The fifteenth IBM tournament brought sixteen grandmasters and masters to Amsterdam for one of the most combative editions in the series' history. Standing on a mere 50% after ten rounds, Ljubomir Ljubojević scored a furious 4½ from the last five — winning his final three games — to leap from seventh place to clear first on 9½/15.
◈The fifteenth IBM
From 1961 to 1981 the computer giant IBM sponsored an annual international tournament in Amsterdam that grew into one of the strongest regular events in chess — Botvinnik, Spassky, Smyslov, and Petrosian all won it, and Karpov would add his name in 1980. The 1975 edition was the fifteenth: sixteen players, fifteen rounds in nineteen days, an average rating of 2510 (Category 11), a first prize of 4,000 guilders, and Piet Bakker as chief arbiter. Ljubojević and Jan Timman were expected to create fireworks, with Jan Smejkal, Robert Hübner, Lubomir Kavalek, and the 58-year-old veteran László Szabó heading the chasing pack.
◈Ljubojević's late surge
For ten rounds the favourite misfired: Ljubojević lost a few, won a few, and sat on 50%. Then came one of the great finishing bursts — 4½ points from the last five rounds, including wins in each of the final three games, carrying him from seventh place to clear first on 9½. It completed a fine year for the Yugoslav, who had already taken first prize at the strong Las Palmas tournament earlier in 1975. Kavalek, writing in Chess Life & Review, likened his uncompromising tactical style to that of the young Tal.
◈The outsiders' tournament
The story beneath the winner was the four-way tie for second at 9. Dutch master Hans Böhm, rated just 2300 and dismissed beforehand as a tailender, produced the result of his life to share second with the 21-year-old Soviet Sergey Makarichev, Czechoslovakia's Smejkal, and Szabó; Böhm and Makarichev both earned grandmaster norms. Behind them Yuri Razuvaev and Kavalek shared sixth on 8, while Hübner (7½) and a wildly uneven Timman (7, with five wins and six losses) finished below expectations.
◈Final Standings
| # | Player | Score | Record | Games |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ljubojevic, Ljubomir | 9½/15 | +6 -2 =7 | games |
| 2 | Makarichev, Sergey | 9/15 | +6 -3 =6 | games |
| =3 | Bohm, Hans | 9/15 | +5 -2 =8 | games |
| =3 | Smejkal, Jan | 9/15 | +5 -2 =8 | games |
| =3 | Szabo, Laszlo | 9/15 | +5 -2 =8 | games |
| 6 | Kavalek, Lubomir | 8/15 | +5 -4 =6 | games |
| 7 | Razuvaev, Yuri S | 8/15 | +3 -2 =10 | games |
| 8 | Huebner, Robert | 7½/15 | +3 -3 =9 | games |
| 9 | Timman, Jan H | 7/15 | +5 -6 =4 | games |
| 10 | Uhlmann, Wolfgang | 7/15 | +4 -5 =6 | games |
| 11 | Jansa, Vlastimil | 7/15 | +2 -3 =10 | games |
| =12 | Gheorghiu, Florin | 7/15 | +1 -2 =12 | games |
| =12 | Sosonko, Gennadi | 7/15 | +1 -2 =12 | games |
| 14 | Raicevic, Vladimir | 6½/15 | +4 -6 =5 | games |
| 15 | Hamann, Svend | 5/15 | +1 -6 =8 | games |
| 16 | Ree, Hans | 4½/15 | +1 -7 =7 | games |
Cross Table
| Rank | Player | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ljubojevic, Ljubomir | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | |
| 2 | Makarichev, Sergey | 1 | 0 | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | ½ | ½ | 0 | 1 | ½ | |
| 3 | Bohm, Hans | ½ | 1 | 1 | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | 0 | ½ | 1 | ½ | 1 | |
| 4 | Smejkal, Jan | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | ½ | 1 | ½ | 1 | |
| 5 | Szabo, Laszlo | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | 1 | |
| 6 | Kavalek, Lubomir | 1 | 0 | 0 | ½ | 1 | ½ | 0 | 1 | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | 1 | |
| 7 | Razuvaev, Yuri S | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | 0 | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | |
| 8 | Huebner, Robert | 0 | 0 | ½ | ½ | 0 | 1 | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | |
| 9 | Timman, Jan H | 0 | 1 | ½ | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | ½ | ½ | 0 | 1 | 1 | ½ | |
| 10 | Uhlmann, Wolfgang | 0 | 0 | ½ | 1 | ½ | 1 | 0 | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | 1 | 0 | |
| 11 | Jansa, Vlastimil | ½ | 0 | 1 | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | 1 | ½ | |
| 12 | Gheorghiu, Florin | 0 | ½ | 1 | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | |
| 13 | Sosonko, Gennadi | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | 0 | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | |
| 14 | Raicevic, Vladimir | ½ | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ½ | 0 | 0 | ½ | 1 | ½ | 1 | 1 | ½ | |
| 15 | Hamann, Svend | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | 0 | 0 | ½ | ½ | 0 | 1 | |
| 16 | Ree, Hans | 0 | ½ | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 |
Each cell shows the row player's per-game results against the column player (in round order). ● = same player.
“He is a master of improvisation, always trying to create extraordinary positions where his feeling for sharp tactical solutions dominates the play. He likes to take risks and lets nothing stand in his way.”