# 1985 USSR Chess Championship

The 1985 Soviet Chess Championship was the 52nd edition of USSR Chess Championship. Held from 22 January to 19 February 1985 in Lviv. The title was won by Mikhail Gurevich. Semifinals took place in Barnaul, Borjomi and Lviv; two First League tournaments (also qualifying to the final) was held at Sverdlovsk and Tashkent.

## Qualifying
### Semifinals

Semifinals took place at Barnaul, Borjomi, and Lviv in August 1984.

### First League

Both top five qualified for the final.
Sverdlovsk, November 1984 :
| | Player | Rating | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | Total |
| 1 | Viktor Gavrikov | 2485 | - | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | 9 |
| 2 | Viktor Kupreichik | 2480 | ½ | - | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | ½ | 0 | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 9 |
| 3 | Lev Psakhis | 2535 | ½ | ½ | - | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | ½ | ½ | 9 |
| 4 | Mikhail Gurevich | 2420 | 0 | ½ | ½ | - | ½ | 1 | 1 | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | 1 | 1 | 9 |
| 5 | Alexander Chernin | 2475 | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | - | 1 | 0 | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | 8 |
| 6 | Bukhuti Gurgenidze | 2470 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | 0 | - | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 8 |
| 7 | Sergey Dolmatov | 2525 | ½ | 1 | ½ | 0 | 1 | ½ | - | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | 0 | 7½ |
| 8 | Andrei Kharitonov | | ½ | 0 | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | - | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | 1 | 1 | 7½ |
| 9 | Anatoly Vaisser | 2475 | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | 0 | - | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | 1 | 1 | 7½ |
| 10 | Leonid Yudasin | 2460 | ½ | 0 | ½ | 1 | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | - | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 7 |
| 11 | Mikhail Podgaets | 2450 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | - | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 7 |
| 12 | Sergey Gorelov | 2445 | 0 | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | - | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 7 |
| 13 | Jaan Ehlvest | 2485 | ½ | 0 | 0 | 0 | ½ | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | - | 1 | 0 | 1 | 6½ |
| 14 | Ratmir Kholmov | 2465 | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | - | ½ | 0 | 6 |
| 15 | Nukhim Rashkovsky | 2470 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | 0 | ½ | ½ | 0 | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | - | ½ | 6 |
| 16 | Eduardas Rozentalis | | 0 | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | 1 | 0 | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | 1 | ½ | - | 6 |
Tashkent, November 1984 :
| | Player | Rating | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | Total |
| 1 | Georgy Agzamov | 2590 | - | 0 | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | 9 |
| 2 | Sergey Smagin | 2355 | 1 | - | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | 1 | 9 |
| 3 | Smbat Lputian | 2540 | ½ | ½ | - | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | 1 | 9 |
| 4 | Arshak Petrosian | 2470 | 0 | 1 | ½ | - | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 8½ |
| 5 | Boris Gulko | 2470 | ½ | ½ | 1 | 0 | - | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | 0 | 1 | 8½ |
| 6 | Yuri Razuvaev | 2500 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | - | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | 1 | 8½ |
| 7 | Elizbar Ubilava | 2470 | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | - | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | 1 | ½ | 8½ |
| 8 | Evgeny Sveshnikov | 2515 | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | - | 1 | ½ | 1 | ½ | 1 | ½ | 1 | ½ | 8½ |
| 9 | Tamaz Giorgadze | 2495 | ½ | 1 | 0 | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | - | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | ½ | 7½ |
| 10 | Josif Dorfman | 2515 | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | - | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 7 |
| 11 | Vladimir Bagirov | 2485 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | - | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | 6½ |
| 12 | Igor Novikov | 2420 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | - | ½ | 0 | ½ | 0 | 6 |
| 13 | Konstantin Aseev | 2390 | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | - | 1 | 0 | ½ | 6 |
| 14 | Igor Glek | 2395 | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | 0 | ½ | 0 | ½ | 1 | 1 | 0 | - | ½ | ½ | 6 |
| 15 | Gennadi Kuzmin | 2505 | 0 | 0 | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | 0 | 0 | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | - | ½ | 6 |
| 16 | Alexey Vyzmanavin | 2470 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ½ | 0 | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | - | 5½ |

## Final

52nd USSR Chess Championship :
| | Player | Rating | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | Total |
| 1 | Mikhail Gurevich | 2435 | - | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | 0 | 1 | 1 | ½ | 1 | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | 1 | 0 | 11 |
| 2 | Alexander Chernin | 2495 | ½ | - | ½ | 1 | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | 1 | 11 |
| 3 | Viktor Gavrikov | 2550 | ½ | ½ | - | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | 0 | ½ | 11 |
| 4 | Sergey Smagin | 2405 | ½ | 0 | ½ | - | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | 1 | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | ½ | 1 | ½ | 1 | ½ | 10½ |
| 5 | Andrei Sokolov | 2550 | ½ | 1 | 0 | ½ | - | ½ | 1 | 1 | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 10½ |
| 6 | Yuri Balashov | 2495 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | - | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | 1 | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | 10½ |
| 7 | Georgy Agzamov | 2590 | 0 | ½ | ½ | 1 | 0 | ½ | - | 1 | 1 | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | 0 | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | 10 |
| 8 | Lev Psakhis | 2555 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | 1 | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | 1 | 10 |
| 9 | Konstantin Lerner | 2520 | 1 | 0 | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | 0 | 0 | - | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | 0 | 1 | ½ | 1 | 9½ |
| 10 | Evgeny Sveshnikov | 2530 | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | - | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 9½ |
| 11 | Smbat Lputian | 2530 | 0 | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | 0 | 1 | 0 | ½ | ½ | - | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | 1 | ½ | 9½ |
| 12 | Vereslav Eingorn | 2525 | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | - | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | 1 | ½ | 0 | 1 | 9½ |
| 13 | Boris Gulko | 2475 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | - | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | 9½ |
| 14 | Vladimir Tukmakov | 2570 | 0 | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | - | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | 9 |
| 15 | Adrian Mikhalchishin | 2505 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | - | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 9 |
| 16 | Yuri Razuvaev | 2520 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | - | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | 9 |
| 17 | Efim Geller | 2540 | ½ | ½ | 0 | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | - | 1 | 1 | ½ | 8 |
| 18 | Arshak Petrosian | 2510 | 1 | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | 0 | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | - | 1 | ½ | 8 |
| 19 | Viktor Kupreichik | 2470 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | ½ | 1 | 0 | 0 | - | 0 | 7½ |
| 20 | Bukhuti Gurgenidze | 2445 | 1 | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | 0 | 0 | 0 | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | - | 7½ |

### Play-off

First place was shared by Gavrikov, Gurevich and Chernin. The play-off saw all games end in draws. While the chess officials were pondering what to do next, a journalist announced that there would be no further play and Gurevich would be winner on tie-break from the final contest, what was accepted. So Mikhail Gurevich received the gold medal. Mark Taimanov notes that superior tie-break in the final had never been taken into account before.
Vilnius, December 1985 :
| | Player | Rating | 1 | 2 | 3 | Total |
| 1 | Alexander Chernin | 2560 | -- | ½½ | ½½ | 2 |
| 2 | Viktor Gavrikov | 2550 | ½½ | -- | ½½ | 2 |
| 3 | Mikhail Gurevich | 2435 | ½½ | ½½ | -- | 2 |