1968 USSR Chess Championship

The 1968 Soviet Chess Championship was the 36th edition of USSR Chess Championship. Held from 30 December 1968 to 1 February 1969 in Alma-Ata. The tournament was won by Lev Polugaevsky who defeats Alexander Zaitsev in a play-off match. The non-attendance of stars such as David Bronstein, Tigran Petrosian, Boris Spassky, all away at foreign tournaments made it not too strong an event, especially in conjunction with the absence of Paul Keres. Mikhail Tal was ill again, after a year in which he spent a lot of time in hospital under observation.

36th Soviet Chess Championship
Location	Alma-Ata
Champion
Lev Polugaevsky

Lev Polugaevsky

Table and results

36th 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	Alexander Zaitsev	-	½	1	½	1	½	½	½	1	½	½	1	½	½	½	½	½	1	½	1	12½
2	Lev Polugaevsky	½	-	1	1	½	½	1	½	½	½	½	0	1	½	½	½	1	½	1	1	12½
3	Anatoly Lutikov	0	0	-	0	0	½	½	1	1	0	1	½	1	1	1	½	½	1	1	1	11½
4	Vladimir Liberzon	½	0	1	-	0	½	½	½	½	1	1	0	½	1	½	1	½	1	½	½	11
5	Vitaly Tseshkovsky	0	½	1	1	-	½	½	0	½	1	0	½	½	1	1	0	1	0	1	1	11
6	Ratmir Kholmov	½	½	½	½	½	-	½	½	0	1	½	½	1	½	½	½	½	1	½	½	10½
7	Mikhail Podgaets	½	0	½	½	½	½	-	½	1	½	0	½	½	½	½	1	1	½	½	1	10½
8	Mikhail Tal	½	½	0	½	1	½	½	-	0	0	½	½	1	½	½	1	1	0	1	1	10½
9	Janis Klovans	0	½	0	½	½	1	0	1	-	1	½	½	½	0	½	1	0	1	1	1	10½
10	Evgeni Vasiukov	½	½	1	0	0	0	½	1	0	-	½	½	0	½	½	1	1	1	1	1	10½
11	Anatoly Lein	½	½	0	0	1	½	1	½	½	½	-	1	0	1	0	½	½	1	½	½	10
12	Yuri Averbakh	0	1	½	1	½	½	½	½	½	½	0	-	½	0	½	½	½	1	1	½	10
13	Viatcheslav Osnos	½	0	0	½	½	0	½	0	½	1	1	½	-	1	½	½	1	½	½	1	10
14	Yuri Sakharov	½	½	0	0	0	½	½	½	1	½	0	1	0	-	1	½	0	½	1	1	9
15	Vladimir Bagirov	½	½	0	½	0	½	½	½	½	½	1	½	½	0	-	0	½	½	½	1	8½
16	Bukhuti Gurgenidze	½	½	½	0	1	½	0	0	0	0	½	½	½	½	1	-	½	½	1	½	8½
17	Igor Zaitsev	½	0	½	½	0	½	0	0	1	0	½	½	0	1	½	½	-	1	½	1	8½
18	Igor Platonov	0	½	0	0	1	0	½	1	0	0	0	0	½	½	½	½	0	-	½	1	6½
19	Alexander Cherepkov	½	0	0	½	0	½	½	0	0	0	½	0	½	0	½	0	½	½	-	0	4½
20	Yury Nikitin	0	0	0	½	0	½	0	0	0	0	½	½	0	0	0	½	0	0	1	-	3½

Play-off

March 1969

Player	1	2	3	4	5	6	Total
Lev Polugaevsky	½	0	½	1	½	1	3½
Alexander Zaitsev	½	1	½	0	½	0	2½