Zoltán Ribli won the Las Palmas Interzonal undefeated, finishing ahead of the 61-year-old former World Champion Vasily Smyslov. Both qualified for the Candidates matches of the 1984–85 World Championship cycle.
Ribli takes charge
Las Palmas was one of the three 1982 Interzonals — alongside Toluca and Moscow — feeding the Candidates matches for the 1984–85 World Championship. Fourteen players contested a single round-robin, and only the top two would go through.
Ribli met the demand with a calm, unbeaten run: six wins and seven draws for 9½/13, including a decisive victory over Smyslov in their individual game in round twelve. He finished a clear point ahead of the field.
Smyslov defies the years
The event was as memorable for its runner-up. The former World Champion Vasily Smyslov, now 61 years old, finished second on 8½ to take the other qualifying place — an extraordinary result at his age against a field of grandmasters in their prime.
Smyslov's late-career surge did not end there. From Las Palmas he advanced through the 1983–84 Candidates all the way to the final — a run that included a match against Robert Hübner which finished level and was famously settled by the spin of a roulette wheel — before losing the final to the young Garry Kasparov.
Final standings
| # | Player | Score | Record | Games |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ribli, Zoltan | 9½/13 | +6 -0 =7 | games |
| 2 | Smyslov, Vasily V | 8½/13 | +6 -2 =5 | games |
| 3 | Suba, Mihai | 8/13 | +6 -3 =4 | games |
| =4 | Tukmakov, Vladimir B | 7½/13 | +5 -3 =5 | games |
| =4 | Petrosian, Tigran V | 7½/13 | +3 -1 =9 | games |
| =6 | Larsen, Bent | 6½/13 | +4 -4 =5 | games |
| =6 | Timman, Jan H | 6½/13 | +3 -3 =7 | games |
| =8 | Mestel, A Jonathan | 6/13 | +4 -5 =4 | games |
| =8 | Pinter, Jozsef | 6/13 | +2 -3 =8 | games |
| =8 | Psakhis, Lev | 6/13 | +2 -3 =8 | games |
| =11 | Karlsson, Lars | 5½/13 | +2 -4 =7 | games |
| =11 | Sunye Neto, Jaime | 5½/13 | +2 -4 =7 | games |
| =11 | Bouaziz, Slim | 5½/13 | +1 -3 =9 | games |
| 14 | Browne, Walter Shawn | 2½/13 | +1 -9 =3 | games |
Cross Table
| Rank | Player | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ribli, Zoltan | 1 | ½ | 1 | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | 1 | |
| 2 | Smyslov, Vasily V | 0 | 1 | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | 1 | 1 | 1 | ½ | 1 | |
| 3 | Suba, Mihai | ½ | 0 | 0 | ½ | 1 | 1 | ½ | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | ½ | 0 | |
| 4 | Tukmakov, Vladimir B | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | ½ | ½ | 1 | 0 | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | 1 | |
| 5 | Petrosian, Tigran V | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | |
| 6 | Larsen, Bent | 0 | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | 0 | ½ | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | |
| 7 | Timman, Jan H | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | 0 | ½ | 1 | 1 | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | 1 | |
| 8 | Mestel, A Jonathan | ½ | 0 | ½ | 0 | ½ | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ½ | 1 | |
| 9 | Pinter, Jozsef | ½ | ½ | 0 | 1 | ½ | 1 | 0 | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | |
| 10 | Psakhis, Lev | ½ | 0 | 0 | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | |
| 11 | Karlsson, Lars | ½ | 0 | 0 | 1 | ½ | 0 | 1 | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | |
| 12 | Sunye Neto, Jaime | 0 | 0 | 0 | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | |
| 13 | Bouaziz, Slim | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | |
| 14 | Browne, Walter Shawn | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ½ | 0 | 0 | 0 | ½ | 0 | ½ | 0 | 0 |
Each cell shows the row player's recorded results against the column player. ● = same player.