The Tournoi of Linares is recognized like most prestigious of the tournaments of failures. It is held each year, of at the end of February at mid-March, in the town of Linares, in Andalusia (Spain). It is called sometimes the “Wimbledon failures”.

The tournament, organized by Shine Rentero, was created in 1978; the winner of this first edition, which did not accommodate the world elite yet, was the Swede Jaan Eslon.

He was held thereafter the odd years only, always on invitation.

In 1987, the tournament was exceptionally replaced by the final of the Candidates between Anatoli Karpov and Andrei Sokolov, to determine which would face then the world champion in title, Garry Kasparov.

Since 1988, it takes place each year (except in 1996 when it is replaced by the finale of the Championship of the female World). At this period, the tournament sees a dozen players clashing in simple round, each one playing once against each other player.

Since 1998, the tournament is with double round (i.e. each player meets the 6 others 2 times, once with the White, once with the Blacks).

Since 2006, the first 7 rounds took place with Morelia, with the Mexico, the 7 following ones being unrolled in Linares.

Luis Rentero is known to be adverse savage with the null rapids with the failures, known as “null of living room”, so much so that it went until offering special prices in liquid to those which would play the longest parts.

In Linares, the system of decides between is traditionally the number of victories.

Winners

• 1978 : Jaan Eslon and Roberto Debarnot
• 1979: Larry Christiansen
• 1981 : Anatoli Karpov and Larry Christiansen
• 1983: Boris Spassky
• 1985: Ljubomir Ljubojević and Robert Hübner
• 1988: Jan Timman
• 1989 : Vasily Ivanchuk
• 1990 : Garry Kasparov
• 1991 : Vasily Ivanchuk
• 1992 : Garry Kasparov
• 1993 : Garry Kasparov
• 1994 : Anatoly Karpov
• 1995 : Vasily Ivanchuk
• 1997 : Garry Kasparov
• 1998 : Viswanathan Anand
• 1999 : Garry Kasparov
• 2000 : Garry Kasparov and Vladimir Kramnik
• 2001: Garry Kasparov
• 2002 : Garry Kasparov
• 2003 : Peter Lékó (victorious with decides between against Vladimir Kramnik, with the number of victories)
• 2004: Vladimir Kramnik
• 2005: Garry Kasparov (victorious with decides between against Veselin Topalov, with the number of victories with the black parts)
• 2006: Levon Aronian
• 2007 : Viswanathan Anand

Remarkable facts

• Vassili Ivanchuk was, in 1989, the first player of the history to be beaten in the same tournament Karpov and Kasparov, by far the two stronger players of the time.

• Karpov carried out, in 1994, a departure époustouflant of 6 victories out of 6. It finished the test with 11 victories in 13 parts, leaving its rival eternal Kasparov with more than 2,5 points and carrying out a performance Elo of: 2976!