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USSR Championship (1940) The 12th Soviet Chess Championship was played in the capital city of Moscow from September 5 to October 3, 1940. Twenty of the Soviet Union's strongest masters competed in the round robin event, six of whom qualified from the semi-final tournament in Kiev earlier in the year: Eduard Gerstenfeld, Mark Stolberg, Igor Bondarevsky, Iosif Rudakovsky, Alexander Konstantinopolsky and Peter Dubinin. The remaining invitations went to the elite of Soviet chess (new and old), including Mikhail Botvinnik, Vasily Smyslov, Paul Keres, Isaac Boleslavsky, Alexander Kotov, Viacheslav Ragozin, and Andre Lilienthal. For a more complete story on the conditions and aftermath of this championship, see USSR Absolute Championship (1941). Moscow, Soviet Union, 5 September - 3 October 1940 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 Pts =1 Lilienthal * 1 ½ ½ ½ 1 1 1 1 ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ 1 ½ ½ ½ 1 1 13½ =1 Bondarevsky 0 * ½ 1 ½ 1 ½ 1 1 ½ 0 1 1 ½ ½ 1 1 ½ 1 1 13½ 3 Smyslov ½ ½ * ½ ½ ½ 0 ½ 1 1 1 ½ ½ ½ 1 1 1 ½ 1 1 13 4 Keres ½ 0 ½ * ½ ½ 0 1 0 1 1 1 ½ 1 ½ 1 1 1 1 0 12 =5 Boleslavsky ½ ½ ½ ½ * 0 1 0 ½ 1 1 ½ ½ ½ 1 1 0 1 1 ½ 11½ =5 Botvinnik 0 0 ½ ½ 1 * 0 ½ 1 1 ½ ½ 0 1 1 1 ½ 1 ½ 1 11½ =7 Makogonov 0 ½ 1 1 0 1 * 0 1 0 1 ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ 1 ½ ½ ½ 10½ =7 Dubinin 0 0 ½ 0 1 ½ 1 * 0 1 1 1 ½ ½ ½ ½ 1 0 1 ½ 10½ =7 Veresov 0 0 0 1 ½ 0 0 1 * 1 ½ ½ 1 ½ 0 1 ½ 1 1 1 10½ 10 Petrov ½ ½ 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 * ½ 1 ½ 0 ½ 1 1 1 1 ½ 9 =11 Ragozin ½ 1 0 0 0 ½ 0 0 ½ ½ * 1 ½ 1 0 0 ½ ½ 1 1 8½ =11 Lisitsin ½ 0 ½ 0 ½ ½ ½ 0 ½ 0 0 * 1 1 0 1 1 ½ 0 1 8½ =13 Mikenas ½ 0 ½ ½ ½ 1 ½ ½ 0 ½ ½ 0 * ½ 1 0 0 1 0 ½ 8 =13 Konstantinopolsky ½ ½ ½ 0 ½ 0 ½ ½ ½ 1 0 0 ½ * 1 0 ½ ½ 0 1 8 =13 Panov 0 ½ 0 ½ 0 0 ½ ½ 1 ½ 1 1 0 0 * ½ 0 ½ 1 ½ 8 =13 Stolberg ½ 0 0 0 0 0 ½ ½ 0 0 1 0 1 1 ½ * 1 ½ 1 ½ 8 17 Gerstenfeld ½ 0 0 0 1 ½ 0 0 ½ 0 ½ 0 1 ½ 1 0 * ½ 0 1 7 =18 Levenfish ½ ½ ½ 0 0 0 ½ 1 0 0 ½ ½ 0 ½ ½ ½ ½ * 0 ½ 6½ =18 Kotov 0 0 0 0 0 ½ ½ 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 0 0 1 1 * ½ 6½ 20 Rudakovsky 0 0 0 1 ½ 0 ½ ½ 0 ½ 0 0 ½ 0 ½ ½ 0 ½ ½ * 5½ Lilienthal and Bondarevsky finished equal first with 13½/19. For both victors, considering the strength of the assembled field, it was the greatest performance of their careers. This collection would not have been possible without the efforts of <Phony Benoni>. Original collection: Game Collection: USSR Championship 1940, by User: suenteus po 147.  page 1 of 8; games 1-25 of 190  Game   Result Moves Year Event/Locale Opening 1. Bondarevsky vs Botvinnik 1-0 38 1940 USSR Championship E29 Nimzo-Indian, Samisch 2. M Stolberg vs Keres 0-1 31 1940 USSR Championship A28 English 3. Petrov vs Kotov 1-0 42 1940 USSR Championship E02 Catalan, Open, 5.Qa4 4. Levenfish vs V Mikenas   0-1 34 1940 USSR Championship E40 Nimzo-Indian, 4.e3 5. Boleslavsky vs Lilienthal ½-½ 42 1940 USSR Championship C98 Ruy Lopez, Closed, Chigorin 6. Smyslov vs E Gerstenfeld 1-0 54 1940 USSR Championship C79 Ruy Lopez, Steinitz Defense Deferred 7. Ragozin vs V Makogonov   0-1 45 1940 USSR Championship A02 Bird's Opening 8. P Dubinin vs A Konstantinopolsky   ½-½ 40 1940 USSR Championship B56 Sicilian 9. Panov vs Veresov 1-0 36 1940 USSR Championship C77 Ruy Lopez 10. I Rudakovsky vs Lisitsin   0-1 61 1940 USSR Championship E26 Nimzo-Indian, Samisch 11. Botvinnik vs Boleslavsky 1-0 49 1940 USSR Championship E67 King's Indian, Fianchetto 12. Keres vs Ragozin 1-0 47 1940 USSR Championship C79 Ruy Lopez, Steinitz Defense Deferred 13. E Gerstenfeld vs Levenfish   ½-½ 63 1940 USSR Championship C79 Ruy Lopez, Steinitz Defense Deferred 14. Lilienthal vs Smyslov   ½-½ 51 1940 USSR Championship E11 Bogo-Indian Defense 15. V Mikenas vs P Dubinin   ½-½ 50 1940 USSR Championship D50 Queen's Gambit Declined 16. V Makogonov vs Panov   ½-½ 47 1940 USSR Championship A53 Old Indian 17. A Konstantinopolsky vs Petrov   1-0 32 1940 USSR Championship B10 Caro-Kann 18. Kotov vs M Stolberg   0-1 35 1940 USSR Championship D50 Queen's Gambit Declined 19. Lisitsin vs Veresov   ½-½ 32 1940 USSR Championship A04 Reti Opening 20. I Rudakovsky vs Bondarevsky 0-1 44 1940 USSR Championship C83 Ruy Lopez, Open 21. Smyslov vs Botvinnik ½-½ 48 1940 USSR Championship C99 Ruy Lopez, Closed, Chigorin, 12...cd 22. Panov vs Keres ½-½ 25 1940 USSR Championship C75 Ruy Lopez, Modern Steinitz Defense 23. Ragozin vs Kotov   1-0 52 1940 USSR Championship E19 Queen's Indian, Old Main line, 9.Qxc3 24. Levenfish vs Lilienthal   ½-½ 42 1940 USSR Championship C98 Ruy Lopez, Closed, Chigorin 25. Petrov vs V Mikenas   ½-½ 51 1940 USSR Championship E02 Catalan, Open, 5.Qa4  page 1 of 8; games 1-25 of 190    REFINE SEARCH:   White wins (1-0) | Black wins (0-1) | Draws (1/2-1/2)   Dec-28-12    Blunderdome: Only three draws in nineteen games for Kotov. Dec-29-12    GrahamClayton: Due to the Soviet annexation of the Baltic states, as well as the partitioning of Poland with Germany, Keres, Petrov, Mikenas and Gerstenfeld were now considered Soviet "citizens", and thus were eligible to compete. Jan-02-13    Nosnibor: There appears to be something wrong with the table at the top.Bondarevsky is credited with 1/2 point more than Lilienthal although it is well known that they both tied for first place on 13.5 points each.This appears to be due by showing a win over Konstantinopolsky by Bondarevsky when the historical record clearly indicates that this game was drawn.Methinks that the game shown in the database was from another event.It does of course also miscalculates Konstantinopolsk`s final score. Jan-02-13    Kangaroo: Here is the game that should have been included! <Bondarevsky vs Konstantinopolsky, 1940> to replace <Bondarevsky vs Konstantinopolsky, 1940> which might have been played in the semi-final or other tournament! Jan-02-13    Phony Benoni: <Nosnibor>: I think I see what happened. The database has two Bondarevsky - Konstatninopolsky games in the database which claim to be from the 1940 Championship. Bondarevsky vs Konstantinopolsky, 1940 (1-0), which was added to the original collection, was actually from the Semi-Final in Kiev. Bondarevsky vs Konstantinopolsky, 1940 (1/2-1/2) is the correct game. I'll institute repairs immediately. Thanks for spotting that. May-12-13    wordfunph: "My favorite game was my win against Botvinnik in the Soviet Championship of 1940. It was stronger than any grandmaster tournament, the 20 strongest chess players were in it, including Botvinnik, Smyslov and Keres. I was undefeated in first place. I've won lots of tournaments, but this was the best." - Andre Lilienthal Source: Curse of Kirsan by Sarah Hurst Jan-26-14    WCC Editing Project: <Peter Romanovsky> tells the gripping story of Vasily Smyslov in this tournament: <"Smyslov began the tournament brilliantly and after fourteen rounds, five rounds before the end, having won five games in succession, he headed the table with 10 1/2 points without the loss of a game. Bondarevsky, playing very well, had 10 points, while Lilienthal and Botvinnik had 9 1/2 each. It seemed that first place and <<<the title of grandmaster was almost assured>>> to Smyslov, however in the fifteenth round he suffered his one and only loss in the tournament at the hands of Makogonov. In the four remaining rounds he conceded three draws, and with 13 points finished behind Bondarevsky and Lilienthal, who each had 13 1/2. Keres, Botvinnik, and Boleslavsky were below Symslov. by this success Smyslov showed himself to be of grandmaster strength."> -P.A. Romanovsky, "Vassily Vassilievitch Smyslov." Published in Vasily Smyslov, "My Best Games of Chess (1935-1957)" P.H. Clarke ed., transl. (Routledge and Kegan Paul 1958), pp. xi-xxvii (First published as "Izbrannie partii" in Russian in 1952) ##################### When <Smyslov> again managed 3d place in the USSR Absolute Championship (1941), on the strength of both 3d place efforts he was indeed awarded the title of Soviet Grandmaster. Of further interest, <Makogonov>, the only player to defeat <Smyslov> in this event, later went on to serve as his second in his World Chess championship matches against <Botvinnik> in 1954 and 1957. <Smyslov> acknowledges the assistance of <Makogonov>: <"During the match against Botvinnik, Makogonov was one of my coaches <<<And the fact that I became world champion is due in large part to his work.>>> He expounded his ideas clearly and persuasively. I remember his excellent analysis, which he summed up with the help of diagrams. This method is best to fix in memory the most important opening positions."> (translation by Google. I adjusted some of the punctuation, diction and phrasing for clearer English idiom and sense) -http://sultanov.azeriland.com/chess... Jan-26-14    AsosLight: Staggering roster. Nov-30-14    visayanbraindoctor: Yes the roster is mighty impressive. It probably was the strongest Soviet Championship held until at this point in time, with two future World Champions and an Almost World Champion, and a host of very strong veterans and rising stars. Take a look at the openings in this tournament. Sicilians (including the Scheveningen and the Dragon), KIDs, Grunfelds, QIDs, Catalans, Nimzo-Indians, English. This tournament's openings looks indistinguishable from one played yesterday. I have found out that kibitzers usually associate the term 'modern' with these openings. In fact, these openings were already played by 1930s masters. Post WW2, it's their frequency and the attention given to them that has changed, increased. The only opening pawn structure I don't see pre WW2 is the Hedgehog. At this point in time, Botvinnik was still not clearly superior to Keres. The younger Keres had placed ahead of him in AVRO 1938, and again placed ahead of him in this tournament. So did a rising youthful Smyslov. Lilienthal and Bondarevsky won. Botvinnik was the unofficial face of Soviet Chess. The authorities probably were not exactly ecstatic over the results. The 1941 Soviet tournament was most probably held in order to allow Botvinnik the chance to rectify the 'wrong' results in this one. From these perspectives, this tournament is an important one in chess history. Feb-10-18    ughaibu: I guess the best explanation is that Botvinnik was under orders to lose. Dec-23-18    perfidious: While I have often mooted the 1955 and 1973 Soviet title brawls as being, in all probability, the toughest fields in those most formidable events, and one can certainly make a case for '88, this event was indeed tremendously strong. May-16-20    Russian Patzer: "5 September - 3 October 1941" - misprint May-17-20    JimNorCal: I filed a correction slip. Thanks, <Russian Patzer> The line above talks about the following year's championship so maybe the error is related to that. May-02-22    Pawn and Two: From the book: 'Masterpieces and Dramas of the Soviet Championships - Volume II (1938-1947)' by Sergey Voronkov. Tournament time limits for the 12th Soviet Championship - Moscow - 1940 - noted from the above book: 'On playing days, the games start at 6:30 p.m. and end at 11:30 p.m. Playing time is 2 hours 30 minutes for the first 40 moves, and 1 hour for every 16 subsequent moves, with unused time accumulated'. Other tournament rules for the 12th Soviet Championship, noted from the above book: 'In case of a threefold position repetition, with the same side to move each time, one of the opponents can immediately claim a draw'. Also, from the above book, 'the players can only agree to a draw before move 30 if the arbiter allows it'. May-02-22    HeMateMe: The 1941 tournament was held as a morale builder, to show Russians that the German invasion could not disrupt the social fabric. The theater and ballet went on as well. Stalin stayed in the city. May-02-22    keypusher: <HeMateMe: The 1941 tournament was held as a morale builder, to show Russians that the German invasion could not disrupt the social fabric. The theater and ballet went on as well. Stalin stayed in the city.> You mean the Absolute Championship? That was held before the Germans invaded. May-02-22    MissScarlett: Quit nitpicking. Right war, right decade. May-02-22    keypusher: I think they did have a Moscow championship starting in December 1941, when the enemy was still near the gates (the Soviet counterattack started December 6; I don't know when in December the chess tournament started). 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. 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