36th USSR Championship — Alma-Ata 1968/69

A tie, settled by a play-off
30 December 1968 – 1 February 1969 (play-off 11–21 March 1969) · Alma-Ata, Soviet Union
Polugaevsky and Zaitsev tied on 12½/19; Polugaevsky won the play-off (3½–2½)
Event Index 190 GAMES

Lev Polugaevsky and Alexander Zaitsev finished level on 12½/19 atop a 20-player field at Alma-Ata, and the 36th Soviet title was settled only by a six-game play-off the following March — Polugaevsky won it 3½–2½ over Zaitsev to take the crown.

A share of first

The final was played without much of the Soviet elite — Tigran Petrosian, Boris Spassky, and David Bronstein were engaged abroad, Paul Keres did not take part, and Mikhail Tal was again unwell — but the race for first was hard-fought all the way. Polugaevsky and Alexander Zaitsev finished level on 12½/19, a point clear of Anatoly Lutikov in third on 11½, with neither leader able to break away.

Polugaevsky lost only once across the nineteen rounds and Zaitsev not at all, but with no tiebreak deciding the title itself the two were sent to a play-off match to settle the championship.

The play-off

The two met over six games from 11 to 21 March 1969, and Polugaevsky prevailed 3½–2½ to take the title. For Alexander Zaitsev — a Vladivostok grandmaster who had climbed into the world's top twenty-five that year — it was as close as he ever came to the Soviet crown; he died in 1971, aged 36.

Final standings

12½/19
Polugaevsky and Zaitsev tied on 12½/19; Polugaevsky won the play-off (3½–2½)
# Player Score Record
=1 Polugaevsky, Lev 12½/19 +7 -1 =11 games
=1 Zaitsev, Alexander N 12½/19 +6 -0 =13 games
3 Lutikov, Anatoly S 11½/19 +9 -5 =5 games
=4 Tseshkovsky, Vitaly 11/19 +8 -5 =6 games
=4 Liberzon, Vladimir Mikhailovich 11/19 +6 -3 =10 games
=6 Klovans, Janis 10½/19 +7 -5 =7 games
=6 Vasiukov, Evgeni 10½/19 +7 -5 =7 games
=6 Tal, Mikhail 10½/19 +6 -4 =9 games
=6 Podgaets, Mikhail 10½/19 +4 -2 =13 games
=6 Kholmov, Ratmir D 10½/19 +3 -1 =15 games
=11 Lein, Anatoly 10/19 +5 -4 =10 games
=11 Osnos, Viatcheslav 10/19 +5 -4 =10 games
=11 Averbakh, Yuri L 10/19 +4 -3 =12 games
14 Sakharov, Yuri N 9/19 +5 -6 =8 games
=15 Zaitsev, Igor A 8½/19 +4 -6 =9 games
=15 Gurgenidze, Bukhuti 8½/19 +3 -5 =11 games
=15 Bagirov, Vladimir 8½/19 +2 -4 =13 games
18 Platonov, Igor V 6½/19 +3 -9 =7 games
19 Cherepkov, Alexander V 4½/19 +0 -10 =9 games
20 Nikitin, Yury M 3½/19 +1 -13 =5 games

Cross Table

Player 1234567891011121314151617181920
1 Polugaevsky, Lev ½ 1 ½ 1 ½ ½ ½ 1 ½ ½ 1 0 ½ 1 ½ ½ ½ 1 1
2 Zaitsev, Alexander N ½ 1 1 ½ 1 ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ 1 ½ ½ ½ ½ 1 ½ 1
3 Lutikov, Anatoly S 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 ½ ½ 1 1 ½ 1 ½ ½ 1 1 1 1
4 Tseshkovsky, Vitaly ½ 0 1 1 ½ 1 0 ½ ½ 0 ½ ½ 1 1 0 1 0 1 1
5 Liberzon, Vladimir Mikhailovich 0 ½ 1 0 ½ 1 ½ ½ ½ 1 ½ 0 1 ½ 1 ½ 1 ½ ½
6 Klovans, Janis ½ 0 0 ½ ½ 1 1 0 1 ½ ½ ½ 0 0 1 ½ 1 1 1
7 Vasiukov, Evgeni ½ ½ 1 0 0 0 1 ½ 0 ½ 0 ½ ½ 1 1 ½ 1 1 1
8 Tal, Mikhail ½ ½ 0 1 ½ 0 0 ½ ½ ½ 1 ½ ½ 1 1 ½ 0 1 1
9 Podgaets, Mikhail 0 ½ ½ ½ ½ 1 ½ ½ ½ 0 ½ ½ ½ 1 1 ½ ½ ½ 1
10 Kholmov, Ratmir D ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ 0 1 ½ ½ ½ 1 ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ 1 ½ ½
11 Lein, Anatoly ½ ½ 0 1 0 ½ ½ ½ 1 ½ 0 1 1 ½ ½ 0 1 ½ ½
12 Osnos, Viatcheslav 0 ½ 0 ½ ½ ½ 1 0 ½ 0 1 ½ 1 1 ½ ½ ½ ½ 1
13 Averbakh, Yuri L 1 0 ½ ½ 1 ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ 0 ½ 0 ½ ½ ½ 1 1 ½
14 Sakharov, Yuri N ½ ½ 0 0 0 1 ½ ½ ½ ½ 0 0 1 0 ½ 1 ½ 1 1
15 Zaitsev, Igor A 0 ½ ½ 0 ½ 1 0 0 0 ½ ½ 0 ½ 1 ½ ½ 1 ½ 1
16 Gurgenidze, Bukhuti ½ ½ ½ 1 0 0 0 0 0 ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ 1 ½ 1 ½
17 Bagirov, Vladimir ½ ½ 0 0 ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ 1 ½ ½ 0 ½ 0 ½ ½ 1
18 Platonov, Igor V ½ 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 ½ 0 0 ½ 0 ½ 0 ½ ½ ½ 1
19 Cherepkov, Alexander V 0 ½ 0 0 ½ 0 0 0 ½ ½ ½ ½ 0 0 ½ 0 ½ ½ 0
20 Nikitin, Yury M 0 0 0 0 ½ 0 0 0 0 ½ ½ 0 ½ 0 0 ½ 0 0 1

Each cell shows the row player's recorded results against the column player. ● = same player.

EXPLORE ALL 190 GAMES