The 1940 Soviet Chess Championship was the 12th edition of USSR Chess Championship. Held from 5 September to 3 October 1940 in Moscow. The tournament was won by Andor Lilienthal and Igor Bondarevsky. Twenty of the Soviet Union's strongest masters competed in the final, six of whom qualified in the semifinals in Kiev earlier that year: Eduard Gerstenfeld, Mark Stolberg, Igor Bondarevsky, Iosif Rudakovsky, Alexander Konstantinopolsky and Peter Dubinin. The remaining invitations went to the Soviet chess elite. Botvinnik did his worst championship, only drawing in 5th/6th position, losing matches to both winners. This championship marked the debut of Paul Keres (4th) and the future world champion Vassily Smyslov (3rd). USSR had expanded its territory in 1939-40, incorporating the Baltic states, which meant that the strong masters Paul Keres from Estonia and Vladimir Petrov from Latvia were able to participate. In 1941, the top six played a competition called Absolute Championship of Soviet Union, ending with Botvinnik's victory.Cafferty, Bernard. (2016). The Soviet Championships. Londres: Everyman Chess. p. 46-52
Tables and results
Semifinal + Semifinal, Kiev, May 1940Player1234567891011121314151617Total1 Eduard Gerstenfeld -½01½111½½1½½½1½½10½2 Mark Stolberg ½ -10½1101½111010110½3 Igor Bondarevsky 10 -11½½½½½1001½11104 Iosif Rudakovsky 010 -1½1½1½½½1½½½½9½5 Alexander Konstantinopolsky ½½00 -1½1½1½½½1½½19½6 Peter Dubinin 00½½0 -½01111½111½9½7 Vladimir Alatortsev 00½0½½ -½01111½1119½8 Genrikh Kasparian 01½½01½ -0½1½½1½½199 Samuel Zhukhovitsky ½0½0½011 -000111118½10 Lev Kaiev ½½½½000½1 -01½½½11811 Abram Khavin 000½½00011 -1½10½1712 Grigory Goldberg ½01½½00½100 -1½½½06½13 Vitaly Chekhover ½010½½0½0½½0 -½½½½614 Vsevolod Rauzer ½10½00½00½0½½ -½1½615 Dmitry Grechkin 00½½½00½0½1½½½ -01616 D. S. Fridman ½10½½00½00½½½01 -05½17 Iosif Pogrebissky ½00½0½000001½½01 -4½
Final +12th Soviet Chess Championship Final1234567891011121314151617181920Total1 Andor Lilienthal -1½½½1111½½½½½1½½½1113½2 Igor Bondarevsky 0 -½1½1½11½011½½11½1113½3 Vassily Smyslov ½½ -½½½0½111½½½111½11134 Paul Keres ½0½ -½½010111½1½11110125 Isaac Boleslavsky ½½½½ -010½11½½½11011½11½6 Mikhail Botvinnik 00½½1 -0½11½½0111½1½111½7 Vladimir Makogonov 0½1101 -0101½½½½½1½½½10½8 Peter Dubinin 00½01½1 -0111½½½½101½10½9 Gavriil Veresov 0001½001 -1½½1½01½11110½10 Vladimir Petrov ½½0000100 -½1½0½1111½911 Viacheslav Ragozin ½1000½00½½ -1½100½½118½12 Georgy Lisitsin ½0½0½½½0½00 -11011½018½13 Vladas Mikenas ½0½½½1½½0½½0 -½10010½814 Alexander Konstantinopolsky ½½½0½0½½½100½ -10½½01815 Vasily Panov 0½0½00½½1½1100 -½0½1½816 Mark Stolberg ½00000½½001011½ -1½1½817 Eduard Gerstenfeld ½0001½00½0½01½10 -½01718 Grigory Levenfish ½½½000½100½½0½½½½ -0½6½19 Alexander Kotov 00000½½00001110011 -½6½20 Iosif Rudakovsky 0001½0½½0½00½0½½0½½ -5½
1941 Absolute Champion of the USSR The winner of the 1940 Soviet championship should face world champion Alexander Alekhine for the world title. Nor did the result settle the question of which Soviet player should challenge Alekhine. A new sports official worked diligently behind the scenes to undermine the original decision to have a match for the title between Bondarevsky and Lilienthal. As a result, it was announced a new title Absolute Champion of the USSR was being set up and would be contested in Leningrad and Moscow as a match-tournament of the top six. In fact, the Absolute Championship was to be a one-off, never to be played again. Only two months after Botvinnik's success, his dreams of challenging Alekhine were shattered when Hitler invaded the Soviet Union.
+ 1941 Absolute Champion of the USSR123456Total1 Mikhail Botvinnik ----1½½½1½1½1½1½1½0101½113½2 Paul Keres 0½½½ ----110½½0½½01½11½1½113 Vassily Smyslov 0½0½001½ ----½1½1½1½½½½½½104 Isaac Boleslavsky 0½0½½1½½½0½0 ----11½1½00½95 Andor Lilienthal 0½1010½0½0½½00½0 ----1½118½6 Igor Bondarevsky 10½00½0½½½½½½11½0½00 ----8
References