Bugojno 1978
The Bosnian town of Bugojno announced itself on the elite calendar with a Category XIV round-robin that ended in a shared crown. Reigning World Champion Anatoly Karpov and former champion Boris Spassky each finished on 10 out of 15, a point clear of the young Jan Timman — who nonetheless walked away with the tournament's proudest scalp.
◈A Bosnian debut
This was the first edition of what would become one of Yugoslavia's flagship super-tournaments. Sixteen grandmasters gathered in Bugojno for a single round-robin averaging deep into Category XIV, the strongest names of the day set against a supporting cast of Yugoslav and Western masters — Ljubomir Ljubojević, Mikhail Tal, Bent Larsen, Lajos Portisch, Robert Hübner, Anthony Miles, Robert Byrne and the local stalwarts among them.
At the top sat the two men who had defined the world title for a decade: Anatoly Karpov, who had held the crown since 1975, and Boris Spassky, champion from 1969 to 1972. Each finished the fifteen rounds with an identical +6 −1 =8, sharing first place on 10 points.
◈Timman's scalp
The one blemish on Karpov's card belonged to Jan Timman, who beat the reigning World Champion for the first time in his career. Yet Karpov answered as champions do, winning six of his remaining games to reel Spassky back in and secure a share of first.
Timman's reward for that landmark victory was third place on 9 — a point behind the two former and current world champions, and the only player in the field to have taken the full point from Karpov. Bugojno would go on to host further elite editions in 1980, 1982 and 1984, but its first offering already set the standard.
◈Final Standings
| # | Player | Score | Record | Games |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| =1 | Karpov, Anatoly | 10/15 | +6 -1 =8 | games → |
| =1 | Spassky, Boris Vasilievich | 10/15 | +6 -1 =8 | games → |
| 3 | Timman, Jan H | 9/15 | +5 -2 =8 | games → |
| 4 | Ljubojevic, Ljubomir | 8½/15 | +5 -3 =7 | games → |
| 5 | Tal, Mihail | 8½/15 | +2 -0 =13 | games → |
| 6 | Larsen, Bent | 8/15 | +5 -4 =6 | games → |
| 7 | Hort, Vlastimil | 8/15 | +4 -3 =8 | games → |
| 8 | Huebner, Robert | 7½/15 | +3 -3 =9 | games → |
| 9 | Balashov, Yuri S | 7½/15 | +2 -2 =11 | games → |
| 10 | Miles, Anthony John | 7/15 | +3 -4 =8 | games → |
| 11 | Portisch, Lajos | 6½/15 | +2 -4 =9 | games → |
| 12 | Ivkov, Borislav | 6½/15 | +1 -3 =11 | games → |
| =13 | Byrne, Robert Eugene | 6/15 | +1 -4 =10 | games → |
| =13 | Vukic, Milan | 6/15 | +1 -4 =10 | games → |
| 15 | Gligoric, Svetozar | 5½/15 | +2 -6 =7 | games → |
| 16 | Bukic, Enver | 5½/15 | +1 -5 =9 | games → |
Cross Table
| Rank | Player | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Karpov, Anatoly | ½ | 0 | 1 | ½ | 1 | 1 | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | |
| 2 | Spassky, Boris Vasilievich | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | 1 | 1 | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | 1 | 1 | |
| 3 | Timman, Jan H | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | 1 | 1 | ½ | 1 | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | |
| 4 | Ljubojevic, Ljubomir | 0 | 1 | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | 0 | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | 1 | 1 | |
| 5 | Tal, Mihail | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | 1 | ½ | |
| 6 | Larsen, Bent | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ½ | 1 | ½ | 1 | ½ | 1 | 1 | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | |
| 7 | Hort, Vlastimil | 0 | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | 1 | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | ½ | ½ | |
| 8 | Huebner, Robert | ½ | ½ | 0 | 1 | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | 0 | 1 | ½ | |
| 9 | Balashov, Yuri S | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | |
| 10 | Miles, Anthony John | 0 | 0 | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | ½ | |
| 11 | Portisch, Lajos | 0 | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | ½ | |
| 12 | Ivkov, Borislav | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | 0 | |
| 13 | Byrne, Robert Eugene | ½ | 0 | ½ | 0 | 0 | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | |
| 14 | Vukic, Milan | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | |
| 15 | Gligoric, Svetozar | ½ | 0 | ½ | 0 | 0 | 1 | ½ | 0 | ½ | 0 | 0 | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | |
| 16 | Bukic, Enver | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | 0 | ½ | ½ |
Each cell shows the row player's per-game results against the column player (in round order). ● = same player.
“Spassky tied for first at Bugojno 1978 on 10/15 with Karpov, both scoring +6 −1 =8, a point ahead of Timman — the only man to beat the reigning world champion.”