Phillips & Drew Kings Chess Tournament 1982

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Phillips & Drew Kings Chess Tournament 1982
Compiled by keypusher

In the early 1980s Phillips & Drew was one of the largest stockbrokers in London and sponsored strong chess tournaments there in 1980, 1982 and 1984. The tournaments were played in County Hall, seat of co-sponsor the Greater London Council, across the Thames from Parliament. The 1982 edition ran from April 15 to April 30, with the following impressive line-up in the principal "Kings" tournament:

Anatoly Karpov 2720
Jan Timman 2655
Lajos Portisch 2630
Boris Spassky 2625
Ulf Andersson 2605
Ljubomir Ljubojevic 2600
John Nunn 2590
Larry Christiansen 2585
Tony Miles 2575
Yasser Seirawan 2575
Jonathan Speelman 2550
Yefim Geller 2545
Jonathan Mestel 2500
Nigel Short 2430

Karpov and Timman were then the highest-rated players in the world.

Even a great tournament is haunted, though, by the spirits of the strong players who are not playing. At London 1982, the notable absentees were Gary Kasparov, just 19 years old but already a legend, and world #3 Viktor Korchnoi, who had lost a title match for the second time to Karpov at Merano the year before. Soviet chessplayers were not allowed to participate in any tournament with the great defector, and there were three Soviets in the P&D. But Korchnoi was to make his presence felt at County Hall.

The quiet Swedish GM Ulf Andersson, then near the peak of his strength, won his first two games to take the early lead. But then the tournament was taken over by Lajos Portisch, who after draws in the first two rounds blitzed off five straight wins. Here's a good example of his play. Portisch vs L Christiansen, 1982. With six points after seven rounds, he was a point and a half clear of second-place Andersson and two points clear of Karpov, Spassky, John Nunn and Jon Speelman. But in round 8, Portisch was crushed by Jonathan Mestel who scored his first win! J Mestel vs Portisch, 1982. Two rounds later, Portisch lost the sole lead and a brilliancy prize game to Jan Timman. Timman vs Portisch, 1982 That same day, April 26, Viktor Korchnoi and a group of protestors from the "Women's Campaign for Soviet Jewry" set up shop outside County Hall. Korchnoi wore a placard around his neck with the words, "Let my son join me." His son was then serving a sentence in a Soviet labor camp. Evidently undisturbed by the demonstration, Karpov won a famous game against Nunn and joined Andersson and Portisch in first place. Karpov vs Nunn, 1982

The very next day, though, young Yasser Seirawan beat Karpov, allegedly with analysis Seirawan and Korchnoi had cooked up the night before. Seirawan vs Karpov, 1982 Undeterred, in the penultimate round Karpov beat the fading Portisch. Going into the last round, Karpov and Andersson at 7 1/2 were a half point ahead of Seirawan and Portisch, with Speelman, Timman, Spassky and Miles all a half point further back.

In the last round, Spassky got a rare good position against his nemesis Karpov only to go horribly wrong in time pressure and blunder a piece. Ulf Andersson had good luck against Mestel, who overlooked 29....Rd2, which would have forced immediate resignation, and went on to lose. Andersson vs J Mestel, 1982. The tournament book commented, <This is one of the very best results of Andersson's career, and he is a most popular co-winner.> Portisch lost to Nunn. Thus after scoring 6/7 in the early going Portisch managed only 1 point in the last six. Seirawan beat Miles -- his fourth straight win! to finish clear third.

As with the great London tournament of 1899 and other old tournaments, there was an ancillary "Knights" tournament to go along with the "Kings." John Fedorowicz and William Watson won the Knights with 10/15, a point and a half ahead of Glenn Flear, Robert Hartoch, Danny Kopec and Daniel King.

That summer, Korchnoi's wife, son and step-mother were permitted to leave the USSR. Two years later, in 1984, the Soviet boycott of Korchnoi ended.

The subsequent careers of the contestants in the 1982 P&D are well-known to most kibitzers here. (If you are curious about what Jonathan Mestel is up to these days, look here http://www.ma.ic.ac.uk/~ajm8/.) The fate of some of the institutions involved in the tournament, however, may be less well known. The Greater London Council, scourge of the Tories, was abolished by Margaret Thatcher in 1986. The Soviet Union astonished millions by disappearing in 1991. As for Phillips & Drew, in 1984 came London's "Big Bang," in which ownership restrictions on London brokerages were abolished. In 1987 Phillips & Drew was purchased by the Union Bank of Switzerland, which in its later incarnation as UBS AG was one of the last in a long line of those who (depending on your point of view) were tortured by, or themselves tortured the faintest chess spectre at County Hall in April 1982 -- Bobby Fischer.

This account draws very heavily on the excellent tournament book, based on the tournament bulletins and edited for the British Chess Magazine by Ray Keene.

Round 1, Game 1
J Mestel vs Miles, 1982
(B17) Caro-Kann, Steinitz Variation, 22 moves, 1/2-1/2
Round 1, Game 2
Geller vs Andersson, 1982
(B83) Sicilian, 49 moves, 0-1
Round 3, Game 3
Timman vs Speelman, 1982
(E11) Bogo-Indian Defense, 52 moves, 0-1
Round 1, Game 4
Ljubojevic vs L Christiansen, 1982
(C42) Petrov Defense, 59 moves, 1/2-1/2
Round 1, Game 5
Karpov vs Short, 1982
(C19) French, Winawer, Advance, 55 moves, 1/2-1/2
Round 1, Game 6
Nunn vs Spassky, 1982
(C55) Two Knights Defense, 62 moves, 1/2-1/2
Round 1
Seirawan vs Portisch, 1982
(E00) Queen's Pawn Game, 42 moves, 1/2-1/2
Round 2
Miles vs Portisch, 1982
(D01) Richter-Veresov Attack, 41 moves, 1/2-1/2
Round 2
Spassky vs Seirawan, 1982
(B12) Caro-Kann Defense, 29 moves, 1-0
Round 2
Short vs Nunn, 1982
(A07) King's Indian Attack, 23 moves, 1/2-1/2
Round 2
L Christiansen vs Karpov, 1982
(D30) Queen's Gambit Declined, 45 moves, 1/2-1/2
Round 2
Speelman vs Ljubojevic, 1982
(A35) English, Symmetrical, 23 moves, 1/2-1/2
Round 2
Andersson vs Timman, 1982
(A15) English, 36 moves, 1-0
Round 2
J Mestel vs Geller, 1982
(C85) Ruy Lopez, Exchange Variation Doubly Deferred (DERLD), 19 moves, 1/2-1/2
Round 3
Geller vs Miles, 1982
(B50) Sicilian, 61 moves, 0-1
Round 3
Timman vs J Mestel, 1982
(B76) Sicilian, Dragon, Yugoslav Attack, 115 moves, 1-0
Round 3
Ljubojevic vs Andersson, 1982
(B15) Caro-Kann, 14 moves, 1/2-1/2
Round 3
Karpov vs Speelman, 1982
(E13) Queen's Indian, 4.Nc3, Main line, 54 moves, 1/2-1/2
Round 3
Nunn vs L Christiansen, 1982
(C55) Two Knights Defense, 53 moves, 1-0
Round 3
Seirawan vs Short, 1982
(E00) Queen's Pawn Game, 55 moves, 1-0
Round 3
Portisch vs Spassky, 1982
(E12) Queen's Indian, 41 moves, 1-0
Round 4
Miles vs Spassky, 1982
(E91) King's Indian, 64 moves, 1/2-1/2
Round 4
Short vs Portisch, 1982
(B40) Sicilian, 26 moves, 0-1
Round 4
L Christiansen vs Seirawan, 1982
(E12) Queen's Indian, 42 moves, 0-1
Round 4
Speelman vs Nunn, 1982
(A49) King's Indian, Fianchetto without c4, 15 moves, 1/2-1/2
Round 4
J Mestel vs Ljubojevic, 1982
(B50) Sicilian, 52 moves, 1/2-1/2
Round 4
Andersson vs Karpov, 1982
(E19) Queen's Indian, Old Main line, 9.Qxc3, 26 moves, 1/2-1/2
Round 4
Geller vs Timman, 1982
(B73) Sicilian, Dragon, Classical, 20 moves, 1/2-1/2
Round 5
Timman vs Miles, 1982
(A46) Queen's Pawn Game, 39 moves, 1-0
Round 5
Ljubojevic vs Geller, 1982
(C84) Ruy Lopez, Closed, 52 moves, 0-1
Round 5
Karpov vs J Mestel, 1982
(B76) Sicilian, Dragon, Yugoslav Attack, 40 moves, 1-0
Round 5
Nunn vs Andersson, 1982
(B12) Caro-Kann Defense, 19 moves, 1/2-1/2
Round 5
Seirawan vs Speelman, 1982
(E48) Nimzo-Indian, 4.e3 O-O 5.Bd3 d5, 48 moves, 0-1
Round 5
Portisch vs L Christiansen, 1982
(E12) Queen's Indian, 29 moves, 1-0
Round 5
Spassky vs Short, 1982
(C19) French, Winawer, Advance, 48 moves, 1-0
Round 6
Miles vs Short, 1982
(A07) King's Indian Attack, 30 moves, 0-1
Round 6
L Christiansen vs Spassky, 1982
(D50) Queen's Gambit Declined, 27 moves, 1/2-1/2
Round 6
Speelman vs Portisch, 1982
(A07) King's Indian Attack, 33 moves, 0-1
Round 6
Andersson vs Seirawan, 1982
(A30) English, Symmetrical, 51 moves, 1-0
Round 6
J Mestel vs Nunn, 1982
(A00) Uncommon Opening, 51 moves, 1/2-1/2
Round 6
Geller vs Karpov, 1982
(E17) Queen's Indian, 18 moves, 1/2-1/2
Round 6
Timman vs Ljubojevic, 1982
(B90) Sicilian, Najdorf, 30 moves, 0-1
Round 7
Ljubojevic vs Miles, 1982
(A07) King's Indian Attack, 25 moves, 0-1
Round 7
Karpov vs Timman, 1982
(B64) Sicilian, Richter-Rauzer Attack, 91 moves, 1/2-1/2
Round 7
Nunn vs Geller, 1982
(C55) Two Knights Defense, 27 moves, 1/2-1/2
Round 7
Seirawan vs J Mestel, 1982
(E70) King's Indian, 21 moves, 1/2-1/2
Round 7
Portisch vs Andersson, 1982
(E11) Bogo-Indian Defense, 43 moves, 1-0
Round 7
Spassky vs Speelman, 1982
(B17) Caro-Kann, Steinitz Variation, 44 moves, 1/2-1/2
Round 7
Short vs L Christiansen, 1982
(B52) Sicilian, Canal-Sokolsky (Rossolimo) Attack, 34 moves, 0-1
Round 8
Miles vs L Christiansen, 1982
(D01) Richter-Veresov Attack, 22 moves, 1-0
Round 8
Speelman vs Short, 1982
(A46) Queen's Pawn Game, 14 moves, 1/2-1/2
Round 8
Andersson vs Spassky, 1982
(D30) Queen's Gambit Declined, 14 moves, 1/2-1/2
Round 8
J Mestel vs Portisch, 1982
(B41) Sicilian, Kan, 33 moves, 1-0
Round 8
Geller vs Seirawan, 1982
(C16) French, Winawer, 51 moves, 1/2-1/2
Round 8
Timman vs Nunn, 1982
(B09) Pirc, Austrian Attack, 38 moves, 1/2-1/2
Round 8
Ljubojevic vs Karpov, 1982
(C84) Ruy Lopez, Closed, 36 moves, 1/2-1/2
Round 9
Karpov vs Miles, 1982
(B76) Sicilian, Dragon, Yugoslav Attack, 38 moves, 1-0
Round 9
Nunn vs Ljubojevic, 1982
(B93) Sicilian, Najdorf, 6.f4, 46 moves, 0-1
Round 9
Seirawan vs Timman, 1982
(E15) Queen's Indian, 71 moves, 1/2-1/2
Round 9
Portisch vs Geller, 1982
(D31) Queen's Gambit Declined, 12 moves, 1/2-1/2
Round 9
Spassky vs J Mestel, 1982
(B77) Sicilian, Dragon, Yugoslav Attack, 39 moves, 1-0
Round 9
Short vs Andersson, 1982
(B52) Sicilian, Canal-Sokolsky (Rossolimo) Attack, 50 moves, 1/2-1/2
Round 9
L Christiansen vs Speelman, 1982
(E11) Bogo-Indian Defense, 40 moves, 1/2-1/2
Round 10
Miles vs Speelman, 1982
(D01) Richter-Veresov Attack, 23 moves, 1/2-1/2
Round 10
Andersson vs L Christiansen, 1982
(D23) Queen's Gambit Accepted, 44 moves, 1-0
Round 10
J Mestel vs Short, 1982
(C00) French Defense, 35 moves, 1-0
Round 10
Geller vs Spassky, 1982
(B08) Pirc, Classical, 45 moves, 1/2-1/2
Round 10
Timman vs Portisch, 1982
(E17) Queen's Indian, 24 moves, 1-0
Round 10
Ljubojevic vs Seirawan, 1982
(C07) French, Tarrasch, 87 moves, 0-1
Round 10
Karpov vs Nunn, 1982
(B33) Sicilian, 51 moves, 1-0
Nunn vs Miles, 1982
(B71) Sicilian, Dragon, Levenfish Variation, 39 moves, 0-1
Round 11
Seirawan vs Karpov, 1982
(D37) Queen's Gambit Declined, 31 moves, 1-0
Round 11
Portisch vs Ljubojevic, 1982
(D43) Queen's Gambit Declined Semi-Slav, 17 moves, 1/2-1/2
Spassky vs Timman, 1982
(C42) Petrov Defense, 23 moves, 1/2-1/2
Round 11
Short vs Geller, 1982
(B40) Sicilian, 33 moves, 1/2-1/2
Round 11
L Christiansen vs J Mestel, 1982
(E73) King's Indian, 57 moves, 1-0
Round 11
Speelman vs Andersson, 1982
(E11) Bogo-Indian Defense, 15 moves, 1/2-1/2
Round 12
Miles vs Andersson, 1982
(D01) Richter-Veresov Attack, 67 moves, 1/2-1/2
Round 12
J Mestel vs Speelman, 1982
(A04) Reti Opening, 17 moves, 1/2-1/2
Round 12
Timman vs Short, 1982
(E12) Queen's Indian, 34 moves, 1-0
Round 12
Geller vs L Christiansen, 1982
(B18) Caro-Kann, Classical, 21 moves, 1/2-1/2
Round 12
Ljubojevic vs Spassky, 1982
(C61) Ruy Lopez, Bird's Defense, 36 moves, 1-0
Round 12
Karpov vs Portisch, 1982
(B92) Sicilian, Najdorf, Opocensky Variation, 40 moves, 1-0
Round 12
Nunn vs Seirawan, 1982
(B10) Caro-Kann, 73 moves, 0-1
Round 13
Seirawan vs Miles, 1982
(A34) English, Symmetrical, 41 moves, 1-0
Round 13
Portisch vs Nunn, 1982
(A78) Benoni, Classical with ...Re8 and ...Na6, 59 moves, 0-1
Round 13
Spassky vs Karpov, 1982
(C84) Ruy Lopez, Closed, 38 moves, 0-1
Round 13
Short vs Ljubojevic, 1982
(B51) Sicilian, Canal-Sokolsky (Rossolimo) Attack, 39 moves, 0-1
Round 13
L Christiansen vs Timman, 1982
(B30) Sicilian, 74 moves, 1/2-1/2
Round 13
Speelman vs Geller, 1982
(D37) Queen's Gambit Declined, 19 moves, 1/2-1/2
Round 13
Andersson vs J Mestel, 1982
(E95) King's Indian, Orthodox, 7...Nbd7, 8.Re1, 55 moves, 1-0
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