The 1981 World Chess Championship was played between Anatoly Karpov and Viktor Korchnoi in Merano, Italy from October 1 to November 19, 1981.

Home favourite Henrique Mecking (rating 2615) had to withdraw after two rounds, having drawn both his games against Ivkov and Smejkal.

Game 2 White: Karpov, Anatoly Black: Korchnoi, Viktor Ruy Lopez, Berlin Defence, Open variation Result: 1-0 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 4.O-O Nxe4 5.d4 Be7 6.Qe2 Nd6 7.Bxc6 bxc6 8.dxe5 Nb7 9.Nc3 O-O 10.Re1 Nc5 11.Be3 Ne6 12.Rad1 d5 13.exd6 cxd6 14.Nd4 Bd7 15.Nf5 d5 16.Nxe7+ Qxe7 17.Qd2 Qh4 18.Ne2 Rfe8 19.b3 Re7 20.Ng3 Qf6 21.f3 Be8 22.Ne2 h6 23.Bf2 Qg6 24.Nc1 d4 25.Nd3 Qf6 26.Bg3 Rd7 27.Re5 Qd8 28.Rde1 Rd5 29.Rxd5 Qxd5 30.Re5 Qd7 31.Qe1 Rc8 32.b4 Qd8 33.Ra5 Qd7 34.h3 f6 35.Rxa7 Qd5 36.Ra5 Qd7 37.Ra7 Qd5 38.Ra5 Qd7 39.Qe4 Bf7 40.Qf5 Re8 41.Kh2 Qb7 42.a3 Rd8 43.h4 h5 44.Nf2 Qd7 45.Ra6 Qe8 46.Qa5 Bg6 47.Nd3 Kh7 48.Qb6 Rc8 49.a4 Bf5 50.a5 c5 51.bxc5 Bxd3 52.cxd3 Nxc5 53.Ra7 Qg6 54.Rc7 Rxc7 55.Bxc7 Nxd3 56.Qxd4 Ne5 57.Bxe5 1-0 Remarks: Karpov also won Game 2, a Ruy Lopez (Berlin) opening.

Game 5 White: Korchnoi, Viktor Black: Karpov, Anatoly Queen's Gambit Declined Result: 1/2-1/2 1.c4 e6 2.Nc3 d5 3.d4 Be7 4.Nf3 Nf6 5.Bg5 h6 6.Bh4 O-O 7.Rc1 b6 8.cxd5 Nxd5 9.Nxd5 exd5 10.Bxe7 Qxe7 11.g3 Ba6 12.e3 c5 13.dxc5 bxc5 14.Bxa6 Nxa6 15.Qxd5 Nb4 16.Qc4 Qf6 17.Nh4 Qxb2 18.O-O Qxa2 19.Qxa2 Nxa2 20.Rxc5 Rfc8 21.Ra5 Nc1 22.Nf5 Rc7 23.Nd4 Rb8 24.Ra1 Nd3 25.Rfd1 Ne5 26.Ra2 g6 27.Rda1 Rbb7 28.h3 h5 29.Kg2 Kg7 30.Ra5 Nc6 31.Nxc6 Rxc6 32.Rxa7 Rxa7 33.Rxa7 Rc2 34.e4 Rc3 35.Ra2 Kf6 36.f3 Rb3 37.Kf2 Rc3 38.Ke2 Rb3 39.Ra6+ Ke7 40.Ra5 Kf6 41.Rd5 Ra3 42.Rd6+ Kg7 43.h4 Rb3 44.Rd3 Rb5 45.Ke3 1/2-1/2 Remarks: This match resulted in a rook ending where Black was down a pawn, but both sides were effectively stalemated as neither were able to advance their pawns.

Game 9 White: Korchnoi, Viktor Black: Karpov, Anatoly Queen's Gambit Declined Result: 0-1 1.c4 e6 2.Nc3 d5 3.d4 Be7 4.Nf3 Nf6 5.Bg5 h6 6.Bh4 O-O 7.Rc1 dxc4 8.e3 c5 9.Bxc4 cxd4 10.exd4 Nc6 11.O-O Nh5 12.Bxe7 Nxe7 13.Bb3 Nf6 14.Ne5 Bd7 15.Qe2 Rc8 16.Ne4 Nxe4 17.Qxe4 Bc6 18.Nxc6 Rxc6 19.Rc3 Qd6 20.g3 Rd8 21.Rd1 Rb6 22.Qe1 Qd7 23.Rcd3 Rd6 24.Qe4 Qc6 25.Qf4 Nd5 26.Qd2 Qb6 27.Bxd5 Rxd5 28.Rb3 Qc6 29.Qc3 Qd7 30.f4 b6 31.Rb4 b5 32.a4 bxa4 33.Qa3 a5 34.Rxa4 Qb5 35.Rd2 e5 36.fxe5 Rxe5 37.Qa1 Qe8 38.dxe5 Rxd2 39.Rxa5 Qc6 40.Ra8+ Kh7 41.Qb1+ g6 42.Qf1 Qc5+ 43.Kh1 Qd5+ 0-1 Remarks: After two draws, Karpov scored another win by forcing his opponent into a position where he could not protect his pawns and at the same time guard against mate.

Game 11 White: Korchnoi, Viktor Black: Karpov, Anatoly Queen's Gambit Declined Result: 1/2-1/2 1.c4 e6 2.Nc3 d5 3.d4 Be7 4.Nf3 Nf6 5.Bf4 O-O 6.e3 c5 7.dxc5 Bxc5 8.Qc2 Nc6 9.Rd1 Qa5 10.a3 Be7 11.Nd2 e5 12.Bg5 d4 13.Nb3 Qd8 14.Be2 a5 15.exd4 a4 16.Nxa4 Nxd4 17.Nxd4 exd4 18.b3 Qa5+ 19.Qd2 Bxa3 20.Qxa5 Rxa5 21.Bxf6 Bb4+ 22.Kf1 gxf6 23.Rxd4 Re5 24.g4 b5 25.cxb5 Bb7 26.f3 Rfe8 27.Bd1 Rxb5 28.Kg2 Kg7 29.Kf2 Ba5 30.Rf1 Re7 31.h3 h6 32.Bc2 Rc7 33.Rc4 Rxc4 34.bxc4 Rb4 35.c5 Bc6 1/2-1/2 Remarks: Drawn on move 36.

Game 12 White: Karpov, Anatoly Black: Korchnoi, Viktor English Opening Result: 1/2-1/2 1.c4 Nf6 2.Nc3 d5 3.cxd5 Nxd5 4.Nf3 Nxc3 5.bxc3 g6 6.d4 Bg7 7.e3 c5 8.Bb5+ Nd7 9.O-O O-O 10.a4 a6 11.Bd3 b6 12.Rb1 Bb7 13.e4 Qc7 14.Re1 e6 15.e5 h6 16.h4 Rfd8 17.Bf4 Nf8 18.Be3 Rab8 19.Qe2 Bc6 20.Bxa6 cxd4 21.cxd4 Bxa4 22.Nd2 Qc6 23.Rec1 Qa8 24.Bd3 Bc6 25.f3 b5 26.Nb3 Rbc8 27.Nc5 Nd7 28.Ne4 Bxe4 29.Rxc8 Qxc8 30.Bxe4 Qc4 31.Bd3 Qc3 32.Bxb5 Nb6 33.Qd3 Nd5 34.Bf2 h5 35.Qxc3 Nxc3 36.Rb3 Nd1 37.Rd3 Nxf2 38.Kxf2 Rb8 39.Bc4 Rb2+ 40.Kg3 Rb4 41.Rc3 Rb8 42.f4 Rc8 43.Kf2 Bf8 44.Ke3 Bb4 45.Rc1 Ba3 46.Rc2 Bb4 47.Rc1 1/2-1/2 Remarks: Another draw with both kings secure behind their pawns.

Game 14 White: Karpov, Anatoly Black: Korchnoi, Viktor Ruy Lopez, Open (Tarrasch) Defence Result: 1-0 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.O-O Nxe4 6.d4 b5 7.Bb3 d5 8.dxe5 Be6 9.Nbd2 Nc5 10.c3 d4 11.Bxe6 Nxe6 12.cxd4 Ncxd4 13.Ne4 Be7 14.Be3 Nxf3+ 15.Qxf3 O-O 16.Rfd1 Qe8 17.Nf6+ Bxf6 18.exf6 Qc8 19.fxg7 Rd8 20.h4 c5 21.Rac1 Qc7 22.h5 Qe5 23.h6 Qxb2 24.Rd7 Rxd7 25.Qxa8+ Rd8 26.Qxa6 Qe2 27.Rf1 Rd1 28.Qa8+ Rd8 29.Qc6 b4 30.Qa4 Qd3 31.Rc1 Qd5 32.Qb3 Qe4 33.Qc2 Qxc2 34.Rxc2 f5 35.f4 Kf7 36.g4 Rd5 37.gxf5 Rxf5 38.Rd2 Rf6 39.Rd7+ Kg8 40.f5 Rxf5 41.Re7 Nxg7 42.Rxg7+ Kh8 43.Rc7 Kg8 44.Bxc5 Rg5+ 45.Kf2 Rg6 46.Be3 1-0 Remarks: Korchnoi gets the tables turned on him in this Ruy Lopez and throws in the towel after finding himself unable to both protect his passed pawn and stop White's from queening.

Game 15 White: Korchnoi, Viktor Black: Karpov, Anatoly English Opening, Four knights, kingside Fianchetto Result: 1/2-1/2 1.c4 Nf6 2.Nc3 e5 3.Nf3 Nc6 4.g3 Bb4 5.Nd5 Bc5 6.Bg2 d6 7.O-O O-O 8.e3 Bg4 9.h3 Bxf3 10.Bxf3 Nxd5 11.cxd5 Ne7 12.b3 Qd7 13.Bg2 c6 14.dxc6 Nxc6 15.Bb2 d5 16.Bxe5 Nxe5 17.d4 Bd6 18.dxe5 Bxe5 19.Rc1 d4 20.Rc5 Bf6 21.Rd5 Qc7 22.exd4 Rad8 23.Qc1 Qb6 24.Rxd8 Rxd8 25.d5 g6 26.Bf3 Kg7 27.Re1 Rd7 28.Qf4 Re7 29.Rxe7 Bxe7 30.Kg2 a5 31.h4 h5 32.Be2 Bc5 33.Bc4 Qf6 34.Qd2 b6 35.a4 Qe5 36.Qd3 Qf6 37.Qd2 Qe5 38.Be2 Qe4+ 39.Bf3 Qe5 40.Bd1 Qe4+ 1/2-1/2 Remarks: Another draw with strong pawn fortifications.

Game 16 White: Karpov, Anatoly Black: Korchnoi, Viktor Ruy Lopez, Open (Tarrasch) Defence Result: 1/2-1/2 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.O-O Nxe4 6.d4 b5 7.Bb3 d5 8.dxe5 Be6 9.Nbd2 Nc5 10.c3 d4 11.Bxe6 Nxe6 12.cxd4 Ncxd4 13.Ne4 Be7 14.Be3 Nf5 15.Qc2 O-O 16.Neg5 Bxg5 17.Nxg5 g6 18.Nxe6 fxe6 19.Rae1 Qd5 20.b3 Rac8 21.Bc5 Rfd8 22.h3 Qc6 23.b4 Rd7 24.Rd1 Rcd8 25.Rxd7 Rxd7 26.Re1 Qd5 27.a4 Nh4 28.f3 Nf5 29.axb5 axb5 30.Qe2 Qc6 31.Rc1 Rd8 32.Be3 Qd5 33.Bf2 c6 34.Qe1 Qb3 35.Ra1 Qb2 36.Rb1 Qa2 37.Rd1 Rd5 38.Rxd5 cxd5 39.g4 Ng7 40.Bc5 h6 41.Qe3 Qc2 42.Kf1 g5 1/2-1/2 Remarks: Drawn on move 43 with equal positions.

Game 17 White: Korchnoi, Viktor Black: Karpov, Anatoly Queen's Gambit Declined Result: 1/2-1/2 1.Nf3 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 d5 4.d4 Be7 5.Bg5 h6 6.Bh4 O-O 7.Rc1 dxc4 8.e3 c5 9.Bxc4 cxd4 10.Nxd4 Bd7 11.Be2 Nc6 12.Nb3 Nd5 13.Bxe7 Ncxe7 14.Nxd5 Nxd5 15.Qd4 Bc6 16.Bf3 Ne7 17.Bxc6 Nxc6 18.Qxd8 Rfxd8 19.Ke2 Rac8 20.a3 Kf8 21.Rc2 Ne7 22.Rhc1 Rxc2+ 23.Rxc2 Ke8 1/2-1/2 Remarks: Another draw with equal positions.