Lajos Portisch controlled the 34th Hoogovens tournament from the front, finishing a point and a half clear on 10½/15 in a field that included former World Champion Vasily Smyslov. The Hungarian grandmaster's positional certainty carried him past a crowded chasing group with a round to spare.
The 34th Hoogovens
By 1972 the Hoogovens tournament at Wijk aan Zee was a fixed part of the January calendar, and its 34th edition kept the usual sixteen-player round robin of 120 games. The grandmaster group mixed generations: the former World Champion Vasily Smyslov and Soviet grandmaster Vladimir Savon at the experienced end, and a notable group of young players as well.
Walter Browne, Jan Timman, Ljubomir Ljubojević, and András Adorján were all near the start of careers that would define the coming decade, and they contested the event alongside seasoned campaigners such as Vlastimil Hort, Borislav Ivkov, Pal Benko, and Arturo Pomar.
Portisch in command
Portisch was a class apart, finishing on 10½/15 — a point and a half ahead of the runner-up. His steady, deeply-prepared style suited the long round-robin, and he stayed clear of the pack throughout.
Arturo Pomar took second on 9, with Walter Browne and Vlastimil Hort sharing third on 8½. Smyslov, the old champion, had to settle for a share of fifth on 8 alongside Savon and Ivkov — a measure of how completely Portisch had mastered the tournament.
Final standings
| # | Player | Score | Record | Games |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Portisch, Lajos | 10½/15 | +6 -0 =9 | games |
| 2 | Pomar Salamanca, Arturo | 9/15 | +6 -3 =6 | games |
| =3 | Browne, Walter Shawn | 8½/15 | +6 -4 =5 | games |
| =3 | Hort, Vlastimil | 8½/15 | +3 -1 =11 | games |
| =5 | Ivkov, Borislav | 8/15 | +3 -2 =10 | games |
| =5 | Savon, Vladimir A | 8/15 | +3 -2 =10 | games |
| =5 | Smyslov, Vasily V | 8/15 | +3 -2 =10 | games |
| =8 | Smejkal, Jan | 7½/15 | +3 -3 =9 | games |
| =8 | Benko, Pal C | 7½/15 | +1 -1 =13 | games |
| =10 | Donner, Jan Hein | 7/15 | +2 -3 =10 | games |
| =10 | Hartoch, Robert G | 7/15 | +2 -3 =10 | games |
| =10 | Ree, Hans | 7/15 | +1 -2 =12 | games |
| =13 | Timman, Jan H | 6/15 | +3 -6 =6 | games |
| =13 | Ljubojevic, Ljubomir | 6/15 | +2 -5 =8 | games |
| =13 | Adorjan, Andras | 6/15 | +1 -4 =10 | games |
| 16 | Langeweg, Kick | 5½/15 | +1 -5 =9 | games |
Cross Table
| Rank | Player | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Portisch, Lajos | ½ | 1 | ½ | 1 | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | 1 | |
| 2 | Pomar Salamanca, Arturo | ½ | ½ | 0 | 0 | 0 | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | |
| 3 | Browne, Walter Shawn | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ½ | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | |
| 4 | Hort, Vlastimil | ½ | 1 | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | |
| 5 | Ivkov, Borislav | 0 | 1 | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | 0 | |
| 6 | Savon, Vladimir A | ½ | 1 | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | 1 | ½ | |
| 7 | Smyslov, Vasily V | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | ½ | ½ | |
| 8 | Smejkal, Jan | ½ | 0 | 1 | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | 0 | ½ | ½ | |
| 9 | Benko, Pal C | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | |
| 10 | Donner, Jan Hein | ½ | ½ | 0 | 0 | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | |
| 11 | Hartoch, Robert G | ½ | 0 | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | 0 | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | |
| 12 | Ree, Hans | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | 1 | |
| 13 | Timman, Jan H | ½ | 0 | 0 | ½ | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | ½ | 0 | ½ | 1 | 1 | ½ | ½ | |
| 14 | Ljubojevic, Ljubomir | 0 | 0 | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | 1 | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | |
| 15 | Adorjan, Andras | 0 | 0 | 0 | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | |
| 16 | Langeweg, Kick | 0 | 0 | 0 | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | 0 |
Each cell shows the row player's recorded results against the column player. ● = same player.