1955 USSR Chess Championship

The 1955 Soviet Chess Championship was the 22nd edition of USSR Chess Championship. Held from 11 February to 15 March 1955 in Moscow. The tournament was won by Efim Geller who defeats Smyslov in a play-off match (4-3). The final were preceded semifinals events at Leningrad, Gorky and Yerevan.[1][2] It was the worst USSR Chess Championship of Korchnoi's career, despite having fought in each game, all showing the high level of the competition.[3]

22nd Soviet Chess Championship (1955)
LocationMoscow
Champion
Efim Geller
Efim Geller

Table and results edit

22nd Soviet Chess Championship (1955)
Player 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 Total
1   Efim Geller - 0 1 0 ½ ½ ½ 0 1 0 1 1 0 1 1 ½ 1 1 1 1 12
2   Vassily Smyslov 1 - 1 ½ 0 ½ 1 ½ 1 ½ ½ ½ 1 ½ 0 ½ 1 ½ ½ 1 12
3   Mikhail Botvinnik 0 0 - ½ ½ ½ 0 ½ ½ 1 1 1 ½ ½ ½ 1 1 ½ 1 1 11½
4   Boris Spassky 1 ½ ½ - ½ ½ ½ 1 ½ 1 0 0 0 ½ ½ 1 ½ 1 1 1 11½
5   Georgy Ilivitsky ½ 1 ½ ½ - ½ 1 0 ½ ½ 1 ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ 1 ½ 1 11½
6   Tigran Petrosian ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ - ½ 1 ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ 1 1 ½ 1 11½
7   Paul Keres ½ 0 1 ½ 0 ½ - 1 0 ½ 0 ½ 1 ½ 1 ½ 1 1 ½ 1 11
8   Mark Taimanov 1 ½ ½ 0 1 0 0 - 1 1 ½ 1 ½ ½ 1 ½ 0 1 ½ ½ 11
9   Vladas Mikenas 0 0 ½ ½ ½ ½ 1 0 - ½ ½ 1 0 ½ 1 ½ 1 1 ½ 1 10½
10   Vladimir Antoshin 1 ½ 0 0 ½ ½ ½ 0 ½ - 1 0 1 ½ 0 ½ 1 1 ½ 1 10
11   Semyon Furman 0 ½ 0 1 0 ½ 1 ½ ½ 0 - 1 ½ 1 ½ ½ 0 1 ½ 1 10
12   Alexander Kotov 0 ½ 0 1 ½ ½ ½ 0 0 1 0 - 1 ½ 1 0 1 ½ 1 ½
13   Georgy Borisenko 1 0 ½ 1 ½ ½ 0 ½ 1 0 ½ 0 - ½ ½ ½ ½ 0 ½ 1 9
14   Salo Flohr 0 ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ 0 ½ ½ - ½ 1 0 ½ 1 ½ 9
15   Georgy Lisitsin 0 1 ½ ½ ½ ½ 0 0 0 1 ½ 0 ½ ½ - ½ ½ 0 1 1
16   Yuri Averbakh ½ ½ 0 0 ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ 1 ½ 0 ½ - ½ ½ ½ ½
17   Ilya Kan 0 0 0 ½ ½ 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 ½ 1 ½ ½ - 0 1 ½ 7
18   Vladimir Simagin 0 ½ ½ 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 ½ 1 ½ 1 ½ 1 - 1 0
19   Viktor Korchnoi 0 ½ 0 0 ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ 0 ½ 0 0 ½ 0 0 - 1 6
20   Vitaly Shcherbakov 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 ½ 0 0 0 ½ 0 ½ 0 ½ ½ 1 0 -

Play-off match edit

Moscow, April 1955
Player 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Total
  Efim Geller ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ 1 4
  Vassily Smyslov ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ 0 3

References edit

  1. ^ Cafferty, Bernard. (2016). The Soviet Championships. London: Everyman Chess. p. 84
  2. ^ Soltis, Andy. (2000). Soviet chess, 1917-1991. McFarland & Co. ISBN 0-7864-0676-3.
  3. ^ Korchnoi, Viktor (1978). Chess is my life. Autobiography and games. Arco Publishing. p. 27.