1975 in chess
Events in chess in 1975; Top players FIDE top 10 by Elo rating - January 1975 Bobby Fischer 2780 Anatoly Karpov 2705 Viktor Korchnoi 2665 Tigran Petrosian 2645 Lev Polugaevsky 2645 Mikhail Tal 2645 Lajos Portisch 2635 Bent Larsen 2625 Boris Spassky 2625 Robert Hübner 2615 Chess news in brief In what is an unsatisfactory chapter in the history of the World Chess Championship, Bobby Fischer and FIDE fail to agree terms for a defence of his world title. The American has many requests, including some radical changes to the format of a match between himself and challenger Anatoly Karpov. Most of his demands are met, but there are two outstanding issues which continue to cause an impasse at the FIDE special conference in The Netherlands. Fischer's unresolved demands are firstly, that the match be of unlimited duration and secondly, that the challenger should need to win by two clear games (a minimum of 10-8). After being informed by telephone that FIDE will not accede to his final two demands, Fischer steadfastly holds to the threatened resignation of his title, despite much cajoling by U.S. delegation representative Ed Edmondson and by Florencio Campomanes, the potential match organiser. The title is therefore handed to Karpov by default, and he becomes the first world champion to gain the title this way. Karpov's successes, the USSR's great showing at last year's Olympiad and their subsequent recapture of the World Junior (Chekhov) and World Correspondence (Estrin) titles, indicate that the hitherto Soviet domination of world chess is not yet over. Nona Gaprindashvili successfully defends her Women's World Championship for the fourth time, by the comfortable margin of 8½-3½, against fellow Georgian, Nana Alexandria in Pitsunda/Tbilisi. Gaprindashvili has been the champion since 1962, when she defeated Elisabeth Bykova, the previous holder. Anatoly Karpov wins in Milan, his first tournament outing since becoming world champion. He wins again in Ljubljana, at the 3rd Vidmar Memorial with 11/15, ahead of Svetozar Gligorić (10/15), Zoltán Ribli, Semyon Furman and Vlastimil Hort (all 9½/15). Lajos Portisch wins at Wijk aan Zee with 10½/15, ahead of Vlastimil Hort (10/15) and Jan Smejkal (9½/15). In his hometown of Tallinn, Paul Keres wins with 10½/15, ahead of Fridrik Olafsson and Boris Spassky (both 9½/15). He also wins in Vancouver, where he delivers simultaneous exhibitions before flying home. In view of his heart attack two years previously and medical advice that he should give up international tournaments, it is believed that his exertions may have been excessive. A further two heart attacks end his life in a Helsinki hospital, just a short time after playing some of the best chess of his career. Ljubomir Ljubojević has a very successful year, winning three important tournaments. In Manila, he scores 7/10 to head a strong field, including Lev Polugaevsky, Henrique Mecking, Bent Larsen and Helmut Pfleger (2nd-5th, 6/10). There are further victories at Las Palmas' Ruy Lopez Memorial and at the 15th IBM tournament in Amsterdam. The re-emergence of Tigran Petrosian as the dominant force