When the former chess prodigy and winner of two interzonal tournaments - Brasilia 1973 and Philippines 1976, Enrike Meking, was forced to withdraw from the Rio de Janeiro 1979 Interzonal Tournament due to health reasons - after the second round - and it seemed that the tournament would be a huge fiasco. The indignation of Brazilian chess fans reached such a point that even the most temperamental ones broke into their favorite's hotel room, wanting him to return to the tournament hall.
Fortunately for chess fans there, Meking was replaced - with the consent of the other competitors - by a 22-year-old architecture student, Žaime Sunje and - without a day of preparation - both theoretical and psychological, accepted to fight against the great matadors of the black and white fields - Petrosjana, Portiša, Hibnera, Ivkova, Balašova, Timana…
…But that wasn't the end of the surprises…
This completely unknown Brazilian master by European standards became a favorite of Brazilian chess players overnight.
He defeated first-place Portis, drew with former world champion Petrosyan and fourth-place Timan, defeated Smiled, Weight, Velimirović… and it's a real shame that three draws with the three lowest-placed competitors in the interzonal tournament cost him (Bronstein, Hebert and Kagan), prevented him from staging one of the greatest sensations in the history of modern chess. Thus, he shared a "just" fifth-sixth place with B. Ivkov, once a participant in candidate matches.
From the 1979 Rio de Janeiro interzonal tournament, we report the Brazilian's impressive victory over Russian grandmaster Balashov.
(Game analysis in the printed edition)
Prepared by: Nebojša Knežević
Bonus video:
