Six players from the Amsterdam Interzonal (1964) would qualify for the Candidates matches in 1965. Portisch and Reshevsky had shared eight place, but since Soviet (and any country) by a FIDE ruling could advance only three players from the interzonal, a playoff for the sixth spot was needed.1 This took place in Amsterdam right after the Interzonal tournament. The winner was best of four games2 or the first to get 2,5 points.

Pictures: http://fast.mediamatic.nl/f/tqgr/im... and http://fast.mediamatic.nl/f/tqgr/im...

In the absence of Robert James Fischer (who had refused to play in the Interzonal), Reshevsky, the doyen of American chess, had been lured out of an 11-year boycott of the Interzonal tournaments.3 American hopes were revived, for he had never been beaten in match play. Then for the first time in his 44-year chess career, he lost such a match.3

Amsterdam 25-29 June 1964

                 1 2 3 
1 GM Portisch    1 ½ 1  2½
2 GM Reshevsky   0 ½ 0   ½

1) The Times 22 June 1964 p. 9. 2) The Times 23 June 1964 p. 10. 3) Larry Melvyn Evans in Sports Illustrated 20 July 1964 p. 45.

Original game collections: Game Collection: 0 by User: TheFocus and Game Collection: Amsterdam Interzonal Playoff 1964 by User: Tabanus. Dates are from the Dutch newspapers at http://kranten.delpher.nl/.