1968 USSR Chess Championship explained

Event:	36th Soviet Chess Championship
Location:	Alma-Ata
Champion:	Lev Polugaevsky
Previous:	1967 USSR Chess Championship
Next:	1969 USSR Chess Championship

The 1968 Soviet Chess Championship was the 36th edition of USSR Chess Championship. Held from 30 December 1968 to 1 February 1969 in Alma-Ata. The tournament was won by Lev Polugaevsky who defeats Alexander Zaitsev in a play-off match. The non-attendance of stars such as David Bronstein, Tigran Petrosian, Boris Spassky, all away at foreign tournaments made it not too strong an event, especially in conjunction with the absence of Paul Keres. Mikhail Tal was ill again, after a year in which he spent a lot of time in hospital under observation.^{[1] [2]}

Table and results

36th Soviet Chess Championship! !! Player !! 1 !! 2 !! 3 !! 4 !! 5 !! 6 !! 7 !! 8 !! 9 !! 10 !! 11 !! 12 !! 13 !! 14 !! 15 !! 16 !! 17 !! 18 !! 19 !! 20 !! Total

1		-	½	1	½	1	½	½	½	1	½	½	1	½	½	½	½	½	1	½	1	12½
2		½	-	1	1	½	½	1	½	½	½	½	0	1	½	½	½	1	½	1	1	12½
3		0	0	-	0	0	½	½	1	1	0	1	½	1	1	1	½	½	1	1	1	11½
4		½	0	1	-	0	½	½	½	½	1	1	0	½	1	½	1	½	1	½	½	11
5		0	½	1	1	-	½	½	0	½	1	0	½	½	1	1	0	1	0	1	1	11
6		½	½	½	½	½	-	½	½	0	1	½	½	1	½	½	½	½	1	½	½	10½
7		½	0	½	½	½	½	-	½	1	½	0	½	½	½	½	1	1	½	½	1	10½
8		½	½	0	½	1	½	½	-	0	0	½	½	1	½	½	1	1	0	1	1	10½
9		0	½	0	½	½	1	0	1	-	1	½	½	½	0	½	1	0	1	1	1	10½
10		½	½	1	0	0	0	½	1	0	-	½	½	0	½	½	1	1	1	1	1	10½
11		½	½	0	0	1	½	1	½	½	½	-	1	0	1	0	½	½	1	½	½	10
12		0	1	½	1	½	½	½	½	½	½	0	-	½	0	½	½	½	1	1	½	10
13		½	0	0	½	½	0	½	0	½	1	1	½	-	1	½	½	1	½	½	1	10
14		½	½	0	0	0	½	½	½	1	½	0	1	0	-	1	½	0	½	1	1	9
15		½	½	0	½	0	½	½	½	½	½	1	½	½	0	-	0	½	½	½	1	8½
16		½	½	½	0	1	½	0	0	0	0	½	½	½	½	1	-	½	½	1	½	8½
17		½	0	½	½	0	½	0	0	1	0	½	½	0	1	½	½	-	1	½	1	8½
18		0	½	0	0	1	0	½	1	0	0	0	0	½	½	½	½	0	-	½	1	6½
19		½	0	0	½	0	½	½	0	0	0	½	0	½	0	½	0	½	½	-	0	4½
20		0	0	0	½	0	½	0	0	0	0	½	½	0	0	0	½	0	0	1	-	3½

Play-off

March 1969! Player !! 1 !! 2 !! 3 !! 4 !! 5 !! 6 !! Total

Lev Polugaevsky	½	0	½	1	½	1	3½
	½	1	½	0	½	0	2½

Notes and References

1. Book: Cafferty, Bernard. 2016. The Soviet Championships. London. Everyman Chess. 140. .
2. Book: Soltis, Andy.. Soviet chess, 1917-1991. 2000. McFarland & Co. 0-7864-0676-3. 41940198 .