Photo: Korchnoi – Spassky, Candidates Final, Belgrade 1978 Add to Watch List Watching View Watchlist >

Press photo from the Candidates Final match between Korchnoi and Spassky, held in Belgrade from November 21, 1977, to January 11, 1978. Dimensions: 27.7 x 20.9 cm. 

The photo captures the end of the final 18th game, played on January 11, 1978. 

Historical Context: The match began well for Korchnoi, who led 6.5-2.5 after nine games. In Game 10, Spassky started using an unusual psychological tactic by leaving the board to analyze in his private box, merely by watching the demonstration board. Spectators thus witnessed a bizarre scene: the chessboard table remained completely deserted, sometimes for as long as 20 minutes. The strategy proved effective, narrowing the score to just one point. However, Korchnoi responded with two wins and secured overall victory 10.5-7.5. The protest-filled match foreshadowed even greater controversies in the following match in Baguio during the Karpov-Korchnoi clash. 

Condition - Fair to Good: The photograph shows authentic editorial wear consistent with its age and use in a newsroom. There are black crop marks in the corners, applied by the art department to indicate the layout for publication. The top edge is serrated, which is characteristic of press prints torn from a roll. There are visible handling creases and folds along the white margins, predominantly on the left side. The right side of the photo is somewhat blurry. On the reverse side, there is a stamp from The Daily Telegraph dated January 13, 1978, and a glued-on newspaper clipping with a printed caption. In addition, there are various authentic handwritten editorial notes and layout instructions in pen and marker, including the filing number "A. 43303", a circled "S", and sizing/page marks (e.g., "P19"), fully documenting its genuine working history in the British press.