| Holzoster am SeeHolzoster am See· Oct 25 – 30, 1981 | Oct 25 – 30, 1981 | Classical | 30 | 2354 | 43 |
| 3. TournamentThessaloniki 3rd Tournament· Oct 15 – 27, 1981 | Oct 15 – 27, 1981 | Classical | 8 | 2258 | 7 |
Hradec Kralove Hradec Kralove CZE· Oct 12 – 25, 1981 | Oct 12 – 25, 1981 | Classical | 21 | 2390 | 122 |
Rois Montreal CAN· Sep 15 – Oct 13, 1981 | Sep 15 – Oct 13, 1981 | Classical | 8 | 1900 | 7 |
Montreal Rois Montreal CAN· Sep 15 – Oct 13, 1981 | Sep 15 – Oct 13, 1981 | Classical | 6 | 1794 | 5 |
British Columbia Open Vancouver BC CAN· Oct 10 – 12, 1981 | Oct 10 – 12, 1981 | Classical | 10 | 1980 | 8 |
Korchnoi Montreal CAN· Oct 10 – 12, 1981 | Oct 10 – 12, 1981 | Classical | 11 | 1895 | 10 |
| Monadnock MarathonMonadnock Marathon· 1981 | 1981 | Classical | 9 | 1918 | 8 |
1. Dutch CC Utrecht NED· 1981 | 1981 | Classical | 9 | 1852 | 22 |
BL2-N GER BL2-N GER· 1981 | 1981 | Classical | 56 | 2136 | 77 |
Tilburg Tilburg NED· 1981 | 1981 | Classical | 15 | 2621 | 26 |
| OWL Ch U20Loehne· 1981 | 1981 | Classical | 8 | 2038 | 27 |
Interpolis Tilburg NED· 1981 | 1981 | Classical | 15 | 2619 | 67 |
9. Boris Kostic Memorial Vrsac SRB· Sep 12 – 29, 1981 | Sep 12 – 29, 1981 | Classical | 14 | 2460 | 13 |
Ottawa Open Ottawa CAN· Sep 25, 1981 | Sep 25, 1981 | Classical | 8 | 1835 | 5 |
Budapest HUN Budapest HUN· Sep 9 – 23, 1981 | Sep 9 – 23, 1981 | Classical | 37 | 2246 | 28 |
| Budapest op. ChBudapest op. ch· Sep 8 – 23, 1981 | Sep 8 – 23, 1981 | Classical | 46 | 2251 | 40 |
Vrsac Vrsac SRB· Sep 21, 1981 | Sep 21, 1981 | Classical | 20 | 2444 | 120 |
Athens GRE Athens GRE· Sep 16 – 20, 1981 | Sep 16 – 20, 1981 | Classical | 20 | 2194 | 17 |
Athens Athens GRE· Sep 17 – 20, 1981 | Sep 17 – 20, 1981 | Classical | 46 | 2199 | 40 |
Budapest ch-HUN Budapest ch-HUN· Jun 17 – Sep 19, 1981 | Jun 17 – Sep 19, 1981 | Classical | 37 | 2235 | 25 |
September Hexagonal Vancouver BC CAN· Sep 12 – 13, 1981 | Sep 12 – 13, 1981 | Classical | 6 | 2002 | 5 |
Benedictine IV Manchester ENG· Sep 4 – 12, 1981 | Sep 4 – 12, 1981 | Classical | 67 | 2289 | 111 |
Manchester Open Manchester ENG· Sep 6 – 11, 1981 | Sep 6 – 11, 1981 | Classical | 20 | 2395 | 13 |
Budapest Budapest HUN· Sep 8, 1981 | Sep 8, 1981 | Classical | 78 | 2228 | 115 |
| East Lansing, Mich.East Lansing, Mich.· Sep 4 – 7, 1981 | Sep 4 – 7, 1981 | Classical | 6 | 1930 | 5 |
Montreal Open Montreal CAN· Sep 5 – 7, 1981 | Sep 5 – 7, 1981 | Classical | 17 | 2036 | 14 |
Labour Day Open Toronto CAN· Sep 5 – 7, 1981 | Sep 5 – 7, 1981 | Classical | 14 | 2140 | 11 |
Lloyds Bank Masters 05th London ENG· Aug 25 – Sep 2, 1981 | Aug 25 – Sep 2, 1981 | Classical | 80 | 2306 | 114 |
Jacksonville playoff Jacksonville, FL USA· 1981 | 1981 | Classical | 5 | 2545 | 12 |
| AnapaAnapa· 1981 | 1981 | Classical | 14 | 2326 | 16 |
Lloyds Bank Masters London ENG· Aug 25 – 30, 1981 | Aug 25 – 30, 1981 | Classical | 10 | 2316 | 5 |
| FRA Ch 55thVitrolles· Aug 19 – 29, 1981 | Aug 19 – 29, 1981 | Classical | 22 | 2171 | 27 |
| VitrollesVitrolles· Aug 24 – 29, 1981 | Aug 24 – 29, 1981 | Classical | 9 | 2251 | 5 |
WchT U26 Graz AUT· Aug 18 – 28, 1981 | Aug 18 – 28, 1981 | Classical | 156 | 2240 | 173 |
WchT U26 Graz AUT WchT U26 Graz AUT· Aug 17 – 28, 1981 | Aug 17 – 28, 1981 | Classical | 129 | 2286 | 158 |
| USSRUSSR· Aug 27, 1981 | Aug 27, 1981 | Classical | 167 | 2345 | 202 |
Lloyds Bank Open London ENG· Aug 27, 1981 | Aug 27, 1981 | Classical | 19 | 2387 | 11 |
Match 5 Montreal CAN· Jun 15 – Aug 25, 1981 | Jun 15 – Aug 25, 1981 | Classical | 2 | 1166 | 8 |
Sochi Sochi RUS Sochi Sochi RUS· Aug 25, 1981 | Aug 25, 1981 | Classical | 11 | 2424 | 12 |
| Graz WTch juniorGraz WTch jr· Aug 17 – 25, 1981 | Aug 17 – 25, 1981 | Classical | 181 | 2237 | 308 |
Graz WTch junior WchT U26 Graz AUT· Aug 22, 1981 | Aug 22, 1981 | Classical | 11 | 2468 | 9 |
ITW Invitation Perth AUS· Aug 16 – 22, 1981 | Aug 16 – 22, 1981 | Classical | 7 | 1944 | 11 |
| YugoslaviaYugoslavia· Feb 6 – Aug 22, 1981 | Feb 6 – Aug 22, 1981 | Classical | 52 | 2390 | 67 |
Riga Riga LAT· Aug 2 – 22, 1981 | Aug 2 – 22, 1981 | Classical | 23 | 2436 | 155 |
| Graz ch world3 juniorGraz ch world3 jr· Aug 20, 1981 | Aug 20, 1981 | Classical | 26 | 2133 | 17 |
| VictoriaVictoria· Aug 15 – 16, 1981 | Aug 15 – 16, 1981 | Classical | 6 | 2261 | 5 |
| AUT ChAustria· Aug 2 – 16, 1981 | Aug 2 – 16, 1981 | Classical | 16 | 2239 | 71 |
| USA OpenPalo Alto, CA· Aug 2 – 14, 1981 | Aug 2 – 14, 1981 | Classical | 12 | 1611 | 11 |
| Vancouver OpenVancouver· Aug 4 – 14, 1981 | Aug 4 – 14, 1981 | Classical | 25 | 2296 | 48 |