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TOURNAMENT STANDINGS
USSR Championship Tournament
Viktor Korchnoi16/21(+12 -1 =8)[games]
Vladimir Tukmakov14.5/21(+9 -1 =11)[games]
Leonid Stein14/21(+8 -1 =12)[games]
Yuri Balashov12.5/21(+8 -4 =9)[games]
Aivars Gipslis12/21(+5 -2 =14)[games]
Anatoly Karpov12/21(+5 -2 =14)[games]
Vladimir Savon12/21(+5 -2 =14)[games]
Yuri Averbakh11/21(+4 -3 =14)[games]
Mikhail Podgaets11/21(+4 -3 =14)[games]
Vladimir Bagirov10.5/21(+6 -6 =9)[games]
Oleg Dementiev10.5/21(+5 -5 =11)[games]
Vladimir Liberzon10.5/21(+5 -5 =11)[games]
Vladimir Doroshkevich10/21(+8 -9 =4)[games]
Ratmir Kholmov10/21(+4 -5 =12)[games]
Vladimir Antoshin9.5/21(+2 -4 =15)[games]
Igor A Zaitsev9.5/21(+6 -8 =7)[games]
Rafael Vaganian9/21(+4 -7 =10)[games]
Vladas Mikenas9/21(+6 -9 =6)[games]
Vladimir Karasev8.5/21(+5 -9 =7)[games]
Igor Platonov7.5/21(+4 -10 =7)[games]
Mark Tseitlin6/21(+2 -11 =8)[games]
Oleg Moiseev5.5/21(+2 -12 =7)[games]
*

Chessgames.com Chess Event Description
USSR Championship (1970)

The 38th USSR Championship was held in the city of Riga (Latvia) from November 25 to December 28, 1970. It featured 22 of the Soviet Union's strongest masters and grandmasters who were invited to, and qualified for, the main event. The tournament was a tremendous victory for Viktor Korchnoi. He won clear first, a full point and a half ahead of second place Vladimir Tukmakov, finishing with 16 points from 21 games. It was Korchnoi's fourth and final Soviet championship victory, tying him with Tigran V Petrosian and Alexander G Beliavsky for Soviet titles, and being surpassed only by Mikhail Botvinnik and Mikhail Tal.

Riga, Soviet Union (Latvia), 25 November - 28 December 1970

                  1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2  Pts
  1 Korchnoi      * 0 ½ 1 1 1 1 ½ 1 ½ ½ 1 1 ½ ½ 1 1 1 ½ 1 ½ 1  16
  2 Tukmakov      1 * ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ 0 ½ ½ 1 1 1 ½ 1 ½ 1 ½ 1 1 1  14½
  3 Stein         ½ ½ * ½ ½ ½ ½ 1 ½ 1 ½ 1 1 ½ ½ ½ 1 1 1 0 ½ 1  14
  4 Balashov      0 ½ ½ * 0 ½ ½ ½ ½ 0 ½ ½ 1 1 ½ 1 1 1 1 1 1 0  12½
 =5 Gipslis       0 ½ ½ 1 * ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ 1 ½ ½ 1 ½ ½ 0 1 ½ 1  12
 =5 Karpov        0 ½ ½ ½ ½ * ½ ½ ½ 1 0 ½ 1 ½ ½ 1 1 1 ½ ½ ½ ½  12
 =5 Savon         0 ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ * ½ ½ ½ 1 ½ ½ 0 ½ ½ ½ 1 1 1 1 ½  12
 =8 Averbakh      ½ ½ 0 ½ ½ ½ ½ * ½ ½ 0 ½ 1 0 ½ ½ 1 ½ ½ 1 1 ½  11
 =8 Podgaets      0 1 ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ * ½ ½ 0 1 1 ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ 0 1  11
=10 Bagirov       ½ ½ 0 1 ½ 0 ½ ½ ½ * 1 ½ 0 1 ½ 1 0 0 0 1 1 ½  10½
=10 Dementiev     ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ 1 0 1 ½ 0 * ½ ½ 1 0 0 ½ 0 1 1 ½ ½  10½
=10 Liberzon      0 0 0 ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ 1 ½ ½ * 0 ½ 1 0 1 ½ 1 ½ 1 ½  10½
=13 Doroshkevich  0 0 0 0 0 0 ½ 0 0 1 ½ 1 * ½ 1 1 ½ 0 1 1 1 1  10
=13 Kholmov       ½ 0 ½ 0 ½ ½ 1 1 0 0 0 ½ ½ * ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ 1 1  10
=15 Antoshin      ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ 1 0 0 ½ * 0 0 ½ 1 ½ ½ ½   9½
=15 Zaitsev       0 0 ½ 0 0 0 ½ ½ ½ 0 1 1 0 ½ 1 * ½ 0 1 1 ½ 1   9½
=17 Vaganian      0 ½ 0 0 ½ 0 ½ 0 ½ 1 ½ 0 ½ ½ 1 ½ * 1 0 ½ ½ 1   9
=17 Mikenas       0 0 0 0 ½ 0 0 ½ ½ 1 1 ½ 1 ½ ½ 1 0 * 1 0 0 1   9
 19 Karasev       ½ ½ 0 0 1 ½ 0 ½ ½ 1 0 0 0 ½ 0 0 1 0 * ½ 1 1   8½
 20 Platonov      0 0 1 0 0 ½ 0 0 ½ 0 0 ½ 0 ½ ½ 0 ½ 1 ½ * 1 1   7½
 21 Tseitlin      ½ 0 ½ 0 ½ ½ 0 0 1 0 ½ 0 0 0 ½ ½ ½ 1 0 0 * 0   6
 22 Moiseev       0 0 0 1 0 ½ ½ ½ 0 ½ ½ ½ 0 0 ½ 0 0 0 0 0 1 *   5½
Original collection: Game Collection: USSR Championship 1970, by User: suenteus po 147.

 page 1 of 10; games 1-25 of 231  PGN Download
Game  ResultMoves YearEvent/LocaleOpening
1. V Mikenas vs Averbakh ½-½421970USSR ChampionshipB39 Sicilian, Accelerated Fianchetto, Breyer Variation
2. Averbakh vs Bagirov  ½-½471970USSR ChampionshipA16 English
3. O Dementiev vs Balashov  ½-½301970USSR ChampionshipE59 Nimzo-Indian, 4.e3, Main line
4. Gipslis vs O Moiseev  1-0581970USSR ChampionshipB42 Sicilian, Kan
5. Stein vs Karpov ½-½381970USSR ChampionshipC94 Ruy Lopez, Closed, Breyer Defense
6. Korchnoi vs I A Zaitsev 1-0391970USSR ChampionshipE97 King's Indian
7. Tseitlin vs V Mikenas  1-0311970USSR ChampionshipA07 King's Indian Attack
8. I Platonov vs M Podgaets  ½-½131970USSR ChampionshipA54 Old Indian, Ukrainian Variation, 4.Nf3
9. V Liberzon vs Vaganian 1-0351970USSR ChampionshipB05 Alekhine's Defense, Modern
10. Kholmov vs Savon 1-0391970USSR ChampionshipB99 Sicilian, Najdorf, 7...Be7 Main line
11. V Doroshkievich vs Antoshin  1-0411970USSR ChampionshipD46 Queen's Gambit Declined Semi-Slav
12. V Karasev vs Tukmakov  ½-½321970USSR ChampionshipD76 Neo-Grunfeld, 6.cd Nxd5, 7.O-O Nb6
13. Bagirov vs I Platonov  1-0411970USSR ChampionshipE32 Nimzo-Indian, Classical
14. Karpov vs Savon  ½-½191970USSR ChampionshipB92 Sicilian, Najdorf, Opocensky Variation
15. Vaganian vs Korchnoi 0-1411970USSR ChampionshipD94 Grunfeld
16. Stein vs V Karasev  1-0421970USSR ChampionshipE97 King's Indian
17. I A Zaitsev vs Averbakh  ½-½431970USSR ChampionshipC87 Ruy Lopez
18. V Mikenas vs V Liberzon  ½-½571970USSR ChampionshipD58 Queen's Gambit Declined, Tartakower (Makagonov-Bondarevsky) Syst
19. Tukmakov vs Tseitlin  1-0361970USSR ChampionshipD93 Grunfeld, with Bf4 & e3
20. Antoshin vs Kholmov  ½-½411970USSR ChampionshipE11 Bogo-Indian Defense
21. Balashov vs Gipslis  0-1951970USSR ChampionshipE42 Nimzo-Indian, 4.e3 c5, 5.Ne2 (Rubinstein)
22. M Podgaets vs O Dementiev  ½-½211970USSR ChampionshipE69 King's Indian, Fianchetto, Classical Main line
23. O Moiseev vs V Doroshkievich  0-1491970USSR ChampionshipE83 King's Indian, Samisch
24. O Dementiev vs Bagirov  0-1421970USSR ChampionshipB03 Alekhine's Defense
25. V Doroshkievich vs Balashov  0-1701970USSR ChampionshipB22 Sicilian, Alapin
 page 1 of 10; games 1-25 of 231  PGN Download
  REFINE SEARCH:   White wins (1-0) | Black wins (0-1) | Draws (1/2-1/2)  

Kibitzer's Corner
Apr-18-17  offramp: Korchnoi's last win in the USSR Ch, and a big one. He lost to Gog-Magog but figuratively ran through the rest of the field.

Four years later he waltzed in to a Dutch cop-shop and his whole chessic life turned figuratively upside-down.

Apr-19-17
Premium Chessgames Member		  HeMateMe: You know if that guy went out for a run on New Years Eve, Gog-Magog might jog agog with egg nog.

It could happen.

Apr-19-17
Premium Chessgames Member		  perfidious: <HMM: You know if that guy went out for a run on New Years Eve, Gog-Magog might jog agog with egg nog.>

Would he take that jog round Lake Memphremagog?

Many years ago, I was in the company of Robert Huntington when we were involved in a minor traffic scrape in Magog, Quebec.

Apr-20-17
Premium Chessgames Member		  alexmagnus: No, it will be Lake Chargoggagoggmanchauggagoggchaubunagungamaugg
Apr-20-17  offramp: We were on Lake Chargoggagoggmanchauggagoggchaubunagungamaugg singing "Taumatawhakatangihangakoayauo Tamateaturipukakapikimaungahoro Nukypokaiwhenuakitanatahu!"
Sep-29-19  ewan14: Loch !! Get it right !
May-08-21  King.Arthur.Brazil: Everyone can see now, the beginning of the crash of the URSS chess in the world. Remember the big masters of that area was almost an "interzonal".

Let's see a sad list about previous world champions, with born and passed away year (age when died): Botvinnik 1912-95 (83) with 6 URSS crowns [31/33/39/44/45/52]; Bronstein 1924-06 (82) no USSR crown; Smyslov 1921-10 (89) only one [49]; Tal 1936-92 (56) ,with 5 crowns [57/58/72/74/78]; Petrosian 1929-84 (55) with 4 crowns [59/61/69/75]; Spasski 1937- alive with 84!, with 2[61/73]. Recently you can still add more: You can cite: Karpov 1951 with 69 [best 2nd in 73] and Kasparov 1963 with 58, has 2 URSS crowns [81/88]; they are still alive thanks God.

There are 6 WC players! [all against 1 from USA Fischer 1943-08 (65)] I don't believe he would ever win a USSR Championship, even he was 10 times USA Open Champion.

Looking for the topmost players of URSS, that are not WC, you will find: Keres 1916-75 (59) with 3 crowns [47/50/51]; Geller 1925-98 (73) has 2 crowns [55/79], Polugaevsky 1934-95 (60), tied at first 3 times, won the 68-69 champ. Kortchnoi 1931-16 (85), earned 4 USSR crowns [60/62/64/70], but you can see that this last win, there are many new faces, it is questionable to consider it a remarkable win. The only strong opponent was Stein 1934-73 (39) which award 3 crowns [63/65/66] and Averbach 1922, presently with 99 alive[tied 1st in 56].

Netherless, this URSS Championship without the GMIs involved in Interzonal Tournament/ Candidates , (Geller-Petrossian-Polugaevsky-Smyslov-Spassky-), was very poor.

Some names of the past who was the elite of chess players, you can list among them: Aronin, Astoshin, Bannik, Bickovsky, Boleslavsky, Bondarevsky, Cheskovsky, Gufeld, Gurgenidze, Lein, Liberson, Lutikov, Kotov, Kotz, Krogius, Nei, Nezhmetdinov, Osnos, Podgaets Sakharov, Shamkovitch, Simagin, Steinberg, Suetin, Ragozin, Tolush, Tukmakov, Vasiukov, etc. are names already known. Maybe, some of them retired (Botvinnik) or died early (Tal, Keres, Stein), or giving up to participate (like Smyslov).

However, you can see that, every year to pass, the USSR Champ. had more new faces and lose its quality from the past. The end of this high level championship and the URSS domination on the WCC (World Chess Championship) would be planted when Fischer became winner (1972); seen next in the data base.

May-09-21
Premium Chessgames Member		  HeMateMe: Look at the young Karpov losing two games here! Not too many events where Karpy lost two games.
May-09-21  nok: Out of 21? Not too dire.
May-09-21
Premium Chessgames Member		  perfidious: The time would soon come when Karpov would scarcely lose two tournament games a calendar year.

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