Moscow 1935 chess tournament

Moscow 1935 was the second international chess tournament held in Moscow, taking place from 15 February to 15 March 1935. Salo Flohr and future world champion Mikhail Botvinnik tied for first, followed by former world champions Emanuel Lasker and José Raúl Capablanca.

Tournament field

The single round-robin tournament was organized along the lines of Moscow 1925, with twelve Soviet players and eight international players.[1] Of the twelve Soviets, only four, Grigory Levenfish, Peter Romanovsky, Ilya Rabinovich and Fedir Bohatyrchuk had played at the 1925 event.[1]

Salo Flohr (Czechoslovakia) was internationally renowned and considered a world championship contender. Later, Flohr would be in the inaugural group to receive the grandmaster title when it was introduced by FIDE in 1950.[2] Mikhail Botvinnik (Soviet Union) was known as a rising star at age 24 and two years earlier had drawn a match with Flohr.[3] He would later become world champion in 1948. Botvinnik and Flohr (together with Levenfish) jumped out to an early lead in the tournament. After round 15, Flohr led Botvinnik by half a point. Botvinnik won in round 16 while Flohr only drew to bring the two into a first-place tie, the tournament's ultimate result as both players drew all their games in the final three rounds. Botvinnik had scored only 50% in his final nine games.[3]

Emanuel Lasker (Germany) and José Raúl Capablanca (Cuba) were former world champions. At age 66, Lasker was undefeated, beating Capablanca in their individual game and finishing third, a half point ahead of Capablanca in fourth place.[1] Reuben Fine hailed Lasker's result at age 66 as "a biological miracle."[4] Rudolph Spielmann (Austria), finished fifth.[1]

Crosstable

#Player1234567891011121314151617181920Total
1 Salo Flohr (Czechoslovakia)X½½½½½½½½11½½11111½½13
2 Mikhail Botvinnik (Soviet Union)½X½½101½11½1½1½01½1113
3 Emanuel Lasker (Germany)½½X1½1½½½½½½½1½½½11112½
4 José Raúl Capablanca (Cuba)½½0X½11½1½½01½1½½½1112
5 Rudolf Spielmann (Austria)½0½½X½½½010½1½½½111111
6 Ilya Kan (Soviet Union)½100½X½01011½½011½½110½
7 Grigory Levenfish (Soviet Union)½0½0½½X½½½011½111½0110½
8 Andor Lilienthal (Hungary)½½½½½1½X0½01½½½½011½10
9 Viacheslav Ragozin (Soviet Union)½0½010½1X0½10½½½11½110
10 Peter Romanovsky (Soviet Union)00½½01½½1X10½½½½101110
11 Ilya Rabinovich (Soviet Union)0½½½1011½0X01½0½0½11
12 Nikolai Riumin (Soviet Union)½0½1½000011X0½0111½1
13 Vladimir Alatortsev (Soviet Union)½½½00½0½1½01X01½½½11
14 Victor Goglidze (Soviet Union)000½½½½½½½½½1X½½0111
15 Georgy Lisitsin (Soviet Union)0½½0½10½½½110½X0½½½19
16 Fedor Bohatirchuk (Soviet Union)01½½½00½½½½0½½1X½½0½8
17 Gideon Ståhlberg (Sweden)00½½00010010½1½½X½118
18 Vasja Pirc (Yugoslavia)0½0½0½½001½0½0½½½X11
19 Vitaly Chekhover (Soviet Union)½0000½10½00½00½100X1
20 Vera Menchik (England)½000000½0000000½000X

Notes

  1. Golombek 1977, p. 206
  2. Hooper & Whyld 1992, pp. 141–142
  3. Pachman 1972, p. 100
  4. Fine 1976, p. 51

References

  • Fine, Reuben, ed. (1976), The World's Great Chess Games, Dover, ISBN 0-486-24512-8
  • Golombek, Harry, ed. (1977), Golombek's Encyclopedia of Chess, Crown Publishing, ISBN 0-517-53146-1
  • Hooper, David; Whyld, Kenneth (1992), The Oxford Companion to Chess (2 ed.), Oxford University Press, ISBN 0-19-280049-3
  • Pachman, Ludĕk (1972) [English trans. 1975, Dover ed. 1987], Decisive Games in Chess History, Dover, ISBN 0-486-25323-6
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