Moscow 1935 chess tournament

Moscow 1935 was the second international chess tournament held in Moscow, taking place from 15 February to 15 March 1935.[1] 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.[2] Of the twelve Soviets, only four, Grigory Levenfish, Peter Romanovsky, Ilya Rabinovich and Fedir Bohatyrchuk had played at the 1925 event.[2]

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.[3] Mikhail Botvinnik (Soviet Union) was known as a rising star at age 24 and two years earlier had drawn a match with Flohr.[4] 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.[4]

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.[2] Reuben Fine hailed Lasker's result at age 66 as "a biological miracle."[5] Rudolph Spielmann (Austria), finished fifth.[2]

Crosstable

#	Player	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	19	20	Total
1	Salo Flohr (Czechoslovakia)	—	½	½	½	½	½	½	½	½	1	1	½	½	1	1	1	1	1	½	½	13
2	Mikhail Botvinnik (Soviet Union)	½	—	½	½	1	0	1	½	1	1	½	1	½	1	½	0	1	½	1	1	13
3	Emanuel Lasker (Germany)	½	½	—	1	½	1	½	½	½	½	½	½	½	1	½	½	½	1	1	1	12½
4	José Raúl Capablanca (Cuba)	½	½	0	—	½	1	1	½	1	½	½	0	1	½	1	½	½	½	1	1	12
5	Rudolf Spielmann (Austria)	½	0	½	½	—	½	½	½	0	1	0	½	1	½	½	½	1	1	1	1	11
6	Ilya Kan (Soviet Union)	½	1	0	0	½	—	½	0	1	0	1	1	½	½	0	1	1	½	½	1	10½
7	Grigory Levenfish (Soviet Union)	½	0	½	0	½	½	—	½	½	½	0	1	1	½	1	1	1	½	0	1	10½
8	Andor Lilienthal (Hungary)	½	½	½	½	½	1	½	—	0	½	0	1	½	½	½	½	0	1	1	½	10
9	Viacheslav Ragozin (Soviet Union)	½	0	½	0	1	0	½	1	—	0	½	1	0	½	½	½	1	1	½	1	10
10	Peter Romanovsky (Soviet Union)	0	0	½	½	0	1	½	½	1	—	1	0	½	½	½	½	1	0	1	1	10
11	Ilya Rabinovich (Soviet Union)	0	½	½	½	1	0	1	1	½	0	—	0	1	½	0	½	0	½	1	1	9½
12	Nikolai Riumin (Soviet Union)	½	0	½	1	½	0	0	0	0	1	1	—	0	½	0	1	1	1	½	1	9½
13	Vladimir Alatortsev (Soviet Union)	½	½	½	0	0	½	0	½	1	½	0	1	—	0	1	½	½	½	1	1	9½
14	Victor Goglidze (Soviet Union)	0	0	0	½	½	½	½	½	½	½	½	½	1	—	½	½	0	1	1	1	9½
15	Georgy Lisitsin (Soviet Union)	0	½	½	0	½	1	0	½	½	½	1	1	0	½	—	0	½	½	½	1	9
16	Fedor Bohatirchuk (Soviet Union)	0	1	½	½	½	0	0	½	½	½	½	0	½	½	1	—	½	½	0	½	8
17	Gideon Ståhlberg (Sweden)	0	0	½	½	0	0	0	1	0	0	1	0	½	1	½	½	—	½	1	1	8
18	Vasja Pirc (Yugoslavia)	0	½	0	½	0	½	½	0	0	1	½	0	½	0	½	½	½	—	1	1	7½
19	Vitaly Chekhover (Soviet Union)	½	0	0	0	0	½	1	0	½	0	0	½	0	0	½	1	0	0	—	1	5½
20	Vera Menchik (England)	½	0	0	0	0	0	0	½	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	½	0	0	0	—	1½

Notes

1. "Moscow (1935)".
2. Golombek 1977, p. 206
3. Hooper & Whyld 1992, pp. 141–142
4. Pachman 1972, p. 100
5. 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