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Hoogovens (1980) "Since it's so unusual to see decisive results among the top players in an international tourney, you can be sure that the event was particularly hard-fought when a majority of the games end in a win or loss. This was certainly the case at Wijk aan Zee 1980. The competition was fierce from the very start. Round Two was a sensation when U.S. Junior Champion Yasser Seirawan beat Viktor Korchnoi brilliantly, while I sacrificed the Exchange against Jan Timman to win my best game of the tourney. Seirawan took off like a rocket, scoring 4½ points in the first five rounds, while I followed with a solid 3-2. Korchnoi scored only 1½ points in his first four games, and Timman had only 1½ of his first six! Though I basically played solidly throughout and never had a losing position in a single game, in Round Six I did make a mistake in the opening against Lev Alburt and had to play very well to equalize. Lev offered a draw at the end of the first session, which nine of ten GMs might have accepted. But I felt Lev didn't fully appreciate the dangers of the position and, when he made a few weak moves after we resumed play, I finally won! Seirawan held his lead and I followed closely behind, while Korchnoi and Timman started to show their strength only in the later rounds. After 11 rounds, Seirawan had 9 points, I had 8½, Korchnoi 7½, and Timman 6½. In Round 12, Seirawan and I finally met. Seirawan, playing quickly and solidly, built up a small edge in a position where my counterchances were miniscule. I accepted his offer of a draw, even though I knew he would play for a draw in the next and final round. This meant I had to beat "Viktor the Terrible" to tie for first. Viktor won in Round 12 and, if he beat me in the last round, he would be clear third; a loss would not affect his standing. Viktor, as Black, played an inferior opening against me. I've had great success with this line and played for a quick kill." (Browne) De Moriaan, Wijk aan Zee, the Netherlands, 15-31 January 1980 Age Elo* 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 Pts ———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————— =1 GM Browne 31 2540 • ½ 1 ½ 1 1 ½ ½ 1 1 1 ½ ½ 1 10 =1 IM Seirawan 19 2510 ½ • 1 ½ 1 1 ½ ½ ½ 1 1 1 1 ½ 10 3 GM Korchnoi 48 2695 0 0 • 1 ½ ½ ½ 1 ½ 1 ½ 1 1 1 8½ =4 GM Biyiasas 29 2485 ½ ½ 0 • 1 0 0 ½ ½ 1 1 ½ 1 1 7½ =4 GM Timman 28 2600 0 0 ½ 0 • ½ 1 1 ½ ½ 1 1 1 ½ 7½ =4 GM Alburt 34 2515 0 0 ½ 1 ½ • ½ 0 ½ ½ 1 1 1 1 7½ =7 IM Ree 35 2520 ½ ½ ½ 1 0 ½ • ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ 0 1 6½ =7 GM Byrne 51 2530 ½ ½ 0 ½ 0 1 ½ • ½ 0 ½ ½ 1 1 6½ 9 Sunye Neto 22 2415 0 ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ • ½ 1 ½ 0 ½ 6 10 GM Kovacevic 37 2510 0 0 0 0 ½ ½ ½ 1 ½ • ½ ½ 1 ½ 5½ 11 IM Van der Wiel 20 2465 0 0 ½ 0 0 0 ½ ½ 0 ½ • 1 ½ 1 4½ =12 GM Sigurjónsson 32 2475 ½ 0 0 ½ 0 0 ½ ½ ½ ½ 0 • 0 1 4 =12 IM Böhm 30 2430 ½ 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 ½ 1 • 0 4 14 IM Ligterink 30 2455 0 ½ 0 0 ½ 0 0 0 ½ ½ 0 0 1 • 3 ———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————— Thirteen rounds in 17 days, starting on Tuesday 15 January (91 games). Rest days 18, 21, 25 & 30 January. Browne beat Korchnoi in the last round so that he and Seirawan shared the victory with 10/13. Photo (Browne vs Korchnoi): https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipe... Photo (Böhm vs Seirawan): https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipe... Sources Tata Steel website (https://history.tatasteelchess.com/...) Perpetual Check website (https://www.perpetualcheck.com/show...) *FIDE rating list January 1980 (https://web.archive.org/web/2022112...) Chess Life, 3/1980, p. 8 (https://uscf1-nyc1.aodhosting.com/C...) Chess Life, 8/1980, pp. 12-14 (https://uscf1-nyc1.aodhosting.com/C...) Tidskrift för Schack, 3/1980, pp. 87, 97 (https://tfsarkiv.schack.se/pdf/1980...) El Ajedrez 4, April 1980, pp. 169-172 (http://www.historiadelajedrezespano...) Jaque 99, March 1980, pp. 2-3 (https://www.olimpbase.org/leagueES/...) Jaque 100, April 1980, pp. 6-8 (https://www.olimpbase.org/leagueES/...) Dutch newspapers (available at https://www.delpher.nl/nl/kranten) Previous: Hoogovens (1979). Next: Hoogovens (1981)  page 2 of 4; games 26-50 of 91  Game   Result Moves Year Event/Locale Opening 26. J Sunye Neto vs H Bohm   0-1 41 1980 Hoogovens D12 Queen's Gambit Declined Slav 27. G Sigurjonsson vs Alburt   0-1 56 1980 Hoogovens A07 King's Indian Attack 28. Korchnoi vs P Biyiasas   1-0 43 1980 Hoogovens E61 King's Indian 29. R Byrne vs Browne   ½-½ 22 1980 Hoogovens B92 Sicilian, Najdorf, Opocensky Variation 30. H Bohm vs Seirawan 0-1 38 1980 Hoogovens B18 Caro-Kann, Classical 31. H Ree vs J Sunye Neto   ½-½ 21 1980 Hoogovens E39 Nimzo-Indian, Classical, Pirc Variation 32. Alburt vs G Ligterink 1-0 36 1980 Hoogovens E73 King's Indian 33. P Biyiasas vs Van der Wiel   1-0 57 1980 Hoogovens E92 King's Indian 34. Timman vs Korchnoi   ½-½ 39 1980 Hoogovens E12 Queen's Indian 35. V Kovacevic vs G Sigurjonsson   ½-½ 61 1980 Hoogovens A48 King's Indian 36. J Sunye Neto vs R Byrne   ½-½ 40 1980 Hoogovens E18 Queen's Indian, Old Main line, 7.Nc3 37. Browne vs Alburt   1-0 76 1980 Hoogovens E12 Queen's Indian 38. Van der Wiel vs G Sigurjonsson 1-0 39 1980 Hoogovens B93 Sicilian, Najdorf, 6.f4 39. Seirawan vs H Ree   ½-½ 26 1980 Hoogovens A13 English 40. G Ligterink vs V Kovacevic   ½-½ 38 1980 Hoogovens E08 Catalan, Closed 41. Korchnoi vs H Bohm   1-0 41 1980 Hoogovens A30 English, Symmetrical 42. P Biyiasas vs Timman 1-0 35 1980 Hoogovens B50 Sicilian 43. Timman vs Van der Wiel   1-0 39 1980 Hoogovens E12 Queen's Indian 44. R Byrne vs Seirawan   ½-½ 22 1980 Hoogovens B18 Caro-Kann, Classical 45. V Kovacevic vs Browne 0-1 38 1980 Hoogovens A46 Queen's Pawn Game 46. G Sigurjonsson vs G Ligterink   1-0 41 1980 Hoogovens B88 Sicilian, Fischer-Sozin Attack 47. Alburt vs J Sunye Neto   ½-½ 36 1980 Hoogovens A19 English, Mikenas-Carls, Sicilian Variation 48. H Ree vs Korchnoi   ½-½ 20 1980 Hoogovens A57 Benko Gambit 49. H Bohm vs P Biyiasas 0-1 61 1980 Hoogovens E72 King's Indian 50. P Biyiasas vs H Ree   0-1 58 1980 Hoogovens A07 King's Indian Attack  page 2 of 4; games 26-50 of 91    REFINE SEARCH:   White wins (1-0) | Black wins (0-1) | Draws (1/2-1/2)     There is no kibitzing for this page, yet.   NOTE: Create an account today to post replies and access other powerful features which are available only to registered users. 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