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TOURNAMENT STANDINGS
USSR Championship Tournament

Evgeni Vasiukov9/12(+8 -2 =2)[games]
Lev Polugaevsky8.5/10(+7 -0 =3)[games]
Mikhail Tal8.5/10(+7 -0 =3)[games]
Mark Taimanov7/9(+5 -0 =4)[games]
Ratmir Kholmov7/10(+6 -2 =2)[games]
Alexander Zaitsev6.5/9(+6 -2 =1)[games]
Viktor Zheliandinov6/11(+4 -3 =4)[games]
Igor Platonov6/8(+4 -0 =4)[games]
Semyon Furman5.5/9(+5 -3 =1)[games]
Yuri Sakharov5.5/8(+5 -2 =1)[games]
Gennady Kuzmin5/9(+3 -2 =4)[games]
Viacheslav Osnos4.5/6(+4 -1 =1)[games]
Mikhail Steinberg4.5/8(+3 -2 =3)[games]
Vladimir Bagirov4.5/8(+4 -3 =1)[games]
Anatoly Lutikov4/7(+4 -3 =0)[games]
Vladimir Tukmakov4/5(+4 -1 =0)[games]
Yuri Shilov4/8(+3 -3 =2)[games]
Vladimir Antoshin4/6(+3 -1 =2)[games]
Georgy Borisenko4/8(+3 -3 =2)[games]
Lev Alburt4/8(+3 -3 =2)[games]
Algimantas Butnorius3.5/7(+3 -3 =1)[games]
Alexander Shamis-Pavlov3.5/8(+3 -4 =1)[games]
Igor Zaitsev3.5/6(+3 -2 =1)[games]
Anatoly Lein3/5(+3 -2 =0)[games]
Vitaly Tseshkovsky3/4(+3 -1 =0)[games]
Valerij Zhuravliov3/6(+3 -3 =0)[games]
Vladimir N Kozlov2.5/3(+2 -0 =1)[games]
Bukhuti Gurgenidze2.5/6(+2 -3 =1)[games]
Vladimir Savon2.5/6(+2 -3 =1)[games]
Naum L Levin2.5/7(+2 -4 =1)[games]
Oleg Chernikov2.5/3(+2 -0 =1)[games]
Rudolf Kimelfeld2/3(+2 -1 =0)[games]
(102 players total; 70 players not shown. Click here for longer list.)

Chessgames.com Chess Event Description
USSR Championship (1967)

The 35th USSR Championship was held in Kharkov from December 7-26, 1967, and was dedicated to the 50th anniversary of the October Revolution which brought the Communist Party to power. For such an occasion, it was felt that a return to mass participation was in order, so the tournament was organized as a 13-round Swiss for 130 players.

Of course, there were other reasons. 1967 had been a very busy year for the top Soviet players, with major international tournaments in Leningrad and Moscow as well as the Sousse Interzonal (1967). Many were expected to skip the Championship to rest, so it seemed a good idea to open things up and see what kind of talent was out there.

Quite a few of the top stars did skip the tournament, and were probably not too disappointed. The Swiss System format proved very unpopular with complaints about the pairings starting in the very first round. By the end, several players had dropped out and the general opinion was that the Swiss System might work well enough in bourgeois nations like the United States, but the Soviet Union would henceforth stick to its elitist round robins. Tal summed up matters well by remarking: "The Swiss System is good: we should adopt it again for the one hundred year anniversary of the Revolution!"

Some future stars did make their debuts, such as Lev Alburt, Mark Dvoretsky, Boris Gulko, Gennady Sosonko, Evgeni Sveshnikov, and Rafael Vaganian. However, the co-champions were the experienced players <Mikhail Tal> and <Lev Polugaevsky>. See for yourself:

Kharkov, Soviet Union (Ukraine), 7-26 December 1967

10.0: 1. Lev Polugaevsky 2. Mikhail Tal

9.5: 3. Evgeni Vasiukov 4. Mark Taimanov 5. Igor Platonov

9.0: 6. Yuri Sakharov 7. Vladimir Antoshin

8.5: 8. Valerij Zhuravliov 9. Vladimir Bagirov 10. Semyon Furman 11. Ratmir Kholmov 12. Viktor Zheliandinov 13. Alexander Zaitsev 14. Alexander Izvozchikov 15. Mikhail Steinberg 16. Viacheslav Osnos 17. Vladimir Tukmakov

8.0: 18. Alexander Chistiakov 19. Eduard Bukhman 20. Lev Alburt 21. Vladimir Savon 22. Alexandr Sinyavsky 23. Anatoly Lein 24. Oleg Donchenko 25. Eduard Mnatsakanian 26. Anatoly Volovich

7.5: 27. Anatoly Lutikov 28. Sergey Krasnov 29. Vitaly Tseshkovsky 30. Bukhuti Gurgenidze 31. Naum L Levin 32. Oleg Pavlenko 33. Yuri Shilov 34. Vitaly Tarasov 35. Gennadi Sosonko 36. Mark Tseitlin 37. Alexander Cherepkov 38. Rashid Nezhmetdinov 39. Elizbar Ubilava 40. Gennady Kuzmin

7.0: 41. Vladimir V Arseniev 42. Viacheslav Dydyshko 43. Samuel Zhukhovitsky 44. Georgy Borisenko 45. Yuri Nikolaevsky 46. Vladimir Doroshkevich 47. Vladas Mikenas 48. L Gudim 49. Janis Klovans 50. Jacob Murey 51. Oleg Privorotsky 52. Ilya Mikliaev 53. Iivo Nei 54. Rudolf Kimelfeld 55. Oleg Chernikov 56. Evgeny Sveshnikov 57. Yuri Gusev

6.5: 58. Algimantas Butnorius 59. Aleksander Nikitin 60. Leonid Slutzky 61. Vanik Zakarian 62. Roman Pelts 63. Nikolay (Yury) Popov 64. Igor Zaitsev 65. Mark Dvoretzky 66. Vladlen Zurakhov 67. Rafael Vaganian 68. Dzhemal Beradze 69. Iosif Slepoy 70. Anatoly Shmit

6.0: 71. Valery Zilberstein 72. Igor Belov 73. Yosef Kagan 74. Valeri Korensky 75. Boris Rumiancevas 76. B Sorokin 77. Genrikh Chepukaitis 78. Alexander Shamis-Pavlov 79. Mikhail Shereshevsky 80. Vladimir Bykov 81. Anatoly Kremenietsky 82. Aleksander I Tuzovsky 83. Vladimir Alterman 84. V Voloshin 85. Boris Kalinkin 86. <V. Kozlov>; 87. Khanan Muchnik 88. Igor Sakovich

5.5: 89. Evgeny Gik 90. E Karkmazov 91. E Belokurov 92. Boris Gulko 93. Igor Kalinski 94. Valentin Kirilov 95. Yuri Kots 96. Vladimir Muratov 97. Arkady Polikarpov 98. V Selezniev 99. Alexander Vaisman 100. Vladimir Zagorovsky 101. <N. Razvalyaev>

5.0: 102. Evgeny Terpugov 103. Valery M Bykov 104. Roman Levit 105. Archil Tsereteli 106. <K. Cherskikh>; 107. Vladimir Voronov 108. Hillar Karner 109. Anatoly Smetanin 110. <V. Sazonov>; 111. Tonu Oim 112. Helmuth Luik 113. Robert Seoev

4.5: 114. Neron Valiev 115. Reinhardas Barstatis 116. Andrey Lukin 117. Anatolij Noskov 118. Anatoly Anokhin 119. Vakulenko 120. Rein Toomas Etruk

4.0: 121. <I. Evelnin>; 122. Vladimir Karasev 123. Valentin Sorokin 124. <Ya. Amakov>

3.0: 125. <V. Gureev>

1.5: 126. <M. Varzhepetian>

Did not finish: 127. Valery S Zhidkov (5.0/9); 128. Vladimir Simagin (2.5/4); 129. Oleg Moiseev (2.5/6); 130. Nikolai Kopilov 0.5/5

Crosstable: [rusbase-1]

Original collection: Game Collection: USSR Championship 1967, by User: Phony Benoni.

 page 1 of 8; games 1-25 of 198  PGN Download
Game  ResultMoves YearEvent/LocaleOpening
1. Alburt vs Vasiukov 0-1311967USSR ChampionshipB02 Alekhine's Defense
2. R Barstatis vs Alburt 1-0251967USSR ChampionshipB75 Sicilian, Dragon, Yugoslav Attack
3. I Platonov vs Alburt  1-0411967USSR ChampionshipA04 Reti Opening
4. A Shamis-Pavlov vs Alburt  0-1631967USSR ChampionshipA45 Queen's Pawn Game
5. Y Shilov vs Alburt ½-½601967USSR ChampionshipA07 King's Indian Attack
6. Alburt vs Sosonko  ½-½451967USSR ChampionshipB30 Sicilian
7. Y Sakharov vs Alburt  0-1221967USSR ChampionshipB45 Sicilian, Taimanov
8. Bagirov vs E Bukhman  1-0421967USSR ChampionshipB45 Sicilian, Taimanov
9. Bagirov vs A Izvozchikov ½-½631967USSR ChampionshipC07 French, Tarrasch
10. Bagirov vs Y Sakharov  1-0541967USSR ChampionshipD17 Queen's Gambit Declined Slav
11. G Borisenko vs Bagirov  0-1421967USSR ChampionshipE55 Nimzo-Indian, 4.e3, Gligoric System, Bronstein Variation
12. Kholmov vs Bagirov  1-0611967USSR ChampionshipA06 Reti Opening
13. N Levin vs Bagirov  1-0381967USSR ChampionshipD17 Queen's Gambit Declined Slav
14. Vasiukov vs Bagirov 1-0491967USSR ChampionshipC00 French Defense
15. Gulko vs M Steinberg ½-½551967USSR ChampionshipB35 Sicilian, Accelerated Fianchetto, Modern Variation with Bc4
16. E Terpugov vs A Butnorius 0-1331967USSR ChampionshipC36 King's Gambit Accepted, Abbazia Defense
17. R Nezhmetdinov vs V Mikenas 1-0401967USSR ChampionshipA07 King's Indian Attack
18. Y Shilov vs J Murey 0-1431967USSR ChampionshipE62 King's Indian, Fianchetto
19. R Nezhmetdinov vs A Lukin 0-1431967USSR ChampionshipC85 Ruy Lopez, Exchange Variation Doubly Deferred (DERLD)
20. R Nezhmetdinov vs A Zaitsev 0-1341967USSR ChampionshipB10 Caro-Kann
21. Savon vs R Nezhmetdinov 0-1331967USSR ChampionshipA54 Old Indian, Ukrainian Variation, 4.Nf3
22. G Kuzmin vs I Platonov  ½-½411967USSR ChampionshipB97 Sicilian, Najdorf
23. A Lein vs I Platonov  0-1571967USSR ChampionshipA07 King's Indian Attack
24. I Platonov vs Kholmov  1-0441967USSR ChampionshipE14 Queen's Indian
25. I Platonov vs Polugaevsky  ½-½251967USSR ChampionshipB88 Sicilian, Fischer-Sozin Attack
 page 1 of 8; games 1-25 of 198  PGN Download
  REFINE SEARCH:   White wins (1-0) | Black wins (0-1) | Draws (1/2-1/2)  

Kibitzer's Corner
Apr-03-15  Howard: Certainly never knew that the 1967 edition was a SWISS event !
Apr-03-15  A.T PhoneHome: The amount of games altogether... Yikes, and so many unkibitzed games! The absence of many top players tells among other possible reasons.

Even then, multiple debutants here! In that regard, well thought by Soviet chess body to give a chance for many promising names. Need to have a look at these games!

Kudos to <Phony Benoni>!

Apr-03-15
Premium Chessgames Member
  Benzol: <Howard> <Certainly never knew that the 1967 edition was a SWISS event !>

Fortunately it was an experiment that was never repeated.

Apr-03-15
Premium Chessgames Member
  WannaBe: 13-round Swiss, Rashid only played in 4? Or 4 games that we have record of?
Apr-03-15  A.T PhoneHome: <WannaBe> Hard to say, depends on when or if he dropped out. I really like your avatar by the way! :P
Apr-03-15
Premium Chessgames Member
  WannaBe: <A. T PhoneHome> thanks! =)
Apr-03-15  A.T PhoneHome: <WannaBe> My name isn't a misspelling of E.T by the way; just a play on my name's initials for your knowledge.

Maybe one day I'll play a sacrifice of my own and sacrifice some for Premium Membership! Until then, I'll try and enjoy myself here.

Apr-04-15  hemy: In the article "USSR Championship (1967)" the name Vladas Ivanovich Mikenas is wrong.

On his personal page the name already changed to Vladas Jonovich Mikenas, as per my advise.

Apr-04-15
Premium Chessgames Member
  alexmagnus: <Fortunately it was an experiment that was never repeated.>

It was. The <last> Soviet championship, in 1991, was a 64-player, 11-round Swiss without tiebreakers (the latter matters, as there eventually were two champions in that year, Minasian and Magerramov).

Apr-05-15
Premium Chessgames Member
  Benzol: <alexmagnus> Thanks for the correction. Yes, I'd forgotten about the last championship.

:)

Jun-21-24
Premium Chessgames Member
  Sally Simpson: I have a pamphlet published in Belgrade in 1968 of this event. Sadly I doubt I can add to add the missing games it only has 136. We have 187.

I checked to see if we could improve on Nezhmetdinov's 4 games but sadly no.

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