Starting from the early 60s, Viktor Korchnoi has always been one of the top Soviet Grandmasters. As a four times Soviet Champion and a regular participant in the Candidates tournament, he actively participated in the…
Posts Published by Mistreaver
When I am not writing about chess, I make bad positional moves and display horrendous endgame technique.
Fischer – Karpov 1975 World Championship Match
THE MATCH THAT NEVER HAPPENED Upon his return to America after his triumph in the Match of the Century, Fischer was treated like a celebrity. He got invited to talk shows, his face appeared in…
Fischer – Spassky World Championship Match 1972
THE MATCH OF THE CENTURY Ever since he qualified for the 1959 Candidates tournament at the age of 15, everybody realized there is something special about Robert James Fischer. By devouring chess books on a…
Petrosian – Spassky World Championship Match 1969
After the customary Zonal Tournaments, the Interzonal tournament of the 1967 – 1969 World Championship Cycle took place in Sousse, Tunisia. 23 players battled for six places in the Candidates, since Boris Spassky (as a…
Petrosian – Spassky World Championship Match 1966
After the controversy regarding the „Russian pact“ in the previous edition of the Candidates tournament, FIDE decided to change the format of the 1963-1966 World Championship qualifying cycle. Instead of the all-play-all tournament, Candidates knock-out…
Botvinnik – Petrosian World Championship Match 1963
While Botvinnik and Tal were contesting their first match in 1960, the Zonal tournaments for the next qualifying cycle have already started. Since more than 50 countries have become FIDE members, an additional zone was…
Botvinnik – Tal World Championship Return Match 1961
According to the return match clause, after the war of antipodes of 1960 between Botvinnik and Tal, negotiations about the new match began. Already toward the end of the 1960 match, Botvinnik started thinking about…
Botvinnik – Tal World Championship Match 1960
While Botvinnik and Smyslov battled in the 1957 match and in the 1958 return match, the remainder of the chess world was struck by a flash of genius like never before. In 1957, a bright…
Botvinnik – Smyslov Return Match 1958
According to the FIDE rules, after his defeat in the 1957 match against Smyslov, Botvinnik was entitled to a return match for the crown. Smyslov had to play Botvinnik again in the spring of 1958;…
Botvinnik – Smyslov, World Championship Rematch 1957
After Botvinnik defended his title against Smyslov in 1954, another qualifying cycle was once again held in three stages. After seven Zonal tournaments, a total of 21 players assembled in Gothenburg in 1955 to play…
Chess study 27 – Afek Avni study
Chess study 27 Yochanan Afek / Amatzia Avni study Yochanan Afek is famous study composer you can read about in the book by Karoly and Alpin, Genius in the Background. Amatzia Avni is chess author…
Botvinnik – Smyslov World Championship Match 1954
At FIDE’s 26th General Assembly, held in Copenhagen in 1950, the chief chess organization confirmed the regulations regarding the upcoming World Championship Cycle. As in the previous cycle, the qualification process consisted of three stages. …