Victor Korchnoi: The Exiled Grandmaster Who Defied a Superpower

Viktor Korchnoi’s name echoes not just in the annals of chess history as a legendary player but his presence can be felt in the chronicles of political defiance as well. Born in Leningrad ( now Saint Petersburg, Russia)  on March 23, 1931, Korchnoi grew up amidst wartime hardship and repression in the Soviet Union. Despite these early struggles, he rose through the USSR's chess ranks, winning the Soviet Championship four times. But his greatest battle was not on the board , it was against the state that once nurtured his talent. 

By the 1970s, Korchnoi had become disillusioned with Soviet control over sport and life. Despite being one of the USSR’s most decorated players, he was often sidelined due to his independent thinking and criticism of the regime. In 1976, during a tournament in the Netherlands, Korchnoi made a life-altering decision , he defected. With no money, no citizenship, and his family held hostage in the USSR, Korchnoi became a man without a country. 

The Soviet reaction was swift and brutal. His son Igor was sentenced to two and a half years in a labor camp after attempting to emigrate. Soviet players were banned from competing against him, and the state waged a psychological war to break him. Yet, Korchnoi stood his ground. 

In 1978, he faced Anatoly Karpov, Soviet Union’s golden boy in a politically charged World Championship match in the Philippines. Soviet mind games escalated: mirror sunglasses, suspicious yogurts, and even parapsychologists were allegedly deployed. Despite this barrage, Korchnoi came agonizingly close to victory, forcing a tie before eventually losing. 

Even in exile, Korchnoi never softened his stance. He used every interview and public appearance to highlight Soviet oppression and the plight of his family. His chess became a tool of resistance, his victories symbols of moral triumph. He finally gained Swiss citizenship in 1992 , 16 years after his defection. 

Korchnoi passed away on June 6, 2016, in Wohlen, Switzerland. His life, lived at the intersection of sport and politics, remains a testament to the cost and courage of dissent. More than just a grandmaster, Viktor Korchnoi was a symbol of freedom across the 64 squares.