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TOURNAMENT STANDINGS
USSR Championship Tournament

Mikhail Botvinnik13.5/17(+12 -2 =3)[games]
Nikolai Riumin11.5/17(+9 -3 =5)[games]
Boris Verlinsky10/17(+8 -5 =4)[games]
Vladimir Alatortsev10/17(+7 -4 =6)[games]
Mikhail Yudovich Sr10/17(+7 -4 =6)[games]
Fedor Bohatirchuk10/17(+7 -4 =6)[games]
Ilia Kan9.5/17(+6 -4 =7)[games]
Vsevolod Rauzer9/17(+5 -4 =8)[games]
Isaak Mazel9/17(+7 -6 =4)[games]
Georgy Lisitsin8.5/17(+5 -5 =7)[games]
Vladimir Kirillov8.5/17(+6 -6 =5)[games]
Alexander Ilyin-Zhenevsky8.5/17(+7 -7 =3)[games]
Nikolay Sorokin7/17(+4 -7 =6)[games]
Abram Zamikhovsky6.5/17(+5 -9 =3)[games]
Viktor Goglidze6/17(+3 -8 =6)[games]
Veniamin Sozin5.5/17(+3 -9 =5)[games]
Genrikh Kasparian5/17(+2 -9 =6)[games]
Alexander Budo5/17(+2 -9 =6)[games]
*

Chessgames.com Chess Event Description
USSR Championship (1931)

The 7th USSR Chess Championship was held in the Soviet capital of Moscow from October 24th to November 14th, 1931. Eighteen of the Soviet Union's strongst masters qualified for the round robin event through eight championship semi-finals held earlier in the year. The qualifiers for 7th championship were: Vsevolod Rauzer and Mikhail Yudovich Sr. qualified from group 1; Viktor Goglidze, Ilia Kan, and Abram Zamikhovsky qualified from group 2; Alexander Ilyin-Zhenevsky and Isaak Mazel qualified from group 3; Genrikh Kasparian and Mikhail Botvinnik qualified from group 4; Nikolay Sorokin, Vladimir Alatortsev, and Fedor Bohatirchuk qualified from group 5; Alexander Budo and Nikolay Riumin qualified from group 6; Vladimir Kirillov qualified from group 7; and Veniamin Sozin, Georgy Lisitsin, and Boris Verlinsky from group 8.

Young Botvinnik finished clear first with +10 to win by two full points, but his road was far from easy, as he began with a loss to Ilyin-Zhenevsky, with a defeat at the hands of Sozin leaving him well off the torrid pace set by Riumin. A run of 6.5/7 brought Botvinnik to within a half point of first to set the scene for the clash of the leaders, in which Botvinnik prevailed. Another victory in the next round would clinch the first of what would be six Soviet chess crowns for the future world champion, as Riumin lost once more.

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 Botvinnik * 1 1 1 1 ½ 1 1 1 ½ 1 0 1 1 1 0 1 ½ 13½ 2 Riumin 0 * 1 ½ ½ 1 ½ 0 ½ 1 0 1 1 1 ½ 1 1 1 11½ =3 Verlinsky 0 0 * ½ 1 1 0 1 1 0 1 1 0 ½ ½ 1 ½ 1 10 =3 Alatortsev 0 ½ ½ * 1 0 ½ ½ 1 0 ½ 1 1 1 1 ½ 0 1 10 =3 Yudovich Sr. 0 ½ 0 0 * 1 1 0 1 ½ ½ 1 ½ 1 1 ½ ½ 1 10 =3 Bohatirchuk ½ 0 0 1 0 * ½ ½ 0 ½ 1 ½ ½ 1 1 1 1 1 10 7 Kan 0 ½ 1 ½ 0 ½ * ½ 0 0 1 1 ½ ½ 1 1 1 ½ 9½ =8 Rauzer 0 1 0 ½ 1 ½ ½ * 0 ½ ½ 0 1 1 1 ½ ½ ½ 9 =8 Mazel 0 ½ 0 0 0 1 1 1 * ½ 1 1 0 0 ½ 1 1 ½ 9 =10 Lisitsin ½ 0 1 1 ½ ½ 1 ½ ½ * 0 ½ 0 0 1 1 0 ½ 8½ =10 Kirillov 0 1 0 ½ ½ 0 0 ½ 0 1 * 1 ½ 1 0 ½ 1 1 8½ =10 Ilyin Zhenevsky 1 0 0 0 0 ½ 0 1 0 ½ 0 * 1 1 ½ 1 1 1 8½ 13 Sorokin 0 0 1 0 ½ ½ ½ 0 1 1 ½ 0 * 1 ½ 0 ½ 0 7 14 Zamikhovsky 0 0 ½ 0 0 0 ½ 0 1 1 0 0 0 * ½ 1 1 1 6½ 15 Goglidze 0 ½ ½ 0 0 0 0 0 ½ 0 1 ½ ½ ½ * 0 1 1 6 16 Sozin 1 0 0 ½ ½ 0 0 ½ 0 0 ½ 0 1 0 1 * ½ 0 5½ =17 Kasparian 0 0 ½ 1 ½ 0 0 ½ 0 1 0 0 ½ 0 0 ½ * ½ 5 =17 Budo ½ 0 0 0 0 0 ½ ½ ½ ½ 0 0 1 0 0 1 ½ * 5

This collection would not have been possible without the efforts of <Phony Benoni>.

Original collection: Game Collection: USSR Championship 1931, by User: suenteus po 147.

 page 4 of 7; games 76-100 of 153  PGN Download
Game  ResultMoves YearEvent/LocaleOpening
76. Alatortsev vs N Riumin  ½-½521931USSR ChampionshipD52 Queen's Gambit Declined
77. A Budo vs A Ilyin-Zhenevsky 0-1281931USSR ChampionshipA96 Dutch, Classical Variation
78. V Goglidze vs N Sorokin  ½-½331931USSR ChampionshipE16 Queen's Indian
79. I Kan vs M Yudovich Sr  0-1401931USSR ChampionshipD11 Queen's Gambit Declined Slav
80. G Kasparian vs V Rauzer  ½-½321931USSR ChampionshipA13 English
81. I Mazel vs Lisitsin  ½-½271931USSR ChampionshipA29 English, Four Knights, Kingside Fianchetto
82. Botvinnik vs I Kan 1-0381931USSR ChampionshipA96 Dutch, Classical Variation
83. M Yudovich Sr vs A Zamikhovsky  1-0471931USSR ChampionshipB02 Alekhine's Defense
84. Lisitsin vs V Sozin 1-0331931USSR ChampionshipA06 Reti Opening
85. N Riumin vs B Verlinsky 1-0291931USSR ChampionshipD37 Queen's Gambit Declined
86. V Kirillov vs Alatortsev  ½-½741931USSR ChampionshipA25 English
87. A Ilyin-Zhenevsky vs I Mazel  0-1521931USSR ChampionshipC11 French
88. V Rauzer vs F Bohatirchuk  ½-½491931USSR ChampionshipA84 Dutch
89. G Kasparian vs V Goglidze  0-1431931USSR ChampionshipA27 English, Three Knights System
90. N Sorokin vs A Budo  0-1571931USSR ChampionshipA46 Queen's Pawn Game
91. A Zamikhovsky vs Botvinnik 0-1461931USSR ChampionshipE17 Queen's Indian
92. V Sozin vs A Ilyin-Zhenevsky 0-1281931USSR ChampionshipB88 Sicilian, Fischer-Sozin Attack
93. B Verlinsky vs V Kirillov  1-0341931USSR ChampionshipE38 Nimzo-Indian, Classical, 4...c5
94. Alatortsev vs Lisitsin 0-1311931USSR ChampionshipE21 Nimzo-Indian, Three Knights
95. F Bohatirchuk vs M Yudovich Sr  0-1611931USSR ChampionshipB10 Caro-Kann
96. I Kan vs N Riumin  ½-½271931USSR ChampionshipC41 Philidor Defense
97. A Budo vs G Kasparian ½-½601931USSR ChampionshipE60 King's Indian Defense
98. V Goglidze vs V Rauzer  0-1471931USSR ChampionshipC11 French
99. I Mazel vs N Sorokin  0-1501931USSR ChampionshipA06 Reti Opening
100. Botvinnik vs F Bohatirchuk ½-½411931USSR ChampionshipD43 Queen's Gambit Declined Semi-Slav
 page 4 of 7; games 76-100 of 153  PGN Download
  REFINE SEARCH:   White wins (1-0) | Black wins (0-1) | Draws (1/2-1/2)  

Kibitzer's Corner
May-05-13  wordfunph: "I got drunk one on vodka when I first became Soviet champion, in 1931. I didn't feel very well afterwards and didn't do it again. I smoked for two months but gave it up because I realised it was harmful."

- Mikhail Botvinnik

Source: Curse of Kirsan - Adventures in the Chess Underworld by Sarah Hurst

the book was a birthday gift from my good-humored friend <nanobrain>.

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