| USSR Championship (1952) |
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The 20th Soviet chess championship took place in Moscow from November 29th to December 29th 1952. The field was composed of twenty players: Six were invited, including the world champion Mikhail Botvinnik and the five Soviet grandmasters from the Olympiad, Isaac Boleslavsky, David Bronstein, Efim Geller, Paul Keres, and Vasily Smyslov. The other fourteen players qualifed from semi-final play. Mark Taimanov took an early lead of two points over the field, due in part to a win against Botvinnik, the heavy favorite, in the third round. Taimanov remained with a clear lead until the final round when Geller defeated him, allowing Botvinnik his chance to tie by defeating Alexey Suetin. A playoff match was held to determine an outright winner, so a concert hall was scheduled for the six game encounter, held from January 25th to February 5th, 1953. Botvinnik beat Taimanov +2 -1 =3 to win his sixth and last Soviet Championship. The final standings and crosstable:
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 Pts
=1 Botvinnik * 0 1 ½ ½ ½ 1 1 ½ 1 1 ½ ½ 1 ½ 1 ½ 1 ½ 1 13½
=1 Taimanov 1 * 0 0 ½ 1 1 ½ ½ ½ 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 ½ 1 1 13½
3 Geller 0 1 * 1 1 ½ ½ 0 0 1 ½ ½ 1 1 1 ½ ½ 1 ½ ½ 12
=4 Boleslavsky ½ 1 0 * 0 ½ ½ ½ 1 ½ 1 0 0 ½ 1 ½ 1 1 1 1 11½
=4 Tolush ½ ½ 0 1 * ½ 0 1 1 ½ ½ 0 1 ½ 0 1 1 ½ 1 1 11½
6 Korchnoi ½ 0 ½ ½ ½ * 0 ½ 1 0 0 1 1 1 ½ 0 1 1 1 1 11
=7 Bronstein 0 0 ½ ½ 1 1 * 1 ½ ½ ½ 1 1 ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ 0 ½ 10½
=7 Moiseev 0 ½ 1 ½ 0 ½ 0 * ½ ½ 0 ½ 1 ½ 1 1 1 ½ 1 ½ 10½
=7 Smyslov ½ ½ 1 0 0 0 ½ ½ * 1 1 ½ 0 1 1 ½ ½ ½ ½ 1 10½
=10 Keres 0 ½ 0 ½ ½ 1 ½ ½ 0 * 1 ½ 0 ½ ½ 1 0 1 ½ 1 9½
=10 Suetin 0 1 ½ 0 ½ 1 ½ 1 0 0 * ½ 1 ½ ½ 0 0 1 1 ½ 9½
=12 Aronin ½ 0 ½ 1 1 0 0 ½ ½ ½ ½ * ½ 0 ½ 1 ½ ½ ½ ½ 9
=12 Byvshev ½ 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 ½ * 1 0 0 1 1 1 1 9
=14 Ilivitsky 0 0 0 ½ ½ 0 ½ ½ 0 ½ ½ 1 0 * 1 1 ½ ½ 1 ½ 8½
=14 Simagin ½ 0 0 0 1 ½ ½ 0 0 ½ ½ ½ 1 0 * 1 ½ ½ ½ 1 8½
16 Konstantinopolsky 0 0 ½ ½ 0 1 ½ 0 ½ 0 1 0 1 0 0 * 1 ½ ½ ½ 7½
17 Lipnitsky ½ 0 ½ 0 0 0 ½ 0 ½ 1 1 ½ 0 ½ ½ 0 * 1 ½ 0 7
18 Kan 0 ½ 0 0 ½ 0 ½ ½ ½ 0 0 ½ 0 ½ ½ ½ 0 * 1 1 6½
19 Kasparian ½ 0 ½ 0 0 0 1 0 ½ ½ 0 ½ 0 0 ½ ½ ½ 0 * ½ 5½
20 Goldenov 0 0 ½ 0 0 0 ½ ½ 0 0 ½ ½ 0 ½ 0 ½ 1 0 ½ * 5
The USSR Championship Playoff (1953) determined the winner: 1 2 3 4 5 6
1 Botvinnik 1 ½ ½ 1 0 ½ 3½
2 Taimanov 0 ½ ½ 0 1 ½ 2½
Original collection: Game Collection: USSR Championship 1952, by User: suenteus po 147.
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| page 3 of 8; games 51-75 of 190 |
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| Game |
| Result | Moves |
Year | Event/Locale | Opening |
| 51. Botvinnik vs Simagin |
| ½-½ | 43 | 1952 | USSR Championship | A25 English |
| 52. Suetin vs Bronstein |
 | ½-½ | 35 | 1952 | USSR Championship | C76 Ruy Lopez, Modern Steinitz Defense, Fianchetto Variation |
| 53. Geller vs Smyslov |
 | 0-1 | 58 | 1952 | USSR Championship | D18 Queen's Gambit Declined Slav, Dutch |
| 54. V Byvshev vs Keres |
| 1-0 | 43 | 1952 | USSR Championship | C99 Ruy Lopez, Closed, Chigorin, 12...cd |
| 55. G Ilivitsky vs Korchnoi |
| 0-1 | 53 | 1952 | USSR Championship | D71 Neo-Grunfeld |
| 56. Tolush vs Taimanov |
| ½-½ | 43 | 1952 | USSR Championship | B88 Sicilian, Fischer-Sozin Attack |
| 57. B Goldenov vs Aronin |
| ½-½ | 49 | 1952 | USSR Championship | E80 King's Indian, Samisch Variation |
| 58. I Kan vs Boleslavsky |
| 0-1 | 30 | 1952 | USSR Championship | E60 King's Indian Defense |
| 59. A Konstantinopolsky vs G Kasparian |
| ½-½ | 91 | 1952 | USSR Championship | B11 Caro-Kann, Two Knights, 3...Bg4 |
| 60. O Moiseev vs I Lipnitsky |
| 1-0 | 30 | 1952 | USSR Championship | D42 Queen's Gambit Declined, Semi-Tarrasch, 7.Bd3 |
| 61. Bronstein vs Botvinnik |
| 0-1 | 25 | 1952 | USSR Championship | C36 King's Gambit Accepted, Abbazia Defense |
| 62. Korchnoi vs Geller |
| ½-½ | 42 | 1952 | USSR Championship | C58 Two Knights |
| 63. Keres vs Suetin |
| 1-0 | 29 | 1952 | USSR Championship | D50 Queen's Gambit Declined |
| 64. Simagin vs B Goldenov |
| 1-0 | 37 | 1952 | USSR Championship | E14 Queen's Indian |
| 65. Taimanov vs A Konstantinopolsky |
| 1-0 | 67 | 1952 | USSR Championship | E95 King's Indian, Orthodox, 7...Nbd7, 8.Re1 |
| 66. Aronin vs Tolush |
| 1-0 | 55 | 1952 | USSR Championship | C99 Ruy Lopez, Closed, Chigorin, 12...cd |
| 67. Boleslavsky vs G Ilivitsky |
| ½-½ | 37 | 1952 | USSR Championship | B51 Sicilian, Canal-Sokolsky (Rossolimo) Attack |
| 68. G Kasparian vs I Kan |
| 0-1 | 40 | 1952 | USSR Championship | B50 Sicilian |
| 69. I Lipnitsky vs V Byvshev |
| 0-1 | 34 | 1952 | USSR Championship | E30 Nimzo-Indian, Leningrad |
| 70. Smyslov vs O Moiseev |
| ½-½ | 30 | 1952 | USSR Championship | A07 King's Indian Attack |
| 71. Botvinnik vs Keres |
| 1-0 | 37 | 1952 | USSR Championship | D35 Queen's Gambit Declined |
| 72. B Goldenov vs Bronstein |
| ½-½ | 38 | 1952 | USSR Championship | C68 Ruy Lopez, Exchange |
| 73. Geller vs Boleslavsky |
| 1-0 | 44 | 1952 | USSR Championship | E85 King's Indian, Samisch, Orthodox Variation |
| 74. O Moiseev vs Korchnoi |
| ½-½ | 25 | 1952 | USSR Championship | D83 Grunfeld, Grunfeld Gambit |
| 75. Tolush vs Simagin |
| 0-1 | 39 | 1952 | USSR Championship | D47 Queen's Gambit Declined Semi-Slav |
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| page 3 of 8; games 51-75 of 190 |
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| May-26-13 | | ughaibu: The outstanding result in this tournament was Byshev's. His eight wins was only bettered by Botvinnik with nine and Taimanov with eleven. And one of his only two(!) draws was with the winner Botvinnik. On the other hand, he lost more than anyone but the two tailenders. Here are three amusing unkibitzed games; a win, a draw and a loss: Byvshev vs Boleslavsky, 1952 Aronin vs Byvshev, 1952 Tolush vs Byvshev, 1952 |
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| Jul-30-14 | | RookFile: When you look up and see guys like Keres and Smyslov in the middle of the pack, it makes you realize how ridiculously strong these Soviet championships were. |
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| Jul-30-14 | | kia0708: yes, the Soviet Union was a power house in chess
probably no other country will ever match their dominance |
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| Jan-23-15 | | Fanques Fair: What a result for Taimanov ! He managed to have not less than 4 (!!!) points more than third place ! Botvinik went marveously well also, winning with an astonishing result ... But Taimanov inflicted one of his only 2 losses. |
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Jan-23-15
 | | perfidious: Both, actually: the only defeat of Botvinnik in the regular event and a win in the playoff. |
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Mar-12-15
 | | keypusher: <Fanques Fair: What a result for Taimanov ! He managed to have not less than 4 (!!!) points more than third place !> The six extra playoff games helped. As you can see from the crosstable, in the tournament Botvinnik and Taimanov actually finished a more modest (but still impressive!) 1 1/2 points ahead of third place Geller. |
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| Sep-28-19 | | me to play: < A playoff match was held to determine an outright winner, so a concert hall was scheduled for the six game encounter, held from January 25th to February 5th, 1953. Botvinnik beat Taimanov +2 -1 =3 to win his sixth and last Soviet Championship.> Wow, a 6 game play-off match just to break the tie for this 1952 USSR championship! Now, we only get 12 for the World Championship. Oh well. |
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| Oct-11-19 | | Ryan Razo: Could easily be otherwise a super tournament in itself |
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| Oct-11-19 | | hemy: The book of Michail Judovich "20 первенство СССР по шахматам" (The 20th USSR Chess Championship): https://www.dropbox.com/s/vfcjgdxuq... |
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