Zagreb 1987 Interzonal

The last of the three 1987 Interzonals in the 1988–1990 World Championship cycle, Zagreb belonged to Viktor Korchnoi. At fifty-six, the great émigré grandmaster played aggressive, uncompromising chess to win outright and qualify once more for the Candidates.

◇The third gate

For the 1988–1990 cycle the Interzonal was staged as three separate round-robins — Subotica, Szirák, and Zagreb — each qualifying players into the Candidates matches that would decide Garry Kasparov's next challenger. Zagreb, held in August 1987, brought seventeen grandmasters together for a sixteen-round round-robin.

Three qualifying places were on offer. Viktor Korchnoi took first alone, a full point clear of the field, with Jaan Ehlvest and Yasser Seirawan sharing second; all three advanced to the Candidates.

◇Korchnoi undimmed

Korchnoi had by 1987 been contesting World Championship cycles for three decades, twice reaching the title match against Anatoly Karpov. Playing under the Swiss flag after his 1976 defection, he showed no sign of slowing: his 11/16 at Zagreb was the sharp, fighting chess that had always been his signature, and it earned him yet another Candidates berth.

The whole round robin is here, and the crosstable below, with Korchnoi first and Seirawan and Ehlvest next, matches the historical result.