Now hang on, we hear you say, the two nation states have long ceased to exist? But this week organisers in Moscow rolled back the clock and staged a match in the tradition of the famous friends-and-rivals encounters of the 1950s-80s. The teams consisted of veteran players who had taken part in the matches during the heyday of the Soviet era.

Collectors of Soviet chess literature will probably be familiar with the book "Druzya i soperniki" ("Friends and rivals"), which deals with the history of the USSR-Yugoslavia chess matches. Throughout the 1950s to 1980s, these annual matches were one of the most impressive events of the international chess calendar, and produced some great chess.

Over the past 15 or so years, both the Soviet Union and Yugoslavia have ceased to exist as nation states, but this week in Moscow, an attempt was made to roll back the clock. The Russian capital played host to a two-round USSR-Yugoslavia match, involving teams of veteran players, all of whom had taken part in the matches during the heyday of the Soviet era.

The "USSR" team was led by Victor Korchnoi, now a Swiss citizen, but restored to "honorary" Soviet citizenship for the two days of this match. Opposing him on board one was Svetozar Gligorić, who had lead the Yugoslav team with success on so many former occasions. The ten-board teams included Taimanov, Averbakh, Vasyukov and Balashov on the USSR side, and Ivkov, Matanovic, Velimirovic and Karaklaic for Yugoslavia.

/ taken from chessbase.com /

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Here is concise history of the 22 USSR-Yugoslavia matches:
1. 1956 Belgrade: Yugoslavia-Soviet Union 26-38
2. 1957 Leningrad: Soviet Union-Yugoslavia 42-22
3. 1958 Zagreb: Yugoslavia-Soviet Union 12½-19½ (3½-4½, 3-5, 3-5, 3-5)
4. 1959 Kyiv: Soviet Union-Yugoslavia 24½-15½ (5½-4½, 5-5, 7-3, 7-3)
5. 1961 Belgrade: Yugoslavia-Soviet Union 28½-31½
6. 1962 Lviv: Soviet Union-Yugoslavia 37-23
7. 1963 Rijeka: Yugoslavia-Soviet Union 24½-35½ (3½-6½, 4½-5½, 3-7, 3½-6½, 4½-5½, 5½-4½)
8. 1964 Leningrad: Soviet Union-Yugoslavia 38½-21½ (7½-2½, 7-3, 5-5, 6½-3½, 7-3, 5½-4½)
9. 1965 Vrnjacka Banja: Yugoslavia-Soviet Union 22-38 (2-8, 4-6, 4½-5½, 3½-6½, 3½-6½, 4½-5½)
10. 1966 Sukhumi: Soviet Union-Yugoslavia 37½-22½ (8-2, 6-4, 6½-3½, 6-4, 5-5, 6-4)
11. 1967 Budva: Yugoslavia-Soviet Union 28½-43½
12. 1968 Sochi: Soviet Union-Yugoslavia 30½-17½ (9½-2½, 8½-3½, 6½-5½, 6-6)
13. 1969 Skopje: Yugoslavia-Soviet Union 18-22 (5-5, 3½-6½, 4½-5½, 5-5)
14. 1971 Yerevan: Soviet Union-Yugoslavia 35-19 (6½-2½, 7-2, 5½-3½, 4½-4½, 6½-2½, 5-4)
15. 1972 Ohrid: Yugoslavia-Soviet Union 13½-26½ (men 10½-13½ , women 2-6, juniors 1-7)
16. 1973 Tbilisi: Soviet Union-Yugoslavia 31-15 (7-5, 9½-2½, 8½-2½, 6-5), men 14-10, women 8½-1½, juniors 8½-3½
17. 1974 Belgrade: Yugoslavia-Soviet Union 16½-19½
18. 1975 Odessa: Soviet Union-Yugoslavia 20-16
19. 1976 Krk (U30): Yugoslavia-Soviet Union 11-29 (3½-6½, 2½-7½, 3-7, 2-8)
20. 1977 Tallinn (U30): Soviet Union-Yugoslavia 31-9 (7-3, 8½-1½, 9-1, 6½-3½)
21. 1979 Teslic: Yugoslavia-Soviet Union 15-25 (5-5, 3½-6½, 3-7, 3½-6½)
22. 2007 Moscow: Soviet Union-Yugoslavia 11-9 (5-5, 6-4)

Total: 22 Soviet wins, no draws, no Yugoslavia wins (!). Points 666-388

by Ricardo @ 25 Dec 2007 04:49 pm

SEI GRANDE VIKTOR