The seventh Reykjavík international ended in a shared title. Iceland's Friðrik Ólafsson — the country's first grandmaster — and the rising Dutch star Jan Timman each finished on 11 out of 15, edging veteran Miguel Najdorf and Soviet grandmaster Vladimir Tukmakov by half a point.
Two winners
Sixteen players contested the fifteen-round round-robin. At the finish, home favourite Friðrik Ólafsson and the young Jan Timman stood level on 11 points to share first place.
For Timman, still early in his grandmaster career, the result was one of the breakthrough tournament victories that announced him as a coming force in world chess. For Ólafsson, it was another strong showing in front of an Icelandic audience that revered him as the nation's chess pioneer.
A strong field
Half a point behind the co-winners came the Argentine legend Miguel Najdorf and Soviet grandmaster Vladimir Tukmakov, tied for third on 10½. Guðmundur Sigurjónsson, winner of the 1970 edition, finished fifth, with England's Raymond Keene among the field.
The Reykjavík series continued as a round-robin invitational through 1980 before evolving into the open Swiss tournament known today as the Reykjavík Open.
Final standings
| # | Player | Score | Record | Games |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| =1 | Timman, Jan H | 11/15 | +9 -2 =4 | games |
| =1 | Olafsson, Fridrik | 11/15 | +7 -0 =8 | games |
| =3 | Najdorf, Miguel | 10½/15 | +7 -1 =7 | games |
| =3 | Tukmakov, Vladimir B | 10½/15 | +7 -1 =7 | games |
| 5 | Sigurjonsson, Gudmundur | 9/15 | +5 -2 =8 | games |
| =6 | Keene, Raymond | 8½/15 | +5 -3 =7 | games |
| =6 | Westerinen, Heikki MJ | 8½/15 | +4 -2 =9 | games |
| =6 | Antoshin, Vladimir S | 8½/15 | +3 -1 =11 | games |
| 9 | Johannsson, Ingi Randver | 8/15 | +5 -4 =6 | games |
| 10 | Matera, Salvatore Joseph | 7½/15 | +4 -4 =7 | games |
| 11 | Vukcevich, Milan R | 6/15 | +3 -6 =6 | games |
| =12 | Petursson, Margeir | 5/15 | +3 -8 =4 | games |
| =12 | Olafsson, Helgi | 5/15 | +0 -5 =10 | games |
| =14 | Angantysson, Haukur | 4½/15 | +2 -8 =5 | games |
| =14 | Thorsteinsson, Bjorn | 4½/15 | +2 -8 =5 | games |
| 16 | Gunnarsson, Gunnar K | 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 | Timman, Jan H | ½ | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | ½ | 1 | 1 | ½ | 1 | 1 | 1 | ½ | 1 | |
| 2 | Olafsson, Fridrik | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | ½ | 1 | 1 | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | 1 | ½ | |
| 3 | Najdorf, Miguel | 1 | 0 | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | ½ | 1 | ½ | 1 | ½ | 1 | |
| 4 | Tukmakov, Vladimir B | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | ½ | 1 | 1 | 1 | |
| 5 | Sigurjonsson, Gudmundur | 0 | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | 1 | ½ | 1 | 1 | |
| 6 | Keene, Raymond | 0 | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | |
| 7 | Westerinen, Heikki MJ | 0 | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | 1 | ½ | 1 | |
| 8 | Antoshin, Vladimir S | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | 0 | ½ | 1 | ½ | 1 | |
| 9 | Johannsson, Ingi Randver | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | 1 | ½ | 1 | 1 | 1 | |
| 10 | Matera, Salvatore Joseph | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | 1 | |
| 11 | Vukcevich, Milan R | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | 0 | 0 | ½ | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | ½ | ½ | 0 | 1 | |
| 12 | Petursson, Margeir | 0 | ½ | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | |
| 13 | Olafsson, Helgi | 0 | 0 | ½ | ½ | 0 | 0 | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | |
| 14 | Angantysson, Haukur | 0 | ½ | 0 | 0 | ½ | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | |
| 15 | Thorsteinsson, Bjorn | ½ | 0 | ½ | 0 | 0 | 0 | ½ | ½ | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ½ | 0 | 1 | |
| 16 | Gunnarsson, Gunnar K | 0 | ½ | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ½ | 0 | 0 |
Each cell shows the row player's recorded results against the column player. ● = same player.