In Kiev the endgame theoretician Yuri Averbakh played the tournament of his life, winning the 21st championship undefeated on 14½/19 — ten wins, nine draws, and a point and a half clear of the field, the one Soviet title he would ever hold.
A clear round in Kiev
Averbakh won the 21st Soviet Championship without a single loss, scoring ten wins and nine draws across nineteen rounds for 14½/19. His margin was a point and a half — a commanding gap in a field that included Viktor Korchnoi, Mark Taimanov, Tigran Petrosian, Efim Geller and Salo Flohr.
Korchnoi and Taimanov tied for second on 13, with Georgy Lisitsin and Petrosian sharing fourth on 12½. For Averbakh, better known for his technique than for his tournament results, it was a breakthrough at the very top of Soviet chess.
The only title
Averbakh is remembered above all as one of the game's great endgame authorities — the editor of the multi-volume Soviet endgame encyclopaedia and a lifelong chess historian — but as a competitor this was his single national crown. Two years later, in 1956, he tied for first with Taimanov and the young Boris Spassky, only to finish second when Taimanov won the play-off.
That near miss left Kiev 1954 as the only outright title of his career. Averbakh had a long life in the game as writer, arbiter and organizer, living to 100, but his unbeaten run through the 21st championship remained his best result at the board.
Final standings
| # | Player | Score | Record | Games |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Averbakh, Yuri L | 14½/19 | +10 -0 =9 | games |
| =2 | Korchnoi, Viktor Lvovich | 13/19 | +10 -3 =6 | games |
| =2 | Taimanov, Mark E | 13/19 | +7 -0 =12 | games |
| =4 | Lisitsin, Georgy M | 12½/19 | +8 -2 =9 | games |
| =4 | Petrosian, Tigran V | 12½/19 | +6 -0 =13 | games |
| =6 | Nezhmetdinov, Rashid | 10/19 | +7 -6 =6 | games |
| =6 | Furman, Semen Abramovich | 10/19 | +6 -5 =8 | games |
| =8 | Geller, Efim P | 9½/19 | +8 -8 =3 | games |
| =8 | Byvshev, Vasily Mikhailovich | 9½/19 | +7 -7 =5 | games |
| =8 | Suetin, Alexey S | 9½/18 | +6 -5 =7 | games |
| =8 | Kholmov, Ratmir D | 9½/18 | +4 -3 =11 | games |
| 12 | Borisenko, Georgy Konstantinov | 8½/18 | +4 -5 =9 | games |
| =13 | Bannik, Anatolij | 8/19 | +4 -7 =8 | games |
| =13 | Lilienthal, Andor | 8/19 | +4 -7 =8 | games |
| =13 | Ilivitzki, Georgi A | 8/19 | +3 -6 =10 | games |
| =13 | Flohr, Salo | 8/18 | +2 -4 =12 | games |
| =17 | Shamkovich, Leonid Alexandrovich | 6½/19 | +3 -9 =7 | games |
| =17 | Ragozin, Viacheslav | 6½/19 | +2 -8 =9 | games |
| 19 | Livshin, Iosif M | 6/19 | +4 -11 =4 | games |
| 20 | Sokolsky, Alexey Pavlovich | 5/19 | +1 -10 =8 | games |
Cross Table
| Rank | Player | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Averbakh, Yuri L | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | 1 | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | 1 | |
| 2 | Korchnoi, Viktor Lvovich | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | 1 | ½ | 1 | 1 | 0 | ½ | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | ½ | 1 | 1 | |
| 3 | Taimanov, Mark E | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | 1 | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | 1 | |
| 4 | Lisitsin, Georgy M | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | ½ | 1 | |
| 5 | Petrosian, Tigran V | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | |
| 6 | Nezhmetdinov, Rashid | ½ | 0 | ½ | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | ½ | ½ | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | ½ | 1 | ½ | |
| 7 | Furman, Semen Abramovich | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | |
| 8 | Geller, Efim P | 0 | 0 | 0 | ½ | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | ½ | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | ½ | |
| 9 | Byvshev, Vasily Mikhailovich | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | ½ | ½ | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ½ | ½ | 1 | 0 | 1 | ½ | 1 | 1 | 1 | |
| 10 | Suetin, Alexey S | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | 1 | ½ | 1 | ½ | 0 | 1 | 1 | ½ | 0 | ½ | ||
| 11 | Kholmov, Ratmir D | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | 1 | ½ | ||
| 12 | Borisenko, Georgy Konstantinov | ½ | 0 | ½ | 1 | 0 | 0 | ½ | 1 | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | 0 | 1 | ||
| 13 | Bannik, Anatolij | 0 | 1 | 0 | ½ | 0 | 1 | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ½ | 1 | |
| 14 | Lilienthal, Andor | 0 | 0 | ½ | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | 1 | ½ | |
| 15 | Ilivitzki, Georgi A | 0 | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | 0 | 1 | 0 | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | 1 | |
| 16 | Flohr, Salo | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | 0 | 0 | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | ||
| 17 | Shamkovich, Leonid Alexandrovich | ½ | 0 | ½ | 0 | ½ | 0 | 0 | 1 | ½ | 0 | ½ | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | ½ | 1 | 0 | ½ | |
| 18 | Ragozin, Viacheslav | 0 | ½ | 0 | 0 | ½ | ½ | 0 | 0 | 0 | ½ | 1 | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | 0 | ½ | |
| 19 | Livshin, Iosif M | 0 | 0 | 0 | ½ | ½ | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | ½ | 0 | ½ | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | |
| 20 | Sokolsky, Alexey Pavlovich | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ½ | 0 | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | 0 | 0 | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 |
Each cell shows the row player's recorded results against the column player. ● = same player.