The fourth edition of Reykjavík's international round-robin belonged to a home player. Guðmundur Sigurjónsson, then a rising Icelandic master, took clear first on 12 out of 15, holding off a field of visiting masters in the very year he earned his International Master title.
A home winner
Sixteen players met in a fifteen-round round robin, the fourth Reykjavík international. Guðmundur Sigurjónsson, a rising Icelander who in 1975 became his country's second grandmaster after Friðrik Ólafsson, won outright on 12/15.
The victory came in the same year Sigurjónsson was awarded the International Master title, an early milestone in a career that would carry him to three Icelandic championships and ten Chess Olympiad appearances.
The chasing pack
Romania's Theodor Ghițescu finished a half-point back in second on 11½, with Canada's Bruce Amos third on 11 and Bulgaria's Nikola Padevsky fourth on 10.
Friðrik Ólafsson, Iceland's first grandmaster, shared fifth in a field from Iceland, Eastern and Western Europe and North America, which made a clear home win all the more of a breakthrough for the young Sigurjónsson.
Final standings
| # | Player | Score | Record | Games |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sigurjonsson, Gudmundur | 12/15 | +9 -0 =6 | games |
| 2 | Ghitescu, Theodor | 11½/15 | +9 -1 =5 | games |
| 3 | Amos, Bruce M | 11/15 | +8 -1 =6 | games |
| 4 | Padevsky, Nikola Bochev | 10/15 | +6 -1 =8 | games |
| =5 | Hecht, Hans Joachim | 9½/15 | +7 -3 =5 | games |
| =5 | Olafsson, Fridrik | 9½/15 | +7 -3 =5 | games |
| =7 | Kristinsson, Jon | 8½/15 | +6 -4 =5 | games |
| =7 | Matulovic, Milan | 8½/15 | +6 -4 =5 | games |
| =7 | Thorsteinsson, Bjorn | 8½/15 | +6 -4 =5 | games |
| 10 | Thorbergsson, Freysteinn | 7½/15 | +5 -5 =5 | games |
| =11 | Benediktsson, Benony | 5½/15 | +3 -7 =5 | games |
| =11 | Torfason, Jon | 5½/15 | +2 -6 =7 | games |
| 13 | Kristjansson, Bragi | 4½/15 | +2 -8 =5 | games |
| 14 | Vizantiadis, Lazaros | 4/15 | +2 -9 =4 | games |
| =15 | Sigurjonsson, Bjorn | 2/15 | +2 -13 =0 | games |
| =15 | Kristjansson, Olafur | 2/15 | +1 -12 =2 | games |
Cross Table
| Rank | Player | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sigurjonsson, Gudmundur | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | 1 | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | ½ | 1 | 1 | |
| 2 | Ghitescu, Theodor | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | ½ | 1 | 1 | ½ | 1 | 1 | 1 | |
| 3 | Amos, Bruce M | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | ½ | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | |
| 4 | Padevsky, Nikola Bochev | ½ | 1 | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | 0 | 1 | ½ | 1 | 1 | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | |
| 5 | Hecht, Hans Joachim | 0 | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | 1 | 1 | ½ | ½ | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | |
| 6 | Olafsson, Fridrik | 0 | 0 | 1 | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | |
| 7 | Kristinsson, Jon | 0 | 0 | ½ | ½ | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | 1 | |
| 8 | Matulovic, Milan | ½ | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ½ | 0 | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | |
| 9 | Thorsteinsson, Bjorn | ½ | 0 | 0 | 0 | ½ | ½ | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | ½ | 1 | ½ | 1 | 1 | |
| 10 | Thorbergsson, Freysteinn | 0 | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | 0 | 0 | ½ | 0 | 1 | ½ | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | |
| 11 | Benediktsson, Benony | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | 0 | ½ | ½ | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
| 12 | Torfason, Jon | 0 | 0 | ½ | 0 | 0 | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | 0 | 1 | |
| 13 | Kristjansson, Bragi | 0 | ½ | 0 | ½ | 0 | 0 | ½ | 0 | 0 | 0 | ½ | 0 | 1 | 1 | ½ | |
| 14 | Vizantiadis, Lazaros | ½ | 0 | 0 | ½ | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ½ | 0 | 0 | ½ | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
| 15 | Sigurjonsson, Bjorn | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 16 | Kristjansson, Olafur | 0 | 0 | 0 | ½ | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ½ | 0 | 1 |
Each cell shows the row player's recorded results against the column player. ● = same player.