1957 USSR Chess Championship
# 1957 USSR Chess Championship

The 1957 Soviet Chess Championship was the 24th edition of USSR Chess Championship. Held from 20 January to 22 February 1957 in Moscow. The tournament was won by Mikhail Tal. The final were preceded by quarterfinals events at Frunze (won by Viktor Korchnoi, 17 points in 18 games), Tallinn (Iivo Nei/Alexey Suetin, 14/19), Yerevan (Alexander Tolush, 15½/19); semifinals at Leningrad (Abram Khasin, 11½/19), Kharkov (Vitaly Tarasov, 11½/18) and Tbilisi (Tigran Petrosian, 14½/19).

## Table and results

### Semifinals

Tbilisi semifinal, 24th Soviet Chess Championship :

| | Player | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | Total |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1 | Tigran Petrosian | - | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 14½ |
| 2 | Semyon Furman | ½ | - | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | 1 | 1 | ½ | 1 | 1 | 1 | 12½ |
| 3 | Vladimir Antoshin | ½ | ½ | - | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | 0 | 1 | ½ | 1 | 1 | 0 | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | 1 | 12 |
| 4 | Viktor Korchnoi | ½ | ½ | 0 | - | ½ | ½ | 0 | 1 | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | 1 | ½ | 1 | 1 | 12 |
| 5 | Mikhail Tal | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | - | ½ | 1 | 1 | ½ | 0 | ½ | 0 | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | 1 | 1 | 11½ |
| 6 | Bukhuti Gurgenidze | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | - | ½ | 0 | 1 | ½ | 0 | 1 | ½ | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | ½ | ½ | 1 | 11½ |
| 7 | Nikolai Krogius | 0 | ½ | ½ | 1 | 0 | ½ | - | 0 | 1 | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | 11 |
| 8 | Jacob Yuchtman | ½ | ½ | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | - | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | 1 | 10½ |
| 9 | Lev Polugaevsky | 0 | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | 0 | 0 | ½ | - | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 10½ |
| 10 | Alexander Buslaev | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | 1 | ½ | 0 | ½ | 0 | - | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | 0 | 1 | 1 | ½ | 1 | ½ | 10 |
| 11 | Yuri Kotkov | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | - | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | ½ | ½ | 10 |
| 12 | Vladlen Zurakhov | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | - | ½ | 1 | 0 | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | ½ | 10 |
| 13 | Sultan Khalilbeili | ½ | 0 | 0 | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | - | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | ½ | ½ | 1 | 10 |
| 14 | Alexander Koblencs | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | - | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 9½ |
| 15 | Yuri Sakharov | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ½ | 0 | 0 | 0 | ½ | 1 | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | - | 0 | ½ | 1 | 0 | ½ | 7½ |
| 16 | Eduard Gufeld | 0 | 0 | ½ | 0 | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | 0 | 0 | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | 1 | - | ½ | 1 | 1 | ½ | 7½ |
| 17 | Egor Chukaev | 0 | ½ | ½ | 0 | 0 | 0 | ½ | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ½ | 0 | 0 | ½ | ½ | - | 1 | 1 | 0 | 6 |
| 18 | Boris Voronkov | 0 | 0 | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | 0 | 0 | ½ | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | | 1 | 4½ |
| 19 | Genrikh Kasparian | 0 | 0 | ½ | 0 | 0 | ½ | 0 | ½ | 0 | 0 | ½ | 0 | ½ | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | | - | 1 | 4½ |
| 20 | Tengiz Giorgadze | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | 0 | ½ | ½ | 1 | 0 | 0 | - | 3½ |

Leningrad semifinal, 24th Soviet Chess Championship :

| | Player | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | Total |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1 | Abram Khasin | - | 1 | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | 1 | 1 | ½ | 11½ |
| 2 | Konstantin Klaman | 0 | - | ½ | 0 | 1 | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | 1 | ½ | 11½ |
| 3 | Alexander Tolush | 0 | ½ | - | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | 11½ |
| 4 | Lev Aronin | ½ | 1 | ½ | - | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | 1 | 1 | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | 1 | 1 | 11½ |
| 5 | Boris Spassky | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | - | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | 0 | 1 | ½ | 1 | ½ | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 11½ |
| 6 | Efim Stoliar | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | - | 0 | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | 1 | 1 | ½ | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 11 |
| 7 | Vladas Mikenas | 0 | 0 | 0 | ½ | ½ | 1 | - | 1 | ½ | 1 | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | ½ | 11 |
| 8 | Vasily Byvshev | 0 | ½ | 0 | 1 | ½ | ½ | 0 | - | 1 | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | 1 | ½ | 1 | 1 | 10½ |
| 9 | Pavel Kondratyev | 0 | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | - | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | 0 | 1 | ½ | 1 | ½ | 0 | 1 | 10 |
| 10 | Nikolay Novotelnov | 1 | 0 | 1 | ½ | 1 | 0 | 0 | ½ | ½ | - | ½ | ½ | 0 | 1 | ½ | 1 | 0 | ½ | ½ | 1 | 10 |
| 11 | Viatcheslav Osnos | ½ | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | - | ½ | ½ | 1 | 0 | ½ | 0 | 1 | ½ | 1 | 10 |
| 12 | Grigory Goldberg | 1 | 0 | ½ | ½ | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | ½ | ½ | - | 0 | 0 | ½ | 1 | 1 | ½ | 1 | ½ | 9½ |
| 13 | Georgy Lisitsin | ½ | 0 | ½ | 0 | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | 1 | - | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | 9½ |
| 14 | Dmitry Rovner | ½ | ½ | 0 | 0 | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | - | ½ | ½ | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 9½ |
| 15 | Alexander Kotov | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | 0 | 0 | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | - | 1 | ½ | 1 | 0 | 1 | 9 |
| 16 | Alexander Geller | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | 1 | 0 | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | 0 | - | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | 8½ |
| 17 | Israel Zilber | ½ | 1 | ½ | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | - | ½ | ½ | 1 | 8½ |
| 18 | Viacheslav Ragozin | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | 1 | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | 0 | 0 | 0 | ½ | - | ½ | 1 | 7 |
| 19 | Iosef Slepoy | 0 | 0 | ½ | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | ½ | ½ | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | - | ½ | 5½ |
| 20 | Yakov Neishtadt | ½ | ½ | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ½ | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ½ | 0 | 0 | 0 | ½ | 0 | 0 | ½ | - | 3 |

Kharkov semifinal, 24th Soviet Chess Championship :

| | Player | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | Total |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1 | Vitaly Tarasov | - | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 11½ |
| 2 | Rashid Nezhmetdinov | ½ | - | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | ½ | 1 | ½ | 1 | 1 | 11½ |
| 3 | Ratmir Kholmov | ½ | ½ | - | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | ½ | 11 |
| 4 | Isaac Boleslavsky | ½ | ½ | ½ | - | ½ | ½ | | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | 11 |
| 5 | Lev Aronson | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | - | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | ½ | ½ | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 10½ |
| 6 | Georgy Borisenko | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | - | 0 | ½ | 1 | ½ | 0 | 0 | 1 | ½ | 1 | 1 | ½ | 1 | ½ | 10½ |
| 7 | Anatoly Bannik | ½ | ½ | ½ | | ½ | 1 | - | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 10½ |
| 8 | Janis Klavins | ½ | 1 | 1 | ½ | 0 | ½ | 0 | - | ½ | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ½ | 1 | ½ | 1 | 1 | 10 |
| 9 | Iivo Nei | ½ | 1 | 0 | ½ | ½ | 0 | 1 | ½ | - | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 10 |
| 10 | Evgeni Vasiukov | ½ | 0 | 0 | 0 | ½ | ½ | 1 | 0 | 1 | - | 0 | 1 | ½ | 1 | 1 | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | 10 |
| 11 | Alexey Suetin | 0 | 0 | 1 | ½ | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | ½ | 1 | - | 1 | 1 | 0 | ½ | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 9½ |
| 12 | Peter Romanovsky | ½ | 0 | 1 | ½ | 0 | 1 | ½ | 1 | ½ | 0 | 0 | - | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | ½ | 0 | 1 | 8½ |
| 13 | Alexander Chistiakov | ½ | 0 | 0 | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | 0 | 1 | - | 1 | ½ | 0 | 1 | 0 | ½ | 8 |
| 14 | Yury Vasilchuk | ½ | 0 | 0 | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | - | ½ | 1 | ½ | 0 | 1 | 7½ |
| 15 | Leonid Shamkovich | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | ½ | 0 | 0 | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | - | 1 | ½ | ½ | 1 | 7½ |
| 16 | Arkady Makarov | 0 | 0 | ½ | ½ | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ½ | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | - | 1 | ½ | 1 | 7 |
| 17 | Abram Zamikhovsky | 0 | ½ | 0 | ½ | 0 | ½ | 0 | ½ | 1 | ½ | 0 | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | 0 | - | ½ | 0 | 5½ |
| 18 | Iosif Livshin | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | - | 0 | 5½ |
| 19 | Avshalom Matskevich | 0 | 0 | ½ | 0 | 1 | ½ | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ½ | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | - | 4½ |

Bannik and Aroson beat Borisenko in a sixth place tiebreaker tournament.

### Final

The semi-final qualifiers joined Taimanov, Keres and Bronstein (who entered the final directly by ranking criteria of the Soviet Federation) to play the final in Moscow. Mikhail Botvinnik and Vasily Smyslov did not participate because they were preparing for the match for the World Championship.

Moscow Final, 24th Soviet Chess Championship :

| | Player | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | Total |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1 | Mikhail Tal | - | 1 | 1 | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | 1 | 0 | ½ | 1 | ½ | 0 | 1 | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | 1 | 14 |
| 2 | Paul Keres | 0 | - | ½ | 0 | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | 1 | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | 1 | 1 | 13½ |
| 3 | David Bronstein | 0 | ½ | - | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 13½ |
| 4 | Boris Spassky | ½ | 1 | ½ | - | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | 0 | ½ | 0 | ½ | 1 | 1 | 1 | ½ | 1 | 1 | 13 |
| 5 | Alexander Tolush | 0 | 0 | 1 | ½ | - | 0 | ½ | 0 | ½ | 1 | 1 | 1 | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | ½ | 1 | 1 | 1 | 13 |
| 6 | Ratmir Kholmov | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | - | ½ | 1 | ½ | 0 | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | 1 | 12½ |
| 7 | Viktor Korchnoi | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | - | ½ | 1 | 0 | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | ½ | 12 |
| 8 | Tigran Petrosian | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | 0 | ½ | - | ½ | ½ | 1 | 0 | ½ | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | 12 |
| 9 | Isaac Boleslavsky | 1 | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | - | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | 11½ |
| 10 | Lev Aronin | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | 0 | 1 | 1 | ½ | ½ | - | ½ | 1 | ½ | 0 | 0 | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | ½ | 0 | 1 | 11 |
| 11 | Mark Taimanov | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | 1 | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | - | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | 0 | ½ | 11 |
| 12 | Semyon Furman | ½ | 0 | ½ | 0 | 0 | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | 0 | ½ | - | ½ | 1 | ½ | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | ½ | ½ | 10 |
| 13 | Rashid Nezhmetdinov | 1 | ½ | 0 | 1 | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | - | ½ | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ½ | 0 | 9½ |
| 14 | Anatoly Bannik | 0 | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | 1 | ½ | 0 | ½ | - | 1 | ½ | ½ | 0 | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 9½ |
| 15 | Konstantin Klaman | 0 | ½ | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | ½ | 0 | ½ | 1 | 0 | ½ | 1 | 0 | - | 0 | ½ | 1 | 1 | ½ | ½ | 1 | 9½ |
| 16 | Vladimir Antoshin | ½ | 0 | 0 | ½ | 0 | ½ | 1 | 0 | ½ | ½ | 0 | 0 | 0 | ½ | 1 | - | 0 | 1 | 1 | ½ | ½ | 1 | 9 |
| 17 | Efim Stoliar | ½ | ½ | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | 0 | ½ | ½ | 1 | - | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | 8½ |
| 18 | Vladas Mikenas | ½ | ½ | 0 | 0 | 0 | ½ | 1 | ½ | 0 | 0 | ½ | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | ½ | - | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 |
| 19 | Bukhuti Gurgenidze | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | ½ | 0 | - | 1 | 1 | 0 | 7½ |
| 20 | Abram Khasin | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | 0 | 0 | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | 0 | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | 1 | 0 | - | 1 | 0 | 7½ |
| 21 | Vitaly Tarasov | ½ | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ½ | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | 0 | 0 | - | ½ | 7½ |
| 22 | Lev Aronson | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ½ | 0 | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | 0 | 0 | ½ | 1 | 1 | 1 | ½ | - | 7½ |
