USSR Championship 1945

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USSR Championship 1945
Compiled by suenteus po 147

The 14th Soviet Chess Championship was held in the capitol of Moscow from June 1st to July 1st, 1945. Nineteen of the Soviet Union's best grandmasters and masters qualified for or were invited to participate in the round robin event. Twelve players qualified from semi-final tournaments played earlier in the year: Alexander Konstantinopolsky, Alexander Kotov, Iosif Rudakovsky, and Vitaly Chekhover qualified from Baku; David Bronstein, Ilia Kan, Vladimir Alatortsev, and Peter Romanovsky qualified from Moscow; and Isaac Boleslavsky, Alexander Tolush, Grigory Goldberg, and Mark Taimanov qualified from Leningrad. Taimanov was unable to participate and he was not replaced. The eight remaining seats went to the following players: defending Soviet champion Mikhail Botvinnik, defending Soviet vice-champion Vasily Smyslov, Igor Bondarevsky, Salomon Flohr, Alexander Koblents, Andre Lilienthal, Viacheslav Ragozin, and Boris Ratner. Although the second World War was still under way, the Soviet championship had been resurrected the previous year and continued on in spite of the ongoing fighting. Flohr fell ill after the third round and was forced to withdraw from the tournament. His record of participation and the games played were expunged from the final score, but his three games are included here for completeness and historical accuracy. The championship was won by Botvinnik, his fifth of sixth eventual Soviet crowns, and his second consecutive title. It was also Botvinnik's greatest ever USSR championship performance: he obliterated the field, winning 13 of his 17 games, and finishing undefeated a full three points ahead of clear second Boleslavsky. It was a result that significantly bolstered Botvinnik's bid for a world championship match against Alekhine, and cemented his place as one of the best players in the world as well as the greatest Soviet grandmaster of his time.

The final standings and crosstable:

1st Botvinnik 15/17 * 1 ½ ½ 1 1 1 ½ 1 1 1 ½ 1 1 1 1 1 1

2nd Boleslavsky 12/17 0 * ½ 1 1 ½ ½ 0 1 1 1 ½ 1 ½ 1 ½ 1 1

3rd Bronstein 10/17 ½ ½ * 0 0 ½ ½ 0 1 ½ ½ 1 0 1 1 1 1 1

=4th Kotov 9½/17 ½ 0 1 * 1 ½ 0 1 0 ½ 1 ½ 0 ½ 1 ½ ½ 1

=4th Bondarevsky 9½/17 0 0 1 0 * ½ ½ 1 ½ ½ ½ ½ 1 ½ 1 ½ 1 ½

=4th Konstantinopolsky 9½/17 0 ½ ½ ½ ½ * 0 ½ 0 ½ 1 1 1 ½ ½ 1 ½ 1

=7th Lilienthal 9/17 0 ½ ½ 1 ½ 1 * 1 0 0 ½ 0 1 1 ½ 1 0 ½

=7th Ragozin 9/17 ½ 1 1 0 0 ½ 0 * 0 ½ 1 1 0 0 1 ½ 1 1

=7th Rudakovsky 9/17 0 0 0 1 ½ 1 1 1 * ½ 0 ½ 1 0 ½ 0 1 1

=10th Chekhover 8½/17 0 0 ½ ½ ½ ½ 1 ½ ½ * 1 ½ 0 ½ 1 ½ 1 0

=10th Smyslov 8½/17 0 0 ½ 0 ½ 0 ½ 0 1 0 * ½ 1 ½ 1 1 1 1

=12th Alatortsev 7½/17 ½ ½ 0 ½ ½ 0 1 0 ½ ½ ½ * 1 0 0 1 ½ ½

=12th Tolush 7½/17 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 * 1 ½ 1 0 1

14th Koblencs 7/17 0 ½ 0 ½ ½ ½ 0 1 1 ½ ½ 1 0 * 0 ½ ½ 0

15th Romanovsky 6½/17 0 0 0 0 0 ½ ½ 0 ½ 0 0 1 ½ 1 * 1 1 ½

16th Ratner 6/17 0 ½ 0 ½ ½ 0 0 ½ 1 ½ 0 0 0 ½ 0 * 1 1

17th Kan 5/17 0 0 0 ½ 0 ½ 1 0 0 0 0 ½ 1 ½ 0 0 * 1

18th Goldberg 4/17 0 0 0 0 ½ 0 ½ 0 0 1 0 ½ 0 1 ½ 0 0 *

*This collection would not have been possible without the efforts of <Phony Benoni>.

Round One
B Ratner vs P Romanovsky, 1945
(D13) Queen's Gambit Declined Slav, Exchange Variation, 79 moves, 0-1
Boleslavsky vs Alatortsev, 1945
(C43) Petrov, Modern Attack, 21 moves, 1/2-1/2
Lilienthal vs V Chekhover, 1945
(E40) Nimzo-Indian, 4.e3, 41 moves, 0-1
Bondarevsky vs Smyslov, 1945
(D03) Torre Attack (Tartakower Variation), 42 moves, 1/2-1/2
I Rudakovsky vs Ragozin, 1945
(D51) Queen's Gambit Declined, 31 moves, 1-0
Kotov vs Koblents, 1945
(D28) Queen's Gambit Accepted, Classical, 38 moves, 1/2-1/2
G Goldberg vs Tolush, 1945
(D44) Queen's Gambit Declined Semi-Slav, 34 moves, 0-1
Botvinnik vs Flohr, 1945
(D22) Queen's Gambit Accepted, 37 moves, 1-0
I Kan vs A Konstantinopolsky, 1945
(C57) Two Knights, 91 moves, 1/2-1/2
Round Two
Flohr vs I Kan, 1945
(E33) Nimzo-Indian, Classical, 35 moves, 1-0
Tolush vs Botvinnik, 1945
(C19) French, Winawer, Advance, 41 moves, 0-1
Koblents vs G Goldberg, 1945
(E17) Queen's Indian, 49 moves, 0-1
Ragozin vs Kotov, 1945
(B83) Sicilian, 31 moves, 0-1
Smyslov vs I Rudakovsky, 1945
(B83) Sicilian, 29 moves, 1-0
V Chekhover vs Bondarevsky, 1945
(E07) Catalan, Closed, 56 moves, 1/2-1/2
Alatortsev vs Lilienthal, 1945
(E33) Nimzo-Indian, Classical, 78 moves, 1-0
P Romanovsky vs Boleslavsky, 1945
(E67) King's Indian, Fianchetto, 50 moves, 0-1
Bronstein vs B Ratner, 1945
(B10) Caro-Kann, 29 moves, 1-0
Round Three
Boleslavsky vs Bronstein, 1945
(C75) Ruy Lopez, Modern Steinitz Defense, 32 moves, 1/2-1/2
Lilienthal vs P Romanovsky, 1945
(E46) Nimzo-Indian, 67 moves, 1/2-1/2
Bondarevsky vs Alatortsev, 1945
(D03) Torre Attack (Tartakower Variation), 27 moves, 1/2-1/2
I Rudakovsky vs V Chekhover, 1945
(E32) Nimzo-Indian, Classical, 39 moves, 1/2-1/2
Kotov vs Smyslov, 1945
(D98) Grunfeld, Russian, 90 moves, 1-0
G Goldberg vs Ragozin, 1945
(A10) English, 40 moves, 0-1
Botvinnik vs Koblents, 1945
(D46) Queen's Gambit Declined Semi-Slav, 26 moves, 1-0
I Kan vs Tolush, 1945
(E70) King's Indian, 41 moves, 1-0
A Konstantinopolsky vs Flohr, 1945
(B10) Caro-Kann, 40 moves, 1-0
Round Four
Tolush vs A Konstantinopolsky, 1945
(B40) Sicilian, 57 moves, 0-1
Koblents vs I Kan, 1945
(B84) Sicilian, Scheveningen, 41 moves, 1/2-1/2
Ragozin vs Botvinnik, 1945
(C59) Two Knights, 40 moves, 1/2-1/2
Smyslov vs G Goldberg, 1945
(C74) Ruy Lopez, Modern Steinitz Defense, 41 moves, 1-0
V Chekhover vs Kotov, 1945
(B84) Sicilian, Scheveningen, 40 moves, 1/2-1/2
Alatortsev vs I Rudakovsky, 1945
(A53) Old Indian, 57 moves, 1/2-1/2
P Romanovsky vs Bondarevsky, 1945
(C74) Ruy Lopez, Modern Steinitz Defense, 40 moves, 0-1
Bronstein vs Lilienthal, 1945
(C78) Ruy Lopez, 19 moves, 1/2-1/2
B Ratner vs Boleslavsky, 1945
(A54) Old Indian, Ukrainian Variation, 4.Nf3, 27 moves, 1/2-1/2
Round Five
Lilienthal vs B Ratner, 1945
(D37) Queen's Gambit Declined, 62 moves, 1-0
Bondarevsky vs Bronstein, 1945
(D03) Torre Attack (Tartakower Variation), 37 moves, 1-0
I Rudakovsky vs P Romanovsky, 1945
(E34) Nimzo-Indian, Classical, Noa Variation, 47 moves, 1/2-1/2
Kotov vs Alatortsev, 1945
(E26) Nimzo-Indian, Samisch, 83 moves, 1/2-1/2
G Goldberg vs V Chekhover, 1945
(E32) Nimzo-Indian, Classical, 66 moves, 1-0
Botvinnik vs Smyslov, 1945
(D13) Queen's Gambit Declined Slav, Exchange Variation, 31 moves, 1-0
I Kan vs Ragozin, 1945
(C47) Four Knights, 45 moves, 0-1
A Konstantinopolsky vs Koblents, 1945
(A06) Reti Opening, 26 moves, 1/2-1/2
Round Six
Ragozin vs A Konstantinopolsky, 1945
(D51) Queen's Gambit Declined, 34 moves, 1/2-1/2
Smyslov vs I Kan, 1945
(B84) Sicilian, Scheveningen, 48 moves, 1-0
V Chekhover vs Botvinnik, 1945
(C77) Ruy Lopez, 40 moves, 0-1
Alatortsev vs G Goldberg, 1945
(E38) Nimzo-Indian, Classical, 4...c5, 59 moves, 1/2-1/2
P Romanovsky vs Kotov, 1945
(B95) Sicilian, Najdorf, 6...e6, 33 moves, 0-1
Bronstein vs I Rudakovsky, 1945
(B03) Alekhine's Defense, 32 moves, 1-0
B Ratner vs Bondarevsky, 1945
(D30) Queen's Gambit Declined, 33 moves, 1/2-1/2
Boleslavsky vs Lilienthal, 1945
(C98) Ruy Lopez, Closed, Chigorin, 47 moves, 1/2-1/2
Round Seven
Bondarevsky vs Boleslavsky, 1945
(A45) Queen's Pawn Game, 52 moves, 0-1
I Rudakovsky vs B Ratner, 1945
(A52) Budapest Gambit, 25 moves, 0-1
Kotov vs Bronstein, 1945
(E69) King's Indian, Fianchetto, Classical Main line, 56 moves, 1-0
G Goldberg vs P Romanovsky, 1945
(E34) Nimzo-Indian, Classical, Noa Variation, 32 moves, 1/2-1/2
Botvinnik vs Alatortsev, 1945
(D13) Queen's Gambit Declined Slav, Exchange Variation, 62 moves, 1/2-1/2
I Kan vs V Chekhover, 1945
(A46) Queen's Pawn Game, 69 moves, 0-1
A Konstantinopolsky vs Smyslov, 1945
(D30) Queen's Gambit Declined, 54 moves, 1-0
Tolush vs Koblents, 1945
(D18) Queen's Gambit Declined Slav, Dutch, 57 moves, 1-0
Round Eight
Ragozin vs Tolush, 1945
(C74) Ruy Lopez, Modern Steinitz Defense, 99 moves, 0-1
V Chekhover vs A Konstantinopolsky, 1945
(D50) Queen's Gambit Declined, 30 moves, 1/2-1/2
Alatortsev vs I Kan, 1945
(E34) Nimzo-Indian, Classical, Noa Variation, 26 moves, 1/2-1/2
P Romanovsky vs Botvinnik, 1945
(B62) Sicilian, Richter-Rauzer, 38 moves, 0-1
Bronstein vs G Goldberg, 1945
(B72) Sicilian, Dragon, 43 moves, 1-0
B Ratner vs Kotov, 1945
(D49) Queen's Gambit Declined Semi-Slav, Meran, 41 moves, 1/2-1/2
Boleslavsky vs I Rudakovsky, 1945
(C04) French, Tarrasch, Guimard Main line, 76 moves, 1-0
Lilienthal vs Bondarevsky, 1945
(E70) King's Indian, 75 moves, 1/2-1/2
Round Nine
I Rudakovsky vs Lilienthal, 1945
(A28) English, 60 moves, 1-0
Kotov vs Boleslavsky, 1945
(A45) Queen's Pawn Game, 29 moves, 0-1
G Goldberg vs B Ratner, 1945
(A28) English, 63 moves, 0-1
Botvinnik vs Bronstein, 1945
(E67) King's Indian, Fianchetto, 64 moves, 1/2-1/2
I Kan vs P Romanovsky, 1945
(D46) Queen's Gambit Declined Semi-Slav, 37 moves, 0-1
A Konstantinopolsky vs Alatortsev, 1945
(D13) Queen's Gambit Declined Slav, Exchange Variation, 74 moves, 1-0
Tolush vs Smyslov, 1945
(E32) Nimzo-Indian, Classical, 41 moves, 0-1
Koblents vs Ragozin, 1945
(A25) English, 43 moves, 1-0
Round Ten
Smyslov vs Koblents, 1945
(C67) Ruy Lopez, 25 moves, 1/2-1/2
V Chekhover vs Tolush, 1945
(E87) King's Indian, Samisch, Orthodox, 81 moves, 0-1
P Romanovsky vs A Konstantinopolsky, 1945
(B13) Caro-Kann, Exchange, 25 moves, 1/2-1/2
Bronstein vs I Kan, 1945
(C34) King's Gambit Accepted, 36 moves, 1-0
B Ratner vs Botvinnik, 1945
(D87) Grunfeld, Exchange, 38 moves, 0-1
Boleslavsky vs G Goldberg, 1945
(C71) Ruy Lopez, 19 moves, 1-0
Lilienthal vs Kotov, 1945
(E44) Nimzo-Indian, Fischer Variation, 5.Ne2, 43 moves, 1-0
Bondarevsky vs I Rudakovsky, 1945
(D87) Grunfeld, Exchange, 67 moves, 1/2-1/2
Round Eleven
Kotov vs Bondarevsky, 1945
(E60) King's Indian Defense, 68 moves, 1-0
G Goldberg vs Lilienthal, 1945
(A28) English, 45 moves, 1/2-1/2
Botvinnik vs Boleslavsky, 1945
(C79) Ruy Lopez, Steinitz Defense Deferred, 46 moves, 1-0
I Kan vs B Ratner, 1945
(A22) English, 57 moves, 0-1
A Konstantinopolsky vs Bronstein, 1945
(C98) Ruy Lopez, Closed, Chigorin, 41 moves, 1/2-1/2
Tolush vs Alatortsev, 1945
(C49) Four Knights, 39 moves, 0-1
Koblents vs V Chekhover, 1945
(E32) Nimzo-Indian, Classical, 37 moves, 1/2-1/2
Ragozin vs Smyslov, 1945
(D17) Queen's Gambit Declined Slav, 67 moves, 1-0
Round Twelve
V Chekhover vs Ragozin, 1945
(D94) Grunfeld, 53 moves, 1/2-1/2
Alatortsev vs Koblents, 1945
(D30) Queen's Gambit Declined, 25 moves, 0-1
P Romanovsky vs Tolush, 1945
(B02) Alekhine's Defense, 41 moves, 1/2-1/2
B Ratner vs A Konstantinopolsky, 1945
(A54) Old Indian, Ukrainian Variation, 4.Nf3, 31 moves, 0-1
Boleslavsky vs I Kan, 1945
(C11) French, 40 moves, 1-0
Lilienthal vs Botvinnik, 1945
(D43) Queen's Gambit Declined Semi-Slav, 37 moves, 0-1
Bondarevsky vs G Goldberg, 1945
(E01) Catalan, Closed, 57 moves, 1/2-1/2
I Rudakovsky vs Kotov, 1945
(D48) Queen's Gambit Declined Semi-Slav, Meran, 45 moves, 1-0
Round Thirteen
G Goldberg vs I Rudakovsky, 1945
(D98) Grunfeld, Russian, 28 moves, 0-1
Botvinnik vs Bondarevsky, 1945
(E67) King's Indian, Fianchetto, 40 moves, 1-0
I Kan vs Lilienthal, 1945
(E16) Queen's Indian, 44 moves, 1-0
A Konstantinopolsky vs Boleslavsky, 1945
(B60) Sicilian, Richter-Rauzer, 30 moves, 1/2-1/2
Tolush vs Bronstein, 1945
(A45) Queen's Pawn Game, 32 moves, 1-0
Koblents vs P Romanovsky, 1945
(A15) English, 37 moves, 0-1
Ragozin vs Alatortsev, 1945
(D46) Queen's Gambit Declined Semi-Slav, 33 moves, 1-0
Smyslov vs V Chekhover, 1945
(B10) Caro-Kann, 63 moves, 0-1
Round Fourteen
Alatortsev vs Smyslov, 1945
(E34) Nimzo-Indian, Classical, Noa Variation, 25 moves, 1/2-1/2
P Romanovsky vs Ragozin, 1945
(C77) Ruy Lopez, 66 moves, 0-1
Bronstein vs Koblents, 1945
(C35) King's Gambit Accepted, Cunningham, 29 moves, 1-0
B Ratner vs Tolush, 1945
(D30) Queen's Gambit Declined, 45 moves, 0-1
Lilienthal vs A Konstantinopolsky, 1945
(B16) Caro-Kann, Bronstein-Larsen Variation, 53 moves, 1-0
Bondarevsky vs I Kan, 1945
(D30) Queen's Gambit Declined, 61 moves, 1-0
I Rudakovsky vs Botvinnik, 1945
(E36) Nimzo-Indian, Classical, 34 moves, 0-1
Kotov vs G Goldberg, 1945
(E24) Nimzo-Indian, Samisch, 47 moves, 1-0
Round Fifteen
Botvinnik vs Kotov, 1945
(A13) English, 52 moves, 1/2-1/2
I Kan vs I Rudakovsky, 1945
(E61) King's Indian, 46 moves, 0-1
A Konstantinopolsky vs Bondarevsky, 1945
(D41) Queen's Gambit Declined, Semi-Tarrasch, 20 moves, 1/2-1/2
Tolush vs Boleslavsky, 1945
(A45) Queen's Pawn Game, 26 moves, 0-1
Koblents vs B Ratner, 1945
(B18) Caro-Kann, Classical, 23 moves, 1/2-1/2
Ragozin vs Bronstein, 1945
(C52) Evans Gambit, 38 moves, 1-0
Smyslov vs P Romanovsky, 1945
(E22) Nimzo-Indian, Spielmann Variation, 31 moves, 1-0
V Chekhover vs Alatortsev, 1945
(D12) Queen's Gambit Declined Slav, 51 moves, 1/2-1/2
Round Sixteen
P Romanovsky vs V Chekhover, 1945
(E16) Queen's Indian, 48 moves, 0-1
Bronstein vs Smyslov, 1945
(B80) Sicilian, Scheveningen, 40 moves, 1/2-1/2
B Ratner vs Ragozin, 1945
(E53) Nimzo-Indian, 4.e3, 58 moves, 1/2-1/2
Boleslavsky vs Koblents, 1945
(C97) Ruy Lopez, Closed, Chigorin, 26 moves, 1/2-1/2
Lilienthal vs Tolush, 1945
(B16) Caro-Kann, Bronstein-Larsen Variation, 42 moves, 1-0
I Rudakovsky vs A Konstantinopolsky, 1945
(D50) Queen's Gambit Declined, 34 moves, 1-0
Kotov vs I Kan, 1945
(E72) King's Indian, 37 moves, 1/2-1/2
G Goldberg vs Botvinnik, 1945
(A34) English, Symmetrical, 33 moves, 0-1
Round Seventeen
I Kan vs G Goldberg, 1945
(A47) Queen's Indian, 41 moves, 1-0
A Konstantinopolsky vs Kotov, 1945
(D60) Queen's Gambit Declined, Orthodox Defense, 28 moves, 1/2-1/2
Tolush vs Bondarevsky, 1945
(A45) Queen's Pawn Game, 41 moves, 0-1
Koblents vs Lilienthal, 1945
(C45) Scotch Game, 27 moves, 0-1
Ragozin vs Boleslavsky, 1945
(D81) Grunfeld, Russian Variation, 36 moves, 1-0
Smyslov vs B Ratner, 1945
(B10) Caro-Kann, 30 moves, 1-0
V Chekhover vs Bronstein, 1945
(A15) English, 41 moves, 1/2-1/2
Alatortsev vs P Romanovsky, 1945
(E34) Nimzo-Indian, Classical, Noa Variation, 33 moves, 0-1
Round Eighteen
Bronstein vs Alatortsev, 1945
(C33) King's Gambit Accepted, 33 moves, 1-0
B Ratner vs V Chekhover, 1945
(E16) Queen's Indian, 57 moves, 1/2-1/2
Boleslavsky vs Smyslov, 1945
(C97) Ruy Lopez, Closed, Chigorin, 60 moves, 1-0
Lilienthal vs Ragozin, 1945
(C92) Ruy Lopez, Closed, 76 moves, 1-0
Bondarevsky vs Koblents, 1945
(D37) Queen's Gambit Declined, 41 moves, 1/2-1/2
I Rudakovsky vs Tolush, 1945
(E67) King's Indian, Fianchetto, 41 moves, 1-0
G Goldberg vs A Konstantinopolsky, 1945
(D37) Queen's Gambit Declined, 54 moves, 0-1
Botvinnik vs I Kan, 1945
(D50) Queen's Gambit Declined, 41 moves, 1-0
Round Nineteen
A Konstantinopolsky vs Botvinnik, 1945
(C09) French, Tarrasch, Open Variation, Main line, 57 moves, 0-1
Tolush vs Kotov, 1945
(B80) Sicilian, Scheveningen, 41 moves, 1-0
Koblents vs I Rudakovsky, 1945
(B83) Sicilian, 62 moves, 1-0
Ragozin vs Bondarevsky, 1945
(E01) Catalan, Closed, 63 moves, 0-1
Smyslov vs Lilienthal, 1945
(C79) Ruy Lopez, Steinitz Defense Deferred, 24 moves, 1/2-1/2
V Chekhover vs Boleslavsky, 1945
(B63) Sicilian, Richter-Rauzer Attack, 61 moves, 0-1
Alatortsev vs B Ratner, 1945
(A57) Benko Gambit, 42 moves, 1-0
P Romanovsky vs Bronstein, 1945
(C15) French, Winawer, 37 moves, 0-1
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