Thirteen Spassky tournaments

 zip-file of CB-files of Spassky events      all 58 Soviet championships 1921-1991

Illustrations were selected from a small collection, supplied by Spassky (Jan van Reek). 

Tolush grandmaster - Spassky master

Bucharest 1953 was the first informal foreign tournament, in which several Soviet chess players participated. The marathon lasted from 25 January to 27 February 1953. László Szabó took the lead during the first part of the tournament. The five Soviet players were on top at the end. Tolush gained the title of international grandmaster and his pupil Spassky became international master. 

The games of Tolush, Spassky and László Szabó are annotated in the file. These players produced the highlights in a spectacular tournament.

Boleslavsky, Smyslov, Petrosian, Tolush and Spassky in 1953

Bucharest 1953
                    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 
1 Tolush            * ½ 0 ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ 1 1 1 1 1 ½ ½ 1 1 1 1 1 14
2 Petrosian         ½ * ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ 1 ½ ½ 1 ½ 1 1 1 1 1 13
3 Smyslov           1 ½ * 0 ½ ½ 1 ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ 1 1 1 ½ 1 1 ½ 12½
4 Spassky           ½ ½ 1 * ½ 1 ½ ½ 1 0 0 ½ ½ 0 1 ½ 1 1 1 1 12
5 Boleslavsky       ½ ½ ½ ½ * 0 ½ ½ ½ 1 1 1 ½ ½ 1 1 ½ ½ ½ 1 12
6 Szabó,L           ½ ½ ½ 0 1 * ½ ½ 0 0 0 ½ 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 12
7 Barcza            ½ ½ 0 ½ ½ ½ * ½ ½ ½ 0 ½ 1 1 1 ½ ½ 1 1 1 11½
8 O'Kelly de Galway ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ * ½ ½ ½ 0 ½ 1 1 ½ 1 1 ½ ½ 11
9 Szabo,S           0 ½ ½ 0 ½ 1 ½ ½ * ½ 0 ½ ½ ½ 1 ½ 1 1 1 1 11
10 Sliwa            0 ½ ½ 1 0 1 ½ ½ ½ * 1 1 ½ 0 0 1 ½ 1 ½ ½ 10½
11 Filip            0 0 ½ 1 0 1 1 ½ 1 0 * ½ ½ 1 1 0 0 ½ 0 1  9½
12 Ciocaltea        0 ½ ½ ½ 0 ½ ½ 1 ½ 0 ½ * 1 1 0 1 0 0 1 1  9½
13 Sajtar           0 ½ ½ ½ ½ 0 0 ½ ½ ½ ½ 0 * 1 0 ½ 1 0 1 1  8½
14 Milev            ½ 0 0 1 ½ 0 0 0 ½ 1 0 0 0 * 1 0 1 ½ 1 1  8
15 Barda            ½ ½ 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 1 0 * ½ ½ 1 1 1  8
16 Stoltz           0 0 0 ½ 0 0 ½ ½ ½ 0 1 0 ½ 1 ½ * ½ 1 ½ 0  7
17 Radulescu        0 0 ½ 0 ½ 0 ½ 0 0 ½ 1 1 0 0 ½ ½ * 0 0 1  6
18 Golombek         0 0 0 0 ½ 0 0 0 0 0 ½ 1 1 ½ 0 0 1 * ½ 1  6
19 Troianescu       0 0 0 0 ½ 0 0 ½ 0 ½ 1 0 0 0 0 ½ 1 ½ * ½  5
20 Reicher          0 0 ½ 0 0 0 0 ½ 0 ½ 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 ½ *  3

Spassky's debut at the top

The social atmosphere in the Soviet-Union relaxed somewhat after Stalin’s death. Fear decreased but life stayed gray. The Soviet Chess Championship final remained the annual highlight. In 1955 the 22^nd final was played. The twenty participants played in the great theatre hall of the Central Culture House of the Railways at Moscow from February 11 until March 15. A play-off lasted from April 5-19. The tournament had an exciting finish. Geller and Botvinnik lost in the last round. A draw gave Smyslov the right for a play-off. Geller scored six quiet draws until he won the sudden-death. 

Botvinnik participated in a Soviet championship for the last time. He had lost his superiority in the middle game. Endgame expertise and endurance kept him in the race. Spassky qualified for the interzonal. His brilliant style impressed the public.

Spassky in his student days

22nd Soviet championship Moscow 1955
                1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 
1 Smyslov       * 1 0 ½ ½ 1 ½ 1 1 ½ ½ ½ 1 ½ ½ 0 1 ½ ½ 1 12
2 Geller        0 * ½ 0 ½ 1 0 ½ 1 1 0 1 0 1 ½ 1 1 1 1 1 12
3 Ilivitsky     1 ½ * ½ ½ ½ 0 1 ½ 1 ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ 1 ½ 1 11½
4 Spassky       ½ 1 ½ * ½ ½ 1 ½ ½ 0 1 0 0 ½ 1 ½ ½ 1 1 1 11½
5 Petrosian     ½ ½ ½ ½ * ½ 1 ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ 1 1 ½ 1 11½
6 Botvinnik     0 0 ½ ½ ½ * ½ 0 ½ 1 1 1 ½ ½ 1 ½ 1 ½ 1 1 11½
7 Taimanov      ½ 1 1 0 0 ½ * 0 1 ½ 1 1 ½ ½ ½ 1 0 1 ½ ½ 11
8 Keres         0 ½ 0 ½ ½ 1 1 * 0 0 ½ ½ 1 ½ ½ 1 1 1 ½ 1 11
9 Mikenas       0 0 ½ ½ ½ ½ 0 1 * ½ ½ 1 0 ½ ½ 1 1 1 ½ 1 10½
10 Furman       ½ 0 0 1 ½ 0 ½ 1 ½ * 0 1 ½ 1 ½ ½ 0 1 ½ 1 10
11 Antoshin     ½ 1 ½ 0 ½ 0 0 ½ ½ 1 * 0 1 ½ ½ 0 1 1 ½ 1 10
12 Kotov        ½ 0 ½ 1 ½ 0 0 ½ 0 0 1 * 1 ½ 0 1 1 ½ 1 ½  9½
13 Borisenko    0 1 ½ 1 ½ ½ ½ 0 1 ½ 0 0 * ½ ½ ½ ½ 0 ½ 1  9
14 Flohr        ½ 0 ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ 0 ½ ½ ½ * 1 ½ 0 ½ 1 ½  9
15 Averbakh     ½ ½ ½ 0 ½ 0 ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ 1 ½ 0 * ½ ½ ½ ½ ½  8½
16 Lisitsin     1 0 ½ ½ ½ ½ 0 0 0 ½ 1 0 ½ ½ ½ * ½ 0 1 1  8½
17 Kan          0 0 ½ ½ 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 ½ 1 ½ ½ * 0 1 ½  7
18 Simagin      ½ 0 0 0 0 ½ 0 0 0 0 0 ½ 1 ½ ½ 1 1 * 1 0  6½
19 Korchnoi     ½ 0 ½ 0 ½ 0 ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ 0 ½ 0 ½ 0 0 0 * 1  6
20 Shcherbakov  0 0 0 0 0 0 ½ 0 0 0 0 ½ 0 ½ ½ 0 ½ 1 0 *  3½

Play-off
        1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Geller  ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ 1  4
Smyslov ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ 0  3

Spassky gains experience

The 23^rd Soviet championship was played from i until ii 1956 in Leningrad. Eighteen players took part. The final standings became: Averbakh, Spassky and Taimanov 11½, Kortschnoj 11, Polugaevsky, Tal and Kholmov 10½, etc. A tie-break for the title was needed. Taimanov became the champion.

The gladiators

The 24^th final was played in Moscow from 20 January - 22 February 1957. It was eagerly followed by hundreds of visitors in a theatre and millions of listeners to a regular radio program. They were fascinated by the ferocious attacks by Tal, Tolush and Nezhmetdinov, and the enterprising play by Bronstein, Keres, Korchnoi, Taimanov, Klaman and Gurgenidze. Even Petrosian played sharp openings. 

A star was born! Tal’s play appealed to the men. The debate about the correctness of his sacrifices stimulated his popularity. His youthful appearance and hypnotising eyes mesmerised the ladies. The brilliant victories over Klaman, Gurgenidze and Tolush, incredible draws against Antoshin and Aronin and technical win over Keres impressed an international public. A string of successes would lead to the title of world champion in 1960. Tolush became the victim of Tal’s success. Alexander Kasimirovich missed the ability to become the challenger of Botvinnik. Champion of the Soviet-Union was his highest aim. He had achieved a shared second place in 1950. The championship of 1957 was his last chance to the title. His defeat against Tal in the last round became the main attraction of the tournament, and his impressive play in the previous rounds was forgotten. After a defeat in round one, Spassky was trailing the leaders during the whole tournament. He played several enjoyable games. 

24th Soviet championship Moscow 1957
                1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 
1 Tal           * 1 1 ½ 1 ½ ½ 1 0 ½ 1 ½ 0 1 1 ½ ½ ½ 1 ½ ½ 1 14
2 Keres         0 * ½ 0 1 ½ ½ ½ 1 ½ ½ 1 ½ 1 ½ 1 ½ ½ 1 ½ 1 1 13½
3 Bronstein     0 ½ * ½ 0 ½ ½ ½ ½ 1 ½ ½ 1 ½ 1 1 1 1 0 1 1 1 13½
4 Spassky       ½ 1 ½ * ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ 1 0 ½ 0 ½ 1 1 1 ½ 1 1 13
5 Tolush        0 0 1 ½ * 0 ½ 0 ½ 1 1 1 ½ ½ 1 1 0 1 ½ 1 1 1 13
6 Kholmov       ½ ½ ½ ½ 1 * ½ 1 ½ 0 0 ½ ½ ½ 1 ½ 1 ½ ½ 1 ½ 1 12½
7 Korchnoi      ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ * ½ 1 0 ½ ½ 1 ½ ½ 0 1 0 1 1 1 ½ 12
8 Petrosian     0 ½ ½ ½ 1 0 ½ * ½ ½ 1 0 ½ 0 1 1 1 ½ ½ ½ 1 1 12
9 Boleslavsky   1 0 ½ ½ ½ ½ 0 ½ * ½ ½ ½ 1 ½ ½ ½ ½ 1 ½ ½ 1 ½ 11½
10 Aronin       ½ ½ 0 ½ 0 1 1 ½ ½ * ½ 1 ½ 0 0 ½ ½ 1 1 ½ 0 1 11
11 Taimanov     0 ½ ½ ½ 0 1 ½ 0 ½ ½ * ½ ½ ½ 1 1 ½ ½ 1 1 0 ½ 11
12 Furman       ½ 0 ½ 0 0 ½ ½ 1 ½ 0 ½ * ½ 1 ½ 1 1 0 0 1 ½ ½ 10
13 Nezhmetdinov 1 ½ 0 1 ½ ½ 0 ½ 0 ½ ½ ½ * ½ 0 1 1 0 1 0 ½ 0  9½
14 Bannik       0 0 ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ 1 ½ 1 ½ 0 ½ * 1 ½ ½ 0 0 ½ ½ ½  9½
15 Klaman       0 ½ 0 1 0 0 ½ 0 ½ 1 0 ½ 1 0 * 0 ½ 1 1 ½ ½ 1  9½
16 Antoshin     ½ 0 0 ½ 0 ½ 1 0 ½ ½ 0 0 0 ½ 1 * 0 1 1 ½ ½ 1  9
17 Stoliar      ½ ½ 0 0 1 0 0 0 ½ ½ ½ 0 0 ½ ½ 1 * ½ ½ 1 ½ ½  8½
18 Mikenas      ½ ½ 0 0 0 ½ 1 ½ 0 0 ½ 1 1 1 0 0 ½ * 1 0 0 0  8
19 Gurgenidze   0 0 1 0 ½ ½ 0 ½ ½ 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 ½ 0 * 1 1 0  7½
20 Khasin       ½ ½ 0 ½ 0 0 0 ½ ½ ½ 0 0 1 ½ ½ ½ 0 1 0 * 1 0  7½
21 Tarasov      ½ 0 0 0 0 ½ 0 0 0 1 1 ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ 1 0 0 * ½  7½
22 Aronson      0 0 0 0 0 0 ½ 0 ½ 0 ½ ½ 1 ½ 0 0 ½ 1 1 1 ½ *  7½

A disaster in Riga

The 25th championship of the USSR was played in Riga from 12 i until 14 ii 1958. Four places were at stake for the interzonal tournament Portoroz 1958. Nineteen players participated. The championship became a race between nine young stars. Tal prolonged his championship of the Soviet union by a score of 12½/19. Qualification places were taken by Petrosian (12), Bronstein (11½) and Averbakh (11 points). The losers were Spassky and Polugaevsky (10½), Geller (10), Kortschnoj (9½) and Taimanov (9 points). Boris lost his last two games. 

Tal and Petrosian watch Spassky in round thirteen

Mixed success in Tbilisi
The 26th championship was played in Tbilisi from 9 i until 11 ii 1959. It became a battle between Tal, Petrosian and Spassky, three future world champions. Spassky had the best start. Eventually Petrosian won. Spassky and Tal shared the second place. 

From Russia with love

The 27^th championship was played in the Chigorin Club of Leningrad from 26 i until 26 ii 1960. Petrosian and Smyslov were exempt of the preliminaries. The rest had to qualify in the semifinals. The final was a competition between Kortschnoj, Geller and Petrosian.  Kortschnoj became the champion. Petrosian and Geller shared the second and third place. Spassky had played his famous ‘From Russia with love’ game against Bronstein. 

The rise and fall of Boris Spassky

Twenty players entered the final of the twenty-eighth Soviet championship (Moscow 11 i until 11 ii 1961). Former world champion Smyslov and the medal winners of the previous event Kortschnoj, Geller and Petrosian were placed. Sixteen participants qualified in the semifinals. 
Tal and Botvinnik prepared their return match. Keres did not partake, because he was qualified for the candidates' event. The tournament was highly important for the other players as a zonal event. 
Spassky had a winning streak of four games in a row, scored 5½/7 and led by one point on the field. A dramatic loss against Polugaevsky in round ten became the turnaround. 

Boris lost his last two games, like in Riga 1958. 
Petrosian (13½/19) became champion of the Soviet union. He had started on a long road the world championship. Kortschnoj (13), Stein (12) and Geller (12) joined him on the journey to the interzonal tournament Stockholm 1962. Former world champion Smyslov (11) and future world champion Spassky (11) were out of the race for the world championship. 

Polu pursuits Boris

Baku 1961 was the 29^th Soviet championship. It was played in the oil capital from 16 November - 20 December. Bondarevsky had become Spassky’s trainer, after Boris’ failure in Moscow 1961. Spassky and Smyslov started with 3½/4. Boris defeated his rival in round five. Another important win was scored against Polugaevsky in round 8. Lev came back with a sprint of 7/8! A string of three victories was the basis of the first gold medal for Boris. 

His trainer Igor Bondarevsky as a billiards player

29th Soviet championship Baku 1961
Scores of the super duo per round

             1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 
Spassky      1 1 1 ½ 1 ½ ½ 1 ½ ½ 1 - ½ ½ 1 0 1 1 1 ½ ½  14½
Polugaevsky  0 ½ ½ - ½ 1 1 0 1 ½ 1 1 ½ 1 1 1 1 ½ ½ 1 ½  14

Boris, the comeback kid

Spassky qualified in the semi finals of the 31st Soviet championship, Kharkov 1963. The final was played in Leningrad from 23 xi until 27 xii 1963. Kholmov, Stein and Spassky shared the first place. Stein won the playoff in January 1964.

Moscow 1964 was a zonal tournament for three tickets in Amsterdam 1964. It took place from February 18 to March 10. Spassky had his usual winter throat infection and started poorly with ½ out of 3 games. The story of the event was his comeback. He was free and had qualified, while the other players still had to fight. Bronstein qualified without great problems. Stein had a bad start but ended with plus one.

Zonal tournament Moscow 1964
             1  2  3  4  5  6  7 
1 Spassky   ** ½½ ½½ 01 1½ ½1 01 7
2 Stein     ½½ ** ½½ ½½ ½1 ½1 0½ 6½
3 Bronstein ½½ ½½ ** ½½ 1½ 10 ½½ 6½
4 Kholmov   10 ½½ ½½ ** 0½ 1½ ½½ 6
5 Suetin    0½ ½0 0½ 1½ ** ½½ 1½ 5½
6 Korchnoi  ½0 ½0 01 0½ ½½ ** 11 5½
7 Geller    10 1½ ½½ ½½ 0½ 00 ** 5

Team championship Moscow 1966

Many team championships were played in the Soviet union. The event of 1966 (24 ix until 5 x) was a special case, because eight top ten grandmasters were among the first board player. They all played each other. Glenn Giffen regards their games as a tournament within an event of eleven teams. Most encounters were quick draws, but Botvinnik fought like a lion. I have analysed the six decided games. 

             1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Spassky's resurrection

Once the communists wanted to rule the world. They had to limit their ambition to the chess world. When the anti-communist Fischer took the title, they were humiliated. Taimanov, Petrosian and Spassky were reprimanded, due to their lost matches. The apparatchik wanted the crown back. They yearned for a Russian Bobby. A highlight of their program was the 41^st Soviet Championship. All chess stars were ‘invited’: Spassky, Karpov, Tal, Korchnoi, Petrosian, Polugaevsky, Smyslov, Geller, Taimanov, Keres, Kuzmin, Savon, Tukmakov and Stein. Some grandmasters protested, but Baturinsky, a KGB colonel, made it perfectly clear: All future favours depended on the result in the tournament. So everybody accepted. The chain-smoker Stein died before the tournament began. He was replaced by Beliavsky, the youth world champion. The winners of the four semi-finals, Grigorian, Rashkovsky, Sveshnikov and Averkin completed the list. The championship was held in the Central Culture House of the Railways at Moscow from 2-26 October 1973.

Spassky won the gold medal in a grand style. His quick victories may seem easy, but they are not. Boris does not have a computer-like style with an immense memory and fast calculation. He has to find the combinations during the game. It became his last great success, because the necessary effort became too exhaustive in future tournaments.

41st Soviet championship Moscow 1973

               1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

1 Spassky      * ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ 1 0 ½ 1 1 1 1 1 1 11½

2 Karpov       ½ * 0 ½ 1 1 ½ ½ ½ ½ 1 ½ ½ 1 ½ ½ ½ 1 10½

3 Petrosian    ½ 1 * ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ 1 ½ ½ ½ ½ 1 1 10½

4 Polugaevsky  ½ ½ ½ * ½ ½ ½ 1 ½ ½ ½ 1 ½ 1 ½ ½ ½ 1 10½

5 Korchnoi     ½ 0 ½ ½ * ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ 1 ½ 1 1 ½ 1 1 ½ 10½

6 Kuzmin       ½ 0 ½ ½ ½ * ½ ½ ½ 1 ½ ½ 1 ½ 1 1 1 ½ 10½

7 Geller       ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ * ½ 1 0 ½ ½ 0 ½ ½ 1 1 0  8½

8 Grigorian    ½ ½ ½ 0 ½ ½ ½ * ½ ½ 1 1 1 ½ ½ 0 0 ½  8½

9 Keres        ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ 0 ½ * ½ ½ 0 ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ 1  8

10 Taimanov    0 ½ ½ ½ ½ 0 1 ½ ½ * ½ 1 ½ 0 ½ ½ ½ ½  8

11 Savon       1 0 ½ ½ 0 ½ ½ 0 ½ ½ * ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ 1  8

12 Tal         ½ ½ 0 0 ½ ½ ½ 0 1 0 ½ * ½ ½ 1 ½ ½ 1  8

13 Tukmakov    0 ½ ½ ½ 0 0 1 0 ½ ½ ½ ½ * ½ ½ ½ ½ 1  7½

14 Rashkovsky  0 0 ½ 0 0 ½ ½ ½ ½ 1 ½ ½ ½ * ½ ½ ½ 1  7½

15 Averkin     0 ½ ½ ½ ½ 0 ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ 0 ½ ½ * ½ 0 1  7

16 Smyslov     0 ½ ½ ½ 0 0 0 1 ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ * ½ ½  7

17 Sveshnikov  0 ½ 0 ½ 0 0 0 1 ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ 1 ½ * 0  6½

18 Beliavsky   0 0 0 0 ½ ½ 1 ½ 0 ½ 0 0 0 0 0 ½ 1 *  4½