The Scotsman: Obituary: Viktor Korchnoi
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Viktor Korchnoi
Viktor Lvovich Korchnoi was a Soviet and later Swiss chess grandmaster (GM) and chess writer. He is considered one of the strongest players never to have become World Chess Champion.
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culture · Soviet-Swiss chess grandmaster (1931–2016) · chess player · writer · author · also Viktor Korchnoi, Viktor Lvovich Korchnoi, Korchnoi
Born 23 March 1931 · Died 6 June 2016 · Q212889
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2016· 7 entries
The Forward: Recalling Viktor Korchnoi — He Woulda Coulda Shoulda Been Our Chess Champion
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SFGate: Viktor Korchnoi, chess giant who defected from Soviet Union, dies
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ESPN: Chess grandmaster Viktor Korchnoi dies at 85
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The Times of Israel: Soviet chess grandmaster Viktor Korchnoi dies aged 85
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Hindustan Times: Russian chess legend Viktor Korchnoi dies at 85 in Switzerland
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Died 2016-06-06.
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2015· 1 entry
The two played a four-game rapid match (25 minutes per player for all moves, plus 30 seconds extra per move), which was drawn 2–2
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2014· 1 entry
Returned to the board to play a two-game match against GM Wolfgang Uhlmann (1935–2020), winning both games; the combined age of the two players was 162 years, which is almost certainly a record for a standard play mat
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2011· 1 entry
Korchnoi was still active in the chess world with a notable win (in Gibraltar) with black against the 18-year-old Fabiano Caruana, who was rated above 2700 and 61 years Korchnoi's junior
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2007· 1 entry
Wrote that he advised Korchnoi before the match began, but then had to leave to play an event himself; when he returned, Korchnoi was down by three games
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2001· 1 entry
Korchnoi won the Biel Chess Festival for the second time in the grandmasters division, having also won in 1979
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1984· 1 entry
Eight years after his defection, Korchnoi played board three in the second Rest of the World vs USSR match in London, with the match again held across ten boards
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1979· 1 entry
Was sentenced to two-and-a-half years in prison for draft evasion
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1978· 3 entries
Awarded Chess Oscar (1978).
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Even though his Elo rating was sometimes considerably below that of compatriot Vadim Milov, who appeared not to make himself available for selection
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And 1981, Korchnoi won consecutive Candidates cycles and qualified to challenge Karpov for the World Chess Championship, but lost both matches
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1976· 2 entries
Career landmark: defection.
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And resided in Switzerland from 1978, becoming a Swiss citizen in 1980
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1974· 2 entries
Korchnoi lost to Karpov in the Candidates Tournament final
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As part of a campaign to promote Karpov over Korchnoi, Tigran Petrosian made a public statement in the press against Korchnoi, with the Soviet federation, wishing to develop younger players, taking the stance that the ge
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1972· 1 entry
Korchnoi appeared in the chess-themed Soviet film Grossmeister along with several other grandmasters; he played the role of the lead actor's trainer
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1954· 1 entry
Joined the full national team for the European Team Championship three years later, and would represent the USSR through 1974
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1951· 1 entry
Earned the Soviet Master title, following his second-place finish in the 1950 Leningrad Championship, with 9/13
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1947· 1 entry
Korchnoi won the Junior Championship of the USSR, with 11½/15 at Leningrad, and shared the title in 1948 with 5/7 at Tallinn, Estonia
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1943· 1 entry
Joined the chess club of the Leningrad Pioneer Palace, and was trained by Abram Model, Andrei Batuyev, and Vladimir Zak
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1931· 1 entry
Born 1931-03-23.
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