Bucharest 1979
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 → |
| 12 | Bielczyk, Jacek | 6½/15 | +1 -3 =11 | games → |
| 13 | 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 per-game results against the column player (in round order). ● = same player.