Lev Psakhis, a little-known international master, matched the seasoned grandmaster Alexander Beliavsky point for point at Vilnius, the two sharing the 48th Soviet Championship on 10½/17 across the turn of 1980 into 1981 — the first national title for Psakhis, and the start of back-to-back Soviet crowns.
Two champions at Vilnius
Held over from its usual autumn slot by the 1980 Olympiad, the final ran from Christmas Day 1980 into late January 1981. Eighteen players contested the round robin, reached through regional semifinals and the First League at Tashkent. Lev Psakhis and Alexander Beliavsky tied for first on 10½/17 — Psakhis with eight wins but four losses in a fighting event, Beliavsky steadier at six wins and two losses — and with no play-off the title was shared.
For Beliavsky it was a second Soviet crown, after his shared win of 1974; for Psakhis, an international master at the time, it was a breakthrough. He would share the title again the following year at Frunze, becoming one of the few players to win the Soviet Championship in consecutive years. Yuri Balashov, Oleg Romanishin and Artur Yusupov shared third on 10.
Final standings
| # | Player | Score | Record | Games |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| =1 | Psakhis, Lev | 10½/17 | +8 -4 =5 | games |
| =1 | Beliavsky, Alexander G | 10½/17 | +6 -2 =9 | games |
| =3 | Yusupov, Artur | 10/17 | +6 -3 =8 | games |
| =3 | Romanishin, Oleg M | 10/17 | +5 -2 =10 | games |
| =3 | Balashov, Yuri S | 10/17 | +3 -0 =14 | games |
| =6 | Kupreichik, Viktor D | 9½/17 | +7 -5 =5 | games |
| =6 | Dolmatov, Sergey | 9½/17 | +5 -3 =9 | games |
| =6 | Kuzmin, Gennadi P | 9½/17 | +5 -3 =9 | games |
| =6 | Tseshkovsky, Vitaly | 9½/17 | +5 -3 =9 | games |
| 10 | Vaganian, Rafael A | 9/17 | +5 -4 =8 | games |
| =11 | Vasiukov, Evgeni | 8½/17 | +5 -5 =7 | games |
| =11 | Rashkovsky, Nukhim N | 8½/17 | +3 -3 =11 | games |
| 13 | Makarichev, Sergey | 7½/17 | +2 -4 =11 | games |
| =14 | Giorgadze, Tamaz | 6½/17 | +3 -7 =7 | games |
| =14 | Geller, Efim P | 6½/17 | +1 -5 =11 | games |
| =16 | Razuvaev, Yuri S | 6/17 | +3 -8 =6 | games |
| =16 | Lputian, Smbat G | 6/17 | +1 -6 =10 | games |
| 18 | Chekhov, Valery A | 5½/17 | +3 -9 =5 | games |
Cross Table
| Rank | Player | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Psakhis, Lev | 1 | 1 | ½ | 0 | 0 | ½ | 1 | ½ | 0 | 1 | 1 | ½ | 1 | ½ | 1 | 1 | 0 | |
| 2 | Beliavsky, Alexander G | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | 1 | 1 | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | 1 | |
| 3 | Yusupov, Artur | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | 0 | ½ | 1 | ½ | 0 | ½ | 1 | 1 | 1 | ½ | 1 | |
| 4 | Romanishin, Oleg M | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | 1 | 1 | ½ | 1 | ½ | 1 | |
| 5 | Balashov, Yuri S | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | |
| 6 | Kupreichik, Viktor D | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | ½ | 0 | ½ | 1 | ½ | 1 | 0 | ½ | 1 | 0 | 1 | ½ | 1 | |
| 7 | Dolmatov, Sergey | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | 1 | 1 | 0 | ½ | 1 | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | 1 | |
| 8 | Kuzmin, Gennadi P | 0 | 0 | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | 1 | 1 | ½ | 1 | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | |
| 9 | Tseshkovsky, Vitaly | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | 1 | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | ½ | ½ | |
| 10 | Vaganian, Rafael A | 1 | ½ | 0 | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | 0 | ½ | 1 | 1 | ½ | 1 | ½ | 1 | |
| 11 | Vasiukov, Evgeni | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | |
| 12 | Rashkovsky, Nukhim N | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | |
| 13 | Makarichev, Sergey | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | |
| 14 | Giorgadze, Tamaz | 0 | ½ | 0 | 0 | ½ | 0 | ½ | 0 | 0 | 0 | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | |
| 15 | Geller, Efim P | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | 0 | |
| 16 | Razuvaev, Yuri S | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ½ | 0 | 1 | ½ | 0 | 0 | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | |
| 17 | Lputian, Smbat G | 0 | 0 | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | 0 | 1 | 0 | ½ | |
| 18 | Chekhov, Valery A | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ½ | 0 | 0 | ½ | ½ | 0 | 0 | 1 | ½ | 0 | 1 | 0 | ½ |
Each cell shows the row player's recorded results against the column player. ● = same player.