Wijk aan Zee 1980 (Hoogovens)

The Hoogovens top group grew to fourteen players for the first time in 1980, and it was two Americans who left with the trophy. Yasser Seirawan, a 19-year-old International Master and reigning World Junior Champion, opened with 3½/4 — including a win over Viktor Korchnoi — before Walter Browne closed with a 3½/4 run of his own to catch him at 10/13. The tie clinched Seirawan the final norm for his grandmaster title.

◇The field expands to fourteen

For the first time the Hoogovens top group grew from twelve to fourteen players, adding two rounds to the schedule for a total of thirteen rounds and 91 games. Viktor Korchnoi, by now a Swiss-based grandmaster and the reigning world-title challenger, headed the seedings alongside Jan Timman, Lev Alburt, Peter Biyiasas, Robert Byrne, Hans Ree and a young American pairing of Walter Browne and Yasser Seirawan.

Seirawan, not yet twenty, had already won the World Junior Championship and arrived carrying an International Master title; a strong result at Wijk aan Zee would complete the three norms he needed for the grandmaster title outright.

◇Seirawan's fast start, Browne's late run

Seirawan made the tournament's most electric start, winning two of his first four games — including a victory over Korchnoi that reportedly impressed the veteran enough that Seirawan later served as one of his seconds in the 1981 world championship match against Karpov — for 3½/4. He then settled for three draws in the closing stretch, appearing to have the title in hand.

Browne had other ideas. The two-time Wijk aan Zee/Tata Steel champion (his first title came in 1974) closed with a 3½/4 finish of his own to draw level with Seirawan at 10/13, and the two Americans shared first place. Korchnoi took clear third on 8½, with Timman, Alburt and Biyiasas sharing fourth on 7½. For Seirawan the shared title was still enough: the performance completed his final grandmaster norm.