The 1979 Bucharest international was a close-run affair. Mark Taimanov, the veteran Soviet grandmaster, took clear first with 9½/15, but the rest of the field was packed together behind him — three players shared second place just a half-point back, and the scores stayed bunched all the way down the table.
The Soviet guest again
As with the other Bucharest internationals of this era, the field mixed Romanian masters with foreign visitors around a single strong Soviet entrant. In 1979 that entrant was Mark Taimanov — a former world-title Candidate, best remembered by the wider public for his 0–6 defeat by Bobby Fischer in their 1971 Candidates match, and still, in his fifties, a dangerous tournament player.
Wolfgang Uhlmann returned among the guests, and the Romanian core included Victor Ciocâltea, Theodor Ghițescu and the rising Mihai Suba.
A half-point margin
Taimanov's 9½ was enough for clear first, but only just. Ciocâltea, Ghițescu and Suba all finished on 9 to share second, and a knot of players — Bellón López, Biriescu and Uhlmann — followed on 8½. In a round-robin this level, a single decisive game separated the winner from the pack.
Final standings
| # | Player | Score | Record | Games |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Taimanov, Mark E | 9½/15 | +4 -0 =11 | games |
| =2 | Ciocaltea, Victor | 9/15 | +4 -1 =10 | games |
| =2 | Ghitescu, Theodor | 9/15 | +4 -1 =10 | games |
| =2 | Suba, Mihai | 9/15 | +4 -1 =10 | games |
| =5 | Bellon Lopez, Juan Manuel | 8½/15 | +5 -3 =7 | games |
| =5 | Biriescu, Ioan | 8½/15 | +5 -3 =7 | games |
| =5 | Uhlmann, Wolfgang | 8½/15 | +5 -3 =7 | games |
| 8 | Stoica, Valentin | 8/15 | +3 -2 =10 | games |
| 9 | Haik, Aldo | 7½/15 | +4 -4 =7 | games |
| =10 | Foisor, Ovidiu Doru | 6½/15 | +4 -6 =5 | games |
| =10 | Rogulj, Branko | 6½/15 | +4 -6 =5 | games |
| =10 | Bielczyk, Jacek | 6½/15 | +1 -3 =11 | games |
| =10 | Barczay, Laszlo | 6½/15 | +0 -2 =13 | games |
| 14 | Negulescu, Adrian | 6/15 | +1 -4 =10 | games |
| 15 | Peev, Peicho Chonev | 5½/15 | +3 -7 =5 | games |
| 16 | Lanc, Alois | 5/15 | +2 -7 =6 | games |
Cross Table
| Rank | Player | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Taimanov, Mark E | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | |
| 2 | Ciocaltea, Victor | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | 1 | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | |
| 3 | Ghitescu, Theodor | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | 0 | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | 1 | |
| 4 | Suba, Mihai | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | |
| 5 | Bellon Lopez, Juan Manuel | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | 1 | ½ | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
| 6 | Biriescu, Ioan | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | |
| 7 | Uhlmann, Wolfgang | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | |
| 8 | Stoica, Valentin | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | 0 | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | 1 | |
| 9 | Haik, Aldo | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | 0 | ½ | 1 | 0 | 0 | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | |
| 10 | Foisor, Ovidiu Doru | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ½ | ½ | 0 | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | |
| 11 | Rogulj, Branko | ½ | 0 | 1 | 0 | ½ | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | ½ | |
| 12 | Bielczyk, Jacek | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | |
| 13 | Barczay, Laszlo | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | |
| 14 | Negulescu, Adrian | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | 0 | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | |
| 15 | Peev, Peicho Chonev | ½ | 0 | ½ | 1 | 1 | ½ | 0 | ½ | 0 | 0 | 0 | ½ | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
| 16 | Lanc, Alois | 0 | ½ | 0 | ½ | 0 | ½ | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | 1 |
Each cell shows the row player's recorded results against the column player. ● = same player.