Amsterdam 1956 Candidates Tournament
In the spring of 1956, ten of the world's best gathered in the Netherlands to choose Botvinnik's next challenger. Vasily Smyslov — already the winner of the celebrated Zürich Candidates of 1953 — won again, this time outright and beaten only once, earning a second shot at the world title.
◈A crowded field, a clear winner
The 1956 Candidates was a ten-player double round-robin, eighteen games each, organised by FIDE and played mostly in Amsterdam with the opening rounds in Leeuwarden. The line-up was formidable: Smyslov, Keres, László Szabó, the young Boris Spassky, Tigran Petrosian, David Bronstein, Efim Geller, Miroslav Filip, Oscar Panno and Hermann Pilnik.
Smyslov finished on 11½/18, a full point and a half clear of Paul Keres on 10. Behind them came a remarkable five-way tie on 9½ — Szabó, Spassky, Petrosian, Bronstein and Geller — a logjam that showed just how strong the chasing pack was, and how decisively Smyslov had risen above it.
◈Smyslov, and a teenage Spassky
Smyslov lost only a single game in the whole tournament — to the 19-year-old debutant Boris Spassky, who was making his first attempt to become world champion. Spassky shared third to seventh place on that promising start, though nine more years would pass before he again reached a Candidates. Smyslov, meanwhile, was ruthless against Efim Geller, defeating him 2–0.
Winning a second Candidates in succession sent Smyslov to a return match with Botvinnik in 1957. This time he made good on his chance, winning 12½–9½ to become the seventh World Chess Champion — before Botvinnik reclaimed the crown in the 1958 rematch.
◈Final Standings
| # | Player | Score | Record | Games |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Smyslov, Vasily V | 11½/18 | +6 -1 =11 | games |
| 2 | Keres, Paul | 10/18 | +3 -1 =14 | games |
| 3 | Geller, Efim P | 9½/18 | +6 -5 =7 | games |
| 4 | Bronstein, David Ionovich | 9½/18 | +4 -3 =11 | games |
| =5 | Petrosian, Tigran V | 9½/18 | +3 -2 =13 | games |
| =5 | Spassky, Boris Vasilievich | 9½/18 | +3 -2 =13 | games |
| =5 | Szabo, Laszlo | 9½/18 | +3 -2 =13 | games |
| 8 | Filip, Miroslav | 8/18 | +4 -6 =8 | games |
| 9 | Panno, Oscar | 8/18 | +2 -4 =12 | games |
| 10 | Pilnik, Hermann | 5/18 | +1 -9 =8 | games |
Cross Table
| Rank | Player | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Smyslov, Vasily V | ½½ | 11 | ½1 | ½½ | 0½ | ½½ | ½1 | 1½ | ½1 | |
| 2 | Keres, Paul | ½½ | ½½ | ½1 | ½½ | ½½ | ½½ | ½0 | 1½ | 1½ | |
| 3 | Geller, Efim P | 00 | ½½ | ½0 | 10 | 1½ | ½0 | 11 | ½1 | 1½ | |
| 4 | Bronstein, David Ionovich | ½0 | ½0 | ½1 | 1½ | ½0 | ½½ | 1½ | ½½ | ½1 | |
| 5 | Petrosian, Tigran V | ½½ | ½½ | 01 | 0½ | ½½ | ½½ | 1½ | ½½ | 1½ | |
| 6 | Spassky, Boris Vasilievich | 1½ | ½½ | 0½ | ½1 | ½½ | 0½ | ½½ | ½½ | ½1 | |
| 7 | Szabo, Laszlo | ½½ | ½½ | ½1 | ½½ | ½½ | 1½ | 0½ | ½½ | 01 | |
| 8 | Filip, Miroslav | ½0 | ½1 | 00 | 0½ | 0½ | ½½ | 1½ | 10 | ½1 | |
| 9 | Panno, Oscar | 0½ | 0½ | ½0 | ½½ | ½½ | ½½ | ½½ | 01 | 1½ | |
| 10 | Pilnik, Hermann | ½0 | 0½ | 0½ | ½0 | 0½ | ½0 | 10 | ½0 | 0½ |
Each cell shows the row player's per-game results against the column player (in round order). ● = same player.