1965 Candidates Matches

CYCLE 6: 8-Man Knockout

As a result of dissatisfaction with the Candidates Tournament format, the system was changed in 1965 to a series of knockout matches. Six qualifiers from one Interzonal tournament, plus two seeds, play knockout matches, with the winner playing a World Championship match against Petrosian in 1966.

(Black background indicates black in the first game) 

          1234567890
Spassky   0½111½½0½1  6
Keres     1½000½½1½0  4
    
          12345678
Geller    1½1½1½½½  5½
Smyslov   0½0½0½½½  2½
    
          12345678
Tal       ½101½½11  5½
Portisch  ½010½½00  2½
    
          12345678
Larsen    1½½11½01  5½
Ivkov     0½½00½10  2½
    
         12345678
Spassky  ½1½½½1½1  5½
Geller   ½0½½½0½0  2½
    
         1234567890
Tal      01½½01½½½1  5½
Larsen   10½½10½½½0  4½
    
         12345678901
Spassky  ½01½½½½½111  7
Tal      ½10½½½½½000  4

THE PLAYERS

# Player Country Status
1 Boris Vasilievich Spassky USSR Qualified from Interzonal
2 Mikhail Nekhemzovitch Tal USSR Qualified from Interzonal
3 Bent Jorgen Larsen Denmark Qualified from Interzonal
4 Efim Petrovich Geller USSR Seeded; 3rd place in previous Candidates, took Botvinnik's seed
5 Paul Keres USSR Seeded; Runner-up in previous Candidates
6 Vassily Vasilievich Smyslov USSR Qualified from Interzonal
7 Lajos Portisch Hungary Qualified from Interzonal
8 Borislav Ivkov Yugoslavia Qualified from Interzonal

THE QUARTERFINALS (Best of 10)

Riga, Apr 4-14 '65 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Spassky 0 ½ 1 1 1 ½ ½ 0 ½ 1 6
Keres 1 ½ 0 0 0 ½ ½ 1 ½ 0 4

Moscow, Apr 17-27 '65 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Geller 1 ½ 1 ½ 1 ½ ½ ½ 5½
Smyslov 0 ½ 0 ½ 0 ½ ½ ½ 2½

Bled, Jun 26 - Jul 10 '65 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Tal ½ 1 0 1 ½ ½ 1 1 5½
Portisch ½ 0 1 0 ½ ½ 0 0 2½

Bled, Jun 27 - Jul 10 '65 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Larsen 1 ½ ½ 1 1 ½ 0 1 5½
Ivkov 0 ½ ½ 0 0 ½ 1 0 2½

THE SEMI-FINALS (Best of 10)

Riga, May 26 - Jun 9 '65 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Spassky ½ 1 ½ ½ ½ 1 ½ 1 5½
Geller ½ 0 ½ ½ ½ 0 ½ 0 2½

Bled, Jun 26 - Aug 8 '65 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Tal 0 1 ½ ½ 0 1 ½ ½ ½ 1 5½
Larsen 1 0 ½ ½ 1 0 ½ ½ ½ 0 4½

THE FINALS (Best of 12)

Tbilisi, Nov 1-26 '65 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11
Spassky ½ 0 1 ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ 1 1 1 7
Tal ½ 1 0 ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ 0 0 0 4

MATCH TO DETERMINE 3RD PLACE (Best of 8)

and a seed into the next Interzonal

Copenhagen, Mar 10-26 '66 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Larsen 1 0 ½ ½ 1 ½ ½ 0 1 5
Geller 0 1 ½ ½ 0 ½ ½ 1 0 4

  • For this Cycle, the 1965 FIDE Congress at Wiesbaden voted to accept Bobby Fischer's motion that the Candidates Tournament be abolished and replaced with a series of elimination matches. Despite getting what he wanted, Fischer refused to play, anyway.

    Return to the Chesschamps Main Page
    Return to the World Championship Main Page