1952 USSR Chess Championship explained

Event:20th Soviet Chess Championship (1952)
Location:Moscow
Champion:Mikhail Botvinnik
Previous:1951 USSR Chess Championship
Next:1954 USSR Chess Championship

The 1952 Soviet Chess Championship was the 20th edition of the USSR Chess Championship. Held from 29 November to 29 December 1952 in Moscow. The tournament was won by Mikhail Botvinnik. Botvinnik and Mark Taimanov had a play-off match of six games in February 1953, which ended with the victory of Botvinnik 3½-2½, so bringing him hisseventh title. The final were preceded by quarter-finals events and four semifinals (at Leningrad, Minsk, Riga and Sochi). For the first time in such events players were forbidden to agree a draw in under 30 moves unless they could get the arbiter's consent.[1]

Table and results

20th Soviet Chess Championship (1952)! !! Player !! 1 !! 2 !! 3 !! 4 !! 5 !! 6 !! 7 !! 8 !! 9 !! 10 !! 11 !! 12 !! 13 !! 14 !! 15 !! 16 !! 17 !! 18 !! 19 !! 20 !! Total
1 Mikhail Botvinnik - 0 1 ½ ½ ½ 1 ½ 1 1 1 ½ ½ ½ 1 1 ½ 1 ½ 113½
21 - 0 ½ 0 1 1 ½ ½ 0 ½ 1 1 1 1 1 1 ½ 1 113½
30 1 - 1 1 ½ ½ 0 0 ½ 1 ½ 1 1 1 ½ ½ 1 ½ ½12
4½ ½ 0 - 1 ½ 0 1 1 ½ ½ 0 1 0 ½ 1 1 ½ 1 111½
5½ 1 0 0 - ½ ½ 1 ½ 1 ½ 0 0 1 ½ ½ 1 1 1 111½
6½ 0 ½ ½ ½ - 0 1 ½ 0 0 1 1 ½ 1 0 1 1 1 111
70 0 ½ 1 ½ 1 - ½ 1 ½ ½ 1 1 ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ 0 ½10½
8½ ½ 1 0 0 0 ½ - ½ 1 1 ½ 0 1 1 ½ ½ ½ ½ 110½
90 ½ 1 0 ½ ½ 0 ½ - 0 ½ ½ 1 1 ½ 1 1 ½ 1 ½10½
100 1 ½ ½ 0 1 ½ 0 1 - 0 ½ 1 ½ ½ 0 0 1 1 ½
110 ½ 0 ½ ½ 1 ½ 0 ½ 1 - ½ 0 ½ ½ 1 0 1 ½ 1
12½ 0 ½ 1 1 0 0 ½ ½ ½ ½ - ½ ½ 0 1 ½ ½ ½ ½9
13½ 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 1 ½ - 0 1 0 1 1 1 19
14½ 0 0 1 0 ½ ½ 0 0 ½ ½ ½ 1 - 0 1 ½ ½ ½ 1
150 0 0 ½ ½ 0 ½ 0 ½ ½ ½ 1 0 1 - 1 ½ ½ 1 ½
160 0 ½ 0 ½ 1 ½ ½ 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 - 1 ½ ½ ½
17½ 0 ½ 0 0 0 ½ ½ 0 1 1 ½ 0 ½ ½ 0 - 1 ½ 07
180 ½ 0 ½ 0 0 ½ ½ ½ 0 0 ½ 0 ½ ½ ½ 0 - 1 1
19½ 0 ½ 0 0 0 1 ½ 0 0 ½ ½ 0 ½ 0 ½ ½ 0 - ½
200 0 ½ 0 0 0 ½ 0 ½ ½ 0 ½ 0 0 ½ ½ 1 0 ½ -5

Play-off match

20th Soviet Chess Championship, Play-off match, Moscow, February 1953! Player!! 1 !! 2 !! 3 !! 4 !! 5 !! 6 !! Total
Mikhail Botvinnik 1 ½ ½ 1 0 ½
0 ½ ½ 0 1 ½

Notes and References

  1. Cafferty, Bernard. (2016). The Soviet Championships. London: Everyman Chess. p. 78