1939 USSR Chess Championship explained

Event:11th USSR Chess Championship (1939)
Location:Leningrad
Champion:Mikhail Botvinnik
Previous:1937 USSR Chess Championship
Next:1940 USSR Chess Championship

The 1939 USSR Chess Championship was the 11th edition of USSR Chess Championship. Held from 15 April to 16 May 1939 in Leningrad. The tournament was won by Mikhail Botvinnik. Semifinals took place in Moscow, Leningrad and Kiev. Alexander Kotov, author of the classic book Think Like a Grandmaster, made his debut, achieving the runner-up. Former champion of the 1920s Peter Romanovsky returned to compete, but finishing in last place. The level and popularity of chess was skyrocketing in the Soviet Union, the final round, which featured the duel between Botvinnik and Kotov, sold out all the thousands of tickets available to the public.[1]

Table and results

11th USSR Chess Championship (1939)! !! Player !! 1 !! 2 !! 3 !! 4 !! 5 !! 6 !! 7 !! 8 !! 9 !! 10 !! 11 !! 12 !! 13 !! 14 !! 15 !! 16 !! 17 !! 18 !! Total
1 Mikhail Botvinnik - 1 ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ 1 ½ 1 1 ½ 1 1 1 1 ½12½
20 - ½ 1 0 ½ 1 0 1 1 ½ ½ 1 1 1 1 1 ½11½
3½ ½ - ½ 1 ½ 1 1 ½ 1 0 ½ ½ ½ ½ 1 ½ 111
4½ 0 ½ - 1 ½ ½ 1 ½ ½ ½ ½ 1 1 ½ ½ ½ 110½
5½ 1 0 0 - 1 ½ ½ ½ 0 ½ 1 ½ 1 1 1 ½ 110½
6½ ½ ½ ½ 0 - 0 0 ½ 1 1 ½ ½ ½ 1 1 1 110
7½ 0 0 ½ ½ 1 - 1 ½ 0 ½ ½ ½ 1 ½ ½ 1 ½9
8½ 1 0 0 ½ 1 0 - ½ 1 ½ 1 0 ½ 0 0 1 1
90 0 ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ - ½ ½ 1 0 ½ ½ 1 1 ½
10½ 0 0 ½ 1 0 1 0 ½ - 1 0 0 ½ 1 1 ½ 1
110 ½ 1 ½ ½ 0 ½ ½ ½ 0 - ½ ½ 0 ½ ½ 1 18
120 ½ ½ ½ 0 ½ ½ 0 0 1 ½ - ½ 1 1 0 ½ 18
13½ 0 ½ 0 ½ ½ ½ 1 1 1 ½ ½ - ½ 0 0 0 ½
140 0 ½ 0 0 ½ 0 ½ ½ ½ 1 0 ½ - 1 1 ½ 1
150 0 ½ ½ 0 0 ½ 1 ½ 0 ½ 0 1 0 - 1 0 1
160 0 0 ½ 0 0 ½ 1 0 0 ½ 1 1 0 0 - 1 1
170 0 ½ ½ ½ 0 0 0 0 ½ 0 ½ 1 ½ 1 0 - 05
18½ ½ 0 0 0 0 ½ 0 ½ 0 0 0 ½ 0 0 0 1 -

Notes and References

  1. Cafferty, Bernard. (2016). The Soviet Championships. Londres: Everyman Chess. p. 44