The purpose of this event was to select a challenger for the winner of the Karpov - Kasparov World Championship Match (1985) - or as it turned out, because of the rematch conditions announced in July 1985, the winner of the Kasparov - Karpov World Championship Rematch (1986). If Anatoly Karpov won the WC match (in 1985), three players would advance and be joined by Garry Kasparov in two Candidates semifinal matches. If Kasparov won the WC match, four players would advance, to play for the right to meet the WC rematch loser (whether Kasparov or Karpov) in a Candidates match. (1, 2, 3) During the event on this page (after Round 3), Kasparov was leading the WC match but the outcome was not decided.
Twelve of the players had qualified from Interzonals: Yusupov, Beliavsky, Portisch and Chernin from the Tunis Interzonal (1985), Timman, Nogueiras, Tal and Spraggett from the Taxco Interzonal (1985), and Vaganian, Sokolov, Seirawan and Short from Biel Interzonal (1985). Chernin had qualified via the Moscow Interzonal Playoff (1985), and Short via the Biel Interzonal Playoff (1985). Smyslov, Korchnoi and Ribli had qualified by reaching the Candidates semifinal matches in 1983, and Spassky was chosen by FIDE. The fight amongst the 16 players took place in the French city of Montpellier from the 12th of October to the 3rd of November. It was a Category XIV event with an average FIDE Elo rating of 2592. (4) Adjourned games were played on the 15th (Rounds 1-3), 19th (4-6), 24th (7-9) and 28th of October (10-12). Chief organizer was Jean Py (5) and the Cercle d'Echecs Alekhine de Montpellier. (6, 7) The playing venue was the Salle des Rencontres (8) at Mairie du Polygone. (5, 7) Play started 3 pm. (6) The total budget was one million francs (nearly £100,000) which also financed side events. The players were billeted in the Sofitel hotel. (9)
Photos: http://tournoidescandidatsmontpelli...
No event of this kind had been held before in France, (7) but the organisation was well received. The coastal location and very good weather were also a source of pleasure. Around the building there were computerised displays showing the current game positions, and unlike the main hall demo boards, these would flag up an error when the operators tried to enter illegal moves. One aspect of the tournament did give John Nunn (Short's second) cause for concern. The £31,000 prize fund had been split over just eight places, meaning that eight of the world’s finest players would spend a month (not counting pre-tournament preparation) working solidly for no return. (10) Most pundits favoured the chances of Timman and Beliavsky; perhaps a safe option given their Elo ratings. There was little variation in ratings generally and opinion was divided on who else might qualify. As the event unfolded, there were constant changes in the leading group and at the conclusion, matters were influenced by a number of upsets. (10) No player went undefeated, and even Spraggett, who finished last, won two games. In the end, three Soviet players advanced, whilst Tal and Timman tied for fourth place.
Montpellier, France, 12 October - 2 November 1985
Age Elo* 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 Pts S-B#
=1 GM Yusupov 25 2600 * 0 1 ½ ½ 1 ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ 1 1 ½ 9 65.75
=1 GM Vaganian 33 2625 1 * ½ 0 ½ 0 ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ 1 1 ½ 1 1 9 64.00
=1 GM Sokolov 22 2555 0 ½ * ½ ½ 0 ½ 1 ½ ½ ½ 1 1 1 ½ 1 9 63.25
=4 GM Timman 33 2640 ½ 1 ½ * ½ 1 ½ ½ ½ 1 1 0 ½ ½ ½ 0 8½ 65.25
=4 GM Tal 48 2565 ½ ½ ½ ½ * ½ ½ ½ 1 0 ½ ½ 1 1 ½ ½ 8½ 62.50
=6 GM Spassky 48 2590 0 1 1 0 ½ * ½ ½ ½ 1 ½ ½ ½ ½ 1 0 8 60.25
=6 GM Beliavsky 31 2640 ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ * 0 ½ ½ 1 ½ ½ ½ ½ 1 8 58.25
=8 GM Smyslov 64 2595 ½ ½ 0 ½ ½ ½ 1 * ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ 0 1 7½ 55.25
=8 GM Chernin 25 2560 ½ ½ ½ ½ 0 ½ ½ ½ * ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ 1 7½ 54.50
=10 GM Seirawan 25 2570 ½ ½ ½ 0 1 0 ½ ½ ½ * 1 ½ 0 ½ ½ ½ 7 52.75
=10 GM Short 20 2575 ½ ½ ½ 0 ½ ½ 0 ½ ½ 0 * 1 ½ 1 ½ ½ 7 51.50
=10 GM Portisch 48 2625 ½ 0 0 1 ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ 0 * 1 0 ½ 1 7 50.75
=13 GM Korchnoi 54 2630 ½ 0 0 ½ 0 ½ ½ ½ ½ 1 ½ 0 * ½ 1 ½ 6½ 46.50
=13 GM Ribli 34 2605 0 ½ 0 ½ 0 ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ 0 1 ½ * 1 ½ 6½ 46.50
15 GM Nogueiras 26 2555 0 0 ½ ½ ½ 0 ½ 1 ½ ½ ½ ½ 0 0 * 1 6
16 GM Spraggett 31 2550 ½ 0 0 1 ½ 1 0 0 0 ½ ½ 0 ½ ½ 0 * 5
Besides the main event there was a Mediterranean Open, won by Maxim Dlugy (6½ points) ahead of Rini Kuijf (6) and Juergen Marschner (6), a World Open, won by Paul van der Sterren and Yacov Isaakovich Murey (8 points), and a "semi-rapid" event, won by Krunoslav Hulak. (4)Tal and Timman’s six-game playoff, to resolve their joint 4th place, had been planned for 6 November, but was deferred until early December to allow Tal to compete at the World Team Championship that started 16 November. This was not ideal for Timman, who was committed to his annual televised exhibition match in Hilversum, scheduled for December. (11) Another concern was that Karpov had won Game 22 on 5 November in the World Championship match in Moscow and was trailing by only one point with two games to go. There was a risk that Karpov would keep the title and that the playoff would be for a reserve spot only. Kasparov did become the new World Champion (on 9 November), but Tal and Timman had then left the venue. They returned a month later, for the
Montpellier Candidates Playoff (1985) (2-8 December):
1 Timman 2640 ½ 1 ½ ½ 0 ½ 3
2 Tal 2565 ½ 0 ½ ½ 1 ½ 3
Timman had more wins than Tal in the main tournament, and advanced, together with Yusupov, Vaganian and Sokolov, to the Candidates matches:Sokolov - Vaganian Candidates Semifinal (1986)
Yusupov - Timman Candidates Semifinal (1986)
There is a tournament book, information about which can be found at http://books.google.no/books/about/... The main source for this collection is the booklet Candidates, Montpellier 12/10-3/11-1985, published by Robert Wade (28 pp.).
Notes
(1) Tidskrift för Schack, June-July 1985, p. 168.
(2) Tidskrift för Schack, August 1985, p. 208.
(3) Tidskrift för Schack, November 1985, p. 323.
(4) Jaque 185, pp. 616-635 (http://www.bartelski.pl/olimpbase/l...).
(5) Official website: http://tournoidescandidatsmontpelli....
(6) Montpellier Notre Ville, September 1985, p. 11.
(7) FIDE video at http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xh....
(8) Named Salle Jules Pagezy in 2015 (and still used for chess): http://ladiagonaledusud.free.fr/fre....
(9) Lev Alburt in CHESS, January 1986, pp. 297-298.
(10) John Nunn in British Chess Magazine, January 1986, pp. 2-17.
(11) British Chess Magazine, December 1985, p. 535 — the match Kasparov - Timman (1985).
*FIDE Rating List July 1985 (http://www.olimpbase.org/Elo/Elo198...).
#Sonneborn-Berger scores from Mark Weeks at http://www.mark-weeks.com/chess/858....
Original collection: Game Collection: Montpellier Candidates 1985 by User: Benzol.
Thanks to <TheFocus>, <Tabanus>, and <thomastonk> for their help to make this collection possible, and to <Paint My Dragon> for information from the British Chess Magazine.
Kibitzing
