USSR Championship 1925

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Kibitzing

USSR Championship 1925
Compiled by Phony Benoni

The 4th USSR Champinship was held in Leningrad from August 11 - September 6, 1925. With some extra incentive provided by the chance that a good finish here could procure an invitation to the great Moscow international tournament held in November/December, the following players went into battle:

Efim Bogoljubov Fyodor Duz-Khotimirsky Sergey von Freymann Solomon Gotthilf Nikolay Grigoriev Alexander Ilyin-Zhenevsky Anton Kaspersky Arvid Kubbel Nikolay Nikolaevich Kutuzov Grigory Levenfish Vladimir Nenarokov Abram Rabinovich Ilya Rabinovich Peter Romanovsky Alexey Selezniev Alexander Sergeevich Sergeev Veniamin Sozin Boris Verlinsky Yakov Vilner Nikolay Zubarev.

Bogoljubov successfully defended his title, but was not as dominant as in the previous year. He started well enough with 12 of 14 to take a two-point lead over Levenfish, who had started with losses in the first two rounds. However, Bogoljubov then lost to Vilner and Verlinsky in successive rounds. This allowed Levenfish to draw within a half-point, but a critical round 17 loss restored Bogoljubov's full point lead, and the champ made sure by winning his remaining games.

                   1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0
1  Bogoljubov      * = 1 0 1 = = 1 1 = 0 = 1 = 1 1 1 1 1 1 14.0
2  Levenfish       = * 0 0 1 = 0 = 0 1 1 1 = 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 13.0
3  Rabinovich,I    0 1 * 0 0 0 = 1 1 = = 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 + 1 12.5
4  Verlinsky       1 1 1 * = = 1 1 = 1 0 = = 1 0 0 1 0 = 1 12.0
5  Dus Chotimirsky 0 0 1 = * = = 1 1 1 = 0 = = = 0 1 1 1 1 11.5
6  Gotthilf        = = 1 = = * 0 = 0 = = 1 1 = = = 1 0 + 1 11.0
7  Ilyin-Zhenevsky = 1 = 0 = 1 * 0 0 = = 1 0 = = 1 1 1 + = 11.0
8  Romanovsky      0 = 0 0 0 = 1 * 1 1 1 1 0 = 1 1 1 = 0 1 11.0
9  Rabinovich,A    0 1 0 = 0 1 1 0 * 1 0 0 0 = 1 1 = 1 = 1 10.0
10 Sergeiev        = 0 = 0 0 = = 0 0 * 1 = = = 1 = 1 1 + 1 10.0
11 Vilner          1 0 = 1 = = = 0 1 0 * 0 = = 1 1 0 1 0 =  9.5
12 Kubbel          = 0 1 = 1 0 0 0 1 = 1 * 1 = 0 = = = = =  9.5
13 Zubarev         0 = 0 = = 0 1 1 1 = = 0 * = 0 = = 1 = 1  9.5
14 Selezniev       = 0 0 0 = = = = = = = = = * = 1 = 1 = =  9.0
15 Grigoriev       0 0 0 1 = = = 0 0 0 0 1 1 = * 0 1 0 + 1  8.0
16 Kaspersky       0 0 0 1 1 = 0 0 0 = 0 = = 0 1 * 0 = + =  7.0
17 Sozin           0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 = 0 1 = = = 0 1 * 1 = 1  6.5
18 Nenarokov       0 0 0 1 0 1 0 = 0 0 0 = 0 0 1 = 0 * 1 =  6.0
19 Freymann        0 0 - = 0 - - 1 = - 1 = = = - - = 0 * -  5.0
20 Kutuzov         0 0 0 0 0 0 = 0 0 0 = = 0 = - = 0 = + *  4.0

With more Soviet players were now more familiar with the new hypermodern theories, the general playing level was rising and the competition getting tougher. Romanovsky, a dominant figure in previous tournaments, could only tie for 6th-8th places here. Verlinsky had an adventurous result. He defeated the top three finishers while scoring 7.5 points against the other nine players in the top half of the tournament, but could only score 4.5/10 against those in the bottom half. Had the tournament been restricted to just the top ten players, he would have won by a point and a half.

Freymann left the tournament after twelve rounds; his remaining seven games are indicated as "+" and "-" in the crosstable and round-by-round pairings. Only about 50 games from the tournament are available; those in this collection are indicated by an asterisk (*).

Round 1: Freymann 1/2 A. Rabinovich; Kubbel 1 I. Rabinovich*; Selezniev 1 Kaspersky; Bogolyubov 1/2 Sergeiev*; Nenarokov 1 Grigoriev; Romanovsky 1 Kutuzov*; Zubarev 0 Gotthilf; Sozin 0 Ilyin-Zhenevsky; Levenfish 0 Verlinsky; Dus Chotimirsky 1/2 Vilner

Round 2: A. Rabinovich 0 Vilner; Verlinsky 1/2 Dus Chotimirsky; Ilyin-Zhenevsky 1 Levenfish; Gotthilf 1 Sozin; Kutuzov 0 Zubarev; Grigoriev 0 Romanovsky*; Sergeiev 1 Nenarokov; Kaspersky 0 Bogolyubov; I. Rabinovich 1 Selezniev; Freymann 1/2 Kubbel

Round 3: Kubbel 1 A. Rabinovich*; Selezniev 1/2 Freymann; Bogolyubov 1 I. Rabinovich*; Nenarokov 1/2 Kaspersky; Romanovsky 1 Sergeiev*; Zubarev 0 Grigoriev; Sozin 1 Kutuzov*; Levenfish 1/2 Gotthilf; Dus Chotimirsky 1/2 Ilyin-Zhenevsky; Vilner 1 Verlinsky*

Round 4: A. Rabinovich 1/2 Verlinsky; Ilyin-Zhenevsky 1/2 Vilner; Gotthilf 1/2 Dus Chotimirsky; Kutuzov 0 Levenfish; Grigoriev 1 Sozin*; Sergeiev 1/2 Zubarev; Kaspersky 0 Romanovsky; I. Rabinovich 1 Nenarokov*; Freymann 0 Bogolyubov; Kubbel 1/2 Selezniev

Round 5: Selezniev 1/2 A. Rabinovich; Bogolyubov 1/2 Kubbel*; Nenarokov 1 Freymann; Romanovsky 0 I. Rabinovich; Zubarev 1/2 Kaspersky; Sozin 0 Sergeiev; Levenfish 1 Grigoriev; Dus Chotimirsky 1 Kutuzov; Vilner 1/2 Gotthilf; Verlinsky 1 Ilyin-Zhenevsky

Round 6: A. Rabinovich 1 Ilyin-Zhenevsky*; Gotthilf 1/2 Verlinsky; Kutuzov 1/2 Vilner; Grigoriev 1/2 Dus Chotimirsky; Sergeiev 0 Levenfish; Kaspersky 0 Sozin*; I. Rabinovich 1 Zubarev*; Freymann 1 Romanovsky*; Kubbel 1/2 Nenarokov; Selezniev 1/2 Bogolyubov

Round 7: Bogolyubov 1 A. Rabinovich*; Nenarokov 0 Selezniev*; Romanovsky 1 Kubbel*; Zubarev 1/2 Freymann; Sozin 0 I. Rabinovich; Levenfish 1 Kaspersky; Dus Chotimirsky 1 Sergeiev; Vilner 1 Grigoriev; Verlinsky 1 Kutuzov; Ilyin-Zhenevsky 1 Gotthilf*

Round 8: A. Rabinovich 1 Gotthilf*; Kutuzov 1/2 Ilyin-Zhenevsky; Grigoriev 1 Verlinsky; Sergeiev 1 Vilner*; Kaspersky 1 Dus Chotimirsky; I. Rabinovich 1 Levenfish; Freymann 1/2 Sozin; Kubbel 1 Zubarev; Selezniev 1/2 Romanovsky; Bogolyubov 1 Nenarokov*

Round 9: Nenarokov 0 A. Rabinovich*; Romanovsky 0 Bogolyubov*; Zubarev 1/2 Selezniev; Sozin 1/2 Kubbel*; Levenfish 1 Freymann*; Dus Chotimirsky 1 I. Rabinovich*; Vilner 1 Kaspersky; Verlinsky 1 Sergeiev; Ilyin-Zhenevsky 1/2 Grigoriev; Gotthilf 1 Kutuzov

Round 10: A. Rabinovich 1 Kutuzov; Grigoriev 1/2 Gotthilf; Sergeiev 1/2 Ilyin-Zhenevsky; Kaspersky 1 Verlinsky; I. Rabinovich 1/2 Vilner; Freymann 0 Dus Chotimirsky; Kubbel 0 Levenfish; Selezniev 1/2 Sozin; Bogolyubov 1 Zubarev*; Nenarokov 1/2 Romanovsky*

Round 11: Romanovsky 1 A. Rabinovich; Zubarev 1 Nenarokov; Sozin 0 Bogolyubov; Levenfish 1 Selezniev*; Dus Chotimirsky 0 Kubbel*; Vilner 0 Freymann; Verlinsky 1 I. Rabinovich*; Ilyin-Zhenevsky 1 Kaspersky; Gotthilf 1/2 Sergeiev; Kutuzov 0 Grigoriev

Round 12: A. Rabinovich 1 Grigoriev; Sergeiev 1 Kutuzov; Kaspersky 1/2 Gotthilf; I. Rabinovich 1/2 Ilyin-Zhenevsky; Freymann 1/2 Verlinsky; Kubbel 1 Vilner; Selezniev 1/2 Dus Chotimirsky; Bogolyubov 1/2 Levenfish; Nenarokov 0 Sozin*; Romanovsky 0 Zubarev

Round 13: Zubarev 1 A. Rabinovich*; Sozin 0 Romanovsky*; Levenfish 1 Nenarokov; Dus Chotimirsky 0 Bogolyubov; Vilner 1/2 Selezniev; Verlinsky 1/2 Kubbel; Ilyin-Zhenevsky + Freymann; Gotthilf 1 I. Rabinovich; Kutuzov 1/2 Kaspersky; Grigoriev 0 Sergeiev

Round 14: A. Rabinovich 1 Sergeiev; Kaspersky 1 Grigoriev; I. Rabinovich 1 Kutuzov; Freymann - Gotthilf; Kubbel 0 Ilyin-Zhenevsky; Selezniev 0 Verlinsky; Bogolyubov 0 Vilner*; Nenarokov 0 Dus Chotimirsky; Romanovsky 1/2 Levenfish; Zubarev 1/2 Sozin

Round 15: Sozin 1/2 A. Rabinovich; Levenfish 1/2 Zubarev*; Dus Chotimirsky 1 Romanovsky*; Vilner 1 Nenarokov; Verlinsky 1 Bogolyubov; Ilyin-Zhenevsky 1/2 Selezniev; Gotthilf 1 Kubbel; Kutuzov + Freymann; Grigoriev 0 I. Rabinovich; Sergeiev 1/2 Kaspersky

Round 16: A. Rabinovich 1 Kaspersky; I. Rabinovich 1/2 Sergeiev*; Freymann - Grigoriev; Kubbel 1/2 Kutuzov; Selezniev 1/2 Gotthilf; Bogolyubov 1/2 Ilyin-Zhenevsky; Nenarokov 1 Verlinsky; Romanovsky 1 Vilner*; Zubarev 1/2 Dus Chotimirsky; Sozin 0 Levenfish

Round 17: Levenfish 0 A. Rabinovich*; Dus Chotimirsky 1 Sozin; Vilner 1/2 Zubarev*; Verlinsky 1 Romanovsky*; Ilyin-Zhenevsky 1 Nenarokov; Gotthilf 1/2 Bogolyubov*; Kutuzov 1/2 Selezniev; Grigoriev 1 Kubbel; Sergeiev + Freymann; Kaspersky 0 I. Rabinovich

Round 18: A. Rabinovich 0 I. Rabinovich; Freymann - Kaspersky; Kubbel 1/2 Sergeiev; Selezniev 1/2 Grigoriev; Bogolyubov 1 Kutuzov*; Nenarokov 1 Gotthilf; Romanovsky 1 Ilyin-Zhenevsky*; Zubarev 1/2 Verlinsky; Sozin 1 Vilner*; Levenfish 1 Dus Chotimirsky*

Round 19: Dus Chotimirsky 1 A. Rabinovich; Vilner 0 Levenfish; Verlinsky 1 Sozin*; Ilyin-Zhenevsky 0 Zubarev; Gotthilf 1/2 Romanovsky; Kutuzov 1/2 Nenarokov; Grigoriev 0 Bogolyubov; Sergeiev 1/2 Selezniev; Kaspersky 1/2 Kubbel; I. Rabinovich + Freymann

Round 1, Game #2
A Kubbel vs I Rabinovich, 1925
(B05) Alekhine's Defense, Modern, 43 moves, 1-0
Round 1, Game #4
Bogoljubov vs A S Sergeev, 1925
(C78) Ruy Lopez, 52 moves, 1/2-1/2
Round 1, Game #6
P Romanovsky vs N Kutuzov, 1925
(A06) Reti Opening, 33 moves, 1-0
Round 2, Game #16
N Grigoriev vs P Romanovsky, 1925
(C66) Ruy Lopez, 38 moves, 0-1
Round 3, Game #21
A Kubbel vs A Rabinovich, 1925
(B20) Sicilian, 33 moves, 1-0
Round 3, Game #23
Bogoljubov vs I Rabinovich, 1925
(D11) Queen's Gambit Declined Slav, 42 moves, 1-0
Round 3, Game #25
P Romanovsky vs A S Sergeev, 1925
(C68) Ruy Lopez, Exchange, 48 moves, 1-0
Round 3, Game #27
V Sozin vs N Kutuzov, 1925
(E76) King's Indian, Four Pawns Attack, 50 moves, 1-0
Round 3, Game #30
Y Vilner vs B Verlinsky, 1925
(E00) Queen's Pawn Game, 23 moves, 1-0
Round 4, Game #35
N Grigoriev vs V Sozin, 1925
(C68) Ruy Lopez, Exchange, 50 moves, 1-0
Round 4, Game #38
I Rabinovich vs V Nenarokov, 1925
(A27) English, Three Knights System, 29 moves, 1-0
Round 5, Game #42
Bogoljubov vs A Kubbel, 1925
(D45) Queen's Gambit Declined Semi-Slav, 28 moves, 1/2-1/2
Round 6, Game #51
A Rabinovich vs A Ilyin-Zhenevsky, 1925
(A15) English, 40 moves, 1-0
Round 6, Game #56
A Kaspersky vs V Sozin, 1925
(D33) Queen's Gambit Declined, Tarrasch, 32 moves, 0-1
Round 6, Game #57
I Rabinovich vs N Zubarev, 1925
(D30) Queen's Gambit Declined, 57 moves, 1-0
Round 6, Game #58
S von Freymann vs P Romanovsky, 1925
(D30) Queen's Gambit Declined, 33 moves, 1-0
Round 7, Game #61
Bogoljubov vs A Rabinovich, 1925
(E77) King's Indian, 39 moves, 1-0
Round 7, Game #62
V Nenarokov vs A Selezniev, 1925
(C48) Four Knights, 52 moves, 0-1
Round 7, Game #63
P Romanovsky vs A Kubbel, 1925
(C64) Ruy Lopez, Classical, 41 moves, 1-0
Round 7, Game #70
A Ilyin-Zhenevsky vs S Gotthilf, 1925
(B13) Caro-Kann, Exchange, 36 moves, 1-0
Round 8, Game #71
A Rabinovich vs S Gotthilf, 1925
(D49) Queen's Gambit Declined Semi-Slav, Meran, 33 moves, 1-0
Round 8, Game #74
A S Sergeev vs Y Vilner, 1925
(B04) Alekhine's Defense, Modern, 48 moves, 1-0
Round 8, Game #80
Bogoljubov vs V Nenarokov, 1925
(B02) Alekhine's Defense, 38 moves, 1-0
Round 9, Game #81
V Nenarokov vs A Rabinovich, 1925
(E61) King's Indian, 42 moves, 0-1
Round 9, Game #82
P Romanovsky vs Bogoljubov, 1925
(C84) Ruy Lopez, Closed, 47 moves, 0-1
Round 9, Game #84
V Sozin vs A Kubbel, 1925
(D15) Queen's Gambit Declined Slav, 37 moves, 1/2-1/2
Round 9, Game #85
Levenfish vs S von Freymann, 1925
(D52) Queen's Gambit Declined, 40 moves, 1-0
Round 9, Game #86
F Duz-Khotimirsky vs I Rabinovich, 1925
(D13) Queen's Gambit Declined Slav, Exchange Variation, 56 moves, 1-0
Round 10, Game #99
Bogoljubov vs N Zubarev, 1925
(A00) Uncommon Opening, 37 moves, 1-0
Round 10, Game #100
V Nenarokov vs P Romanovsky, 1925
(C31) King's Gambit Declined, Falkbeer Counter Gambit, 62 moves, 1/2-1/2
Round 11, Game #104
Levenfish vs A Selezniev, 1925
(A21) English, 29 moves, 1-0
Round 11, Game #105 [2nd prize for beauty]
F Duz-Khotimirsky vs A Kubbel, 1925
(D13) Queen's Gambit Declined Slav, Exchange Variation, 34 moves, 0-1
Round 11, Game #107
B Verlinsky vs I Rabinovich, 1925
(B02) Alekhine's Defense, 39 moves, 1-0
Round 12, Game #119
V Nenarokov vs V Sozin, 1925
(C33) King's Gambit Accepted, 30 moves, 0-1
Round 13, Game #121
N Zubarev vs A Rabinovich, 1925
(E62) King's Indian, Fianchetto, 31 moves, 1-0
Round 13, Game #122
V Sozin vs P Romanovsky, 1925
(D85) Grunfeld, 25 moves, 0-1
Round 14, Game #137
Bogoljubov vs Y Vilner, 1925
(D49) Queen's Gambit Declined Semi-Slav, Meran, 28 moves, 0-1
Round 15, Game #142
Levenfish vs N Zubarev, 1925
(E11) Bogo-Indian Defense, 46 moves, 1/2-1/2
Round 15, Game #143
F Duz-Khotimirsky vs P Romanovsky, 1925
(D34) Queen's Gambit Declined, Tarrasch, 37 moves, 1-0
Round 15, Game #145 [1st prize for beauty]
B Verlinsky vs Bogoljubov, 1925
(E38) Nimzo-Indian, Classical, 4...c5, 28 moves, 1-0
Round 16, Game #152
I Rabinovich vs A S Sergeev, 1925
(D30) Queen's Gambit Declined, 27 moves, 1/2-1/2
Round 16, Game #158
P Romanovsky vs Y Vilner, 1925
(A04) Reti Opening, 26 moves, 1-0
Round 17, Game #161
Levenfish vs A Rabinovich, 1925
(A15) English, 63 moves, 0-1
Round 17, Game #163
Y Vilner vs N Zubarev, 1925
(C66) Ruy Lopez, 33 moves, 1/2-1/2
Round 17, Game #164
B Verlinsky vs P Romanovsky, 1925
(E23) Nimzo-Indian, Spielmann, 34 moves, 1-0
Round 17, Game #166
S Gotthilf vs Bogoljubov, 1925
(E60) King's Indian Defense, 44 moves, 1/2-1/2
Round 18, Game #175
Bogoljubov vs N Kutuzov, 1925
(A22) English, 42 moves, 1-0
Round 18, Game #177
P Romanovsky vs A Ilyin-Zhenevsky, 1925
(A15) English, 43 moves, 1-0
Round 18, Game #179
V Sozin vs Y Vilner, 1925
(E76) King's Indian, Four Pawns Attack, 41 moves, 1-0
Round 18, Game #180
Levenfish vs F Duz-Khotimirsky, 1925
(A46) Queen's Pawn Game, 31 moves, 1-0
Round 19, Game #183
B Verlinsky vs V Sozin, 1925
(D33) Queen's Gambit Declined, Tarrasch, 25 moves, 1-0
51 games

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