The 1962 Candidates Tournament in Curaçao was one of the fiercest chess battles of all time. At
the height of the Cold War eight players contested the right to challenge World Champion
Mikhail Botvinnik. The format of the tournament was a gruelling quadruple round-robin.
Twenty-eight games were to be played on the tropical island in a contest that lasted two
months. The air trembled with drama and intrigue. One of the favourites the brilliant Mikhail
Tal was taken to hospital after 21 rounds and had to withdraw. Three other players from the
Soviet Union Keres Petrosian and Geller were making suspiciously short draws when playing
each other. The two American players came to blows over the services of the second they were
supposed to share. Bella Kortchnoi whose husband took an early lead in the tournament was a
puppet in the hands of the scheming Rona Petrosian the wife of the later winner. And one of
the favourites was a lanky 19-year-old boy from Brooklyn Bobby Fischer who openly accused the
Soviets of collusion and was later proven right. In the end Tigran Petrosian was the winner
and went on to become the new World Champion the following year. But such was the impact of
Fischers accusations that this was the last time such a battle was organised. Henceforth the
challenger to the highest crown was determined in a series of matches. Curaçao 1962 was the
last Candidates Tournament until the concept was restored only in modern times. In Curaçao 1962
Jan Timman returns to this clash of giants and takes a fresh look at the games. Timman
describes the course of the tournament and annotates the most important games (including 16 of
Fischers!) in his usual lucid and instructive style. Curaçao 1962 revives a tradition of great
tournament books such as Alekhines New York 1927 and Bronsteins Zurich 1953. Shortlisted for
the British Chess Federation 2005 Book of the Year Award.
