One of the 1982 interzonals, held in the highland city of Toluca, ended in a share of first place. The Hungarian veteran Lajos Portisch and the Philippines' Eugenio Torre both finished on 8½/13 and took the two qualifying places for the Candidates, edging out a former world champion by half a point.
A qualifier at altitude
Toluca de Lerdo, one of the highest cities in Mexico, hosted fourteen players for a single round-robin over thirteen rounds. Like the other 1982 interzonals it was a staging post in the world championship cycle: the top two would go through to the Candidates. The line-up was heavyweight — former world champion Boris Spassky, Lev Polugaevsky, the rising Artur Yusupov, Yasser Seirawan, and John Nunn among them.
It proved a tight, closely fought event, with several players in contention deep into the tournament and the leading pack separated by only half a point at the finish.
Two men on top
Lajos Portisch, the durable Hungarian grandmaster, and Eugenio Torre, the first grandmaster from Asia and a national hero in the Philippines, both reached 8½/13 to share first place. Spassky came a half-point behind on 8, missing out on qualification. Portisch and Torre took the two Candidates places between them.
For Torre especially it was a big result: shared first at an Interzonal, ahead of a former world champion, made him one of the strongest players outside the traditional chess powers.
Final standings
| # | Player | Score | Record | Games |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| =1 | Portisch, Lajos | 8½/13 | +6 -2 =5 | games |
| =1 | Torre, Eugenio | 8½/13 | +5 -1 =7 | games |
| 3 | Spassky, Boris Vasilievich | 8/13 | +4 -1 =8 | games |
| =4 | Seirawan, Yasser | 7½/13 | +5 -3 =5 | games |
| =4 | Ivanov, Igor Vasilievich | 7½/13 | +3 -1 =9 | games |
| =4 | Polugaevsky, Lev | 7½/13 | +3 -1 =9 | games |
| =4 | Yusupov, Artur | 7½/13 | +3 -1 =9 | games |
| 8 | Nunn, John DM | 7/13 | +2 -1 =10 | games |
| =9 | Adorjan, Andras | 6½/13 | +4 -4 =5 | games |
| =9 | Balashov, Yuri S | 6½/13 | +3 -3 =7 | games |
| 11 | Hulak, Krunoslav | 5½/13 | +2 -4 =7 | games |
| =12 | Rodriguez Cespedes, Amador | 4/13 | +1 -6 =6 | games |
| =12 | Rubinetti, Jorge Alberto | 4/13 | +0 -5 =8 | games |
| 14 | Kouatly, Bachar | 2½/13 | +2 -10 =1 | games |
Cross Table
| Rank | Player | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Portisch, Lajos | ½ | 1 | 0 | ½ | ½ | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | ½ | 1 | 1 | ½ | |
| 2 | Torre, Eugenio | ½ | ½ | 1 | 0 | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | ½ | 1 | |
| 3 | Spassky, Boris Vasilievich | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | 1 | ½ | 1 | 1 | |
| 4 | Seirawan, Yasser | 1 | 0 | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | 0 | 1 | 1 | ½ | 1 | ½ | 1 | |
| 5 | Ivanov, Igor Vasilievich | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | 0 | ½ | 1 | |
| 6 | Polugaevsky, Lev | ½ | 0 | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | 1 | |
| 7 | Yusupov, Artur | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | |
| 8 | Nunn, John DM | 0 | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | |
| 9 | Adorjan, Andras | 0 | ½ | 0 | 0 | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | 0 | 1 | 1 | ½ | 1 | |
| 10 | Balashov, Yuri S | 0 | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | 0 | ½ | 1 | 1 | |
| 11 | Hulak, Krunoslav | ½ | 0 | 0 | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | 1 | ½ | ½ | 1 | |
| 12 | Rodriguez Cespedes, Amador | 0 | 0 | ½ | 0 | 1 | 0 | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | |
| 13 | Rubinetti, Jorge Alberto | 0 | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | 0 | |
| 14 | Kouatly, Bachar | ½ | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Each cell shows the row player's recorded results against the column player. ● = same player.