22nd USSR Championship — Moscow 1955
Efim Geller and Vasily Smyslov finished level on 12/19 atop one of the strongest Soviet fields ever assembled — reigning world champion Mikhail Botvinnik and an 18-year-old Boris Spassky both left a full point behind — and Geller took his first Soviet title only in an April play-off, winning the seventh game after six straight draws.
◈Two leaders, a crowd behind
The 22nd championship was a heavyweight gathering, and it ended in a dead heat. Geller and Smyslov both scored 12/19 — Geller in his combative way, with ten wins and five losses among his nineteen games — to share first a full point ahead of a four-way logjam on 11½.
That chasing pack was formidable in its own right: reigning world champion Mikhail Botvinnik, the 18-year-old Boris Spassky, Georgy Ilivitsky and Tigran Petrosian all tied for third, with Paul Keres and Taimanov just behind on 11. To top such a field left the identity of the champion unresolved on points alone.
◈The play-off
With Geller and Smyslov inseparable, the title was settled by a seven-game match in Moscow that April. The first six games were all drawn; Geller then won the seventh — with the black pieces — to take the match 4–3 and his first Soviet Championship.
It was a landmark for both men. Geller confirmed himself as one of the world's most dangerous attacking players and deepest opening theorists, a role he would fill for decades. Smyslov, edged out here, would within two years win the world title from Botvinnik — a reminder of just how strong the pack behind the 22nd championship's co-leaders really was.
◈Final Standings
| # | Player | Score | Record | Games |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| =1 | Geller, Efim P | 12/19 | +10 -5 =4 | games → |
| =1 | Smyslov, Vassily V | 12/19 | +7 -2 =10 | games → |
| =3 | Botvinnik, Mikhail | 11½/19 | +7 -3 =9 | games → |
| =3 | Spassky, Boris Vasilievich | 11½/19 | +7 -3 =9 | games → |
| 5 | Ilivitzki, Georgi A | 11½/19 | +5 -1 =13 | games → |
| 6 | Petrosian, Tigran V | 11½/19 | +4 -0 =15 | games → |
| =7 | Keres, Paul | 11/19 | +7 -4 =8 | games → |
| =7 | Taimanov, Mark E | 11/19 | +7 -4 =8 | games → |
| 9 | Mikenas, Vladas Ivanovich | 10½/19 | +6 -4 =9 | games → |
| =10 | Antoshin, Vladimir S | 10/19 | +6 -5 =8 | games → |
| =10 | Furman, Semen Abramovich | 10/19 | +6 -5 =8 | games → |
| 12 | Kotov, Alexander | 9½/19 | +6 -6 =7 | games → |
| 13 | Borisenko, Georgy Konstantinov | 9/19 | +4 -5 =10 | games → |
| 14 | Flohr, Salo | 9/19 | +2 -3 =14 | games → |
| 15 | Lisitsin, Georgy M | 8½/19 | +4 -6 =9 | games → |
| 16 | Averbakh, Yuri L | 8½/19 | +1 -3 =15 | games → |
| 17 | Kan, Ilia Abramovich | 7/19 | +4 -9 =6 | games → |
| 18 | Simagin, Vladimir Pavlovich | 6½/19 | +4 -10 =5 | games → |
| 19 | Kortschnoj, Viktor Lvovich | 6/19 | +1 -8 =10 | games → |
| 20 | Shcherbakov, Vitaly Sergeevich | 3½/19 | +1 -13 =5 | 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 | Geller, Efim P | 0 | 1 | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | ½ | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | |
| 2 | Smyslov, Vassily V | 1 | 1 | ½ | 0 | ½ | 1 | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | 0 | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | 1 | |
| 3 | Botvinnik, Mikhail | 0 | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | ½ | 1 | 1 | |
| 4 | Spassky, Boris Vasilievich | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | 1 | 1 | 1 | |
| 5 | Ilivitzki, Georgi A | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | 0 | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | 1 | |
| 6 | Petrosian, Tigran V | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | ½ | 1 | |
| 7 | Keres, Paul | ½ | 0 | 1 | ½ | 0 | ½ | 1 | 0 | ½ | 0 | ½ | 1 | ½ | 1 | ½ | 1 | 1 | ½ | 1 | |
| 8 | Taimanov, Mark E | 1 | ½ | ½ | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | 0 | 1 | ½ | ½ | |
| 9 | Mikenas, Vladas Ivanovich | 0 | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | 0 | ½ | ½ | 1 | 0 | ½ | 1 | ½ | 1 | 1 | ½ | 1 | |
| 10 | Antoshin, Vladimir S | 1 | ½ | 0 | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | 1 | 0 | 1 | ½ | 0 | ½ | 1 | 1 | ½ | 1 | |
| 11 | Furman, Semen Abramovich | 0 | ½ | 0 | 1 | 0 | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | 0 | 1 | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | 0 | 1 | ½ | 1 | |
| 12 | Kotov, Alexander | 0 | ½ | 0 | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | ½ | 1 | 0 | 1 | ½ | 1 | ½ | |
| 13 | Borisenko, Georgy Konstantinov | 1 | 0 | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | 1 | 0 | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | 1 | |
| 14 | Flohr, Salo | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | 0 | ½ | 1 | ½ | |
| 15 | Lisitsin, Georgy M | 0 | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
| 16 | Averbakh, Yuri L | ½ | ½ | 0 | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | |
| 17 | Kan, Ilia Abramovich | 0 | 0 | 0 | ½ | ½ | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | 0 | 1 | ½ | |
| 18 | Simagin, Vladimir Pavlovich | 0 | ½ | ½ | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ½ | 1 | ½ | 1 | ½ | 1 | 1 | 0 | |
| 19 | Kortschnoj, Viktor Lvovich | 0 | ½ | 0 | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | 0 | 0 | ½ | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
| 20 | Shcherbakov, Vitaly Sergeevich | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ½ | 0 | 0 | 0 | ½ | 0 | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | 1 | 0 |
Each cell shows the row player's per-game results against the column player (in round order). ● = same player.