15 April 2012

The Great Pretenders

I've already noted that There's Gold in Them Thar Score Sheets!, and the item pictured below is another example. The title of the auction was 'Soviet Chess Score Sheet 1974 Karpov - Polugaevsky Signed, Pretenders Tournament', where 'Pretenders Tournament' means 'Candidates Matches', as in 1973-75 Candidates Matches.

The seller of the item was bulkcover, who is often featured in this series on Top eBay Chess Items by Price and was last seen in World Championship Chess Pins. The scoresheet received 36 bids from six bidders, finally selling for US $741. The description mentioned that it is indeed the original (not a carbon copy).

Up for the auction the original score sheet of the World Chess Crown Pretenders Selection Tournament played in Moscow in Jan 1974, from the game Karpov - Polugaevsky (game nr.6). The official stationery printed sheet of Moscow Central Chess Club, game recorded by hand of GM Anatoly Karpov in Russian chess notation and signed by him in front side and by GM Lev Polugaevsky on the backside, not signed by the arbiters of tournament. In very good condition, unique item. Sized 10 x 29 cm.

For the complete game score, see Anatoli Karpov vs Lev Polugaevsky; Moscow cqf 1974 on Chessgames.com. Karpov won the quarterfinal match against Polugaevsky, then beat Spassky in the semifinal match and Korchnoi in the final match. In 1975 he won the World Champion title by default when Fischer refused to play.

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