World Chess Championship 1978

At the Chess World Cup 1978 World Champion Anatoly Karpov defended his 1975 title against Bobby Fischer without a fight acquired from July 18 to October 17, 1978 in 32 games lasting battle successfully against Viktor Korchnoi.

Prehistory

Karpov was in 1975 with a 12 ½: 11 ½ become candidates win in the final against Korchnoi challenger of the World Champion Bobby Fischer. Since Fischer did not compete, Karpov was world champion without a fight. Korchnoi rose in the wake allegations that Soviet officials had intentionally discriminated against him because you Karpov conceded greater chances against Fischer. In 1976, he sat down at a chess tournament in Amsterdam in the west. Then he was branded and boycotted by the Soviet side as apostate.

Qualification

As usual since 1965, the challenger of the World Champion was determined by Match battles in the knock-out system. In two interzonal tournaments is qualified to do so six players; the two remaining seats were reserved for former world champion Bobby Fischer and the finalists of the competition candidates for the World Cup in 1975, Viktor Korchnoi. Since Fischer did not compete, his place was awarded to his predecessor Boris Spassky.

Organization and rules

The competition was held at the Philippine Baguio City. FIDE had the rules changed so that no more 24 games should be played; Winner should rather be the one who had won the first 6 games. In order for the world champion privilege was abolished for a ( previously was the world champion at 12:12 retain his title ), on the other hand, the number of lots was no longer limited. As referee acted Lothar Schmid and Miroslav Filip.

Course

Karpov moved up to 17th game 4-1 which led, after the 27th game with 5:2. With three wins in the next 4 games Korchnoi was able to compensate to 5:5. The next game but won the decisive Karpov 6:5.

Due to the tense atmosphere between the counterparties to the race developed into a war of nerves with numerous protests. Even before a dispute relaxing whether Korchnoi could play under the Swiss flag. To the start of the competition was accidentally Karpov for the International instead of the Soviet anthem played.

The first controversy during the competition was due to the fact that Karpov was served from the second game during the games yogurt. Korchnoi was afraid that his opponents by hidden messages could be transmitted. After an appropriate protest was set by Lothar Schmid, that color of the yogurt and the time of administration had to be given to the referee before the start of the game. For other food and beverages permission would be obtained separately. To protect yourself against Karpov's eyes, Korchnoi was initially a darkened glasses.

In Baguio rumors spread that Karpov would have outside of the lots have access to a supercomputer by phone, while Korchnoi, was publicly known, could use a small computer.

During the competition had the parapsychologist as designated Vladimir Suchar as a member of the Soviet delegation the task of sitting Korchnoi staring in one of the front rows of the audience and thus to disturb his concentration. Korchnoi sat down, however, by now he was wearing mirrored sunglasses, which in turn felt disturbed Karpov. At the beginning of the eighth game of Karpov refused the documented set of handshake because in his opinion " unsportsmanlike attacks ".

Between the 17th and 18th round after Korchnoi had taken the sunglasses, the game hall of an Atomic Energy Commission was assayed for radioactivity after Karpov's delegation had a week earlier been suggested the glasses send harmful rays. It was however found nothing in an empty room.

From the 19th game of two members of Ananda Marga were in remarkable clothes in the game room, which should support Korchnoi through meditation. The Soviet delegation attempted by several letters of protest to let forbid them entry to the game room. The protest was initially rejected, but the "gurus" have been removed after the 20th game of the hall.

With the score at 5-5 after the 31 game Karpov had taken a break. During this FIDE president Max Euwe departed, was then replaced despite the same prohibition Chief Judge Lothar Schmid by Miroslav Filip. Suchar returned in the fourth row of the auditorium and Kortschnois Yoga teachers have been banned from the city, which Korchnoi but only found out after the last match. He played an inferior, according to Raymond Keene opening idea came into advantage after Karpov and won. In a draw would have been assumed that the war of nerves would nevertheless still have intensified. So the war of nerves was continued out of competition, for example, was noted on Kortschnois check that Korchnoi acknowledge by cashing Karpov's victory.

Karpov sent after the competition a telegram to Leonid Brezhnev in which he spoke of " our victory ", which Korchnoi and Pachman suspected that was also politically mitagiert at the World Cup. In addition to Karpov ten officials and players were awarded in the Soviet Union, which had " much to the victory of the world champion " contributed, including Suchar and Karpov's controversial head of delegation Baturinski.

After the end of the competition Korchnoi strained before a court in Amsterdam because of his opinion unfair conditions a lawsuit against FIDE and Karpov at. Euwe realized already after the event that the conditions were against Korchnoi; he had, however, can not intervene. The action for annulment of the 32nd batch was rejected in 1981, thus confirming Karpov's title defense.

Follow

For the next World Chess Championship 1981, Korchnoi again qualified as a challenger, but was defeated again.