Chigorin Memorial 1967
The 1967 Chigorin Memorial at Sochi ended in a five-way tie for first, but its lasting significance belonged to one man: for Alexander Zaitsev of Vladivostok, a share of first place completed the result that earned him the grandmaster title — the first ever awarded to a player from the Soviet Far East.
◈A five-way tie
Sixteen players contested the fifteen-round round-robin, and five of them finished level at the top on 10 points: Leonid Shamkovich, Vladimir Simagin, Alexander Zaitsev, Nikolai Krogius, and Boris Spassky. The veteran Alexander Kotov followed on 9, with Vladimir Antoshin next on 8½.
For Spassky — world-championship challenger the previous year and champion-in-waiting — a share of first in such company was routine. For one of his co-leaders it was the achievement of a lifetime.
◈The first grandmaster from the Far East
Alexander Zaitsev came from Vladivostok, thousands of miles from Moscow, and his share of first at Sochi 1967 secured him the FIDE grandmaster title. Soviet officials celebrated it as the first grandmaster produced by the Soviet Far East — indeed, they noted, the first in all of Asia.
The organisers made the point openly at the closing ceremony, a moment of pride for a chess culture that had reached the Pacific coast of the Soviet Union.
◈Final Standings
| # | Player | Score | Record | Games |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| =1 | Shamkovich, Leonid Alexandrovic | 10/15 | +6 -1 =8 | games → |
| =1 | Simagin, Vladimir Pavlovich | 10/15 | +6 -1 =8 | games → |
| =1 | Zaitsev, Alexander N | 10/15 | +6 -1 =8 | games → |
| =1 | Krogius, Nikolai V | 10/15 | +5 -0 =10 | games → |
| =1 | Spassky, Boris Vasilievich | 10/15 | +5 -0 =10 | games → |
| 6 | Kotov, Alexander | 9/15 | +6 -3 =6 | games → |
| 7 | Antoshin, Vladimir S | 8½/15 | +4 -2 =9 | games → |
| 8 | Zhukhovitsky, Samuel | 7/15 | +4 -5 =6 | games → |
| 9 | Lein, Anatoly | 7/15 | +3 -4 =8 | games → |
| 10 | Bogdanovic, Rajko | 7/15 | +0 -1 =14 | games → |
| 11 | Damjanovic, Mato | 6½/15 | +2 -4 =9 | games → |
| 12 | Flesch, Janos | 6½/15 | +1 -3 =11 | games → |
| 13 | Langeweg, Kick | 5½/15 | +2 -6 =7 | games → |
| 14 | Lengyel, Levente | 5½/15 | +1 -5 =9 | games → |
| 15 | Liebert, Heinz | 4½/15 | +0 -6 =9 | games → |
| 16 | Ujtelky, Maximilian | 3/15 | +1 -10 =4 | games → |
Cross Table
| Rank | Player | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Shamkovich, Leonid Alexandrovic | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | ½ | 1 | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | |
| 2 | Simagin, Vladimir Pavlovich | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | 1 | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | ½ | ½ | |
| 3 | Zaitsev, Alexander N | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | 1 | 0 | ½ | 1 | 1 | |
| 4 | Krogius, Nikolai V | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | 1 | ½ | 1 | 1 | |
| 5 | Spassky, Boris Vasilievich | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | ½ | 1 | 1 | |
| 6 | Kotov, Alexander | 0 | 0 | 0 | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | 1 | |
| 7 | Antoshin, Vladimir S | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | ½ | 1 | |
| 8 | Zhukhovitsky, Samuel | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | 0 | 0 | ½ | 1 | 1 | 0 | ½ | 1 | 1 | ½ | 0 | |
| 9 | Lein, Anatoly | 0 | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | 1 | 1 | |
| 10 | Bogdanovic, Rajko | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | |
| 11 | Damjanovic, Mato | 0 | 0 | ½ | 0 | ½ | 0 | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | |
| 12 | Flesch, Janos | ½ | 0 | 0 | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | |
| 13 | Langeweg, Kick | ½ | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | ½ | 0 | 0 | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | |
| 14 | Lengyel, Levente | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | 0 | 0 | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | |
| 15 | Liebert, Heinz | 0 | ½ | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | |
| 16 | Ujtelky, Maximilian | 0 | ½ | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ½ | ½ | 0 | 0 | 0 | ½ |
Each cell shows the row player's per-game results against the column player (in round order). ● = same player.
“Our goal is achieved — Asia now has its first grandmaster!”