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Viktor Korchnoi
Korchnoi 
Korchnoi in Amsterdam, 1972; photograph courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.  

Number of games in database: 4,876
Years covered: 1945 to 2015
Last FIDE rating: 2499
Highest rating achieved in database: 2695
Overall record: +1820 -687 =1842 (63.0%)*
   * Overall winning percentage = (wins+draws/2) / total games in the database. 527 exhibition games, blitz/rapid, odds games, etc. are excluded from this statistic.

MOST PLAYED OPENINGS
With the White pieces:
 King's Indian (301) 
    E81 E99 E60 E80 E94
 English (241) 
    A15 A13 A17 A14 A16
 Nimzo Indian (207) 
    E32 E42 E21 E46 E41
 English, 1 c4 c5 (153) 
    A30 A33 A34 A31 A35
 English, 1 c4 e5 (140) 
    A28 A29 A22 A25 A20
 Queen's Gambit Declined (132) 
    D30 D37 D31 D35 D38
With the Black pieces:
 French Defense (427) 
    C11 C07 C02 C09 C10
 Sicilian (278) 
    B45 B44 B83 B32 B56
 Queen's Indian (180) 
    E12 E16 E15 E17 E19
 Nimzo Indian (179) 
    E32 E34 E46 E21 E44
 Ruy Lopez (169) 
    C80 C77 C83 C82 C81
 French (150) 
    C11 C10 C12 C00 C13
Repertoire Explorer

NOTABLE GAMES: [what is this?]
   Korchnoi vs Tal, 1962 1-0
   Korchnoi vs Karpov, 1978 1-0
   Karpov vs Korchnoi, 1994 0-1
   Korchnoi vs M Udovcic, 1967 1-0
   Korchnoi vs Spassky, 1948 1-0
   Fischer vs Korchnoi, 1962 0-1
   Korchnoi vs Spassky, 1977 1-0
   Korchnoi vs Karpov, 1974 1-0
   Spassky vs Korchnoi, 1977 0-1
   S Tatai vs Korchnoi, 1978 0-1

WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS: [what is this?]
   Karpov - Korchnoi World Championship Match (1978)
   Karpov - Korchnoi World Championship Match (1981)
   FIDE World Championship Knockout Tournament (1999)

NOTABLE TOURNAMENTS: [what is this?]
   URS-ch qf Frunze (1956)
   USSR Championship (1960)
   USSR Championship 1964/65 (1964)
   Bucharest (1966)
   October Revolution 50 (1967)
   Palma de Mallorca (1968)
   Capablanca Memorial (1963)
   Asztalos Memorial (1965)
   Dutch Championship (1977)
   Be'er Sheva (1978)
   USSR Championship (1970)
   Leningrad Interzonal (1973)
   Biel (1979)
   USSR Championship (1954)
   Sousse Interzonal (1967)

GAME COLLECTIONS: [what is this?]
   Korchnoi's 400 best games by Wade & Blackstock by pacercina
   Korchnoi's 400 best games by Wade & Blackstock by Goatsrocknroll23
   Korchnoi's 400 best games by Wade & Blackstock by Gottschalk
   Match Korchnoi! (i) The Early Years (1956-1984) by amadeus
   3Korch.noise woke up Fredthebear by fredthebear
   0ZeR0's collected games volume 70 by 0ZeR0
   Victor Korchnoi in Olympiads by capybara
   Victor Korchnoi in Olympiads by JoseTigranTalFischer
   Challenger Korchnoy by Gottschalk
   Korchnoi year by year by nizmo11
   Korchnoi's 400 best games by Wade & Blackstock by JoseTigranTalFischer
   0ZeR0's collected games volume 274 by 0ZeR0
   0ZeR0's collected games volume 69 by 0ZeR0
   My Best Games (Korchnoi) by DrOMM

RECENT GAMES:
   🏆 Korchnoi-Uhlmann Rapid Match
   Uhlmann vs Korchnoi (Feb-16-15) 0-1, rapid
   Korchnoi vs Uhlmann (Feb-16-15) 0-1, rapid
   Uhlmann vs Korchnoi (Feb-15-15) 1-0, rapid
   Korchnoi vs Uhlmann (Feb-15-15) 1-0, rapid
   Uhlmann vs Korchnoi (2014) 0-1

Search Sacrifice Explorer for Viktor Korchnoi
Search Google for Viktor Korchnoi

VIKTOR KORCHNOI
(born Mar-23-1931, died Jun-06-2016, 85 years old) Russia (federation/nationality Switzerland)
PRONUNCIATION:
[what is this?]

Viktor Lvovich Korchnoi was born in Leningrad, USSR. His father taught him chess when he was seven years old. He won the Soviet Championship four times: USSR Championship (1960), USSR Championship (1962), USSR Championship (1964/65) and USSR Championship (1970). He made eight appearances in the world championship candidates cycle. He reached the Spassky - Korchnoi Candidates Final (1968), but failed to beat Spassky. In the next cycle he won his quarterfinal Korchnoi - Geller Candidates Quarterfinal (1971), but lost his semifinal match to Tigran Petrosian. He made it to the Karpov - Korchnoi Candidates Final (1974), but lost.

Korchnoi defected from the USSR in 1976, and two years later he finally managed to win the Candidates and qualify for the Karpov - Korchnoi World Championship Match (1978). Trailing late with just two victories to Karpov's five, Korchnoi staged a comeback, winning three games to level the score at 5-5. However, Karpov then won the final game, thereby taking the match and retaining the crown. Korchnoi qualified again for the Karpov - Korchnoi World Championship Match (1981), but was beaten 6-2. In the next Candidates cycle he was beaten by the rising young Soviet star Garry Kasparov. He continued to play at a very high level throughout the 1980s and 1990s, though he never contended for the world title again. He did, however, capture the 2006 World Senior Championship, scoring 9-2. Though never World Champion himself, Korchnoi defeated nine players who at some time held the title: Petrosian, Spassky, Karpov, Mikhail Botvinnik, Vasily Smyslov, Mikhail Tal, Robert James Fischer, Kasparov and Magnus Carlsen.

After defecting, Korchnoi settled in Switzerland, which he represented at Olympiads and other international events. He was ranked in the top 100 on the FIDE world rating list as late as January 2007 (aged 75), the oldest player ever so ranked.

Korchnoi suffered a stroke in December 2012, but returned to competitive chess beginning in 2014. He died in Wohlen, Switzerland on June 6, 2016, aged 85.

Wikipedia article: Viktor Korchnoi

Last updated: 2025-03-20 08:50:37

Try our new games table.

 page 1 of 196; games 1-25 of 4,876  PGN Download
Game  ResultMoves YearEvent/LocaleOpening
1. Y Rovner vs Korchnoi 1-0201945LeningradC45 Scotch Game
2. Korchnoi vs Razov 1-0271946LeningradC50 Giuoco Piano
3. Zikov vs Korchnoi 0-1201946LeningradB00 Uncommon King's Pawn Opening
4. Petrosian vs Korchnoi 1-0231946URS-ch U18A94 Dutch, Stonewall with Ba3
5. L Aronson vs Korchnoi 0-1431947LeningradD44 Queen's Gambit Declined Semi-Slav
6. V Shiyanovsky vs Korchnoi 0-1351947LeningradD47 Queen's Gambit Declined Semi-Slav
7. Y Vasilchuk vs Korchnoi 0-1601947LeningradB74 Sicilian, Dragon, Classical
8. Korchnoi vs Spassky 1-0121948LeningradB71 Sicilian, Dragon, Levenfish Variation
9. Korchnoi vs S Giterman 1-0361948USSR Junior Championship sf-AC07 French, Tarrasch
10. L Omelchenko vs Korchnoi 0-1321949LeningradC77 Ruy Lopez
11. Korchnoi vs N Levin 1-0311949URS-ch qfE03 Catalan, Open
12. Korchnoi vs Y Sakharov  1-0301949URS-ch qfD11 Queen's Gambit Declined Slav
13. Korchnoi vs Spassky 0-1511949Leningrad Junior ChampionshipB71 Sicilian, Dragon, Levenfish Variation
14. Korchnoi vs V P Zakharov  ½-½401949Leningrad Junior ChampionshipD11 Queen's Gambit Declined Slav
15. V Golenishchev vs Korchnoi 0-1421949USSR Junior Team ChampionshipA90 Dutch
16. Korchnoi vs Shapkin 1-0181949USSR Junior Team ChampionshipD08 Queen's Gambit Declined, Albin Counter Gambit
17. Korchnoi vs G Borisenko 0-1381950URS-ch sf TulaC34 King's Gambit Accepted
18. M Aizenshtadt vs Korchnoi 0-1341950URS-ch qfD35 Queen's Gambit Declined
19. N Bakulin vs Korchnoi 0-1391950URS-ch qfB00 Uncommon King's Pawn Opening
20. S Khavsky vs Korchnoi 0-1311950URS-ch qfB21 Sicilian, 2.f4 and 2.d4
21. Korchnoi vs S Zhukhovitsky 1-0551950Leningrad ChampionshipB62 Sicilian, Richter-Rauzer
22. Sikov vs Korchnoi 0-1441950LeningradA85 Dutch, with c4 & Nc3
23. Taimanov vs Korchnoi 0-1351950Leningrad ChampionshipA97 Dutch, Ilyin-Genevsky
24. Korchnoi vs A Cherepkov 1-0681950Leningrad ChampionshipC58 Two Knights
25. Averbakh vs Korchnoi 1-0431950URS-ch sf TulaB45 Sicilian, Taimanov
 page 1 of 196; games 1-25 of 4,876  PGN Download
  REFINE SEARCH:   White wins (1-0) | Black wins (0-1) | Draws (1/2-1/2) | Korchnoi wins | Korchnoi loses  

Kibitzer's Corner
< Earlier Kibitzing  · PAGE 13 OF 101 ·  Later Kibitzing>
Sep-29-04  percyblakeney: Nice try by Moiseenko, but it wasn't dark enough. :)
Sep-30-04  percyblakeney: Quick draw for Korchnoi in round six, he'll still be at least one of the leaders with three rounds to go in this tournament where eight players have an ELO above 2600.
Sep-30-04  iron maiden: With all the fighting spirit we see from him, Korchnoi deserves an early draw every now and then. Now he shares the lead with Nakamura. As an avid fan of both, I couldn't have asked for a better result so far.
Oct-01-04  yoozum: me neither! earlier on this page i remember talking about how i wanted nakamura and korchnoi to be in the lead, and now they are. awesome.
Oct-02-04  iron maiden: Now he has black against Murray Chandler, who at 5.5 points shares the lead with Viktor and Nakamura with two rounds to go.
Oct-02-04  percyblakeney: Ouch, crushed by Chandler after an early mistake or two, but he's had quite a good tournament anyway.
Oct-02-04  iron maiden: Dang, not a good day for me. It will still end up being a satisfactory tournament for Korchnoi, but one would expect more from Nakamura, who just entered the top 100.
Oct-02-04  acirce: <but one would expect more from Nakamura> With a performance rating of 2652 this far, Prof. Elo wouldn't..
Oct-02-04  iron maiden: I didn't know his performance rating was that high so far. Now it will probably fall to somewhere around 2620, which still leaves something to be desired considering that Naka seems to be getting better and better every tournament.
Oct-02-04  acirce: Needless to say it depends a lot on the last round, which is why performance ratings in single events don't mean THAT much. They fluctuate heavily depending on results in single games.
Oct-03-04  acirce: Nakamura lost in the final round too. Korchnoi, however, finished with a draw getting him 6.0/9 and a 2632 performance ( http://www.bcmchess.co.uk/monarch20... ) so he gains quite a few more rating points. It would be fun to see him back on the top-100 list.
Oct-04-04  diagonal: Oh yes, acirce, it would be funny indeed: in the new FIDE rating list (october) Korchnoi just re-entered in the "ELO-club of 2600 plus - players" and is knocking on the top-100 door again ;-)

He gained more than thirty ELO-points in the last three months-period, thanx to the Quebec Open, Canada (Korchnoi won the event with 7.5/9; with rather weak opponents) and of course his absolutely gorgeous victory of the Marx György Chess Memorial, Paks, Hungary, Classic Chess, double-rounded (Victor Korchnoi won the event with 7.5/10 ahead of Berkes and Beljawski; with a 2780 performance rating!! and beating each player at least once, Acs was axed even twice).

... and now the Olympiads at Mallorca: time will tell (obviously this idiom is NOT appropriate for the - as already pointed out - iron Korchnoi), therefore let's say: even with 73 years (I'm now exactly at half age) you can do it VICTORIOUSLY...

Go on Korchy!

Oct-10-04  CoopWood: No comments on this relics diabolical 23 move whipping? do the decent thing Vic & hang yer hat.

YOUR COMMENT HAS BEEN POSTED

Oct-10-04  suenteus po 147: Never Resign!
Oct-12-04
Premium Chessgames Member
  offramp: Tal had a terrible time early on in his career against Kortschnoi, as he mentions in My Life and Games. I think Kortschnoi was too good at taking material and holding on to it. I know there were other players who had serious problems with VK. Polugaevsky was one but I can't think of the others.
Oct-16-04
Premium Chessgames Member
  cu8sfan: Alexander Morozevich vs. Viktor Korchnoi in Calvia is a Ruy.
Oct-16-04  acirce: Go Korchnoi! Hail the Viktor!
Oct-16-04
Premium Chessgames Member
  cu8sfan: M Mrva vs Plachetka, 2001
Oct-16-04
Premium Chessgames Member
  cu8sfan: 8....♘g4. Viktor really took his time here. Is this a novelty? No lines like that in this database.
Oct-16-04  acirce: It has been played in an email correspondence game between Jenneborg and Al Sayed :-) Probably neither of them knows about that game.
Oct-16-04
Premium Chessgames Member
  cu8sfan: Thanks, <acirce>. How did that game end?
Oct-16-04  percyblakeney: None of the Swiss players seem to be in trouble...yet.
Oct-16-04  acirce: <cu8sfan> Well, Black won, but I strongly doubt its significance. White lost his queen around move 24 and then played on for another ten moves all the way to mate..
Oct-16-04
Premium Chessgames Member
  cu8sfan: <percyblakeney> Where do you see the other games? On ICC?
Oct-16-04  percyblakeney: <cu8sfan> All the games ares on the official site.
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