The 50th Soviet Championship brought the reigning World Champion Anatoly Karpov to Moscow, and he won the jubilee edition with a single loss across the whole tournament — 9½/15, a half point clear of Vladimir Tukmakov — to claim his second Soviet title, seven years after his first.
The world champion at home
Karpov came to the 50th championship as reigning World Champion, having held the crown since 1975, and controlled the anniversary event with the positional grip that defined his play: five wins, nine draws, and a single loss across the fifteen rounds. His 9½ finished a half point ahead of Vladimir Tukmakov, who took clear second on 9.
Behind them, Lev Polugaevsky and Rafael Vaganian tied for third on 8½ and Yuri Balashov took fifth on 8, in a field that also held the former world champion Tigran Petrosian. It was Karpov's second Soviet title: he had won the 44th championship, at Moscow in 1976, in his first full year as World Champion.
Final standings
| # | Player | Score | Record | Games |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Karpov, Anatoly | 9½/15 | +5 -1 =9 | games |
| 2 | Tukmakov, Vladimir B | 9/15 | +5 -2 =8 | games |
| =3 | Vaganian, Rafael A | 8½/15 | +5 -3 =7 | games |
| =3 | Polugaevsky, Lev | 8½/15 | +4 -2 =9 | games |
| 5 | Balashov, Yuri S | 8/15 | +4 -3 =8 | games |
| =6 | Romanishin, Oleg M | 7½/15 | +5 -5 =5 | games |
| =6 | Malaniuk, Vladimir P | 7½/15 | +4 -4 =7 | games |
| =6 | Psakhis, Lev | 7½/15 | +3 -3 =9 | games |
| =6 | Petrosian, Tigran V | 7½/15 | +2 -2 =11 | games |
| =10 | Agzamov, Georgy | 7/15 | +4 -5 =6 | games |
| =10 | Beliavsky, Alexander G | 7/15 | +3 -4 =8 | games |
| =10 | Azmaiparashvili, Zurab | 7/15 | +2 -3 =10 | games |
| =10 | Razuvaev, Yuri S | 7/15 | +2 -3 =10 | games |
| =14 | Yusupov, Artur | 6½/15 | +4 -6 =5 | games |
| =14 | Geller, Efim P | 6½/15 | +2 -4 =9 | games |
| 16 | Lerner, Konstantin Z | 5½/15 | +1 -5 =9 | games |
Cross Table
| Rank | Player | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Karpov, Anatoly | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | 0 | ½ | 1 | 1 | 1 | |
| 2 | Tukmakov, Vladimir B | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | 0 | ½ | |
| 3 | Vaganian, Rafael A | ½ | 0 | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | 1 | 1 | 1 | ½ | 1 | 1 | ½ | |
| 4 | Polugaevsky, Lev | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | |
| 5 | Balashov, Yuri S | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | 0 | 0 | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | 0 | ½ | 1 | 1 | ½ | |
| 6 | Romanishin, Oleg M | 0 | 0 | ½ | 0 | 1 | ½ | 1 | 1 | 1 | ½ | ½ | 0 | 0 | ½ | 1 | |
| 7 | Malaniuk, Vladimir P | ½ | 0 | ½ | 1 | 1 | ½ | 0 | ½ | 0 | 1 | 1 | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | |
| 8 | Psakhis, Lev | ½ | ½ | 1 | 0 | ½ | 0 | 1 | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | |
| 9 | Petrosian, Tigran V | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | |
| 10 | Agzamov, Georgy | ½ | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | |
| 11 | Beliavsky, Alexander G | 0 | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | 1 | |
| 12 | Azmaiparashvili, Zurab | 1 | ½ | 0 | ½ | 1 | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | |
| 13 | Razuvaev, Yuri S | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | 0 | |
| 14 | Yusupov, Artur | 0 | 0 | 0 | ½ | 0 | 1 | 1 | ½ | ½ | 1 | 0 | ½ | 1 | 0 | ½ | |
| 15 | Geller, Efim P | 0 | 1 | 0 | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | |
| 16 | Lerner, Konstantin Z | 0 | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | 0 | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ |
Each cell shows the row player's recorded results against the column player. ● = same player.