Anatoly Karpov had held the world title since 1975 without playing for it — Bobby Fischer declined to defend, and the crown passed by default. At Las Palmas 1977 the young champion answered his doubters over the board, tearing through a strong sixteen-player field with 13½ out of 15, two and a half points clear of everyone else.
A champion with a point to prove
When Fischer refused to defend his title in 1975, Karpov became World Champion without a match. He answered the inevitable questions the only way he could — by winning tournament after tournament — and Las Palmas, in May 1977, was among the most emphatic of that run.
The field was no walkover. It included Bent Larsen, the Dutch star Jan Timman, England's Tony Miles, the American champion Walter Browne, Hungary's Andras Adorjan, Cuba's Roman Hernández, and — a former World Champion in his own right — Mikhail Tal.
A near-perfect fortnight
Karpov went unbeaten, winning twelve games and drawing three for 13½ out of 15 — a score of ninety percent in grandmaster company. Larsen took second on 11, a full two and a half points adrift; Timman was third on 10, and Hernández, Tal, and Browne shared fourth on 9.
The tournament produced one of Karpov's celebrated wins, his round-thirteen victory over Italy's Stefano Tatai with the black pieces — a game later singled out among the finest of the year. Las Palmas 1977 helped establish, beyond argument, that the title had found a worthy holder.
Final standings
| # | Player | Score | Record | Games |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Karpov, Anatoly | 13½/15 | +12 -0 =3 | games |
| 2 | Larsen, Bent | 11/15 | +9 -2 =4 | games |
| 3 | Timman, Jan H | 10/15 | +6 -1 =8 | games |
| =4 | Hernandez Onna, Roman | 9/15 | +6 -3 =6 | games |
| =4 | Tal, Mikhail | 9/15 | +6 -3 =6 | games |
| =4 | Browne, Walter Shawn | 9/15 | +5 -2 =8 | games |
| =7 | Debarnot, Roberto Luis | 8/15 | +5 -4 =6 | games |
| =7 | Adorjan, Andras | 8/15 | +3 -2 =10 | games |
| 9 | Miles, Anthony John | 7½/15 | +5 -5 =5 | games |
| =10 | Visier Segovia, Fernando | 6½/15 | +3 -5 =7 | games |
| =10 | Tatai, Stefano | 6½/15 | +2 -4 =9 | games |
| 12 | Pomar Salamanca, Arturo | 6/15 | +2 -5 =8 | games |
| =13 | Martin Gonzalez, Angel | 5½/15 | +5 -9 =1 | games |
| =13 | Bellon Lopez, Juan Manuel | 5½/15 | +2 -6 =7 | games |
| 15 | Garcia Padron, Jose | 4½/15 | +3 -9 =3 | games |
| 16 | Cabrera Castellanos, Gabriel | ½/15 | +0 -14 =1 | games |
Cross Table
| Rank | Player | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Karpov, Anatoly | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | |
| 2 | Larsen, Bent | ½ | 1 | 0 | 0 | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | ½ | 1 | 1 | 1 | |
| 3 | Timman, Jan H | ½ | 0 | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | 1 | 1 | ½ | 1 | 1 | |
| 4 | Hernandez Onna, Roman | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | |
| 5 | Tal, Mikhail | ½ | 1 | ½ | 0 | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | 0 | 1 | ½ | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
| 6 | Browne, Walter Shawn | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | |
| 7 | Debarnot, Roberto Luis | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | 0 | ½ | 0 | ½ | 1 | 1 | 1 | ½ | 1 | 1 | |
| 8 | Adorjan, Andras | 0 | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | 1 | 1 | |
| 9 | Miles, Anthony John | 0 | 0 | ½ | 1 | ½ | 0 | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | |
| 10 | Visier Segovia, Fernando | 0 | 0 | 0 | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | 0 | ½ | 1 | 1 | |
| 11 | Tatai, Stefano | 0 | 0 | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | |
| 12 | Pomar Salamanca, Arturo | 0 | 0 | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | 1 | |
| 13 | Martin Gonzalez, Angel | 0 | ½ | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
| 14 | Bellon Lopez, Juan Manuel | 0 | 0 | ½ | 0 | 0 | 0 | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | 1 | |
| 15 | Garcia Padron, Jose | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | 1 | |
| 16 | Cabrera Castellanos, Gabriel | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ½ | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Each cell shows the row player's recorded results against the column player. ● = same player.