The 8th USSR Championship was held in Leningrad from August 16th to September 19th, 1933, with these twenty participants:Vladimir Alatortsev; Fedor Parfenovich Bohatirchuk;
Mikhail Botvinnik;
Vitaly Chekhover;
Fyodor Ivanovich Dus Chotimirsky;
Sergey Nikolaevich von Freymann;
Viktor Arsentievich Goglidze;
Ilia Abramovich Kan;
Vladimir Grigorevich Kirillov;
Grigory Levenfish;
Georgy Lisitsin;
Ilya Leontievich Rabinovich;
Vsevolod Rauzer;
Nikolai Nikolaevich Riumin;
Peter Arsenievich Romanovsky;
Leonid Savitsky;
Nikolay Tikhonovich Sorokin;
Boris Verlinsky;
Mikhail M Yudovich Sr.;
Nikolay Zubarev.
The tournament was a clash between the new generation of Soviet players (led by Botvinnik) and the "Old Guard" who first made their mark before the Revolution. There was no love lost between the two groups. At one point, Dus Chotimirsky tried to play on against Botvinnik in an ending of rook vs. rook (with no pawns) just to irritate the younger man.
When Botvinnik beat Levenfish in round 14 to take a 2.5 point lead, his friend Ragozin proclaimed it a victory for the new generation. Losing his next two games must have tempered Botvinnik's enthusiasm a bit, but he righted the ship and coasted to victory by a full point.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 Pts
1 Botvinnik * 1 1 1 = 1 = 0 = 0 = 1 1 1 1 = 1 1 = 1 14.0
2 Alatortsev 0 * = 0 = 0 = 1 = 1 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 13.0
3 Levenfish 0 = * = 1 0 1 1 1 1 1 = 1 1 = 0 1 = = 0 12.0
4 Lisitsin 0 1 = * = 1 1 1 0 0 0 1 = 0 1 1 = 1 1 1 12.0
5 Rabinovich = = 0 = * 0 = 1 1 0 = 0 1 = 1 1 1 1 1 1 12.0
6 Rauzer 0 1 1 0 1 * = = 0 = 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 1 1 1 11.5
7 Chekhover = = 0 0 = = * 1 1 1 1 0 = 0 1 1 0 1 1 = 11.0
8 Bohatirchuk 1 0 0 0 0 = 0 * 1 = 0 1 = 1 = 1 1 = 1 1 10.5
9 Kan = = 0 1 0 1 0 0 * 1 1 0 = = 0 1 0 1 1 1 10.0
10 Riumin 1 0 0 1 1 = 0 = 0 * = 1 = = = = 0 1 = = 9.5
11 Romanovsky = 1 0 1 = 0 0 1 0 = * = = = 0 0 1 = 1 1 9.5
12 Verlinsky 0 0 = 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 = * 1 0 = 1 0 = 1 1 9.0
13 Yudovich 0 0 0 = 0 0 = = = = = 0 * 1 = 1 1 = 1 1 9.0
14 Savitsky 0 0 0 1 = 0 1 0 = = = 1 0 * 1 1 1 = 0 0 8.5
15 Sorokin 0 0 = 0 0 1 0 = 1 = 1 = = 0 * 0 1 0 = = 7.5
16 Goglidze = 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 = 1 0 0 0 1 * 1 = = 0 7.0
17 Freymann 0 0 0 = 0 1 1 0 1 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 * 0 = 1 7.0
18 Zubarev 0 0 = 0 0 0 0 = 0 0 = = = = 1 = 1 * 0 1 6.5
19 Dus Chotimirsky = 0 = 0 0 0 0 0 0 = 0 0 0 1 = = = 1 * = 5.5
20 Kirillov 0 0 1 0 0 0 = 0 0 = 0 0 0 1 = 1 0 0 = * 5.0
This is one of the lesser known USSR Championships, due in part to the tournament book containing only 46 of the 190 games. While more have been found, along with a number of positions without a complete game score, this collection will be incomplete.For that reason, the complete round-by-round pairings are given below. However, it should be emphasized that the following reconstruction is conjectural. It is based on a complete list of Botvinnik's opponents and results, and assumes that the Berger table of pairings was used. While it accounts for the known facts, it should not be considered definitive without firsthand confirmation.
An asterisk <*> after a game indicates that the complete score is in this collection.
Round 1: Rauzer 1 Alatortsev*; Lisitsin 0 Kan; Kirillov 0 Romanovsky*; Botvinnik 1 Verlinsky; Zubarev 0 Chekhover*; Rabinovich 1 Goglidze*; Yudovich 1 Freymann*; Savitsky 1/2 Riumin*; Sorokin 1/2 Bohatirchuk; Dus Chotimirsky 1/2 Levenfish
Round 2: Alatortsev 1/2 Levenfish; Bohatirchuk 1 Dus Chotimirsky; Riumin 1/2 Sorokin; Freymann 0 Savitsky; Goglidze 0 Yudovich; Chekhover 1/2 Rabinovich*; Verlinsky 1/2 Zubarev; Romanovsky 1/2 Botvinnik; Kan 1 Kirillov*; Rauzer 0 Lisitsin*
Round 3: Lisitsin 1 Alatortsev*; Kirillov 0 Rauzer; Botvinnik 1/2 Kan*; Zubarev 1/2 Romanovsky; Rabinovich 0 Verlinsky*; Yudovich 1/2 Chekhover; Savitsky 1 Goglidze; Sorokin 1 Freymann*; Dus Chotimirsky 1/2 Riumin; Levenfish 1 Bohatirchuk*
Round 4: Alatortsev 1 Bohatirchuk*; Riumin 0 Levenfish*; Freymann 1/2 Dus Chotimirsky; Goglidze 1 Sorokin; Chekhover 0 Savitsky; Verlinsky 1 Yudovich; Romanovsky 1/2 Rabinovich; Kan 1 Zubarev*; Rauzer 0 Botvinnik*; Lisitsin 1 Kirillov
Round 5: Kirillov 0 Alatortsev*; Botvinnik 1 Lisitsin*; Zubarev 0 Rauzer; Rabinovich 1 Kan*; Yudovich 1/2 Romanovsky; Savitsky 1 Verlinsky; Sorokin 0 Chekhover; Dus Chotimirsky 1/2 Goglidze; Levenfish 1 Freymann*; Bohatirchuk 1/2 Riumin
Round 6: Alatortsev 1 Riumin; Freymann 0 Bohatirchuk; Goglidze 1 Levenfish*; Chekhover 1 Dus Chotimirsky; Verlinsky 1/2 Sorokin; Romanovsky 1/2 Savitsky; Kan 1/2 Yudovich; Rauzer 1 Rabinovich*; Lisitsin 1 Zubarev; Kirillov 0 Botvinnik
Round 7: Botvinnik 1 Alatortsev*; Zubarev 1 Kirillov; Rabinovich 1/2 Lisitsin; Yudovich 0 Rauzer; Savitsky 1/2 Kan; Sorokin 1 Romanovsky; Dus Chotimirsky 0 Verlinsky; Levenfish 1 Chekhover*; Bohatirchuk 1 Goglidze*; Riumin 0 Freymann
Round 8: Alatortsev 1 Freymann; Goglidze 1/2 Riumin; Chekhover 1 Bohatirchuk*; Verlinsky 1/2 Levenfish*; Romanovsky 1 Dus Chotimirsky; Kan 0 Sorokin*; Rauzer 1 Savitsky*; Lisitsin 1/2 Yudovich; Kirillov 0 Rabinovich; Botvinnik 1 Zubarev
Round 9: Zubarev 0 Alatortsev; Rabinovich 1/2 Botvinnik; Yudovich 1 Kirillov; Savitsky 1 Lisitsin*; Sorokin 1 Rauzer*; Dus Chotimirsky 0 Kan*; Levenfish 1 Romanovsky*; Bohatirchuk 1 Verlinsky*; Riumin 0 Chekhover*; Freymann 0 Goglidze
Round 10: Alatortsev 1 Goglidze*; Chekhover 0 Freymann; Verlinsky 0 Riumin; Romanovsky 1 Bohatirchuk* Kan 0 Levenfish*; Rauzer 1 Dus Chotimirsky; Lisitsin 1 Sorokin*; Kirillov 1 Savitsky; Botvinnik 1 Yudovich*; Zubarev 0 Rabinovich
Round 11: Rabinovich 1/2 Alatortsev*; Yudovich 1/2 Zubarev; Savitsky 0 Botvinnik*; Sorokin 1/2 Kirillov; Dus Chotimirsky 0 Lisitsin; Levenfish 0 Rauzer; Bohatirchuk 1 Kan; Riumin 1/2 Romanovsky; Freymann 1 Verlinsky; Goglidze 0 Chekhover
ROUND 12: Alatortsev 1/2 Chekhover; Verlinsky 1 Goglidze; Romanovsky 1 Freymann; Kan 1 Riumin*; Rauzer 1/2 Bohatirchuk;
Lisitsin 1/2 Levenfish; Kirillov 1/2 Dus Chotimirsky; Botvinnik 1 Sorokin*; Zubarev 1/2 Savitsky; Rabinovich 1 Yudovich*
Round 13: Yudovich 0 Alatortsev; Savitsky 1/2 Rabinovich*; Sorokin 0 Zubarev; Dus Chotimirsky 1/2 Botvinnik; Levenfish 0 Kirillov; Bohatirchuk 0 Lisitsin; Riumin 1/2 Rauzer; Freymann 1 Kan; Goglidze 1 Romanovsky; Chekhover 0 Verlinsky*
Round 14: Alatortsev 1 Verlinsky; Romanovsky 0 Chekhover*; Kan 1 Goglidze*; Rauzer 0 Freymann*; Lisitsin 0 Riumin; Kirillov 0 Bohatirchuk; Botvinnik 1 Levenfish; Zubarev 0 Dus Chotimirsky; Rabinovich 1 Sorokin; Yudovich 1 Savitsky
Round 15: Savitsky 0 Alatortsev; Sorokin 1/2 Yudovich; Dus Chotimirsky 0 Rabinovich*; Levenfish 1/2 Zubarev; Bohatirchuk 1 Botvinnik*; Riumin 1/2 Kirillov; Freymann 1/2 Lisitsin; Goglidze 1 Rauzer; Chekhover 1 Kan*; Verlinsky 1/2 Romanovsky
Round 16: Alatortsev 0 Romanovsky; Kan 0 Verlinsky; Rauzer 1/2 Chekhover*; Lisitsin 1 Goglidze*; Kirillov 0 Freymann; Botvinnik 0 Riumin; Zubarev 1/2 Bohatirchuk; Rabinovich 0 Levenfish*; Yudovich 1 Dus Chotimirsky; 160 Savitsky 1 Sorokin
Round 17: Sorokin 0 Alatortsev; Dus Chotimirsky 1 Savitsky; Levenfish 1 Yudovich*; Bohatirchuk 0 Rabinovich*; Riumin 1 Zubarev;
Freymann 0 Botvinnik*; Goglidze 0 Kirillov; Chekhover 0 Lisitsin*; Verlinsky 0 Rauzer; Romanovsky 0 Kan
Round 18: Alatortsev 1/2 Kan; Rauzer 1 Romanovsky; Lisitsin 1 Verlinsky*; Kirillov 1/2 Chekhover; Botvinnik 1/2 Goglidze; Zubarev 1 Freymann; Rabinovich 0 Riumin*; Yudovich 1/2 Bohatirchuk*; Savitsky 0 Levenfish; Sorokin 1/2 Dus Chotimirsky
Round 19: Dus Chotimirsky 0 Alatortsev*; Levenfish 1/2 Sorokin; Bohatirchuk 1 Savitsky*; Riumin 1/2 Yudovich; Freymann 0 Rabinovich*; Goglidze 1/2 Zubarev; Chekhover 1/2 Botvinnik; Verlinsky 1 Kirillov*: Romanovsky 1 Lisitsin; 190 Kan 1 Rauzer
Thanks to <Benzol> for information necessary for the creation of this collection.
Original collection: Game Collection: USSR Championship 1933, by User: Phony Benoni.
Kibitzing
