playing four extra games without breaking the tie, the match was resolved by a spin of the roulette wheel. The ball went into the zero on the first spin, before deciding in favor of Smyslov.{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1983/05/08/arts/chess-should-chance-decide-the-outcome-of-a-match.html|title=Chess; Should Chance Decide the Outcome of a Match?|author-link=Robert Byrne (chess player)|first=Robert|last=Byrne|work=New York Times|date=9 May 1983|access-date=23 February 2017|archive-date=5 June 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160605035949/http://www.nytimes.com/1983/05/08/arts/chess-should-chance-decide-the-outcome-of-a-match.html|url-status=live}}

Politics threatened Kasparov's semi-final match against Viktor Korchnoi, which was scheduled to be played in Pasadena, California. Korchnoi had defected from the Soviet Union in 1976, and was at that time the strongest active non-Soviet player. Various political manoeuvres prevented Kasparov from playing Korchnoi in the United States, and Kasparov forfeited the match. This was resolved when Korchnoi agreed for the match to be replayed in London, along with the Vasily Smyslov vs. Zoltán Ribli match. The Korchnoi–Kasparov match was put together on short notice by Raymond Keene. Kasparov won 7–4.{{Cn|date=August 2024}}

:

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" |+World Chess Championship Match September 1984 – February 1985: Games 1-24
	Rating	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	19	20	21	22	23	24
align=left | {{flagicon|URS}} Anatoly Karpov	2700 | ½	style="background:black; color:white"| ½	1	style="background:black; color:white"| ½	½	style="background:black; color:white"| 1	1	style="background:black; color:white"| ½	1	style="background:black; color:white"| ½	½	style="background:black; color:white"| ½	½	style="background:black; color:white"| ½	½	style="background:black; color:white"| ½	½	style="background:black; color:white"| ½	½	style="background:black; color:white"| ½	½	style="background:black; color:white"| ½	½	style="background:black; color:white"| ½
align=left | {{flagicon|URS}} Garry Kasparov	2710 |style="background:black; color:white"| ½	½	style="background:black; color:white"| 0	½	style="background:black; color:white"| ½	0	style="background:black; color:white"| 0	½	style="background:black; color:white"| 0	½	style="background:black; color:white"| ½	½	style="background:black; color:white"| ½	½	style="background:black; color:white"| ½	½	style="background:black; color:white"| ½	½	style="background:black; color:white"| ½	½	style="background:black; color:white"| ½	½	style="background:black; color:white"| ½	½

:

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" |+World Chess Championship Match September 1984 – February 1985: Games 25-48
	Rating	25	26	27	28	29	30	31	32	33	34	35	36	37	38	39	40	41	42	43	44	45	46	47	48	colspan=2|Wins	Total
align=left | {{flagicon|URS}} Anatoly Karpov	2700 | ½	style="background:black; color:white"| ½	1	style="background:black; color:white"| ½	½	style="background:black; color:white"| ½	½	style="background:black; color:white"| 0	½	style="background:black; color:white"| ½	½	style="background:black; color:white"| ½	½	style="background:black; color:white"| ½	½	style="background:black; color:white"| ½	½	style="background:black; color:white"| ½	½	style="background:black; color:white"| ½	½	style="background:black; color:white"| ½	0	style="background:black; color:white"| 0	colspan=2 | 5	25
align=left | {{flagicon|URS}} Garry Kasparov	2710 | style="background:black; color:white"| ½	½	style="background:black; color:white"| 0	½	style="background:black; color:white"| ½	½	style="background:black; color:white"| ½	1	style="background:black; color:white"| ½	½	style="background:black; color:white"| ½	½	style="background:black; color:white"| ½	½	style="background:black; color:white"| ½	½	style="background:black; color:white"| ½	½	style="background:black; color:white"| ½	½	style="background:black; color:white"| ½	½	style="background:black; color:white"| 1	1	colspan=2 | 3	23

The previous record length for a world title match had been 34 games, the 1927 match between José Capablanca and Alexander Alekhine, which also followed the "first to 6 wins" format.

The match was ended without result by Florencio Campomanes, the President of the World Chess Federation, 5–3 in favor of Karpov, and a new match was announced to start a few months later. The termination was controversial, as both players stated that they preferred for the match to continue. There was speculation that Campomanes had made the decision due to political pressure.{{cite web | url=https://en.chessbase.com/post/25-years-ago-termination-of-the-first-k-k-match |title=25 years ago: termination of the first K-K match |website=chessbase.com |access-date=2024-11-10}} Announcing his decision at a press conference, Campomanes cited the health of the players, which had been strained by the length of the match (5 months: 10 September 1984 to 8 February 1985).{{cite web |title=Karpov vs Kasparov, 1984-85 The Aborted Match | website=chessgames.com |url=https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chess.pl?tid=55015 |access-date=2024-11-10}} This match remains the first and only world championship match to be called off without a result.

The restarted match (the World Chess Championship 1985) was best of 24. Kasparov won 13–11.

In 2020, Karpov said that if he had won this match 6–0, Kasparov would never have become world champion, because he was too emotional.{{cite web|url=https://en.chessbase.com/post/karpov-interview-tania-sachdev|title=Karpov on Fischer, Korchnoi, Kasparov and the chess world today|publisher=Chessbase|date=5 February 2020|access-date=6 February 2020|archive-date=6 February 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200206103530/https://en.chessbase.com/post/karpov-interview-tania-sachdev|url-status=live}}{{cite web |title=Karpov at 70: "My great blunder was I agreed to hold the match with Kasparov in the Soviet Union" |url=https://chess24.com/en/read/news/karpov-at-70-my-great-blunder-was-i-agreed-to-hold-the-match-with-kasparov-in-the-soviet-union |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230428171619/https://chess24.com/en/read/news/karpov-at-70-my-great-blunder-was-i-agreed-to-hold-the-match-with-kasparov-in-the-soviet-union |archive-date=28 April 2023 |access-date=28 July 2022 |website=Chess24}}

• {{Citation

|last=Kasparov|first=Garry|author-link=Garry Kasparov

|year=2008

|title=Modern Chess: Part 2, Kasparov vs Karpov 1975–1985

|publisher = Everyman Chess

|isbn= 978-1-85744-433-9

}}

• {{citation

| last = Soltis| first = Andy | author-link =Andy Soltis

|date=September 2010

| title = Woulda-Coulda-Shoulda, or Black to Play 37. ...Rd5 and Change History

| journal = Chess Life

| pages = 12–13

}}

• {{Citation

|last1=Speelman | first1=Jon | author1-link=Jon Speelman | last2=Tisdall | first2=Jonathan | author2-link=Jonathan Tisdall

|year=1985

|title=Moscow marathon: the World Chess Championship

|publisher = Unwin Paperbacks

|isbn= 0-04-794022-0

}}

• Edward Winter, [http://www.chesshistory.com/winter/extra/termination.html The Termination] (1988, updated in 2005, 2007, and 2008)

{{World Chess Championships}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:World Chess Championship 1984-1985}}

1984

Category:1984 in chess

Category:Chess in Russia

Category:Chess in the Soviet Union

Category:1984 in Russian sport

Category:1984 in Soviet sport

Category:1984 in Moscow

Category:Sports competitions in Moscow

Category:1985 in chess

Category:1985 in Russian sport

Category:1985 in Soviet sport

Category:1985 in Moscow

Category:Garry Kasparov