Melbourne Melbourne AUS· Dec 29 – 31, 1981 | Dec 29 – 31, 1981 | Classical | 7 | 2245 | 5 |
Porz Porz GER· Dec 31, 1981 | Dec 31, 1981 | Classical | 17 | 2442 | 22 |
| FRG Open U18 10thOdenthal Eikamp· Dec 28 – 31, 1981 | Dec 28 – 31, 1981 | Classical | 18 | 2222 | 29 |
Myer AUS Ch Melbourne AUS· Dec 29 – 31, 1981 | Dec 29 – 31, 1981 | Classical | 29 | 2231 | 34 |
CAN Ch U20 1981 Vancouver BC CAN· Dec 21 – 31, 1981 | Dec 21 – 31, 1981 | Classical | 13 | 1986 | 16 |
Montreal Pere Noel Open Montreal CAN· Dec 26 – 29, 1981 | Dec 26 – 29, 1981 | Classical | 6 | 2070 | 5 |
Pere Noel Montreal CAN· Dec 26 – 29, 1981 | Dec 26 – 29, 1981 | Classical | 8 | 1860 | 6 |
| It women Novi Sad YUGIt women Novi Sad YUG· Dec 10 – 22, 1981 | Dec 10 – 22, 1981 | Classical | 12 | 2018 | 24 |
Brighton International 3rd Brighton ENG· Dec 16 – 21, 1981 | Dec 16 – 21, 1981 | Classical | 7 | 2264 | 7 |
URS-ch49 Frunze KGZ· Dec 21, 1981 | Dec 21, 1981 | Classical | 19 | 2442 | 33 |
Novi Sad women Novi Sad SRB· Nov 22 – Dec 20, 1981 | Nov 22 – Dec 20, 1981 | Classical | 11 | 2029 | 22 |
| LaBates 1. FuturityDowney, CA· Dec 10 – 19, 1981 | Dec 10 – 19, 1981 | Classical | 11 | 2241 | 8 |
It women Novi Sad SRB· Nov 22 – Dec 19, 1981 | Nov 22 – Dec 19, 1981 | Classical | 8 | 1944 | 11 |
| US OPENPalo Alto· Jan 15 – Dec 19, 1981 | Jan 15 – Dec 19, 1981 | Classical | 289 | 2053 | 290 |
| Dearborn, Mich.Dearborn, Mich.· Jan 24 – Dec 18, 1981 | Jan 24 – Dec 18, 1981 | Classical | 23 | 1695 | 23 |
| Tromsoe CC ChTromsoe· Sep 17 – Dec 15, 1981 | Sep 17 – Dec 15, 1981 | Classical | 11 | 1973 | 31 |
| Mechanics Institute· Dec 15, 1981 | Dec 15, 1981 | Classical | 18 | 2148 | 18 |
Ontario Ch U16 Toronto CAN· Dec 11 – 13, 1981 | Dec 11 – 13, 1981 | Classical | 11 | 2115 | 19 |
| Regency Masters 3rdRamsgate· Dec 5 – 13, 1981 | Dec 5 – 13, 1981 | Classical | 59 | 2285 | 230 |
Releve Montreal CAN· Oct 24 – Dec 12, 1981 | Oct 24 – Dec 12, 1981 | Classical | 5 | 2137 | 7 |
| RamsgateRamsgate· Dec 11, 1981 | Dec 11, 1981 | Classical | 13 | 2337 | 7 |
| Solihull Handicap· Jan 15 – Dec 10, 1981 | Jan 15 – Dec 10, 1981 | Classical | 6 | 1819 | 5 |
| Duitsland ttDuitsland tt· Jan 10 – Dec 6, 1981 | Jan 10 – Dec 6, 1981 | Classical | 218 | 2260 | 773 |
Bundesliga 8182 GER· Oct 11 – Dec 5, 1981 | Oct 11 – Dec 5, 1981 | Classical | 50 | 2209 | 35 |
Lewisham International 1st London ENG· Nov 24 – Dec 3, 1981 | Nov 24 – Dec 3, 1981 | Classical | 42 | 2220 | 147 |
Jules Therien mem. Quebec CAN· Oct 28 – Dec 2, 1981 | Oct 28 – Dec 2, 1981 | Classical | 8 | 1989 | 7 |
Hastings ENG Hastings ENG· 1981 | 1981 | Classical | 11 | 2480 | 9 |
Brighton Brighton ENG· 1981 | 1981 | Classical | 11 | 2323 | 42 |
| Frunze ch-URSFrunze ch-URS· 1981 | 1981 | Classical | 21 | 2406 | 142 |
Hastings8182 Hastings ENG· 1981 | 1981 | Classical | 17 | 2506 | 108 |
Scarborough Open Scarborough CAN· Nov 27 – 29, 1981 | Nov 27 – 29, 1981 | Classical | 6 | 1794 | 5 |
Dresden Post 1st Dresden GER· Nov 22 – 29, 1981 | Nov 22 – 29, 1981 | Classical | 10 | 2281 | 18 |
Fall Open Nanaimo CAN· Nov 29, 1981 | Nov 29, 1981 | Classical | 8 | 1741 | 5 |
NED Ch sf Eindhoven NED· Nov 15 – 29, 1981 | Nov 15 – 29, 1981 | Classical | 19 | 2282 | 18 |
BUL Ch Sofia BUL BUL-ch Sofia BUL· Nov 12 – 29, 1981 | Nov 12 – 29, 1981 | Classical | 19 | 2359 | 140 |
| Telechess ol2 8182telex· Jun 30 – Nov 28, 1981 | Jun 30 – Nov 28, 1981 | Classical | 37 | 2425 | 20 |
| Solihull Club Championship· Jan 10 – Nov 26, 1981 | Jan 10 – Nov 26, 1981 | Classical | 7 | 1819 | 7 |
BUL Ch Sofia BUL· Nov 13 – 19, 1981 | Nov 13 – 19, 1981 | Classical | 16 | 2347 | 14 |
| 1. division 1981-82Denmark· Nov 14 – 15, 1981 | Nov 14 – 15, 1981 | Classical | 20 | 2188 | 12 |
Tatran Cup Stary Smokovec SVK Tatran Cup Stary Smokovec SVK· Oct 30 – Nov 13, 1981 | Oct 30 – Nov 13, 1981 | Classical | 14 | 2327 | 70 |
12. North Am.CC (ACM) Los Angeles, CA USA· Nov 8 – 11, 1981 | Nov 8 – 11, 1981 | Classical | 14 | 1879 | 18 |
Automne/Fall Open Montreal CAN· Nov 7 – 8, 1981 | Nov 7 – 8, 1981 | Classical | 8 | 1934 | 6 |
Ontario Ch U20 Toronto CAN· Nov 6 – 8, 1981 | Nov 6 – 8, 1981 | Classical | 12 | 2141 | 29 |
| BundesligaBundesliga· Nov 7, 1981 | Nov 7, 1981 | Classical | 11 | 2397 | 7 |
NWC January Open Seattle, WA USA· Nov 7, 1981 | Nov 7, 1981 | Classical | 9 | 2230 | 5 |
World Championship 30th Meran ITA· Nov 5, 1981 | Nov 5, 1981 | Classical | 2 | 2693 | 16 |
HUN-DDR U30 Budapest HUN· Nov 4 – 5, 1981 | Nov 4 – 5, 1981 | Classical | 14 | 2351 | 13 |
Hungary Budapest HUN· Sep 23 – Nov 4, 1981 | Sep 23 – Nov 4, 1981 | Classical | 10 | 2421 | 6 |
| Berkeley CalChess Masters· 1981 | 1981 | Classical | 14 | 2159 | 12 |
| CalChess MastersBerkeley· 1981 | 1981 | Classical | 42 | 2221 | 147 |