South Florida Sun Sentinel, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Sunday, April 20, 2003 - Page 66
Korchnoi, 71, still has what it takes to win
An enduring but futile debate in chess is about the strongest player who never became world champ.
My nod goes to Viktor Korchnoi, a legendary lion in winter. At age 71, he won a tournament in sunny Curacao to commemorate the famous Candidates match that took place there 40 years earlier in 1962. Korchnoi was fifth in a field of eight, behind Tigran Petrosian (the victor), Efim Geller, Paul Keres and Bobby Fischer, who accused the Soviets of cheating in an explosive article for Sports Illustrated that forever altered the way challengers qualified for the title.
The plot to stop Fischer, then 19, was confirmed by Korchnoi, who denied taking part in it. Fischer was not yet strong enough to overcome the Soviets, who agreed in advance to quick draws to conserve their energy against the dangerous American.
“But how could their draws hurt you?” I asked Fischer. “All you had to do was win your games to overtake these rivals.”
Keres later admitted to all those short draws but claimed Fischer “was never in the running for first place.”
This time around, Korchnoi led a field of 40 with 7-2. His defeat of Finland's Riku Molander with the French Defense reminds me of Fischer's comment: “I may yet be forced to admit that the French is sound, but I doubt it!”
White had to try Nxd5! on move 17, 18 or 19.