The match tournament for the title of absolute USSR champion in chess was held from March 23 to April 29, 1941 in Moscow and Leningrad .
The tournament was attended by chess players, who took the first six places in the 12th USSR Championship (1940) . The winner of the tournament received the title of absolute champion, and the previous champions - Bondarevsky and Lilienthal lost this title. But in the account of the championships of the USSR this tournament was not included.
Content
Purpose of conducting
In the match-tournament for the title of absolute champion of the country, essentially, the question was decided: which of the two Soviet chess players - Keres or Botvinnik (and perhaps neither the one) - should represent the Soviet Union in the fight for the world championship? And Paul’s nerves could not stand it ...
- M. Botvinnik
This tournament was held as a competition for the title of absolute champion of the USSR, but what this title means in relation to chess is still not clear to me.
- P. Keres [1]
Notable games
P. Keres - M. Botvinnik
| a | b | c | d | e | f | g | h | ||
| eight | eight | ||||||||
| 7 | 7 | ||||||||
| 6 | 6 | ||||||||
| five | five | ||||||||
| four | four | ||||||||
| 3 | 3 | ||||||||
| 2 | 2 | ||||||||
| one | one | ||||||||
| a | b | c | d | e | f | g | h | ||
1. d4 Кf6 2. c4 e6 3. Кc3 Сb4 4. Фc2 d5 5. cd ed 6. Сg5 h6 7. Сh4 c5 8. 0-0-0 С: с3 9. F: c3 g5 10. Сg3 cd 11. Ф: d4 Кc6 12. Фa4 Сf5 13. e3 Лc8 14. Сd3 Фd7 15. Крb1 С: d3 16. Л: d3 Фf5 17. e4 К: e4 18. Крa1 0-0 19. Лd1 (see the diagram)
19 ... b5 20. F: b5 Kd4 21. Fd3 Kc2 22. Kbb1 Kb4, 0: 1
V. Smyslov - M. Botvinnik
| a | b | c | d | e | f | g | h | ||
| eight | eight | ||||||||
| 7 | 7 | ||||||||
| 6 | 6 | ||||||||
| five | five | ||||||||
| four | four | ||||||||
| 3 | 3 | ||||||||
| 2 | 2 | ||||||||
| one | one | ||||||||
| a | b | c | d | e | f | g | h | ||
1. e4 e5 2. Кf3 Кc6 3. Сb5 a6 4. Сa4 Кf6 5. d3 d6 6. c3 Се7 7. 0-0 0-0 8. Ле1 b5 9. Сc2 d5 10. Кbd2 de 11. de Се6 12. h3 h6 13. Кh2 Кh7 14. Кg4 Сg5 15. Фe2 Фd6 16. Кe3 Лfd8 17. Кf3 С: e3 18. Ф: e3 Фе7 19. Кh2 Кf8 20. Фf3 Лd7 21. Кf1 Кh7 22. Кg3 Лad8 23. Кf5 Фf6 24. g4 Кe7 25. Фg3 Сc4 26. f3 Сd3 27. Сb3 c5 28. Сe3 c4 29. Сd1 Кg5 30. h4 Кe6 31. a4 b4 32. cb Кf4 33. Krh1 g5 34. b5 a5 35. Сc5 К: f5 36. gf Krh7 37. Фg4 gh 38. gg1 h5 39. gg5 F: g5 40. f: g5 f6 41. gg1 eh3 42. ee1 gg8 43. a2 b1 44. a1 dd3 45. b6 Lb7 48. Ce3 ab 49. a5 b3 50. La3 b2 51. Ca4 c3 52. Lb3 Ke2 53. Сb5 С: b5 54. Л: b5 Кd4 55. С: d4 ed 56. a6 (see the diagram)
56 ... L: b6! 57. L: b6 d3 58. Lg1 d2 59. L: f6 Lc7 60. Lfg6 d1F, 0: 1
Scoreboard
| No | Members | one | 2 | 3 | four | five | 6 | Glasses | A place | ||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| one | Mikhail Botvinnik | one | ½ | ½ | ½ | one | ½ | one | ½ | one | ½ | one | ½ | one | ½ | 0 | one | 0 | one | ½ | one | 13½ | one | ||||
| 2 | Paul Keres | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | one | one | 0 | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | 0 | one | ½ | one | one | ½ | one | ½ | eleven | 2 | ||||
| 3 | Vasily Smyslov | 0 | ½ | 0 | ½ | 0 | 0 | one | ½ | ½ | one | ½ | one | ½ | one | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ten | 3 | ||||
| four | Isaac Boleslavsky | 0 | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | one | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | 0 | one | one | ½ | one | ½ | 0 | 0 | ½ | 9 | four | ||||
| five | Andre Lilienthal | 0 | ½ | one | 0 | one | 0 | ½ | 0 | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | 0 | 0 | ½ | 0 | one | ½ | one | one | 8½ | five | ||||
| 6 | Igor Bondarevsky | one | 0 | ½ | 0 | 0 | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | one | one | ½ | 0 | ½ | 0 | 0 | eight | 6 | ||||
Literature
- Botvinnik M.M. Match-tournament for the title of absolute USSR champion in chess. [3rd ed.]. Moscow: Interreklama, 2007. 192 p. ISBN 978-5-91350-007-6 .
Notes
- ↑ P. Keres. One hundred lots. M .: "Physical Culture and Sport", 1966. P. 112