The inaugural Tallinn International gathered a Soviet-led field in Paul Keres's home city, on the shore of the Baltic. The crowd came to cheer Keres, but it was three-time Soviet champion Leonid Stein who ran away with the event, finishing a clear point and a half ahead. Keres shared the runner-up places with fellow Estonian Iivo Nei — an honourable second in the tournament that would one day carry his name.
A new tournament for Estonia
In 1969 Tallinn started an international tournament that was held every other year until 1989 and became one of the Soviet Union's regular international events. From 1977, after Paul Keres's death, it was renamed the Paul Keres Memorial Tournament in honor of the Estonian grandmaster known at home as "The Eternal Second."
The first edition was a fourteen-player single round-robin — 91 games over 13 rounds. The field mixed Soviet grandmasters with the Estonian home contingent of Keres, Iivo Nei, Alexander Arulaid, Udo Tarve and Rein Etruk, and a handful of foreign guests: the Hungarians Gedeon Barcza and László Szabó, Ervin Haag, Finland's veteran Eero Book, and Yugoslavia's Mato Damjanović.
Stein takes command
Leonid Stein, already a three-time USSR champion, was in his element in this kind of company. He scored 10½ from 13 to win the tournament by a clear point and a half, a dominant result in a strong field.
Behind him, Paul Keres and Iivo Nei shared second and third on 9, giving Estonia two players among the leaders in the country's own new event. Eduard Gufeld was fourth on 8, and Aivars Gipslis fifth on 7½. For the home fans it was a mixed result: their favorite Keres near the top, but first prize going to the Ukrainian star.
“At Tallinn 1969, he shared 2nd–3rd places on 9/13 as Stein won.”
Final standings
| # | Player | Score | Record | Games |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Stein, Leonid | 10½/13 | +8 -0 =5 | games |
| =2 | Keres, Paul | 9/13 | +5 -0 =8 | games |
| =2 | Nei, Iivo | 9/13 | +5 -0 =8 | games |
| 4 | Gufeld, Eduard | 8/13 | +5 -2 =6 | games |
| 5 | Gipslis, Aivars P | 7½/13 | +3 -1 =9 | games |
| 6 | Haag, Ervin | 7/13 | +2 -1 =10 | games |
| =7 | Barcza, Gedeon | 6½/13 | +5 -5 =3 | games |
| =7 | Liberzon, Vladimir Mikhailovich | 6½/13 | +1 -1 =11 | games |
| =9 | Arulaid, Alexander | 5½/13 | +4 -6 =3 | games |
| =9 | Damjanovic, Mato | 5½/13 | +3 -5 =5 | games |
| =9 | Szabo, Laszlo | 5½/13 | +2 -4 =7 | games |
| =12 | Tarve, Udo | 4/13 | +2 -7 =4 | games |
| =12 | Etruk, Rein T | 4/13 | +1 -6 =6 | games |
| 14 | Book, Eero | 2½/13 | +0 -8 =5 | games |
Cross Table
| Rank | Player | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Stein, Leonid | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | ½ | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | |
| 2 | Keres, Paul | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | 1 | |
| 3 | Nei, Iivo | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | |
| 4 | Gufeld, Eduard | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | 1 | 1 | ½ | 1 | 1 | 1 | |
| 5 | Gipslis, Aivars P | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | 1 | ½ | ½ | |
| 6 | Haag, Ervin | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | |
| 7 | Barcza, Gedeon | 0 | 0 | ½ | 1 | 1 | ½ | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | ½ | |
| 8 | Liberzon, Vladimir Mikhailovich | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | |
| 9 | Arulaid, Alexander | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ½ | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | ½ | ½ | |
| 10 | Damjanovic, Mato | 0 | ½ | 0 | 0 | 0 | ½ | 0 | ½ | 1 | ½ | 1 | ½ | 1 | |
| 11 | Szabo, Laszlo | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | 1 | ½ | 0 | ½ | 0 | 1 | ½ | |
| 12 | Tarve, Udo | 0 | 0 | ½ | 0 | 0 | ½ | 0 | ½ | 0 | 0 | 1 | ½ | 1 | |
| 13 | Etruk, Rein T | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | 1 | |
| 14 | Book, Eero | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | 0 | 0 |
Each cell shows the row player's recorded results against the column player. ● = same player.