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Victor  KORCNOJ

Viktor L’vovič Korčnoj nacque a Leningrado il 23 marzo 1931 ed è uno scacchista sovietico naturalizzato svizzero

 Viktor Korčnoj o Kortschnoi, come lui stesso si firma da quando è divenuto cittadino svizzero è stato per oltre un trentennio (dagli anni sessanta agli ottanta) uno dei grandi protagonisti della scena scacchistica internazionale e per due volte sfidante per il titolo di campione del mondo.

 Korčnoj frequentò le scuole a Leningrado, laureandosi in storia nel 1954.

 Imparò a giocare a scacchi da suo padre all'età di sette anni.

 Nel 1943 divenne membro del club scacchistico del palazzo dei pionieri di Leningrado. Qui fu allenato da Abram Modelj, Andrej Batujev e Vladimir Zak.

 Nel 1947 e 1948 fu campione juniores dell'Unione Sovietica.

 Nel 1951 prese il titolo di maestro e un anno dopo si qualificò per la prima volta per i campionati sovietici assoluti.

 La sua scalata ai titoli internazionali iniziò abbastanza presto: a ventitré anni, nel '54, ottenne il titolo di Maestro Internazionale e solo due anni dopo fu la volta del titolo di Grande Maestro. Per cinque volte fu campione sovietico, tra le altre nel 1960 vincendo la competizione che si teneva nella sua città, Leningrado.

 Sempre a Leningrado, nel 1973 disputò e vinse il "Torneo Interzonale", che dava diritto ad entrare nel novero dei candidati ufficiali al titolo di sfidante del campione del mondo. In quell'occasione Korčnoj dovette dividere il gradino più alto del podio con un esordiente, il giovane Anatolij Karpov: i due sarebbero stati i protagonisti assoluti del decennio successivo.

Nel 1974 infatti, la finale del torneo dei candidati vide contrapposti proprio Karpov e Korčnoj. Il pugnace leningradese ed il piccolo uomo degli Urali avevano spazzato via tutta la vecchia guardia dello scacchismo sovietico ed internazionale, e si apprestavano ad incrociare le armi per ottenere il diritto di sfidare il fortissimo Bobby Fischer, allora campione del mondo in carica. Korčnoj in particolare, aveva battuto l'idolo brasiliano Mecking e soprattutto l'ex campione del mondo Petrosian. Dopo una lunga lotta non priva di emozioni Karpov prevalse di stretta misura: 12,5 a 11,5 in un match disputato al meglio delle ventiquattro partite. L'anno successivo, come noto, Karpov divenne campione del mondo a seguito del forfait di Fischer.
Korčnoj da sempre aveva fama di ribelle e dissidente: sostenne di aver perso a causa di non meglio precisate (e non dimostrate) manovre della federazione scacchistica sovietica, volte a sostenere Karpov, funzionario del PCUS e membro del comitato centrale del Komsomol, la gioventù comunista-leninista dell'Unione Sovietica.

Nel 1976, cogliendo l'occasione di una trasferta per un torneo internazionale ad Amsterdam, Korčnoj non fece ritorno in URSS e fu dal governo di quest'ultima privato della cittadinanza sovietica e pertanto dichiarato apolide. Sua moglie e suo figlio rimasero in URSS e, con l'aiuto della FIDE, cercò in seguito di ottenere anche per loro il permesso di emigrazione, che giunse solo un decennio più tardi.

Inizialmente Korčnoj rimase nei Paesi Bassi, ma in seguito elesse a sua dimora la Svizzera, paese nel quale vive tuttora e per il quale milita nelle olimpiadi scacchistiche e di cui gioca il campionato nazionale, che ha vinto tre volte (nel 1982, 1984 e 1985). Dopo la sua emigrazione la federazione sovietica invitò i suoi grandi maestri ad un boicottaggio sistematico dei tornei nei quali fosse stato invitato Korčnoj. Questa pratica durò fino al 1984, anno nel quale Korčnoj riallacciò buoni rapporti con la sua ex federazione rinunciando a una vittoria a tavolino nella semifinale dei candidati contro Garri Kasparov. Korčnoj perse in seguito quella sfida per 4-7.

Il combattivo Viktor tornò alla carica nel successivo ciclo dei candidati, strappando nel 1978 il biglietto per le Filippine, dove si sarebbe tenuto l'atteso match di rivincita con il campione del mondo. Visti i presupposti di partenza, la sfida con Karpov assunse subito i connotati politici di una sfida tra il blocco sovietico e l'occidente, ricalcando molte delle modalità del match Fischer - Spasskij di soli cinque anni prima.

Avrebbe vinto il match chi si fosse per primo aggiudicato sei vittorie, senza conteggiare le patte. Karpov partì bene, andando a condurre per 5-2. Ad un solo punto dal titolo il campione in carica entrò in una profonda crisi di concentrazione e risultati, che permise al più anziano Korčnoj un'inattesa rimonta sino al 5-5. Nella trentaduesima e drammatica partita i due, allo stremo delle forze, si giocarono il titolo mondiale. Il gioco di Karpov tornò ad essere preciso e spietato; purtroppo per lui, invece, Korčnoj commise il proverbiale "ultimo errore" pagando con la sconfitta e consegnando nuovamente la corona al suo avversario.

Nel 1981 Korčnoj (nel frattempo divenuto cittadino elvetico) vinse nuovamente il ciclo dei candidati e si recò a Merano per sedersi di nuovo davanti a Karpov per una sfida mondiale: contando anche la finale dei candidati del '74, di fatto valida per il titolo, era la terza volta in otto anni che i due scacchisti si disputavano il massimo alloro in singolar tenzone. Korčnoj però nel frattempo aveva perso vigore mentre Karpov, che negli anni tra un match e l'altro aveva inanellato una quantità impressionante di vittorie in tornei maggiori, era in uno dei suoi momenti di migliore forma, cosicché ebbe ragione di lui con un inequivocabile 6-2 inflitto in sole diciotto partite, segnando il definitivo addio di Korčnoj ai sogni iridati.

A quel punto iniziò il tramonto di Korčnoj: un tramonto in realtà tutt'altro che repentino visto che si trovò inserito nel novero dei candidati fino a tutto il decennio seguente, ma non ebbe più occasioni di combattere per il titolo.
A quasi ottant'anni il "terribile Viktor" non ha ancora annunciato il proprio ritiro, se mai lo farà. Nel 2006 ha vinto con autorevolezza il mondiale seniores (riservato a giocatori over 60) con il perentorio risultato di nove punti su undici disponibili. Nell'aprile 2009 ottiene la migliore prestazione individuale ai Campionati Europei Senior, tenutisi a Velden, in Austria, con una prestazione di 7,5/9.

A titolo di curiosità, vale la pena notare che nel campionato ucraino 2007 Viktor L'vovič occupa la quinta scacchiera della squadra di Čeljabinsk. Il suo capitano, in prima scacchiera, è l'ormai ex nemico Anatolij Evgenevič Karpov.

Korčnoj è un giocatore molto amato dal grande pubblico degli appassionati, sicuramente uno dei giocatori più stimati di sempre: per il suo gioco fantasioso, sempre alla ricerca di nuove soluzioni, per le difficoltà che ha dovuto attraversare, per l'esilio e il boicottaggio subiti da parte dell'Unione Sovietica, per i due mondiali persi, ma anche e soprattutto per la sua indole indomita, che lo ha tenuto sulla scena principale per oltre sessant'anni: una longevità paragonabile forse soltanto a quella di un gigante del passato: Emanuel Lasker.

Le sue migliori qualità sono l'enorme talento tattico - combinativo e l'indiscussa tenacia volta al raggiungimento dei propri obiettivi, che gli ha meritato nel corso degli anni l'appellativo di "Terribile Viktor". Tra i suoi limiti come giocatore vanno senz'altro segnalati il desiderio di complicare eccessivamente le linee di gioco, inoltrandosi in terreni sconosciuti dove talora si smarrisce lui stesso, e la cronica tendenza a finire in Zeitnot, che gli è costata più di una sconfitta.
I suoi record: 4.109 partite ufficiali giocate tra il 1945 e il 2007; 1656 vittorie, 655 sconfitte e 1676 pareggi, il tutto per una percentuale di punti del 62,60%. Il massimo del suo punteggio elo è stato di 2695, nel gennaio 1979 [4] ma, ancora nel 2007, è assestato ben oltre i 2.600 punti.

Al 2009 il suo punteggio ELO risultava di 2561 punti nonostante i suoi 78 anni di età.

Victor, pur senza essere mai stato un bridgista di rilievo, ha praticato con diletto il nostro gioco per diversi anni.

Viktor Lvovich Korchnoi born March 23, 1931 is a professional chess player, author and currently the oldest active grandmaster on the tournament circuit. He was born in Leningrad, USSR, and later defected to the Netherlands, residing in Switzerland for many years.

Korchnoi played three matches against Anatoly Karpov, the latter two for the World Chess Championship. In 1974, he lost the Candidates final to Karpov, who was declared world champion in 1975 when Bobby Fischer failed to defend his title. Then, after defecting from the Soviet Union in 1976, he won consecutive Candidates cycles to qualify for World Championship matches with Karpov in 1978 and 1981, losing both.
In all, Korchnoi was a candidate for the World Championship on ten occasions (1962, 1968, 1971, 1974, 1977, 1980, 1983, 1985, 1988 and 1991). Korchnoi was also a four-time USSR chess champion, a five-time member of Soviet teams that won the European championship, and a six-time member of Soviet teams that won the Chess Olympiad. In September 2006, he won the World Senior Chess Championship.
Korchnoi graduated from Leningrad State University with a major in history.

He learned to play chess from his father at the age of five. In 1943, he joined the chess club of the Leningrad Pioneer Palace, and was trained by Abram Model, Andrei Batuyev, and Vladimir Zak. In 1947, he won the Junior Championship of the USSR, with 11.5/15 at Leningrad, and shared the title in 1948 with 5/7 at Tallinn, Estonia. In 1951, he earned the Soviet Master title, following his second place in the 1950 Leningrad Championship, with 9/13.
One year later, he qualified for the finals of the USSR Chess Championship for the first time. In the semi-final at Minsk, 1952, he scored 10.5/17 for a shared 2nd–4th place, to advance. In his debut, in URS-ch20 at Moscow, he scored 11/19 for sixth place, as Mikhail Botvinnik and Mark Taimanov came joint first. The next year, he again had to qualify from a semi-final, and succeeded in an event held at Vilnius 1953, with 9/14 for a shared 3rd–4th place. Korchnoi improved on the previous year's showing with his shared 2nd–3rd place in URS-ch21 at Kiev 1954, on 13/19, as Yuri Averbakh won. This high championship placing was rewarded with his first international opportunity, and he did not disappoint, taking clear first at Bucharest 1954 with 13/17. The FIDE awarded him the title of International Master in 1954. He won the 1955 Leningrad Championship with a massive score of 17/19, and shared 1st-2nd places at Hastings 1955–56 on 7/9. He was awarded the Grandmaster title at the FIDE Congress in 1956.

Korchnoi rose to prominence within the Soviet chess school system, where he competed against stars such as Mikhail Tal, Tigran Petrosian, and Boris Spassky, following in the path laid out by Mikhail Botvinnik.
Korchnoi's playing style initially was an aggressive counter-attack. He excelled in difficult defensive positions. His results during the 1950s were often inconsistent, as dominance alternated with disaster. One horrific result was his 19th place (only one from bottom) at the URSch-22, Moscow 1955, with just 6/19. During the 1960s he became more versatile, mastering all the required techniques to become a world championship contender. He won at Kraków 1959 with 8.5/11, shared 1st–2nd places with Samuel Reshevsky at Buenos Aires 1960 with 13/19, won at Córdoba, Argentina 1960 with 6/7. After his victory at Budapest 1961 (Géza Maróczy Memorial) with 11.5/15 ahead of Bronstein and Miroslav Filip each with 9.5, Korchnoi was recognized as one of the world's best players.
Korchnoi won the USSR Chess Championship four times during his career. At Leningrad 1960 for URS-ch27, he scored 14/19. He won at Yerevan 1962, URS-ch30, with 13/19. He won at Kiev 1964–65 with 15/19. His final title was at Riga 1970, for URS-ch38, with 16/21.

He never succeeded in becoming World Champion, but many people consider him the strongest player never to have done so, a distinction also often attributed to Paul Keres. When Spassky beat Petrosian to claim the World Title in 1969, the Soviet Chess Federation started pursuing a youth policy which largely classed Korchnoi and Vasily Smyslov as the old vanguard; as a consequence, they were sometimes overlooked when it came to distribution of opportunities to play in international chess tournaments.

He first qualified as a candidate from the 1962 Stockholm Interzonal, scoring 14/22 for a shared 4–5th place finish, as Fischer won. The 1962 Candidates tournament, the last held in a round-robin format for some years, was held at Curaçao a few months later, and Korchnoi placed fifth out of eight with an even score, 13.5/27, with Tigran Petrosian earning the right to challenge Botvinnik.
Korchnoi won at Havana 1963 with 16.5/21, but fared less well in the next Soviet Championship, URS-ch31 at Leningrad, with just 10/19 for 10th place. He missed qualifying for the next world championship cycle, 1964–66, because of a relatively poor showing at the 1964 Zonal tournament in Moscow, where he made 5.5/12 for a shared 5–6th place, so did not advance to the Interzonal. Korchnoi regained his form with an overwhelming triumph at Gyula, Hungary, in 1965 with 14.5/15. He won at Bucharest 1966 with 12.5/14, and at the Chigorin Memorial in Sochi 1966 with 11.5/15.

He tied for 3rd-5th places at the URS-ch34, held in Tbilisi in 1966–67, with 12/20, and emerged from a three-way playoff, along with Aivars Gipslis, at Tallinn, 1967 to the Interzonal, staged at Sousse, Tunisia, later that year. A strong performance at the interzonal, with 14/22, for a shared 2nd–4th place, took him through to the Candidates' matches. In his first match, he defeated American Samuel Reshevsky at Amsterdam in 1968 by (+3 =5). His next opponent was Tal, against whom Korchnoi had had a large plus score in previous meetings. The match, held in Moscow 1968, was close, but Korchnoi won by (+2 -1 =7), and moved on to face Boris Spassky in the Candidates final. Spassky prevailed at Kiev 1968, winning (+4 -1 =5).
Korchnoi, as the losing finalist, was exempt from qualifying for the next cycle (1970–72), and was seeded directly to the following Candidates' event. To prepare, he first played a secret training match with his friend David Bronstein in Leningrad 1970, losing 3.5-2.5. The games from this match were kept secret until 2007, when they were eventually published in Bronstein's last book, Secret Notes. Then, he played a training match against Anatoly Karpov, with whom he was close at the time, at Leningrad 1971; this wound up drawn in six games. Korchnoi won his first round 1971 match against Efim Geller at Moscow by (+4 -1 =3), after which he went down to defeat in the semifinal versus Tigran Petrosian by (-1 =9), also at Moscow, with the ninth game the only decisive result. Karpov, in his book Karpov on Karpov (Atheneum 1993), writes that, because of Fischer's overwhelming form at that time, Korchnoi and Petrosian were asked by Soviet chess authorities to choose between themselves, before the match, who they thought would have the better chance of stopping Fischer in the finals. Petrosian apparently believed strongly in himself, and so Korchnoi was asked to throw the match, receiving as compensation invitations to the three most prestigious tournaments in western Europe. Petrosian, however, lost to Fischer by the score of (+1 -5 =3) late in 1971.

Korchnoi's mood largely dictated his plan for the game. He was comfortable playing with or without the initiative. He could attack, counterattack, play positionally, and was a master of the endgame. He became known as the master of counter-attack, and he was Mikhail Tal's (an out-and-out attacker) most difficult opponent. He had a large lifetime plus score against Tal, and also has plus scores against world champions Petrosian and Spassky. He had equal records against Botvinnik (+1 -1 =2) and Fischer (+2 -2 =4). He has defeated the eight undisputed world champions from Botvinnik to Garry Kasparov, as well as FIDE world champions Ruslan Ponomariov and Veselin Topalov.
Korchnoi and Karpov, the newest star of Soviet chess, tied for first in the 1973 Leningrad Interzonal. In the 1974 Candidates' matches, Korchnoi first defeated the young Brazilian star Henrique Costa Mecking, (who had won the other Interzonal, in Petrópolis) by (+3 -1 =9) at Augusta, Georgia – in what he later described as a tough match in his autobiography. Korchnoi next played Petrosian at Odessa. The two were not on friendly terms, and it was even rumored that the two resorted to kicking each other under the table during this match; however, Korchnoi denies this. According to him, Petrosian just kicked his legs nervously and shook the table. Although the match was supposed to go to the first player to win four games, Petrosian resigned the match after just five games, with Korchnoi enjoying a lead of 3-1, with one draw.

With his victory over Petrosian, Korchnoi advanced to the Candidates' Final, the match to determine who would challenge reigning World Champion Bobby Fischer in 1975, to face Karpov. In the run-up to the match, Korchnoi was constantly subjected to threats and harassment, and was virtually unable to find any Grandmasters to assist him. Bronstein apparently assisted Korchnoi, for which he was punished. Bronstein, in his last book, Secret Notes, published in 2007, 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. Bronstein then assisted Korchnoi for the final stages. Korchnoi also received some assistance later in the match from two British masters, Raymond Keene and William Hartston. Korchnoi trailed 3-0 late in the match, but won games 17 and 21 to make it very close right to the end. Karpov eventually won this epic battle, played in late 1974 in Moscow, by a 12.5–11.5 score. By default, Karpov became the twelfth world champion in April 1975, when Fischer refused to defend his title because of disputed match conditions.
During the match between Karpov and Korchnoi, an amusing incident occurred. In the 21st game, Korchnoi played a strong opening novelty and, after a blunder by Karpov, achieved an overwhelming position. During this game, Korchnoi rose from the board, approached the arbiter and asked whether he could legally castle king-side in the current position, in which a bishop was attacking his rook on h1. The arbiter, Alberic O'Kelly de Galway, informed him that his intended move was legal; shortly after Korchnoi executed it, Karpov resigned.
In the lead-up to the Candidates' Final in 1974, as part of a campaign to promote Karpov over Korchnoi, Tigran Petrosian made a public statement in the press against Korchnoi. At the closing ceremony of the Candidates' Final, Korchnoi had made his mind up that he had to leave the Soviet Union. The central authorities prevented Korchnoi from playing any international tournaments, and even when invited by Paul Keres and Iivo Nei to participate in an International Tournament in Estonia, Korchnoi was not allowed to play, and both Keres and Nei were reprimanded.

Korchnoi, in a 2006 lecture in London, mentioned that the breakthrough that allowed him to resume international appearances came when Anatoly Karpov inherited the World Championship title (resigned by Bobby Fischer). Questions arose about how Karpov qualified to be a World Champion, when he had never played Fischer. Since Korchnoi was not publicly visible, it was largely believed that he (and Karpov) could not be very strong. Korchnoi was then allowed to play the 1976 Amsterdam tournament, as a means to prove Karpov was a worthy World Champion.

Korchnoi was joint winner of the tournament along with Tony Miles. At the end of the tournament, Korchnoi asked Miles to spell "political asylum" for him. As a result, after the chess tournament in Amsterdam, Korchnoi was the first strong Soviet grandmaster to defect from the Soviet Union. Korchnoi's defection resulted in a turbulent period of excellent tournament results, losses in the two matches for the World Title – all overshadowed by the oppressive political climate of the Cold War.
Korchnoi resided in the Netherlands for some time, giving simultaneous exhibitions. He played a short match against Jan Timman – the strongest active non-Soviet player at that time – and comprehensively defeated him. He moved to West Germany and then eventually settled in Switzerland by 1978.

In the next world championship cycle (1976–78), Korchnoi opened by again vanquishing Petrosian, by (+2 -1 =9) in the quarter-final round, taking a draw in a clearly favourable position in the final game. In the semi-final, held at Evian, Korchnoi won against Lev Polugaevsky, with the final score being (+5 -1 =7). The final, in which he faced Spassky, began with five wins and five draws for Korchnoi, after which he lost four consecutive games, though he steeled himself and finally secured victory in the match by (+7 -4 =7) to emerge as the challenger to Karpov.
The World Championship match of 1978 was held in Baguio, Philippines. There was controversy off the board, ranging from X-raying of chairs, protests about the flags used on the board, hypnotism complaints and the mirror glasses used by Korchnoi. When Karpov's team sent him a blueberry yogurt during a game without any request for one by Karpov, the Korchnoi team protested, claiming it could be some kind of code. They later said this was intended as a parody of earlier protests, but it was taken seriously at the time.
In quality of play, the match itself never measured up to the press headlines that it generated, although as a sporting contest it had its share of excitement. The match would go to the first player to win six games, draws not counting. After 17 games, Karpov had an imposing 4–1 lead. Korchnoi won game 21, but Karpov won game 27, putting him on the brink of victory with a 5–2 lead. Korchnoi bravely fought back, scoring three wins and one draw in the next four games, to equalise the match at 5–5 after 31 games. However, Karpov won the very next game, and the match, by 6–5 with 21 draws.

Korchnoi won the next Candidates' cycle to again earn the right to challenge Karpov in 1981. The match was held in Meran, Italy. The headline of the tournament again largely centered on the political issues. Korchnoi's wife and son were still in the Soviet Union. His son had been promised to be released to join his father in exile if he gave up his passport. When he did so, he was promptly drafted into the Soviet army. In spite of protests, Korchnoi's son was arrested for evading army service, sentenced to two and a half years in labour camp, and served the full sentence. After the release, he was again refused permission to leave the USSR. (In 1982, six years after Korchnoi's defection, his son finally succeeded in leaving the country.)
Korchnoi took the opportunity of the match to publicize the situation of his wife and son, drafting an open letter to the Soviet government to release them both.
In what was dubbed the "Massacre in Merano", Karpov defeated Korchnoi convincingly by 6 wins to 2, with ten draws.

Korchnoi, however, still had a vital part to play in the next (1984) Candidates' cycle, although he never reached the highest pinnacle again. He was matched to play the young Soviet Garry Kasparov who at the time was battling against a Soviet Chess Federation that was clearly in favour of Anatoly Karpov. Korchnoi seemed to have great fondness for Garry Kasparov – possibly because he recognized the situation Kasparov was in – a prominent talent blocked by the Soviet bureaucracy.
The match was to be held in Pasadena, California, but the Soviet Chess Federation protested (possibly because Korchnoi was a defector and the match was in the cold-war enemy's back yard, and because of the soon-to-be-announced Soviet decision to boycott the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles), and Kasparov was not allowed to fly there to play the match. This defaulted the match to Korchnoi.

However, after a remarkable series of events, spearheaded by the British Grandmaster Raymond Keene, Korchnoi agreed to play the match in London. This was a gracious gesture by Korchnoi, since technically he had already won by default. After a good start, Korchnoi was blown away by Kasparov's attacking play and remarkable maturity.

After the 1983 Kasparov match, Korchnoi continued playing at a top level but without seriously threatening the world championship again. In the 1985–87 World Championship cycle he finished equal thirteenth out of 16 in the Candidates' Tournament.

In the 1988–90 cycle he made the final 16 again, but was eliminated in the first round of Candidates' matches.

In the 1991–93 cycle he reached the final 8 of the Candidates' before being eliminated.

He continues to play in Europe to this day, living in his adopted country of Switzerland and frequently representing their Olympiad team on top board, even though his Elo rating is considerably below that of compatriot Vadim Milov who appears not to make himself available for selection. Korchnoi first played for Switzerland at the 1978 Olympiad, held in Buenos Aires, where he took the individual gold medal for best performance on board one.

Korchnoi is noted for his unusual longevity at the chessboard. He has been at or near the top of the game for nearly half a century. He continues to play many tournaments every year, playing more than 15 tournaments in 2006. He won the 2005 Quebec Open in Montreal. In August 2006 at age 75 he won the Banyoles Open in Spain ahead of Sergei Tiviakov.

On the January 2007 FIDE rating list Korchnoi was ranked number 85 in the world at age 75, by far the oldest player ever to be ranked in the FIDE top 100. The second-oldest player on the January 2007 list was Alexander Beliavsky, age 53, who is 22 years younger than Korchnoi. As of 2011, Korchnoi is still active in the chess world with a notable win (in Gibraltar) with black against an 18 year old Fabiano Caruana who is rated above 2700 and 61 years Korchnoi's junior.

In September 2006 Korchnoi won the 16th World Senior Chess Championship, held in Arvier (Valle d'Aosta, Italy), with a 9–2 score. Korchnoi scored 7.5–0.5 in his first eight games, then drew his last three games.
This is the first world title Korchnoi has won (and his only participation in a World Senior Chess Championship).

Viktor Korchnoi achieved another mark by winning the 2009 Swiss championship in Grächen. He scored 7/9 at the open tournament.

This was followed by securing the title of the top-scoring Swiss player at the Swiss Championship in 2011.

Victor, without ever having been a major bridge player, he practiced with pleasure our game for several years.

Viktor Lvovitch Kortchnoï est un joueur d’échecs né le 23 mars 1931 à Leningrad, en URSS, qui a obtenu l'asile politique de la Suisse en 1978, puis la nationalité suisse en 1992. Après sa défection de l'Union soviétique en 1976, Kortchnoï a disputé deux matchs de championnat du monde d'échecs — en 1978 et en 1981 — contre le numéro un soviétique Anatoli Karpov, de vingt ans son cadet. Grand maître international depuis 1956, Kortchnoï a été pendant plus de trente ans un des dix meilleurs joueurs du monde.

Bien qu’il n’ait jamais été champion du monde, Kortchnoï est un joueur au palmarès des plus prestigieux, connu pour sa ténacité et sa constante volonté de vaincre. Il a été candidat au championnat du monde en un nombre record de dix occasions : en 1962, puis, sans interruption, de 1968 à 1991. Quatre fois finaliste du cycle des candidats, il remporta la finale contre Boris Spassky en 1977-1978 et face à Robert Hübner en 19
Quadruple champion d’URSS (en 1960, 1962, 1964-1965 et 1970) et quintuple champion de Suisse (en 1982, 1984, 1985, 2009 et 2011), Kortchnoï a remporté quatre fois le tournoi de Wijk aan Zee (en 1968, 1971, 1984 et 1987), deux fois le tournoi d'Hastings (en 1955-1956 et 1971-1972) et, à deux reprises, le Festival de Bienne (en 1979 et en 2001, à soixante-dix ans). Il a terminé premier du championnat des Pays-Bas en 1977 et reçu l’Oscar du meilleur joueur de l’année 1978 devant Karpov. Quintuple champion d’Europe par équipes avec l’URSS (dont deux fois meilleure performance individuelle) et six fois membre de l’équipe d’URSS qui remporta les Olympiades d'échecs (en 1960 et de 1966 à 1974), Kortchnoï a remporté la médaille d'or individuelle au premier échiquier de l'équipe de Suisse lors de l'olympiade d'échecs de 1978, ainsi que trois médailles d'or et trois médailles de bronze individuelles lors des olympiades disputées avec l'équipe d'URSS.
D’une longévité sans équivalent dans le circuit professionnel, Kortchnoï a affronté tous les champions du monde depuis Botvinnik jusqu’à Kasparov, Kramnik, Anand et Topalov. Il a un score égal face à Botvinnik et Fischer et a un score positif face aux champions du monde Tal, Petrossian et Spassky qu'il a battus lors des matchs des candidats.

Kortchnoï est devenu champion du monde senior en septembre 2006 après avoir remporté le fort open de Banyoles. En avril 2007, à 76 ans, il comptait encore parmi les 100 meilleurs joueurs du monde. En juillet 2008, il était encore crédité de 2602 points Elo. En juillet 2009 (au tournoi open de Grächen) et en juillet 2011 (au tournoi open de Loèche-les-Bains), il a été consacré champion de Suisse, devenant, à 78 et 80 ans, un des plus vieux joueurs d'échecs à remporter un titre national.

Victor, sans jamais avoir été un joueur de bridge majeur, il a pratiqué avec plaisir notre jeu depuis plusieurs années.

Viktor Kortschnoi ist ein schweizerischer Schach-Großmeister russischer Herkunft. Nach seiner Emigration aus der Sowjetunion (1976) unterlag er 1978 und 1981 in zwei Wettkämpfen um die Weltmeisterschaft Anatoli Karpow.
Kortschnoi wurde 2006 Seniorenweltmeister und belegte noch im Januar 2007 Rang 85 der Weltrangliste. Damit war er seit deren Einführung der älteste Spieler in den Top 100.
Viktor Kortschnoi besuchte in Leningrad die Grundschule, studierte sechs Jahre lang Geschichte und schloss 1954 mit dem Diplom ab. Er erlernte das Schachspiel mit sieben Jahren von seinem Vater. 1943 wurde er Mitglied im Schachklub des Leningrader Pionierpalastes. Hier wurde er trainiert von Abram Modelj, Andrej Batujew und Wladimir Sak. 1947 und 1948 wurde er Jugendmeister der UdSSR. 1951 erhielt er den sowjetischen Titel „Meister des Sports“, ein Jahr später qualifizierte er sich erstmals für die UdSSR-Meisterschaft. 1954 wurde er Internationaler Meister.

Er errang den Großmeistertitel 1956 und zählt seitdem zu den besten Spielern der Welt Viermal gewann er den Titel des UdSSR-Meisters (1960, 1962, 1964, 1970). Insgesamt sechsmal war er mit der sowjetischen Mannschaft der UdSSR bei Schacholympiaden (1960, 1966, 1968, 1970, 1972 und 1974) siegreich.

Anlässlich eines internationalen Turniers in Amsterdam emigrierte er im Jahr 1976 in den Westen. Er ließ in der Sowjetunion seine Ehefrau und seinen Sohn zurück. Mit Hilfe der FIDE versuchte er danach, für seine Familie eine Ausreisegenehmigung zu erhalten. Zunächst hielt er sich in den Niederlanden, dann – ab 1978 – in der Schweiz auf, für die er seitdem bei Turnieren antritt. Nach seiner Emigration entsandte die sowjetische Schachföderation ihre Großmeister nur noch zu Turnieren, bei denen Kortschnoi nicht eingeladen war.

Das galt jedoch nicht für die Schacholympiaden, bei denen er für die Schweiz antrat. Insgesamt nahm Kortschnoi seit 1960 an 17 Schacholympiaden teil, sechsmal für die UdSSR und elfmal für seine neue Heimat, die Schweiz. Neben den sechs Goldmedaillen für die UdSSR erhielt er viermal Gold für sein bestes Brettergebnis, zuletzt 1978 am ersten Brett der Schweizer Mannschaft. Fast 50 Jahre kämpfte er auf Schacholympiaden, wohl ein weltweiter Rekord.
Im Jahr 1974 unterlag er im Kandidatenfinale gegen Karpow, der im Jahr darauf Weltmeister wurde. Im Kandidatenturnier 1977/78 besiegte er Tigran Petrosjan, Lew Polugajewski und im Finale Boris Spasski und qualifizierte sich so für das Weltmeisterschafts-Match gegen Anatoli Karpow. Sein Wettkampf um die Schachweltmeisterschaft 1978 in Baguio (Philippinen) gegen Anatoli Karpow fand in einem politisch aufgeheizten Klima statt: Kortschnoi machte Karpow, der ein gutes Verhältnis zur sowjetischen Führung hatte, für die politischen Verhältnisse in der UdSSR mitverantwortlich. Im Ergebnis verlor er knapp mit 5–6 bei 21 Unentschieden, nachdem er zuvor einen 2–5 Rückstand innerhalb von vier Partien aufholte, dann aber die nächste Partie und damit das Match verlor. Im nächsten Kandidatenturnier 1980/81 bezwang Kortschnoi erneut Petrosjan und Polugajewski sowie im Finale Robert Hübner und qualifizierte sich erneut für das WM-Finale gegen Karpow. 1981 in Meran verlor er gegen Karpow mit 6–2 bei 10 Remis.

Als Kortschnoi im Kandidatenhalbfinale im August 1983 gegen Garri Kasparow antreten sollte, kam es zum Streit zwischen dem Weltschachbund und der sowjetischen Schachföderation über den geplanten Austragungsort Pasadena in den USA. Die FIDE sprach Kortschnoi einen kampflosen Sieg zu, den Kortschnoi nicht annehmen wollte. Schließlich kam der Wettkampf nach dreimonatiger Verzögerung in London zustande, Kortschnoi unterlag Kasparow mit 4–7. In der Folge wurde die sowjetische Praxis des Turnierboykotts gegen Kortschnoi aufgegeben.

Im Jahre 1991 bekam Kortschnoi von seinem Wohnort Wohlen im Kanton Aargau das Schweizer Bürgerrecht.

Trotz seines fortgeschrittenen Alters nimmt er bis heute erfolgreich an hochklassigen Schachturnieren teil. Nachdem er sich lange geweigert hatte, in speziellen Seniorenwettbewerben anzutreten, wurde er im Jahr 2006 bei seiner erstmaligen Teilnahme Seniorenweltmeister. Im italienischen Arvier gewann er mit 9 Punkten aus 11 Partien knapp vor dem tschechischen Großmeister Vlastimil Jansa (8,5/11). Sein kompromissloser Stil brachte ihm den Spitznamen Viktor der Schreckliche ein. Seine beste historische Elo-Zahl war 2814. Diese erreichte er 1978 und war damit zweitbester Spieler hinter Karpow. Im Jahr 1965 lag er auf Platz 1 der Rangliste, allerdings mit einer etwas schlechteren Elo-Zahl. Kortschnois beste FIDE-Elo-Zahl war 2695 in den Listen von 1979 und 1980. In der Saison 2006/07 spielte er in der Zweiten Bundesliga eine Partie für den SV Glück auf Rüdersdorf am Spitzenbrett. In der Schweizer Nationalliga A spielt er für die Schachgesellschaft Zürich.
Aufgrund seiner ungewöhnlich langen aktiven Karriere hält er mit fast 5000 dokumentierten Partien den Rekord für die meisten gespielten Schachpartien.

Seit dem 21. Mai 1991 ist Kortschnoi mit Petra Leeuwerik verheiratet, die ihn bereits bei seinem WM-Kampf 1978 als Delegationsleiterin unterstützt hatte.

Victor, ohne jemals war ein wichtiger Bridge-Spieler, übte er mit Freude unser Spiel für mehrere Jahre.

Víktor Korchnói (nacido el 23 de marzo de 1931 en Leningrado, URSS) es considerado a menudo el mejor jugador de ajedrez que no ha ganado el título mundial.

Korchnói es en la actualidad el maestro de ajedrez en activo más veterano del circuito internacional. Ascendió a la elite del ajedrez mundial luchando con figuras de la talla de Mijaíl Tal, Tigrán Petrosián y Borís Spaski, siguiendo el camino trazado por Mijaíl Botvínnik. Korchnói nunca alcanzó la cumbre, como sus compatriotas. Cuando Spaski derrotó a Petrosián y se hizo con el Campeonato del Mundo en 1969, la Federación Rusa de ajedrez inició una campaña de promoción de jóvenes valores que marginó a Korchnói y Smyslov en el papel de vieja guardia y no se les dio la oportunidad de jugar en torneos de ajedrez internacionales.

Korchnoi aprendió a jugar ajedrez a los 5 años. En 1943 se unió al club de ajedrez del Palacio de los Pioneros de Leningrado y tuvo como maestros a Abram Model, Andrei Batuyev y Vladimir Zak. En 1947 ganó el campeonato juvenil de la Unión Soviética con 11.5/15 en Leningrado y compartió el título en 1948 con 5/7 en Tallin (Estonia). En 1951 alcanzó el título de Maestro Soviético gracias a su segundo lugar en el campeonato de Leningrado de 1950. Paralelamente estudió en la universidad de Leningrado y se graduó en Historia.

El estilo del ajedrez de Korchnói fue inicialmente de contraataque agresivo. Sobresalía en posiciones defensivas difíciles. En los años sesenta se convirtió en un "todoterreno", como Bobby Fischer y Petrosián.
Korchnói alcanzó la Final de Candidatos, el encuentro para determinar el siguiente aspirante al título que poseía Bobby Fischer y que estaba previsto que se celebrara durante 1975. Su rival era un amigo (habían jugado un encuentro de entrenamiento meses atrás), y la nueva estrella de la Escuela Rusa de ajedrez: Anatoli Kárpov (Mijaíl Botvínnik, Mijaíl Tal, Borís Spaski, Víktor Korchnói y Gari Kaspárov son de origen judío, mientras Tigrán Petrosián es armenio). Kárpov venció este encuentro, jugado en 1974 en Moscú, y por la renuncia de Fischer a defender el título se convirtió en Campeón del Mundo.

Los resultados de Korchnói en torneos internacionales eran impresionantes, pero sus relaciones con las autoridades soviéticas eran muy tensas. Durante el torneo celebrado en 1976 en Ámsterdam Korchnói fue el primer Gran Maestro soviético que desertó. Korchnói vivió en los Países Bajos durante unos años. Jugó un corto encuentro frente a Jan Timman -el jugador más fuerte fuera de la URSS en aquel momento.
Su deserción concluyó con un periodo turbulento de excelentes resultados en torneos, y la debacle en los dos encuentros por el Campeonato del Mundo, bajo la sombra de la política de la Guerra Fría.
El encuentro por el Campeonato Mundial de Ajedrez 1978 tuvo lugar en Baguio, Filipinas, el cual destacó por las condiciones extrañas que lo rodearon. El equipo de Kárpov incluía al Dr. Zujar (un conocido hipnotizador), y el de Korchnói a un local en libertad bajo fianza por delito de homicidio. Hubo más controversia fuera que dentro del tablero. Rayos X para las sillas, protestas por las banderas utilizadas junto al tablero, quejas respecto del hipnotizador y Korchnói utilizando gafas con espejos. Cuando el equipo de Kárpov le enviaba un yogur durante la partida, el equipo de Korchnói protestaba alegando que podía tratarse de algún código.

La calidad de juego del encuentro, nunca alcanzó la de los titulares que generó, aunque también tuvo sus momentos álgidos. Kárpov comenzó con ventaja desde el principio y parecía que iba a ganar fácilmente. Korchnói remontó, ganando tres partidas de cuatro consecutivas, empatando el encuentro a cinco victorias, pero Kárpov venció en la partida siguiente y se hizo con el encuentro por 6 victorias a 5 y 21 tablas.
Korchnói ganó el siguiente ciclo de Candidatos y el derecho de disputar el título a Kárpov de nuevo en 1981. El match se celebró en Italia, y se conoce como la "Masacre de Merano". Los titulares del torneo se centraban, de nuevo, en asuntos de índole política. La esposa y el hijo de Korchnói se encontraban aún en la Unión Soviética.

Korchnói aprovechó la ocasión que le brindaba el encuentro para hacer pública la situación de su mujer e hijo, enviando una carta abierta al Gobierno de la URSS para que los dejara salir del país.

Korchnói todavía tenía mucho que decir en el siguiente ciclo de candidatos, aunque ya nunca alcanzó la cumbre de nuevo. Durante el siguiente ciclo, estableció su residencia en los Estados Unidos, y le tocó enfrentarse a un joven soviético Gari Kaspárov que en aquel momento luchaba contra la Federación soviética de ajedrez, que estaba a favor de Anatoli Kárpov.

El encuentro se celebró en Pasadena, California, donde Bobby Fischer vivía en aquel momento. La Federación soviética protestó y no permitió que Kaspárov acudiera. Korchnói ganó por incomparecencia.

Finalmente, Korchnói accedió a que el match se jugara en Londres. Fue un gesto elegante por su parte, ya que técnicamente ya era el vencedor. Tras un buen comienzo, Korchnói fue barrido por el agresivo juego de Kaspárov.

Durante los años ochenta Korchnói continuó jugando al nivel más alto, aunque por debajo de Kárpov o Kaspárov. Hoy en día sigue jugando en Europa. Reside en Suiza a la que representa como primer tablero en las olimpiadas.

Víctor, sin haber sido un jugador importante puente, que practicaba con mucho gusto nuestro juego durante varios años.

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