The purpose 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 during the event on this page), the winner of the Kasparov - Karpov World Championship Rematch (1986). Four players from each of three Interzonal tournaments (= 12 players) would be joined by four seeded players in a "Candidates tournament" from which the most successful would qualify for Candidates knock-out matches. (1) In 1982 and earlier, the Interzonal players qualified directly for these matches, whereas a "Candidates tournament" had not been organized since the Curacao Candidates (1962) (where the winner went directly to the World Championship match). The three Interzonals of 1985 were: Tunis Interzonal (1985), Taxco Interzonal (1985), and Biel Interzonal (this page). FIDE had also ruled that the World Champion should defend the title every second year, (2) meaning that the next set of Interzonal tournaments would be held in 1987.

Qualifying from the zonal tournaments were: Short from Brighton (1984), González from Barcelona (1985), van der Wiel from Montpellier (1985), Gutman from Beersheba (1985), Jansa from Prague (1985), Quinteros from Corrientes (1985), Sokolov from the USSR Championship (1985), Pétursson from Gausdal (1985), Li Zunian from the City of Laoag (1985), Seirawan from the US Championship (1984) and Rodriguez from Caracas (1985). (3) Vaganian and Polugaevsky were seeded by rating, (3) and so must have been Sax (whose rating in 1984 was much higher than in July 1985), Andersson and Ljubojevic. Torre was qualified from Toluca Interzonal (1982) in the previous cycle, and Partos represented the host country - after having won a qualification tournament ahead of Andreas Huss and Werner Hug. (3, 4) No less than 22 players (of the 3 x 18 = 54 who were qualified) requested to be allocated to a different, or specific, Interzonal. None was granted, (5) except Gutman and Saeed-Ahmed Saeed who switched places. (6)

The main organizer in Biel was Hans Suri. As with Biel Interzonal (1976), the games were played in the Biel 'Congress House' (Kongresshaus, Palais de Congrès). (7, 8) A number of distinguished guests attended the opening ceremony, including the ambassadors of USSR, Israel and Argentina and other diplomats. Dr. Lim Kok Ann represented FIDE. (9) The total budget, about half a million Swiss francs, was covered by the municipality of Biel and the canton of Bern (100,000 fr. each), a lottery (50,000 fr.), enrollment fees, and gifts. (10) The prize money was 50,000 fr., of which 15,000 fr. would go to the winner. (11) The GM norm was fixed at 11 points. (11) Playing time would be 2-7 pm, and 9-11 pm for adjourned games. July 4, 8, 13, 17, 22 and 24 were reserved for second time adjournments and July 9 and 18 for rest. (11) The appointed judge was IA Thomas Suri. (11, 12) When Round 1 started, on 1 July, there was a feeling that Biel was the strongest of the three Interzonals. The new FIDE rating list for July caused the tournament category to rise from 11 to 12. (9)

Photo: http://www.lexpressarchives.ch/Repo...

Former vice-World Champion Viktor Korchnoi predicted that Seirawan, Andersson, Ljubojevic, and a Soviet player would qualify. (13) Seirawan had arrived in Biel a week before the tournament to work 8-10 hours a day with Korchnoi as his coach. (14, 15) It was also whispered behind the scenes that the handsome Seirawan collaborated with the Yugoslav player Suzana Maksimovic, (15) who participated in a side event. Seirawan played well, was always among the top four, except after Round 10 when he lost to Polugaevsky. He became the first USA player to advance from an Interzonal since Robert Byrne in 1973. Andersson had been optimistic but could not convert his winning positions in rounds 1, 4 and 6 against Short, Quinteros and González; his 'safety first' style limited him to a modest 2 wins and 15 draws. (16) Ljubojevic also disappointed but had a chance to qualify until his exhausting draw against Pétursson (Round 11). The game lasted almost 15 hours (17) and finished on 22 July, the day before Round 16.

Vaganian, Sokolov and Polugaevsky were accompanied by Mikhail Beilin and Arshak B Petrosian, (15) and could also help each other with adjourned games. Vaganian was the highest rated participant, after victories in Moscow (1982), Hastings (1982/83), Keres Memorial (1983) and Lvov (1984). Most onlookers admired his intuitive and gifted play. Andersson was less impressed, pointing to several games that could have been lost. (16) But it was clear that Vaganian's style brought many full points, and his qualification was never in danger. He won his last two games, and the tournament. Sokolov was only 22, but had won the USSR Championship (1984) and placed 4th in the USSR Championship (1985). He had also won a team gold medal at the Olympiad in Thessaloniki (1984), and displayed excellent form in Biel, losing just one game in Round 8 against the Pirc Defense of the tournament's 'surprise player', van der Wiel. Drawing his last three games sufficed for direct qualification, as van der Wiel and Torre both lost their last round games. Polugaevsky also had a chance to advance, but suffered losses with White against Gutman (Round 2) and Quinteros (Round 14).

The playing conditions were troubled by a severe heatwave, and sweat could be seen rolling down the faces of the players, despite the organizers maintaining that the temperature never exceeded 26°C. Unable to bear the discomfort, Short put on a t-shirt and shorts for his Round 10 game with Sax (18) and incurred the wrath of Florencio Campomanes, who was visiting the event. FIDE's dress code sought more impeccable standards from the players, with the aim of impressing current and prospective sponsors. (9) Seirawan was consulted by Eric Schiller for his opinion. Always among the most smartly dressed, Seirawan was nonetheless surprised by the complaint and said that he might copy Short in the next round if the heat persisted. (18) Short's second, Murray Chandler stated that Campomanes had no right to complain. The participants were not receiving any ‘appearance' fee after all. A chorus of players soon took up Chandler's line of reasoning as dress standards continued to fall. Ultimately, cooling off with a few evening beers was the only heat remedy. There was no air-conditioning, and just as the heatwave started, the swimming pool was closed. (18)

After twelve rounds, the scores were Vaganian 9, Seirawan, van der Wiel and Torre 8, Sokolov 7.5, Ljubojevic 7 + one adjourned game (against Pétursson), Short and Polugaevsky 6.5, Andersson and Jansa 6. (19) July 18 was a rest day, and to recharge their batteries, the players were invited by the organizer to enjoy a mini-cruise with breakfast on board the boat Stadt Biel ("Ville-de-Bienne" (20)) (http://www.lacdebienne.ch/pictures/...). (20) Short had won in Round 11, made a draw in Round 12 with the French Defense, and continued after the boat trip with wins in rounds 13, 15 and 17. While some of the leaders were settling for draws, he had embarked on a run that gained him 5.5 points from his final 7 games. (9) As the last round started, it still seemed unlikely that he would advance. Not only did he need to beat van der Wiel, but Torre also had to lose to Sax. (21) In the end, fortune favored the Englishman. Torre (who was assisted by Lubomir Kavalek (15)) put up a Berlin Defense, but blundered just before the time control, and van der Wiel (aided by Gert Ligterink (22)) could not resist Short's attack. Short, van der Wiel and Torre ended =4th, and went on to contest a playoff for the last qualification spot. This was won by Short (see below).

Amongst other notables in Biel were Sax's second Laszlo Hazai, (15) Rodriguez's second Reynaldo Vera Gonzalez-Quevedo, (15) and Pétursson's seconds Jon Arnason and Bragi Kristjansson. (23) Pétursson was the first Icelander in an Interzonal since the Stockholm Interzonal (1962). He gained the nickname The Marathon Man when he adjourned many games, some more than once, and set a record for moves played in an Interzonal. (18) The Spanish champion González had completed two months of rigorous training before the event. He was assisted by Jose Luis Fernandez Garcia. (24)

Biel/Bienne, Switzerland 1-25 July 1985

                    Elo*  1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8  Pts  S-B#   CHF(11)
  1 GM Vaganian     2625  * ½ ½ 1 1 ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ 1 1 1 1 1 1  12½         15000
  2 GM Seirawan     2570  ½ * ½ ½ ½ ½ 0 ½ ½ ½ 1 1 1 ½ 1 1 1 1  11½         10000
  3 GM Sokolov      2555  ½ ½ * ½ 0 ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ 1 ½ 1 ½ 1 1 1 1  11           7000
 =4 GM Short        2575  0 ½ ½ * 1 1 0 ½ ½ 1 ½ ½ 1 1 ½ ½ ½ 1  10½  83.75   4000
 =4 GM van der Wiel 2520  0 ½ 1 0 * 0 1 ½ ½ ½ 1 1 1 ½ 1 ½ ½ 1  10½  81.25   4000
 =4 GM Torre        2535  ½ ½ ½ 0 1 * ½ 0 ½ ½ 0 1 1 1 1 ½ 1 1  10½  80.50   4000
 =7 GM Polugaevsky  2600  ½ 1 ½ 1 0 ½ * 1 ½ 1 0 ½ 0 ½ 0 ½ 1 1   9½  79.00   2000
 =7 GM Ljubojevic   2615  ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ 1 0 * ½ 1 ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ 1 ½   9½  78.25   2000
 =7 GM Andersson    2590  ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ * ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ 1 ½ 1 ½   9½  77.00   2000
=10 GM Rodríguez    2505  ½ ½ ½ 0 ½ ½ 0 0 ½ * ½ 1 1 ½ 0 ½ ½ 1   8   63.75
=10 GM Sax          2535  ½ 0 0 ½ 0 1 1 ½ ½ ½ * 0 0 1 0 ½ 1 1   8   62.50
=12 GM Jansa        2480  ½ 0 ½ ½ 0 0 ½ ½ ½ 0 1 * 1 ½ 0 0 1 1   7½  57.75
=12 GM Quinteros    2525  0 0 0 0 0 0 1 ½ ½ 0 1 0 * 1 1 1 1 ½   7½  52.25
 14 IM Pétursson    2550  0 ½ ½ 0 ½ 0 ½ ½ ½ ½ 0 ½ 0 * 1 1 ½ ½   7
 15 IM Gutman       2485  0 0 0 ½ 0 0 1 ½ 0 1 1 1 0 0 * 1 ½ 0   6½
 16 IM Li Zunian    2465  0 0 0 ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ 1 0 0 0 * ½ ½   6
 17 IM Partos       2425  0 0 0 ½ ½ 0 0 0 0 ½ 0 0 0 ½ ½ ½ * 1   4
 18 IM González     2430  0 0 0 0 0 0 0 ½ ½ 0 0 0 ½ ½ 1 ½ 0 *   3½

Playoff in Biel 29 July - 6 August 1985 (for games see Game Collection: Biel Interzonal 1985

1 Short	       2575  *** 0½0 111  3½
2 van der Wiel 2520  1½1 *** ½0½  3½
3 Torre	       2535  000 ½1½ ***  2

The Biel Chess Festival (the overall event) also comprised a number of other tournaments, including the Masters Open I (1-10 July, 92 players), won by Ian Rogers, Anthony Miles and Florin Gheorghiu with 7/9 (Rogers' performance brought him his GM title), (9) Masters Open II (~ 13-24 July, 136 players), won by Alon Greenfeld with 9/11 ahead of Dragan Barlov (2nd), Gheorghiu (again!) and Eric Lobron (=3rd), (25, 26) Veteran's Open, won by Dragoljub Janosevic, (27) and Women's Open, won by Suzana Maksimovic. (27). There were also two World Opens, a Junior Open, and other events, (11) with about 900 participants in all. (18)

*From 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....

1) Tidskrift för Schack, August 1985, p. 208. Three players would advance if Karpov won, four players if Kasparov won. 2) Roland Bannerman in The Times, 25 May 1985, p. 14. 3) Mark Weeks at http://www.mark-weeks.com/chess/zon.... 4) Nouvelliste et Feuille d'Avis du Valais, 5 January 1985, p. 3. 5) British Chess Magazine, June 1985, p. 245. 6) Based on lists by Helgi Olafsson in NT (Iceland), 20 April 1985, p. 12. 7) Le Matin (Lausanne), 2 July 1985, p. 6. 8) Older photo: http://www.memreg.ch/backend/memreg.... 9) British Chess Magazine, September 1985, pp. 369-374. 10) FAN L'Express (Neuchâtel), 20 June 1985, p. 23 (http://www.lexpressarchives.ch/Defa...). 11) Charles Partos in Le Matin, 11 May 1985, p. 24. CHF = prizes in Swiss francs. 12) Thomas Suri became an International Arbiter in 1983: http://ratings.fide.com/card.phtml?.... 13) Nouvelliste et Feuille d'Avis du Valais, 10 July 1985, p. 2. 14) Oregonian (Portland USA), 27 June 1985, p. 50. 15) Nouvelliste et Feuille d'Avis du Valais, 17 July 1985, p. 2 (http://doc.rero.ch/record/196777/fi...). 16) Tidskrift för Schack, August 1985, p. 225. 17) FAN l'Express, 23 July 1985, p. 4. 18) Eric Schiller in CHESS, September 1985, pp. 154-160. 19) User: zanzibar at Zan Chess (https://zanchess.wordpress.com/2015...). 20) Marylin Grosjean in Le Matin, 19 July 1985, p. 9. 21) John Nunn in British Chess Magazine, October 1985, p. 418. 22) De Waarheid, 26 July 1985, p. 4. 23) Dagblaðið Vísir, 29 June 1985, p. 10. 24) El Mundo Deportivo, 1 July 1985, p. 46. 25) L'Impartial (Neuchâtel), 9 August 1985, p. 11 (http://www.lexpressarchives.ch/Defa...). 26) Jaque 180, p. 456. 27) Jaque 179, p. 419.

Original collections: Game Collection: Biel Interzonal 1985 by User: suenteus po 147, Game Collection: 0 by User: zanzibar and Game Collection: Biel Interzonal 1985 by User: Tabanus. Round dates from Dutch and Swiss newspapers confirmed the schedule. Thanks to User: Paint My Dragon for paraphrased information from CHESS and BCM, and for improving the English.