The sixth Interpolis returned the title to reigning World Champion Anatoly Karpov, who scored 7½/11 to finish clear of Dutch number one Jan Timman. The twelve-player field gathered Karpov together with two former World Champions, giving the round-robin an unusually deep concentration of champions.
A field of champions
Alongside reigning World Champion Anatoly Karpov, the 1982 Tilburg field included two former holders of the title, Tigran Petrosian and Vasily Smyslov, together with Jan Timman, Gennadi Sosonko, Ulf Andersson, Lajos Portisch, Robert Hübner, Bent Larsen, Walter Browne, John Nunn and Eugenio Torre. It was one of the strongest round-robins of the year.
Karpov had already won Tilburg three times, in 1977, 1979 and 1980, and he came back in 1982 as the established World Champion.
Karpov holds off Timman
Karpov again took clear first, scoring 7½ from eleven games to edge the home favourite Jan Timman by a half point, with Gennadi Sosonko and Ulf Andersson sharing third on 6½. It was Karpov's fourth Tilburg title.
For Timman, second place on 7 in front of his own supporters confirmed his standing as the leading Western player of the era and the natural challenger to the Soviet grandmasters who habitually filled the top of the Tilburg tables.
Final standings
| # | Player | Score | Record | Games |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Karpov, Anatoly | 7½/11 | +5 -1 =5 | games |
| 2 | Timman, Jan H | 7/11 | +3 -0 =8 | games |
| =3 | Sosonko, Gennadi | 6½/11 | +4 -2 =5 | games |
| =3 | Andersson, Ulf | 6½/11 | +2 -0 =9 | games |
| =5 | Petrosian, Tigran V | 6/11 | +3 -2 =6 | games |
| =5 | Smyslov, Vasily V | 6/11 | +2 -1 =8 | games |
| =7 | Browne, Walter Shawn | 5/11 | +2 -3 =6 | games |
| =7 | Nunn, John DM | 5/11 | +2 -3 =6 | games |
| =7 | Portisch, Lajos | 5/11 | +2 -3 =6 | games |
| =10 | Huebner, Robert | 4½/11 | +1 -3 =7 | games |
| =10 | Torre, Eugenio | 4½/11 | +1 -3 =7 | games |
| 12 | Larsen, Bent | 2½/11 | +1 -7 =3 | games |
Cross Table
| Rank | Player | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Karpov, Anatoly | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | |
| 2 | Timman, Jan H | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | 1 | |
| 3 | Sosonko, Gennadi | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | 1 | ½ | 0 | 1 | ½ | 1 | 1 | |
| 4 | Andersson, Ulf | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | |
| 5 | Petrosian, Tigran V | 0 | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | 1 | 0 | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | |
| 6 | Smyslov, Vasily V | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | |
| 7 | Browne, Walter Shawn | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | 0 | ½ | ½ | 1 | 0 | ½ | 1 | |
| 8 | Nunn, John DM | 0 | ½ | 1 | ½ | 1 | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | |
| 9 | Portisch, Lajos | 1 | ½ | 0 | ½ | 0 | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | |
| 10 | Huebner, Robert | 0 | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | |
| 11 | Torre, Eugenio | 0 | 0 | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | |
| 12 | Larsen, Bent | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ½ | ½ | 0 | 1 | 0 | ½ | 0 |
Each cell shows the row player's recorded results against the column player. ● = same player.