The fifth Interpolis went to the Soviet grandmaster Alexander Beliavsky, who scored 7½/11 for clear first ahead of the former World Champion Tigran Petrosian. With reigning champion Anatoly Karpov away defending his title, the twelve-player field also included an eighteen-year-old Garry Kasparov.
A Soviet grandmaster takes charge
Alexander Beliavsky came to Tilburg fresh from sharing the 48th Soviet Championship with Lev Psakhis at Vilnius over the turn of 1980 into 1981, and he carried that form to the Netherlands. He finished on 7½ points from eleven games, a clear half point ahead of the former World Champion Tigran Petrosian on 7, with Lajos Portisch and Jan Timman sharing third on 6½ and Ljubomir Ljubojević next on 6.
It ranked among the finest international results of Beliavsky's career, a clear first over a field thick with grandmasters of two and three generations.
The champion absent, a prodigy present
Reigning World Champion Anatoly Karpov, a three-time Tilburg winner, did not play the 1981 edition: that same autumn he was defending his title against Viktor Korchnoi in the World Championship match at Merano.
Instead the field included the rising eighteen-year-old Garry Kasparov, playing in one of his first top Western tournaments. Kasparov finished mid-table on 5½; weeks later he shared first in the 49th Soviet Championship at Frunze, the first major title of his career.
Final standings
| # | Player | Score | Record | Games |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Beliavsky, Alexander G | 7½/11 | +5 -1 =5 | games |
| 2 | Petrosian, Tigran V | 7/11 | +3 -0 =8 | games |
| =3 | Portisch, Lajos | 6½/11 | +4 -2 =5 | games |
| =3 | Timman, Jan H | 6½/11 | +4 -2 =5 | games |
| 5 | Ljubojevic, Ljubomir | 6/11 | +2 -1 =8 | games |
| =6 | Kasparov, Garry | 5½/11 | +3 -3 =5 | games |
| =6 | Andersson, Ulf | 5½/11 | +2 -2 =7 | games |
| =6 | Spassky, Boris Vasilievich | 5½/11 | +1 -1 =9 | games |
| =9 | Larsen, Bent | 4½/11 | +3 -5 =3 | games |
| =9 | Sosonko, Gennadi | 4½/11 | +2 -4 =5 | games |
| 11 | Huebner, Robert | 4/11 | +1 -4 =6 | games |
| 12 | Miles, Anthony John | 3/11 | +0 -5 =6 | games |
Cross Table
| Rank | Player | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Beliavsky, Alexander G | ½ | 0 | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | |
| 2 | Petrosian, Tigran V | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | 1 | |
| 3 | Portisch, Lajos | 1 | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | 0 | ½ | 1 | 0 | 1 | ½ | |
| 4 | Timman, Jan H | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | 1 | 1 | 0 | ½ | 1 | |
| 5 | Ljubojevic, Ljubomir | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | 1 | ½ | |
| 6 | Kasparov, Garry | ½ | 0 | ½ | 0 | ½ | 1 | 0 | ½ | 1 | 1 | ½ | |
| 7 | Andersson, Ulf | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | 1 | |
| 8 | Spassky, Boris Vasilievich | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | |
| 9 | Larsen, Bent | 0 | ½ | 0 | 0 | 0 | ½ | 1 | ½ | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
| 10 | Sosonko, Gennadi | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | |
| 11 | Huebner, Robert | 0 | ½ | 0 | ½ | 0 | 0 | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | |
| 12 | Miles, Anthony John | 0 | 0 | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ |
Each cell shows the row player's recorded results against the column player. ● = same player.