The 1981 World Chess Championship was played between Anatoly Karpov and Viktor Korchnoi in Merano, Italy from October 1 to November 19, 1981. Karpov won with six wins against two, with 10 draws. The two players had already played against each other in the World Chess Championship match 1978 in the Philippines, when Karpov also won.

1979 Interzonal tournaments

Two Interzonals were held in 1979, one in Riga and the other in Rio de Janeiro.

{| class="wikitable" |+ September–October 1979 Interzonal, Riga |- ! !! !! Rating !! 1 !! 2 !! 3 !! 4 !! 5 !! 6 !! 7 !! 8 !! 9 !! 10 !! 11 !! 12 !! 13 !! 14 !! 15 !! 16 !! 17 !! 18 !! Total !! Tie break |- style="background:#ccffcc;" | 1 || align=left| || 2615 || - || 1 || ½ || ½ || 1 || 1 || ½ || 1 || 1 || 1 || 1 || ½ || 1 || ½ || ½ || 1 || 1 || 1 || 14 || |- style="background:#ccffcc;" | 2 || align=left| || 2625 || 0 || - || ½ || ½ || 1 || ½ || 1 || 1 || 0 || 1 || ½ || 1 || ½ || ½ || 1 || ½ || 1 || 1 || 11½ || |- style="background:#ccffcc;" | 3 || align=left| || 2525 || ½ || ½ || - || ½ || 0 || 0 || 1 || ½ || 1 || 1 || ½ || ½ || 1 || 1 || ½ || 1 || 1 || ½ || 11 || 85.75 |- | 4 || align=left| || 2595 || ½ || ½ || ½ || - || 0 || 1 || 0 || ½ || ½ || 1 || ½ || 1 || 1 || ½ || 1 || ½ || 1 || 1 || 11 || 84.75 |- | 5 || align=left| || 2560 || 0 || 0 || 1 || 1 || - || ½ || 1 || 0 || ½ || ½ || 1 || 1 || ½ || 1 || ½ || ½ || 1 || ½ || 10½ || 83.00 |- | 6 || align=left| || 2540 || 0 || ½ || 1 || 0 || ½ || - || ½ || 1 || ½ || ½ || ½ || ½ || 1 || 1 || 1 || 1 || 0 || 1 || 10½ || 79.75 |- | 7 || align=left| || 2620 || ½ || 0 || 0 || 1 || 0 || ½ || - || 0 || ½ || 1 || ½ || 1 || ½ || 1 || 1 || 1 || ½ || 1 || 10 || |- | 8 || align=left| || 2565 || 0 || 0 || ½ || ½ || 1 || 0 || 1 || - || ½ || 1 || ½ || ½ || ½ || ½ || 1 || ½ || 0 || 1 || 9 || 71.00 |- | 9 || align=left| || 2560 || 0 || 1 || 0 || ½ || ½ || ½ || ½ || ½ || - || 0 || 0 || ½ || ½ || 1 || 1 || 1 || 1 || ½ || 9 || 67.50 |- | 10 || align=left| || 2560 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || ½ || ½ || 0 || 0 || 1 || - || ½ || ½ || 1 || 1 || 1 || 1 || 1 || 1 || 9 || 59.25 |- | 11 || align=left| || 2525 || 0 || ½ || ½ || ½ || 0 || ½ || ½ || ½ || 1 || ½ || - || 0 || 1 || 0 || 0 || 1 || ½ || 1 || 8 || |- | 12 || align=left| || 2430 || ½ || 0 || ½ || 0 || 0 || ½ || 0 || ½ || ½ || ½ || 1 || - || 0 || 0 || 1F || 1 || ½ || 1 || 7½ || |- | 13 || align=left| || 2590 || 0 || ½ || 0 || 0 || ½ || 0 || ½ || ½ || ½ || 0 || 0 || 1 || - || 1 || ½ || ½ || 1 || 0 || 6½ || |- | 14 || align=left| || 2435 || ½ || ½ || 0 || ½ || 0 || 0 || 0 || ½ || 0 || 0 || 1 || 1 || 0 || - || ½ || ½ || ½ || 0 || 5½ || 46.25 |- | 15 || align=left| || 2420 || ½ || 0 || ½ || 0 || ½ || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 1 || 0F || ½ || ½ || - || 0 || 1 || 1 || 5½ || 40.75 |- | 16 || align=left| || 2510 || 0 || ½ || 0 || ½ || ½ || 0 || 0 || ½ || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || ½ || ½ || 1 || - || ½ || 1 || 5½ || 39.00 |- | 17 || align=left| || 2415 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 1 || ½ || 1 || 0 || 0 || ½ || ½ || 0 || ½ || 0 || ½ || - || ½ || 5 || |- | 18 || align=left| || 2370 || 0 || 0 || ½ || 0 || ½ || 0 || 0 || 0 || ½ || 0 || 0 || 0 || 1 || 1 || 0 || 0 || ½ || - || 4 ||

The Riga interzonal was won in dominant fashion by Tal, who went through the tournament undefeated ahead of Polugaevsky. They were joined in the Candidates Tournament by Adorján, whose better tie-break score in the main tournament put him ahead of Ribli, after the two drew a playoff in Budapest 3-3. The game between Gruenfeld and Bouaziz was not played, as part of the Arab boycott of Israeli sportspeople. Bouaziz forfeited and Gruenfeld received a point.

{| class="wikitable" |+ 1979 Interzonal, Rio de Janeiro |- ! !! !! Rating !! 1 !! 2 !! 3 !! 4 !! 5 !! 6 !! 7 !! 8 !! 9 !! 10 !! 11 !! 12 !! 13 !! 14 !! 15 !! 16 !! 17 !! 18 !! Total !! Tie break |- style="background:#ccffcc;" | 1 || align=left| || 2640 || - || ½ || ½ || ½ || 0 || 1 || 1 || 0 || 1 || ½ || ½ || 1 || 1 || 1 || 1 || 1 || 1 || 0 || 11½ || 93.00 |- style="background:#ccffcc;" | 2 || align=left| || 2610 || ½ || - || ½ || ½ || ½ || 1 || ½ || ½ || 1 || ½ || ½ || ½ || 1 || ½ || 1 || 1 || ½ || 1 || 11½ || 92.25 |- style="background:#ccffcc;" | 3 || align=left| || 2595 || ½ || ½ || - || ½ || 1 || ½ || 1 || 1 || ½ || 1 || 0 || ½ || ½ || ½ || ½ || 1 || 1 || 1 || 11½ || 92.00 |- | 4 || align=left| || 2625 || ½ || ½ || ½ || - || ½ || ½ || 0 || 1 || 1 || ½ || 1 || 1 || ½ || 1 || ½ || ½ || ½ || 1 || 11 || |- | 5 || align=left| || 2375 || 1 || ½ || 0 || ½ || - || 0 || 1 || 0 || 0 || ½ || 1 || 1 || ½ || 1 || 1 || ½ || ½ || ½ || 9½ || 77.75 |- | 6 || align=left| || 2525 || 0 || 0 || ½ || ½ || 1 || - || ½ || 1 || ½ || 1 || ½ || ½ || ½ || ½ || ½ || ½ || ½ || 1 || 9½ || 76.00 |- | 7 || align=left| || 2600 || 0 || ½ || 0 || 1 || 0 || ½ || - || ½ || 1 || ½ || ½ || ½ || ½ || ½ || 1 || ½ || ½ || 1 || 9 || 71.25 |- | 8 || align=left| || 2520 || 1 || ½ || 0 || 0 || 1 || 0 || ½ || - || 0 || 0 || ½ || ½ || 1 || ½ || 1 || 1 || 1 || ½ || 9 || 70.00 |- | 9 || align=left| || 2590 || 0 || 0 || ½ || 0 || 1 || ½ || 0 || 1 || - || ½ || ½ || 1 || 0 || 1 || 0 || 1 || 1 || 1 || 9 || 68.00 |- | 10 || align=left| || 2495 || ½ || ½ || 0 || ½ || ½ || 0 || ½ || 1 || ½ || - || 1 || ½ || 1 || 1 || 0 || 0 || ½ || ½ || 8½ || 71.75 |- | 11 || align=left| || 2560 || ½ || ½ || 1 || 0 || 0 || ½ || ½ || ½ || ½ || 0 || - || ½ || 1 || 0 || ½ || 1 || 1 || ½ || 8½ || 68.75 |- | 12 || align=left| || 2570 || 0 || ½ || ½ || 0 || 0 || ½ || ½ || ½ || 0 || ½ || ½ || - || 0 || 1 || 1 || 1 || ½ || 1 || 8 || |- | 13 || align=left| || 2490 || 0 || 0 || ½ || ½ || ½ || ½ || ½ || 0 || 1 || 0 || 0 || 1 || - || 1 || 0 || ½ || 1 || ½ || 7½ || 59.50 |- | 14 || align=left| || 2515 || 0 || ½ || ½ || 0 || 0 || ½ || ½ || ½ || 0 || 0 || 1 || 0 || 0 || - || 1 || 1 || 1 || 1 || 7½ || 55.25 |- | 15 || align=left| || 2410 || 0 || 0 || ½ || ½ || 0 || ½ || 0 || 0 || 1 || 1 || ½ || 0 || 1 || 0 || - || 0 || ½ || 1 || 6½ || |- | 16 || align=left| || 2420 || 0 || 0 || 0 || ½ || ½ || ½ || ½ || 0 || 0 || 1 || 0 || 0 || ½ || 0 || 1 || - || ½ || 1 || 6 || |- | 17 || align=left| || 2365 || 0 || ½ || 0 || ½ || ½ || ½ || ½ || 0 || 0 || ½ || 0 || ½ || 0 || 0 || ½ || ½ || - || 0 || 4½ || 39.75 |- | 18 || align=left| || 2445 || 1 || 0 || 0 || 0 || ½ || 0 || 0 || ½ || 0 || ½ || ½ || 0 || ½ || 0 || 0 || 0 || 1 || - || 4½ || 37.50

The Interzonal in Rio saw Portisch, Petrosian and Hübner share first place between them and all three advanced to the Candidates Tournament.

Home favourite Henrique Mecking (rating 2615) had to withdraw after two rounds, having drawn both his games against Ivkov and Smejkal. His results weren't counted in the totals for the other players. The surprise of the tournament was the untitled Brazilian Jaime Sunye Neto, who was among the leaders during the mid-stage of the tournament before three consecutive losses wrecked his chances of qualifying.

1980/81 Candidates Tournament

Korchnoi, the loser of the last championship match, and Spassky, the loser of the last Candidates final, were seeded directly into the tournament and joined by the top three from each of the two Interzonals.

When the quarterfinal between Portisch and Spassky was tied after 14 games, Portisch was declared the winner because he had won more games with Black.

The final was best of 16. Hübner resigned after 10 games (8 concluded, 2 adjourned), leaving Korchnoi the winner. Hübner was leading by one point after six games, but made a shocking one-move blunder in Game 7 (allowing a simple knight fork), and then also lost Game 8.Korchnoi - Hübner Candidates Final (1980), Chessgames.com

1981 Championship match

The first player to win six games would be Champion.

+World Chess Championship Match 1981 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 Wins Total 1 1 = 1 = 0 = = 1 = = = 0 1 = = = 1 6 11 0 0 = 0 = 1 = = 0 = = = 1 0 = = = 0 2 7

Karpov won. This 6–2 victory, much more decisive than Karpov's win in the World Chess Championship 1978, has been dubbed "The Massacre in Merano".

The headlines of the tournament again largely centered on the political issues. Korchnoi's wife and son had been denied emigration and were still in the Soviet Union. In 1980, his son had been promised release 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, he was arrested for evading army service, sentenced to two and a half years in a labour camp, and served the full sentence. After his release in 1982, Korchnoi's wife and son were allowed to leave the USSR.

Games

Game 1 White: Korchnoi, Viktor Black: Karpov, Anatoly Queen's Gambit Declined, Tartakower (Makogonov–Bondarevsky) system Result: 0–1 1.c4 e6 2.Nc3 d5 3.d4 Be7 4.Nf3 Nf6 5.Bg5 h6 6.Bh4 0-0 7.e3 b6 8.Rc1 Bb7 9.Be2 Nbd7 10.cxd5 exd5 11.0-0 c5 12.dxc5 bxc5 13.Qc2 Rc8 14.Rfd1 Qb6 15.Qb1 Rfd8 16.Rc2 Qe6 17.Bg3 Nh5 18.Rcd2 Nxg3 19.hxg3 Nf6 20.Qc2 g6 21.Qa4 a6 22.Bd3 Kg7 23.Bb1 Qb6 24.a3 d4 25.Ne2 dxe3 26.fxe3 c4 27.Ned4 Qc7 28.Nh4 Qe5 29.Kh1 Kg8 30.Ndf3 Qxg3 31.Rxd8+ Bxd8 32.Qb4 Be4 33.Bxe4 Nxe4 34.Rd4 Nf2+ 35.Kg1 Nd3 36.Qb7 Rb8 37.Qd7 Bc7 38.Kh1 Rxb2 39.Rxd3 cxd3 40.Qxd3 Qd6 41.Qe4 Qd1+ 42.Ng1 Qd6 43.Nhf3 Rb5

Remarks: Karpov marched out to a victory in Game 1. Korchnoi resigned on move 44, down the exchange and a pawn and with an inferior position.

Game 2 White: Karpov, Anatoly Black: Korchnoi, Viktor Ruy Lopez, Berlin Defence, Open variation Result: 1–0 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 4.0-0 Nxe4 5.d4 Be7 6.Qe2 Nd6 7.Bxc6 bxc6 8.dxe5 Nb7 9.Nc3 0-0 10.Re1 Nc5 11.Be3 Ne6 12.Rad1 d5 13.exd6 cxd6 14.Nd4 Bd7 15.Nf5 d5 16.Nxe7+ Qxe7 17.Qd2 Qh4 18.Ne2 Rfe8 19.b3 Re7 20.Ng3 Qf6 21.f3 Be8 22.Ne2 h6 23.Bf2 Qg6 24.Nc1 d4 25.Nd3 Qf6 26.Bg3 Rd7 27.Re5 Qd8 28.Rde1 Rd5 29.Rxd5 Qxd5 30.Re5 Qd7 31.Qe1 Rc8 32.b4 Qd8 33.Ra5 Qd7 34.h3 f6 35.Rxa7 Qd5 36.Ra5 Qd7 37.Ra7 Qd5 38.Ra5 Qd7 39.Qe4 Bf7 40.Qf5 Re8 41.Kh2 Qb7 42.a3 Rd8 43.h4 h5 44.Nf2 Qd7 45.Ra6 Qe8 46.Qa5 Bg6 47.Nd3 Kh7 48.Qb6 Rc8 49.a4 Bf5 50.a5 c5 51.bxc5 Bxd3 52.cxd3 Nxc5 53.Ra7 Qg6 54.Rc7 Rxc7 55.Bxc7 Nxd3 56.Qxd4 Ne5 57.Bxe5

Remarks: Karpov also won Game 2, a Ruy Lopez (Berlin) opening. Korchnoi resigned on move 57. If he recaptures the bishop with 57...fxe5, then 58.Qe4 forces off the queens and Black's king is too far away to stop his opponent's passed pawn from queening.

Game 3 White: Korchnoi, Viktor Black: Karpov, Anatoly Queen's Gambit Declined, Tartakower (Makogonov–Bondarevsky) system Result: ½–½ 1.c4 e6 2.Nc3 d5 3.d4 Be7 4.Nf3 Nf6 5.Bg5 h6 6.Bh4 0-0 7.e3 b6 8.Rc1 Bb7 9.Be2 dxc4 10.Bxc4 Nbd7 11.0-0 c5 12.Qe2 a6 13.a4 Ne4 14.Nxe4 Bxe4 15.Bg3 Qc8 16.dxc5 bxc5 17.Nd2 Bc6 18.b3 Rd8 19.Bd3 Qb7 20.f3 Nf6 21.Rfd1 Nd5 22.e4 Nb4 23.Bb1 Be8 24.e5 Nc6 25.Bf2 Nd4 26.Bxd4 Rxd4 27.Be4 Bc6 28.Bxc6 Qxc6 29.Nc4 Rad8 30.Rxd4 cxd4 31.Qd3 Bb4 32.g3 Rb8 33.Kg2 Bc3 34.Rb1 Qd5 35.h4 h5 36.Kf2 Bb4 37.Kg2 Be7 38.Rd1 Qb7 39.Rb1 Qd5 40.Rb2 Bb4 41.Rb1

Remarks: Game 3 was drawn on move 42 with both sides having equal positions and material.

Game 4 White: Karpov, Anatoly Black: Korchnoi, Viktor Petrov's Defence Result: 1–0 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Nxe5 d6 4.Nf3 Nxe4 5.d4 d5 6.Bd3 Be7 7.0-0 Nc6 8.Re1 Bf5 9.Bb5 Bf6 10.Nbd2 0-0 11.Nf1 Ne7 12.c3 Ng6 13.Bd3 Nd6 14.Bxf5 Nxf5 15.Qb3 b6 16.Qb5 a6 17.Qd3 Qd7 18.Ng3 Nxg3 19.hxg3 a5 20.Bg5 Bxg5 21.Nxg5 Rfe8 22.b3 Rad8 23.Nf3 f6 24.Nd2 Kf7 25.Nf1 h5 26.Rxe8 Rxe8 27.Qf3 Rh8 28.Ne3 Ne7 29.Re1 g6 30.Qf4 Kg7 31.g4 g5 32.Qf3 hxg4 33.Nxg4 Qd6 34.g3 c6 35.c4 f5 36.Qe3 Ng6 37.c5 Qd8 38.Ne5 bxc5 39.Nxc6 Qf6 40.Qe6 cxd4 41.Qxd5 d3 42.Qd7+ Qf7 43.Ne7 Kh7 44.Kg2 Re8 45.Rh1+ Nh4+ 46.gxh4 Qxe7 47.Qxf5+ Kg7 48.hxg5 Qb7+ 49.f3 Re2+ 50.Kf1 Kg8 51.Qxd3 Re6 52.Qd8+ Kg7 53.Qd4+ 1–0

Remarks: Karpov won his third game in a queen ending with overpowering advantage (both sides possessing a Rook & Queen, but White with a 3 pawn advantage).

Game 5 White: Korchnoi, Viktor Black: Karpov, Anatoly Queen's Gambit Declined Result: ½–½