Josip Rukavina and Jan Smejkal shared first place in the fourteen-player Vrnjačka Banja zonal with 9 points from thirteen games. Both qualified for the next Interzonal. William Hartston finished third with 8½, followed by Burkhard Malich on 8.
Two places in the Interzonal
The zonal was one of the European qualifying tournaments in the 1972–75 World Championship cycle. Rukavina finished unbeaten with five wins and eight draws. Smejkal reached the same score with six wins, six draws and one loss. Both went through directly; no playoff was needed to separate them.
Hartston also remained unbeaten, winning four games and drawing nine, but finished half a point short of the joint winners. Malich took fourth on 8 points. Csom, Ciocaltea and Pribyl shared the next places on 7½.
The full round robin
Each of the fourteen players faced every other entrant once, giving seven games in each of thirteen rounds. All 91 scores are represented here, and every result agrees with the complete contemporary BCM crosstable.
The tournament took place in April 1972. A contemporary report published on 24 April gives the completed standings and last-round results. The precise closing day is not established by the contemporary sources inspected.
Final standings
| # | Player | Score | Record | Games |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| =1 | Rukavina, Josip | 9/13 | +5 -0 =8 | games |
| =1 | Smejkal, Jan | 9/13 | +6 -1 =6 | games |
| 3 | Hartston, William R | 8.5/13 | +4 -0 =9 | games |
| 4 | Malich, Burkhard | 8/13 | +4 -1 =8 | games |
| =5 | Csom, Istvan | 7.5/13 | +3 -1 =9 | games |
| =5 | Ciocaltea, Victor | 7.5/13 | +4 -2 =7 | games |
| =5 | Pribyl, Josef | 7.5/13 | +4 -2 =7 | games |
| =8 | Adorjan, Andras | 7/13 | +3 -2 =8 | games |
| =8 | Bobotsov, Milko Georgiev | 7/13 | +3 -2 =8 | games |
| =10 | Bukic, Enver | 6/13 | +2 -3 =8 | games |
| =10 | Kristinsson, Jon | 6/13 | +2 -3 =8 | games |
| 12 | Hohler, Peter | 5.5/13 | +2 -4 =7 | games |
| 13 | Tsouros, Georgios | 2/13 | +1 -10 =2 | games |
| 14 | Sursock, Sameer | 0.5/13 | +0 -12 =1 | games |
Cross Table
| Rank | Player | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rukavina, Josip | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | 1 | |
| 2 | Smejkal, Jan | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | 1 | |
| 3 | Hartston, William R | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | |
| 4 | Malich, Burkhard | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | 1 | ½ | 1 | |
| 5 | Csom, Istvan | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | ½ | 1 | |
| 6 | Ciocaltea, Victor | ½ | 0 | 0 | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | 1 | 1 | |
| 7 | Pribyl, Josef | 0 | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | |
| 8 | Adorjan, Andras | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | 1 | 1 | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | |
| 9 | Bobotsov, Milko Georgiev | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | |
| 10 | Bukic, Enver | ½ | ½ | 0 | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | |
| 11 | Kristinsson, Jon | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | 0 | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | |
| 12 | Hohler, Peter | 0 | 0 | ½ | 0 | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | |
| 13 | Tsouros, Georgios | 0 | 0 | 0 | ½ | ½ | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
| 14 | Sursock, Sameer | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ½ | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Each cell shows the row player's recorded results against the column player. ● = same player.