27th Soviet Chess Championship (1960)
LocationLeningrad
Champion
Viktor Korchnoi

The 1960 Soviet Chess Championship was the 27th edition of USSR Chess Championship. Held from 26 January to 27 February 1960 in Leningrad. The tournament was won by Viktor Korchnoi. The final were preceded by semifinals events at Cheliabinsk, Tallinn e Yerevan. Mikhail Tal was missing, preparing for his world title match against Botvinnik. Paul Keres was in Cuba as part of a cultural delegation from Estonia.[1][2]

Table and results

Mikhail Tal was missing, preparing for his world title match against Botvinnik. Paul Keres was in Cuba as part of a cultural delegation from Estonia. Spassky was in a moment of creative experimentation and got a bad place in the championship. He at this time was trying to play in a less academic style. As a result of his recent training period with Alexander Tolush, he often sacrificed material. The crowning moment for this attacking approach came in his winning against David Bronstein in the 16th round in a King's Gambit.[3]

After 15 rounds the leaders were Petrosian and Korchnoi with 11 points, Geller 10½ and Polugayevsky, Taimanov and Krogius 9. In the 16th round both leaders suffered. Petrosian had been unwell and lost to Averbakh. Korchnoi had a promising position against Bagirov, but in a crucial position where he should have played Bc3xRe1, with good chances, he unaccountably touched his a6 bishop, intending to make the capture with it on el. Naturally, he resigned on the spot. It was one of the most incredible mistakes of his career, and so Korchnoi described the move:

My opponent had just taken of my rooks, and I was considering my reply.'First', I thought, 'I'll take his rook with my bishop, on the next move I'll move my other bishop'. The two bishops stood side by side, and I picked up the wrong one, the one that was attacking nothing. Without completing the move, I left the hall, leaving a thousand fans, who were tensely following my game, in a state of bewilderment, which shortly turned to grief.[4]

Such a blunder would have shattered a lesser man, but Korchnoi came back. He beat Krogius in the next round. The decisive game was an Alekhine's Defence in the 18th round encounter against Geller. Korchnoi with black pieces deferred development of his knight to c6, and outplayed Geller in complications to score a priceless victory.[5]

27th Soviet Chess Championship (1960)
Player1234567891011121314151617181920Total
1 Soviet Union Viktor Korchnoi -½101½1½1100½111111114
2 Soviet Union Tigran Petrosian ½-½½00½111½½11½1111113½
3 Soviet Union Efim Geller 0½-½½½½10½11111111½113½
4 Soviet Union Vladimir Bagirov 1½½-½½½½011½11½1½½0112
5 Soviet Union Lev Polugaevsky 01½½-0½0½½111½1½½½1111½
6 Soviet Union Yuri Averbakh ½1½½1-½½½½½0½1½½½½1½11
7 Soviet Union Vassily Smyslov 0½½½½½-½1½½1½½½½½½1½10½
8 Soviet Union Mark Taimanov ½00½1½½-½½1½½0½0111110½
9 Soviet Union Nikolai Krogius 0011½½0½-½11½0½½½½1½10
10 Soviet Union Boris Spassky 00½0½½½½½-½½10½1½11110
11 Soviet Union Vladimir Simagin 1½000½½00½-0½½1½1111
12 Soviet Union Anatoly Lutikov 1½0½010½0½1-0½½1½½109
13 Soviet Union David Bronstein ½0000½½½½0½1-1101½½19
14 Soviet Union Eduard Gufeld 0000½0½111½½0-½01100
15 Soviet Union Iivo Nei 0½0½0½½½½½0½0½-10101
16 Soviet Union Leonid Shamkovich 0000½½½1½0½0110-0100
17 Soviet Union Vladimir Liberzon 000½½½½0½½0½0011-010
18 Soviet Union Alexey Suetin 000½½½½0½00½½0001-1½6
19 Soviet Union Yuri Sakharov 00½100000000½11100-16
20 Soviet Union Bukhuti Gurgenidze 00000½½0½00101011½0-6

References

  1. Cafferty, Bernard (2016). The Soviet Championships. London: Everyman Chess. p. 103.
  2. Soltis, Andy. (2000). Soviet chess, 1917-1991. McFarland & Co. ISBN 0-7864-0676-3. OCLC 41940198.
  3. Cafferty 2016, p. 103
  4. Korchnoi, Viktor (1978). Chess is my life. Autobiography and games. Arco Publishing. p. 38.
  5. Cafferty 2016, p. 103
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.