1979 USSR Chess Championship

The 1979 Soviet Chess Championship was the 47th edition of USSR Chess Championship. Held from 29 November to 27 December 1979 in Minsk. The tournament was won by Efim Geller. He won it at the age of 54 and was the oldest player ever to have won the Championship, and did so in a field where young players abounded as never before. The qualifying tournaments took place in Bălți and Bishkek.[1][2]

Efim Geller
47th USSR Chess Championship
LocationMinsk
Champion
Efim Geller

Qualifying

Swiss Qualifying

The Swiss Qualifying was held in Bălți from 8-28 August 1979 with 62 players. Nukhim Rashkovsky won gaining a direct promotion to the final.

First League

The top six qualified for the final.[3]

Bishkek, 2-29 October 1979
PlayerRating123456789101112131415161718Total
1 Soviet Union Sergey Dolmatov 2495-0½½10½0½111½½111111
2 Soviet Union Sergey Makarichev 25001-½0½½½½½½½1½½11½110½
3 Soviet Union Yuri Razuvaev 2470½½-½½½½½½½½1½½1½1110½
4 Soviet Union Konstantin Lerner 2475½1½-½1½01½½011½1½010
5 Soviet Union Yuri Anikaev 24550½½½-½½1½½10½1½½1110
6 Soviet Union Artur Yusupov 24901½½0½-1½1½½½½0½1½½9½
7 Soviet Union Vladimir Tukmakov 2575½½½½½0-1½½01110½019
8 Soviet Union Alexander Ivanov 1½½10½0-0½½1½0½½119
9 Soviet Union Gennadij Timoscenko 2530½½½0½0½1-½1½0½1½1½9
10 Soviet Union Alexander Kochyev 25450½½½½½½½½-00½1½1119
11 Soviet Union Karen Grigorian 24800½½½0½1½01-0½½½1119
12 Soviet Union Lev Psakhis 248000011½00½11-½1½0½18½
13 Soviet Union Vladimir Bagirov 2545½½½0½½0½1½½½-0½1½18½
14 Soviet Union Adrian Mikhalchishin 2480½½½00101½0½01-0½118
15 Soviet Union Leonid Yurtaev 000½½½1½0½½½½1-½006½
16 Soviet Union Fikret Sideifzade 232000½0½0½½½0010½½-½05
17 Soviet Union Alvis Vītoliņš 24300½0½0½10000½½01½-05
18 Soviet Union Smbat Lputian 00010½00½00000111-5


Final

The position after 11 rounds was exciting with Balashov, Geller, Kasparov, Kupreichik and Yusupov all sharing the lead on seven points. However, Geller finished like an express train. He had begun with seven draws before he won in rounds 8, 10, 11, 12, 14 and 15. Tal's result was catastrophic, and lost him 40 rating points. His poor form was largely due, according to chief judge Flohr in the bulletin, to the fact that he could not resist a wave of influenza which other participants threw off without too much difficulty.[4]

47th USSR Chess Championship
PlayerRating123456789101112131415161718Total
1 Soviet Union Efim Geller 2550-½½½½½½½1½111½½½1111½
2 Soviet Union Artur Yusupov 2490½-0½½111½½½½11½1½010½
3 Soviet Union Garry Kasparov ½1-½½1110½0½½½110½10
4 Soviet Union Yuri Balashov 2600½½½-½½½½½½½½1½½½1110
5 Soviet Union Sergey Makarichev 2500½½½½-½101½0½½½1½½19½
6 Soviet Union Tamaz Giorgadze 2535½00½½-11½½01011½½19½
7 Soviet Union Viktor Kupreichik 2365½00½00-111½11½½0119½
8 Soviet Union Rafael Vaganian 2570½00½100-1½½011½11½9
9 Soviet Union Konstantin Lerner 24750½1½0½00-½1½½½11½½8½
10 Soviet Union Nukhim Rashkovsky 2500½½½½½½0½½-1½½½0½½½8
11 Soviet Union Alexander Beliavsky 25950½1½11½½00-½00011½8
12 Soviet Union Yuri Razuvaev 24700½½½½001½½½-½½1½½½8
13 Soviet Union Oleg Romanishin 256000½0½100½½1½-11½018
14 Soviet Union Mikhail Tal 2615½0½½½0½0½½1½0-½0117½
15 Soviet Union Sergey Dolmatov 2495½½0½00½½01100½-11½7½
16 Soviet Union Evgeny Sveshnikov 2545½00½½½100½0½½10-1½7
17 Soviet Union Yuri Anikaev 24550½10½½00½½0½1000-½5½
18 Soviet Union Vitaly Tseshkovsky 256001½0000½½½½½00½½½-5½

References
  1. Cafferty, Bernard; Taimanov, Mark (2016). The Soviet Championships. London: Everyman Chess. p. 183.
  2. Soltis, Andy (2000). Soviet chess, 1917-1991. McFarland & Co. ISBN 0-7864-0676-3. OCLC 41940198.
  3. "Russian Base".
  4. Cafferty; Taimanov 2016, p. 183
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