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USSR versus Yugoslavia

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From 1956 to 1979, the Soviet Union and Yugoslavia contested friendly team chess matches on an almost annual basis, with the venue alternating between the two countries. It was regarded as a highlight of the Eastern European chess calendar. Only men participated in the first three matches, but afterwards women and boys were often included on the teams as well.

At the time the Soviet Union was a powerhouse of team chess: they won every edition of the international Chess Olympiad from 1956 to 1974, and every European Team Chess Championship from 1957 to 1977. Yugoslavia had a respectable record in team competition: at the Olympiad, they finished second six times and third three times from 1956 to 1974, and they also achieved four second-place finishes at the European Team Championship from 1957 to 1977. Nevertheless, the rivalry between the two countries turned out to be one-sided: all 21 of the matches were won by the Soviet team.

Summary and statistics

The results of the 21 matches are summarized below. The matches were held as either regular team matches, or using the Scheveningen system. Results are listed with the USSR's score first, followed by Yugoslavia's.

USSR vs. Yugoslavia chess matches, 1956–1979
Year Dates Location Team composition Format Men's score Women's score Boys' score Total score
1956 17–28 June Belgrade 8 men Scheveningen 38–26 – – 38–26
1957 3–15 July Leningrad 8 men Scheveningen 42–22 – – 42–22
1958 22–27 June Zagreb 8 men match 19½–12½ – – 42–22
1959 1–10 July Kiev 8 men, 2 women match 20½–11½ 4–4 – 24½–15½
1961 10–20 May Belgrade 7 men, 3 women, 3 boys Scheveningen 20½–15½ 6–6 5–7 31½–28½
1962 24 June – 4 July Lvov 6 men, 2 women, 2 boys Scheveningen 22½–13½ 7½–4½ 7–5 37–23
1963 1–10 June Rijeka 6 men, 2 women, 2 boys Scheveningen 21½–14½ 6–6 8–4 35½–24½
1964 10–15 June Leningrad 6 men, 2 women, 2 boys Scheveningen 25–11 7½–4½ 6–6 38½–21½
1965 5–15 July Vrnjačka Banja 6 men, 2 women, 2 boys Scheveningen 23½–12½ 8–4 6½–5½ 38–22
1966 10–15 June Sukhumi 6 men, 2 women, 2 boys Scheveningen 21½–14½ 9–3 7–5 37½–22½
1967 21 June – 5 July Budva 6 men, 3 women, 3 boys Scheveningen 19–17 11–7 13½–4½ 43½–28½
1968 21 June – 2 July Sochi 7 men, 3 women, 2 boys match 17–11 7½–4½ 6–2 30½–17½
1969 29 June – 6 July Skopje 10 men match 22–18 – – 22–18
1971 9–16 November Yerevan 6 men, 3 boys Scheveningen 23½–12½ – 11½–6½ 35–19
1972 25 June – 1 July Ohrid 6 men, 2 women, 2 boys match 13½–10½ 6–2 7–1 26½–13½
1973 28 Nov – 4 Dec Tbilisi 6 men, 3 women, 3 boys match 14–10 8½–1½ 6½–3½ 31–15
1974 3–12 November Belgrade 6 men Scheveningen 19½–16½ – – 19½–16½
1975 3–12 November Odessa 7 men Scheveningen 20–16 – – 20–16
1976 27 May – 2 June Krk 6 men, 2 women, 2 boys match 15½–8½ 7½–½ 6–2 29–11
1977 11–20 November Tallinn 6 men, 2 women, 2 boys match 19–5 7½–½ 4½–3½ 31–9
1979 29 May – 8 June Teslić 6 men, 2 women, 2 boys match 13–11 8–0 4–4 25–15
Cumulative totals (USSR–Yugoslavia), 1956–1979 440½–289½ 104–48 110½–59½ 655–397

The following players participated in seven or more matches:

Seven players, all from the Soviet side, achieved perfect scores in a single event. Vladimir Tukmakov scored 5/5 in 1965, and the following players scored 4/4: Maia Chiburdanidze in 1973, Anna Akhsharumova in 1976, Gennadi Zaichik and Tatjana Fomina in 1977, and Nana Alexandria and Elena Akhmilovskaya in 1979.

Reunion in 2007

The Soviet Union and Yugoslavia stopped contesting regular matches after 1979. However, their friendly rivalry was rekindled in 2007, long after both countries had ceased to exist. Players who had competed in the former matches reunited to play a two-game match on ten boards on 8 and 9 November 2007 in Moscow. Each team consisted of eight men and two women. This was Svetozar Gligorić's last published event. His opponent on board 1 was Viktor Korchnoi, who famously defected from the Soviet Union in 1976, but nevertheless happily participated on the "Soviet" side.

Again the "Soviet" team won, this time by a score of 11 to 9. The results are given in the table below. Game scores are given from the Soviet players' point of view: "1" for a Soviet win, "0" for a Yugoslav win, and "½" for a drawn game.

"22nd" USSR vs. Yugoslavia match, 8–9 November 2007, Moscow
Board "USSR" Game 1 Game 2 "Yugoslavia" Result
1 Viktor Korchnoi 1 ½ Svetozar Gligorić 1½–½
2 Evgeni Vasiukov ½ ½ Borislav Ivkov 1–1
3 Mark Taimanov ½ ½ Aleksandar Matanović 1–1
4 Yuri Balashov 0 ½ Dragoljub Velimirović ½–1½
5 Igor Zaitsev ½ ½ Nikola Karaklajić 1–1
6 Yuri Averbakh ½ 0 Svetozar Vlahović ½–1½
7 Vladislav Vorotnikov ½ 1 Zoran Spasojević 1½–½
8 Anatoly Machulsky ½ ½ Andreja Savić 1–1
9 Elena Fatalibekova 1 ½ Milunka Lazarević 1½–½
10 Ludmila Zaitseva 1 ½ Katarina Blagojević 1½–½
Final result (USSR–Yugoslavia) 11–9

References

  1. Horowitz, Al (27 January 1972). "Chess: U.S.S.R.- Yugoslavia Match Used to Be a Close Contest". New York Times. p. 34.
  2. ^ Yudovich, Mikhail; Kažić, Božidar (1967). Друзья и соперники [Friends and rivals] (in Russian). Zagreb.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  3. ^ "XXII товарищеский Матч СССР - Югославия" (in Russian). T.V. Petrosian Chess Club. 10 November 2007. Retrieved 11 January 2025.
  4. ^ Anatoly Karpov, ed. (1990). Шахматы. Энциклопедический Словарь [Chess. Encyclopedic Dictionary] (in Russian). Sovetskaya Entsiklopediya. pp. 380–381. ISBN 5-85270-005-3.
  5. ^ Bartelski, Wojciech. "Friendly matches". OlimpBase. Retrieved 11 January 2025.
  6. McClain, Dylan Loeb (11 November 2007). "Blast From the Past". Gambit. New York Times. Retrieved 11 January 2025.
  7. Kohlmeyer, Dagobert (2 February 2023). "Remembering Svetozar Gligoric: 2 February 1923 – 14 August 2012". ChessBase. Retrieved 11 January 2025.
  8. "Friends and rivals – USSR vs Yugoslavia 2007". ChessBase. 11 November 2007. Retrieved 11 January 2025.
  9. "XXII дружеский матч двух шахматных держав" [XXII Friendly Chess Match USSR - Yugoslavia] (in Russian). T.V. Petrosian Chess Club. 10 November 2007. Retrieved 11 January 2025.
  10. Fominykh, Maria (2007). "FБРАТСКИХ НАРОДОВ СОЮЗ ВЕКОВОЙ" (in Russian). ChessPro. Retrieved 11 January 2025.
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