| USSR Championship (1951) |
|
The 19th Soviet Chess Championship took place in the capital city of Moscow from November 11 to December 14, 1951. Eighteen of the Soviet Union's strongest players, including the reigning world champion, participated in the round robin event. Fourteen of the players qualified from the semi-final tournaments played earlier in the year. Nikolai Novotelnov, Isaac Lipnitsky, and Mark Taimanov qualified from Baku; Vasily Smyslov, Evgeny Terpugov, Oleg Moiseev, and Nikolai Kopilov qualified from Leningrad; Lev Aronin, Vladimir Simagin, and Salomon Flohr qualified from Lvov; and Tigran Petrosian, Efim Geller, Yuri Averbakh, and Isaac Boleslavsky qualified from Sverdlovsk. Boleslavsky fell ill before the final and was therefore replaced by Igor Bondarevsky, who had placed fifth in the Leningrad semi-final. Four invitations were also sent to Paul Keres as returning Soviet Champion, Mikhail Botvinnik as world champion, David Bronstein as world vice-champion, and Alexander Kotov. The assembled field was the strongest in the history of the USSR championship at that time, which makes it an especially impressive victory for Keres. It was his second consecutive Soviet crown and his third overall. He edged out runners-up Petrosian and Geller by half a point, and finished two full points ahead of world champion Botvinnik, who only managed to finish in fifth place. The final standings and crosstable:
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Pts
1 Keres * ½ 1 1 ½ ½ ½ 1 ½ 1 0 0 ½ 1 1 1 1 1 12
=2 Petrosian ½ * ½ 1 ½ ½ ½ 1 ½ 0 0 1 1 1 ½ 1 1 1 11½
=2 Geller 0 ½ * 0 1 ½ 0 1 0 1 1 1 ½ 1 1 1 1 1 11½
4 Smyslov 0 0 1 * 1 0 1 1 1 ½ 1 ½ ½ 1 ½ 1 0 1 11
5 Botvinnik ½ ½ 0 0 * ½ 1 ½ ½ 1 0 ½ ½ ½ 1 1 1 1 10
=6 Averbakh ½ ½ ½ 1 ½ * 0 0 ½ 1 ½ ½ 1 ½ ½ 0 1 1 9½
=6 Bronstein ½ ½ 1 0 0 1 * 1 ½ 0 1 0 ½ ½ ½ ½ 1 1 9½
=6 Taimanov 0 0 0 0 ½ 1 0 * ½ ½ 1 ½ 1 ½ 1 1 1 1 9½
=9 Flohr ½ ½ 1 0 ½ ½ ½ ½ * 0 ½ 1 ½ ½ 1 ½ 0 1 9
=9 Aronin 0 1 0 ½ 0 0 1 ½ 1 * 1 ½ 0 ½ ½ 1 1 ½ 9
11 Kopilov 1 1 0 0 1 ½ 0 0 ½ 0 * 0 1 1 0 1 1 ½ 8½
=12 Kotov 1 0 0 ½ ½ ½ 1 ½ 0 ½ 1 * ½ ½ ½ 0 1 0 8
=12 Bondarevsky ½ 0 ½ ½ ½ 0 ½ 0 ½ 1 0 ½ * ½ 1 0 1 1 8
14 Simagin 0 0 0 0 ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ 0 ½ ½ * 1 ½ 1 1 7½
=15 Moiseev 0 ½ 0 ½ 0 ½ ½ 0 0 ½ 1 ½ 0 0 * ½ 1 1 6½
=15 Lipnitsky 0 0 0 0 0 1 ½ 0 ½ 0 0 1 1 ½ ½ * ½ 1 6½
17 Novotelnov 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 ½ * ½ 3
18 Terpugov 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 ½ ½ 1 0 0 0 0 ½ * 2½
Original collection: Game Collection: USSR Championship 1951, by User: suenteus po 147.
|
|
| page 2 of 7; games 26-50 of 153 |
     |
 |
| Game |
| Result | Moves |
Year | Event/Locale | Opening |
| 26. Bronstein vs O Moiseev |
| ½-½ | 25 | 1951 | USSR Championship | E56 Nimzo-Indian, 4.e3, Main line with 7...Nc6 |
| 27. E Terpugov vs N Kopilov |
| ½-½ | 49 | 1951 | USSR Championship | A43 Old Benoni |
| 28. Botvinnik vs I Lipnitsky |
 | 1-0 | 41 | 1951 | USSR Championship | E40 Nimzo-Indian, 4.e3 |
| 29. Flohr vs Bronstein |
| ½-½ | 30 | 1951 | USSR Championship | E67 King's Indian, Fianchetto |
| 30. Geller vs Keres |
 | 0-1 | 31 | 1951 | USSR Championship | C99 Ruy Lopez, Closed, Chigorin, 12...cd |
| 31. Kotov vs Simagin |
| ½-½ | 66 | 1951 | USSR Championship | A53 Old Indian |
| 32. Bondarevsky vs Petrosian |
| 0-1 | 82 | 1951 | USSR Championship | E71 King's Indian, Makagonov System (5.h3) |
| 33. Averbakh vs Smyslov |
| 1-0 | 40 | 1951 | USSR Championship | C75 Ruy Lopez, Modern Steinitz Defense |
| 34. Taimanov vs N Kopilov |
| 1-0 | 70 | 1951 | USSR Championship | D45 Queen's Gambit Declined Semi-Slav |
| 35. O Moiseev vs N Novotelnov |
| 1-0 | 35 | 1951 | USSR Championship | E45 Nimzo-Indian, 4.e3, Bronstein (Byrne) Variation |
| 36. Aronin vs E Terpugov |
| ½-½ | 36 | 1951 | USSR Championship | A26 English |
| 37. Bronstein vs Botvinnik |
| 0-1 | 50 | 1951 | USSR Championship | D44 Queen's Gambit Declined Semi-Slav |
| 38. N Novotelnov vs Flohr |
| 1-0 | 40 | 1951 | USSR Championship | D29 Queen's Gambit Accepted, Classical |
| 39. E Terpugov vs Geller |
| 0-1 | 33 | 1951 | USSR Championship | A43 Old Benoni |
| 40. Keres vs Bondarevsky |
| ½-½ | 33 | 1951 | USSR Championship | A07 King's Indian Attack |
| 41. Petrosian vs Kotov |
| 1-0 | 52 | 1951 | USSR Championship | E68 King's Indian, Fianchetto, Classical Variation, 8.e4 |
| 42. Simagin vs Averbakh |
| ½-½ | 49 | 1951 | USSR Championship | D32 Queen's Gambit Declined, Tarrasch |
| 43. Smyslov vs O Moiseev |
| ½-½ | 41 | 1951 | USSR Championship | A07 King's Indian Attack |
| 44. I Lipnitsky vs Taimanov |
| 0-1 | 29 | 1951 | USSR Championship | B88 Sicilian, Fischer-Sozin Attack |
| 45. N Kopilov vs Aronin |
| 0-1 | 78 | 1951 | USSR Championship | B90 Sicilian, Najdorf |
| 46. Botvinnik vs N Novotelnov |
| 1-0 | 87 | 1951 | USSR Championship | E45 Nimzo-Indian, 4.e3, Bronstein (Byrne) Variation |
| 47. I Lipnitsky vs Bronstein |
| ½-½ | 89 | 1951 | USSR Championship | B07 Pirc |
| 48. Flohr vs Smyslov |
| 0-1 | 38 | 1951 | USSR Championship | E32 Nimzo-Indian, Classical |
| 49. Geller vs N Kopilov |
| 1-0 | 46 | 1951 | USSR Championship | D46 Queen's Gambit Declined Semi-Slav |
| 50. Kotov vs Keres |
| 1-0 | 40 | 1951 | USSR Championship | E00 Queen's Pawn Game |
|
| page 2 of 7; games 26-50 of 153 |
|
|
|
|
< Earlier Kibitzing · PAGE 2 OF 2 ·
Later Kibitzing> |
Sep-11-18
 | | perfidious: <zydeco....(Keres) was pretty clearly the best player in the world in 1951 -- and made such an impression that the Soviet grandmasters orchestrated a remarkable coup: they dumped Botvinnik, the reigning world champion, from board one on the 1952 Olympiad team, with the rationale that his recent results hadn't been anywhere close to Keres'....> Matter of fact, Botvinnik was dropped from the Soviet side in 1952 altogether. |
|
| Sep-12-18 | | ewan14: Did he not play because he was not to be on board 1 ? |
|
| Sep-12-18 | | ughaibu: Ewan14: No, he was voted off the team by the other players. |
|
Sep-12-18
 | | Retireborn: Botvinnik did play in the next six Olympiads though (as well as the 1961 and 1965 Euros.) |
|
Sep-12-18
| | perfidious: In <Botvinnik's Best Games 1947-70>, at the finish of a game played against one of those who made up the '52 Soviet team, (paraphrasing) 'This game had definite significance for me....a secret ballot in which only one vote was cast for the World Champion. Naturally, I wished to prove that I did not play worse than our "Olympic men".' I have occasionally wondered who cast the one vote in favour of Botvinnik's participation. My first thought: Keres. |
|
Sep-12-18
| | Retireborn: <perfidious> What game was that, do you know? I assume it's from the 20th USSR ch shortly after Helsinki, where he scored +3=2-0 against the team members. |
|
Sep-12-18
 | | Sally Simpson: I do not have the book on hand but according to Wiki (I know not always a reliable source...) Botvinnik says: "..these games (plural) had a definite significance for me..." so he was talking about all three victories. Wiki also states the players voted for the board positions and Botvinnik was not happy with board 2 - Keres was voted board one. I do recall Bronstein saying somewhere it was the board order vote that Botvinnik did not like and he [Bronstein] was voted on as board 4 adding jokingly he thought Botvinnik should have protested over that! |
|
Sep-12-18
| | Sally Simpson: see above.
link to 1952 USSR Championship
USSR Championship (1952) found a mention of what I said above.
http://www.avlerchess.com/chess-mis... SAIDY:
The Soviet olympic team for Helsinki in 1952 was very curious
-- the world champion was omitted. Is it true that your other players
voted him off the team? So democratic!
BRONSTEIN:
No. First, we voted for the team line-up, and we placed
Botvinnik second, after Keres. I was placed fourth.
Botvinnik protested, and declined to take part. Why didn't he
protest that I was placed fourth?
Saidy slipped in [Was it to signify that Keres was
forced to lose to Botvinnik in 1948 for the crown > -- AS] as an after thought. I edited it out as it was misleading. I read the above from somewhere else, it had no mention of Keres. |
|
Sep-12-18
| | perfidious: <Retireborn>, I am doing all this from memory--my copy of Botvinnik's games is in mothballs and I have not read it in years--hence the gaps in my post. Do not recall which game it was. |
|
Sep-12-18
| | Retireborn: Thanks to both. |
|
Sep-12-18
| | Sally Simpson: Hi Perfidious:
"I have occasionally wondered who cast the one vote in favour of Botvinnik's participation. My first thought: Keres." It still may the case that a vote was taken by the players to oust Botvinnik. I speculate that the players where told one of them voted for Botvinnik, but not told which one. (infact none of them did.) So the Soviet Olympiad team were all denying to each other it was not one of them (and all were telling the truth.) but all are thinking 'one of us is lying.' So no one in the team trusted anyone, which is just how the USSR liked it. |
|
| Sep-13-18 | | Howard: Petrosian lost only two games, despite the fact that (according to How to Defend in Chess) his playing style had not evolved into the avoid-losses-at-all-costs stage yet. |
|
| Jan-29-19 | | ughaibu: Presumably it was Botvinnik who voted for himself. |
|
| Jan-29-19 | | whiteshark: <perfidious: ..paraphrasing > Here's Botwinnik's quote (from the intro): "Late in December 1952, in Moscow, the 20th USSR Championship was coming to an end. When I resumed my game from the last round, I was not in the best of spirits. Initially I had retained every chance of winning, but I played weakly, and before Black's 58th move it was already clear that the game should
end in a draw: there were opposite colour bishops. Meanwhile, only success in this game would enable me to catch the leader Mark Taimanov, and keep open an opportunity of fighting for the championship of the country.
And to win this title was simply essential. <A few months earlier, on the proposal of other participants, I had been excluded from the Olympiad team, since, in the opinion of my colleagues, I was now a poor chess player.> The 20th Championship was the first after the Olympiad, and, naturally, I wanted to demonstrate that the World Champion could still perform successfully. I managed to win that last round game (Suetin vs Botvinnik, 1952) and to share first place in the tournament with Taimanov. Our match concluded successfully for me, and for the last (and 7th ) time I won the title of USSR Champion. True, there were a number of adventures in the
match..." |
|
| Jan-29-19 | | ughaibu: Why did Botvinnik state it was his 7th title? Everyone else says it was his 6th. |
|
| Jan-29-19 | | whiteshark: <ugh> Which six of the seven championships do you mean? |
|
| Jan-29-19 | | whiteshark: Aside of 1931, 1933, 1939, 1944, 1945 and 1952
there's USSR Absolute Championship (1941) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mikha... |
|
| Jan-29-19 | | ughaibu: That certainly looks like seven to me. So why is it said the the most Soviet championships were won by Botvinnik and Tal, at six a piece? |
|
Jan-29-19
 | | beatgiant: <ughaibu>
Probably because they don't count USSR Absolute Championship (1941), because of the non-standard format and unusual back-story of that event. |
|
| Jan-29-19 | | ughaibu: Beatgiant: That seems reasonable. The 12th Soviet championship was played before the "absolute championship" and the 13th after it, so the "absolute championship" doesn't appear to be a Soviet championship. I wonder if Botvinnik denied that. |
|
| Jan-29-19 | | Howard: Bit surprising that Iron Tigran lost two games, but then... a) He was only 22 at the time, and still rather inexperienced.
b) I read somewhere once that his "Iron Tigran reputation didn't engender until about the mid-50's. Before that, he was known to take chances in his games. |
|
| Jan-03-24 | | mk volkov: The Uncrowned King won again.
By the way, this championship was a real carnage. The number of resultive games is much higher than draws. |
|
Jun-17-25
| | perfidious: <zydeco....It's interesting to think about Geller and Petrosian playing as a pair. They don't seem to have much in common stylistically or temperamentally -- but rose up through the ranks at exactly the same time....> They were also close friends. |
|
| Jun-17-25 | | Petrosianic: <ughaibu>the "absolute championship" doesn't appear to be a Soviet championship.> It wasn't. It was just a candidates tournament to determine once and for all which Soviet player had the right to challenge Alekhine, regardless of who the Soviet Champion might be when Alekhine became available. |
|
Jun-18-25
| | perfidious: <Howard: Bit surprising that Iron Tigran lost two games, but then...b) I read somewhere once that his "Iron Tigran reputation didn't engender until about the mid-50's. Before that, he was known to take chances in his games.> Petrosian certainly did not indulge himself in safety first tactics in USSR Championship (1957). |
|
|
|
< Earlier Kibitzing · PAGE 2 OF 2 ·
Later Kibitzing> |
|
|
|
NOTE: Create an account today
to post replies and access other powerful features which are available only to registered users.
Becoming a member is free, anonymous, and takes less than 1 minute! If you already have a username,
then simply login login under your username now to join the discussion.
|
Please observe our posting guidelines:
- No obscene, racist, sexist, or profane language.
- No spamming, advertising, duplicate, or gibberish posts.
- No vitriolic or systematic personal attacks against other members.
- Nothing in violation of United States law.
- No cyberstalking or malicious posting of negative or private information (doxing/doxxing) of members.
- No trolling.
- The use of "sock puppet" accounts to circumvent disciplinary action taken by moderators, create a false impression of consensus or support, or stage conversations, is prohibited.
- Do not degrade Chessgames or any of it's staff/volunteers.
Please try to maintain a semblance of civility at all times.
NOTE: Please keep all discussion on-topic.
This forum is for this specific tournament only. To discuss chess or this site in general,
visit the Kibitzer's Café.
|
Messages posted by Chessgames members
do not necessarily represent the views of Chessgames.com, its employees, or sponsors.
All moderator actions taken are ultimately at the sole discretion of the administration. |
Spot an error? Please suggest your correction and help us eliminate database mistakes!
Copyright 2001-2025, Chessgames Services LLC
|
Kibitzing
