USSR Chess Championship



The USSR Chess Championship was played from 1921 to 1991. Organized by the USSR Chess Federation, it was the strongest national chess championship ever held, with eight world chess champions and four world championship finalists among its winners. It was held as a round-robin tournament with the exception of the 35th and 58th championships, which were of the Swiss system.

Most wins

 * Six titles: Mikhail Botvinnik, Mikhail Tal
 * Four titles: Tigran Petrosian, Viktor Korchnoi, Alexander Beliavsky
 * Three titles: Paul Keres, Leonid Stein, Anatoly Karpov

List of winners

 * {|class="wikitable"

! Edition !! Date !! Place !! Winner !! Score !! width=700| Notes this tournament was later recognized as the first USSR championship. Peter Romanovsky 14½/20 (+12−3=5) after he emigrated to Canada and was declared a nonperson. 4/5 (+4−1=0), and 3½/4 (+3−0=1) Ilya Rabinovich 12/19 (+9−4=6) Igor Bondarevsky 13½/19 (+10−2=7) 23 Mar–29 Apr 1941, Leningrad/Moscow, 13½/20 (+9−2=9) Alexander Kotov 12/18 (+10−4=4) David Bronstein 13/19 (+8−1=10) Mikhail Tal ||10/13 10/13 Alexander Zaitsev 12½/19 (+6=13) Mikhail Tal ||9½/15 (+6−2=7) 9½/15 (+6−2=7) Iosif Dorfman || 9½/15 (+4−0=11) 9½/15 (+4−0=11) Vitaly Tseshkovsky 11/17 (+6−1=10) Alexander Beliavsky 10½/17 (+6−2=9) Lev Psakhis 12½/17 (+9−1=7) Mikhail Gurevich Alexander Chernin 11/19 (+6−3=10) 11/19 (+5−2=12) Garry Kasparov 11½/17 (+6−0=11) Leonid Yudasin Evgeny Bareev Alexey Vyzmanavin 8½/13 (+4−0=9) 8½/13 (+6−2=5) 8½/13 (+5−1=7)
 * 1 ||4–24 Oct 1920 || Moscow
 * Alexander Alekhine || 12/15 (+9−0=6)
 * Known as the All-Russian Chess Olympiad at the time,
 * Known as the All-Russian Chess Olympiad at the time,
 * 2 ||8–24 Jul 1923 || Petrograd
 * Peter Romanovsky ||10/12 (+9−1=2)
 * 3 ||23 Aug–15 Sep 1924 || Moscow
 * Efim Bogoljubov || 15/17 (+13−0=4)
 * 4 ||11 Aug–6 Sep 1925 ||Leningrad
 * Efim Bogoljubov ||14/19 (+11−2=6)
 * 5||26 Sep–25 Oct 1927 || |Moscow
 * Fedor Bogatyrchuk
 * 4 ||11 Aug–6 Sep 1925 ||Leningrad
 * Efim Bogoljubov ||14/19 (+11−2=6)
 * 5||26 Sep–25 Oct 1927 || |Moscow
 * Fedor Bogatyrchuk
 * 5||26 Sep–25 Oct 1927 || |Moscow
 * Fedor Bogatyrchuk
 * Fedor Bogatyrchuk
 * 14½/20 (+10−1=9)
 * All of Bogatyrchuk's tournament results were erased from Soviet records
 * 6 || 2–20 Sep 1929 || Odessa
 * Boris Verlinsky || 5½/8 (+4−1=3),
 * Boris Verlinsky || 5½/8 (+4−1=3),
 * The tournament was conducted in three stages.
 * 7 || 10 Oct–11 Nov 1931 || Moscow
 * Mikhail Botvinnik || 13½/17 (+12−2=3)
 * 8|| 16 Aug–9 Sep 1933 || Leningrad
 * Mikhail Botvinnik || 14/19 (+11−2=6)
 * 9 || 7 Dec 1934–2 Jan 1935 || Leningrad
 * Grigory Levenfish
 * Mikhail Botvinnik || 14/19 (+11−2=6)
 * 9 || 7 Dec 1934–2 Jan 1935 || Leningrad
 * Grigory Levenfish
 * 9 || 7 Dec 1934–2 Jan 1935 || Leningrad
 * Grigory Levenfish
 * 12/19 (+8−3=8)
 * 10 || 12 Apr–14 May 1937 || Tbilisi
 * Grigory Levenfish || 12½/19 (+9−3=7)
 * 11 || 15 Apr–16 May 1939 || Leningrad
 * Mikhail Botvinnik || 12½/17 (+8−0=9)
 * 12|| 5 Sep–3 Oct 1940 || Moscow
 * Andor Lilienthal
 * 11 || 15 Apr–16 May 1939 || Leningrad
 * Mikhail Botvinnik || 12½/17 (+8−0=9)
 * 12|| 5 Sep–3 Oct 1940 || Moscow
 * Andor Lilienthal
 * 12|| 5 Sep–3 Oct 1940 || Moscow
 * Andor Lilienthal
 * 13½/19 (+8−0=11)
 * Mikhail Botvinnik won the Absolute Championship,
 * 13 || 21 May–17 Jun 1944 || Moscow
 * Mikhail Botvinnik || 12½/16 (+11−2=3)
 * 14 || 1 Jun–3 Jul 1945 || |Moscow
 * Mikhail Botvinnik ||15/17 (+13−0=4)
 * 15 ||2 Feb–8 Mar 1947 || Leningrad
 * Paul Keres || 14/19 (+10−1=8)
 * 16||10 Nov–13 Dec 1948 || Moscow
 * David Bronstein
 * 15 ||2 Feb–8 Mar 1947 || Leningrad
 * Paul Keres || 14/19 (+10−1=8)
 * 16||10 Nov–13 Dec 1948 || Moscow
 * David Bronstein
 * 16||10 Nov–13 Dec 1948 || Moscow
 * David Bronstein
 * David Bronstein
 * 12/18 (+7−1=10)
 * 17 || 16 Oct–20 Nov 1949 || Moscow
 * Vasily Smyslov
 * 17 || 16 Oct–20 Nov 1949 || Moscow
 * Vasily Smyslov
 * 13/19 (+9−2=8)
 * 18 || 10 Nov–12 Dec 1950 || Moscow
 * Paul Keres || 11½/17 (+8−2=7)
 * 19 || 11 Nov–14 Dec 1951 || Moscow
 * Paul Keres ||12/17 (+9−2=6)
 * 20 || 29 Nov–29 Dec 1952 || Moscow
 * Mikhail Botvinnik ||13½/19 (+9−1=9)
 * Botvinnik defeated Mark Taimanov in a playoff +2−1=3.
 * 21 || 7 Jan–7 Feb 1954 || Kiev
 * Yuri Averbakh || 14½/19 (+10−0=9)
 * 22 || 11 Feb–15 Mar 1955 || Moscow
 * Efim Geller || 12/19 (+10−5=4)
 * Geller defeated Vasily Smyslov in a playoff +1=6.
 * 23 || 10 Jan–15 Feb 1956 || Leningrad
 * Mark Taimanov || 11½/17 (+8−2=7)
 * Taimanov defeated Boris Spassky and Yuri Averbakh in a playoff.
 * 24 || 20 Jan–22 Feb 1957 || Moscow
 * Mikhail Tal ||14/21 (+9−2=10)
 * 25 || 12 Jan–14 Feb 1958 ||Riga
 * Mikhail Tal ||12½/18 (+10−3=5)
 * 26 || 9 Jan–11 Feb 1959 || Tbilisi
 * Tigran Petrosian ||13½/19 (+8−0=11)
 * 27 || 26 Jan–26 Feb 1960 || Leningrad
 * Viktor Korchnoi ||14/19 (+12−3=4)
 * 28 || 11 Jan–11 Feb 1961 ||Moscow
 * Tigran Petrosian ||13½/19 (+9−1=9)
 * 29 ||16 Nov–12 Dec 1961 ||Baku
 * Boris Spassky ||14½/20 (+10−1=9)
 * 30 || 21 Nov–20 Dec 1962 ||Yerevan
 * Viktor Korchnoi || 14/19 (+10−1=8)
 * 31 || 23 Nov–27 Dec 1963 || Leningrad
 * Leonid Stein || 12/19 (+6−1=12)
 * Stein defeated Boris Spassky and Ratmir Kholmov in a playoff.
 * 32 ||25 Dec 1964–27 Jan 1965 || Kiev
 * Viktor Korchnoi ||15/19 (+11−0=8)
 * 33 || 21 Nov–24 Dec 1965 || Tallinn
 * Leonid Stein ||14/19 (+10−1=8)
 * 34 ||28 Dec 1966 – 2 Feb 1967 ||Tbilisi
 * Leonid Stein ||13/20 (+8−2=10)
 * 35 ||7–26 Dec 1967 ||Kharkiv
 * Lev Polugaevsky
 * 28 || 11 Jan–11 Feb 1961 ||Moscow
 * Tigran Petrosian ||13½/19 (+9−1=9)
 * 29 ||16 Nov–12 Dec 1961 ||Baku
 * Boris Spassky ||14½/20 (+10−1=9)
 * 30 || 21 Nov–20 Dec 1962 ||Yerevan
 * Viktor Korchnoi || 14/19 (+10−1=8)
 * 31 || 23 Nov–27 Dec 1963 || Leningrad
 * Leonid Stein || 12/19 (+6−1=12)
 * Stein defeated Boris Spassky and Ratmir Kholmov in a playoff.
 * 32 ||25 Dec 1964–27 Jan 1965 || Kiev
 * Viktor Korchnoi ||15/19 (+11−0=8)
 * 33 || 21 Nov–24 Dec 1965 || Tallinn
 * Leonid Stein ||14/19 (+10−1=8)
 * 34 ||28 Dec 1966 – 2 Feb 1967 ||Tbilisi
 * Leonid Stein ||13/20 (+8−2=10)
 * 35 ||7–26 Dec 1967 ||Kharkiv
 * Lev Polugaevsky
 * 32 ||25 Dec 1964–27 Jan 1965 || Kiev
 * Viktor Korchnoi ||15/19 (+11−0=8)
 * 33 || 21 Nov–24 Dec 1965 || Tallinn
 * Leonid Stein ||14/19 (+10−1=8)
 * 34 ||28 Dec 1966 – 2 Feb 1967 ||Tbilisi
 * Leonid Stein ||13/20 (+8−2=10)
 * 35 ||7–26 Dec 1967 ||Kharkiv
 * Lev Polugaevsky
 * 34 ||28 Dec 1966 – 2 Feb 1967 ||Tbilisi
 * Leonid Stein ||13/20 (+8−2=10)
 * 35 ||7–26 Dec 1967 ||Kharkiv
 * Lev Polugaevsky
 * 35 ||7–26 Dec 1967 ||Kharkiv
 * Lev Polugaevsky
 * Lev Polugaevsky
 * The tournament was a 126-player Swiss.
 * 36 ||30 Dec 1968–1 Feb 1969 ||Alma-Ata
 * Lev Polugaevsky
 * Lev Polugaevsky
 * 12½/19 (+7−1=11)
 * Polugaevsky defeated Zaitsev in a playoff +2−1=3.
 * 37 || 6 Sep–12 Oct 1969 ||Moscow
 * Tigran Petrosian ||14/22 (+6−0=16)
 * Petrosian defeated Polugaevsky in a playoff held in Feb 1970 by +2=3.
 * 38 || 25 Nov–28 Dec 1970 || Riga
 * Viktor Korchnoi ||16/21 (+12−1=8)
 * 39 ||15 Sep–17 Oct 1971 || Leningrad
 * Vladimir Savon || 15/21 (+9−0=12)
 * 40 || 16 Nov–19 Dec 1972 || Baku
 * Mikhail Tal || 15/21 (+9−0=12)
 * 41 || 1–27 Oct 1973 || Moscow
 * Boris Spassky ||11½/17 (+7−1=9)
 * 42 || 30 Nov–23 Dec 1974 || Leningrad
 * Alexander Beliavsky
 * 40 || 16 Nov–19 Dec 1972 || Baku
 * Mikhail Tal || 15/21 (+9−0=12)
 * 41 || 1–27 Oct 1973 || Moscow
 * Boris Spassky ||11½/17 (+7−1=9)
 * 42 || 30 Nov–23 Dec 1974 || Leningrad
 * Alexander Beliavsky
 * 42 || 30 Nov–23 Dec 1974 || Leningrad
 * Alexander Beliavsky
 * 42 || 30 Nov–23 Dec 1974 || Leningrad
 * Alexander Beliavsky
 * 43 || 28 Nov–22 Dec 1975 || Yerevan
 * Tigran Petrosian || 10/15 (+6−1=8)
 * 44
 * 26 Nov–24 Dec 1976 || Moscow
 * Anatoly Karpov || 12/17 (+8−1=8)
 * 45 || 28 Nov–22 Dec 1977 || Leningrad
 * Boris Gulko
 * 26 Nov–24 Dec 1976 || Moscow
 * Anatoly Karpov || 12/17 (+8−1=8)
 * 45 || 28 Nov–22 Dec 1977 || Leningrad
 * Boris Gulko
 * 45 || 28 Nov–22 Dec 1977 || Leningrad
 * Boris Gulko
 * A playoff, held in 1978, was drawn +1−1=4.
 * 46 || 1–28 Dec 1978 || Tbilisi
 * Mikhail Tal
 * Mikhail Tal
 * 11/17 (+5−0=12)
 * 47 || 29 Nov–27 Dec 1979 || Minsk
 * Efim Geller || 11½/17 (+6−0=11)
 * 48 || 25 Dec 1980–21 Jan 1981 || Vilnius
 * Lev Psakhis
 * 48 || 25 Dec 1980–21 Jan 1981 || Vilnius
 * Lev Psakhis
 * 48 || 25 Dec 1980–21 Jan 1981 || Vilnius
 * Lev Psakhis
 * 10½/17 (+8−4=5)
 * 49 || 27 Nov–22 Dec 1981 || Frunze
 * Garry Kasparov
 * 49 || 27 Nov–22 Dec 1981 || Frunze
 * Garry Kasparov
 * 12½/17 (+10−2=5)
 * 50 || 2–28 Apr 1983 || Moscow
 * Anatoly Karpov || 9½/15 (+5−1=9)
 * 51 || 2–28 Apr 1984 || Lviv
 * Andrei Sokolov || 12½/17 (+8−0=9)
 * 52 || 22 Jan–19 Feb 1985 || Riga
 * Viktor Gavrikov
 * 51 || 2–28 Apr 1984 || Lviv
 * Andrei Sokolov || 12½/17 (+8−0=9)
 * 52 || 22 Jan–19 Feb 1985 || Riga
 * Viktor Gavrikov
 * 52 || 22 Jan–19 Feb 1985 || Riga
 * Viktor Gavrikov
 * 11/19 (+4−1=14)
 * 53 || 4–28 Feb 1986 || Kiev
 * Vitaly Tseshkovsky || 11/17 (+6−1=10)
 * 54 || 4–29 Mar 1987 || Minsk
 * Alexander Beliavsky || 11/17 (+7−2=8)
 * Beliavsky defeated Valery Salov in a playoff +2=2.
 * 55 || 25 Jul–19 Aug 1988 || Moscow
 * Anatoly Karpov
 * Alexander Beliavsky || 11/17 (+7−2=8)
 * Beliavsky defeated Valery Salov in a playoff +2=2.
 * 55 || 25 Jul–19 Aug 1988 || Moscow
 * Anatoly Karpov
 * Anatoly Karpov
 * 11½/17 (+6−0=11)
 * 56 || 22 Sep–16 Oct 1989 || Odessa
 * Rafael Vaganian || 9/15 (+5−2=8)
 * 57 || 18 Oct–3 Nov 1990 || Leningrad
 * Alexander Beliavsky
 * 57 || 18 Oct–3 Nov 1990 || Leningrad
 * Alexander Beliavsky
 * 57 || 18 Oct–3 Nov 1990 || Leningrad
 * Alexander Beliavsky
 * 8½/13 (+5−1=7)
 * 58 || 1–13 Nov 1991 || Moscow
 * Artashes Minasian || 8½/11 (+7−1=3)
 * Minasian won this Swiss-style tournament on tiebreak over Elmar Magerramov.
 * }
 * Minasian won this Swiss-style tournament on tiebreak over Elmar Magerramov.
 * }



Publications

 * Mark Taimanov, Bernard Cafferty, Soviet Championships, London, Everyman Chess, 1998 (ISBN 978-1-85744-201-4)