# 1977 USSR Chess Championship

The 1977 Soviet Chess Championship was the 45th edition of USSR Chess Championship. Held from 28 November to 22 December 1977 in Leningrad. Boris Gulko and Josif Dorfman shared the title after tying in the play-off. The qualifying tournaments took place in Bălți and Baku.

## Qualifying
### Swiss Qualifying

The Swiss Qualifying was held in Bălți from 25 August to 14 September 1977 with 64 players. Lev Alburt won gaining a direct promotion to the final.

### First League

The top six qualified for the final.
Baku, 3-30 October 1977 :
| | Player | Rating | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | Total |
| 1 | Gennadi Kuzmin | 2550 | - | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | 11½ |
| 2 | Vladimir Tukmakov | 2540 | 0 | - | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | 1 | ½ | 1 | ½ | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 11 |
| 3 | Boris Gulko | 2585 | ½ | ½ | - | 1 | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | 0 | 1 | 1 | ½ | ½ | 1 | 10½ |
| 4 | Karen Grigorian | 2465 | ½ | ½ | 0 | - | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | ½ | 1 | 1 | 10½ |
| 5 | Alexander Kochyev | 2490 | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | - | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | 1 | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 9½ |
| 6 | Vladimir Bagirov | 2480 | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | - | ½ | ½ | 0 | 1 | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | 1 | 9½ |
| 7 | Gennadij Timoscenko | 2505 | 0 | ½ | 0 | 0 | ½ | ½ | - | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | 1 | 1 | ½ | 1 | ½ | 1 | 1 | 9 |
| 8 | Vladimir Savon | 2540 | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | - | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | 8½ |
| 9 | Yuri Razuvaev | 2510 | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | 0 | 1 | ½ | ½ | - | 0 | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | 1 | 8 |
| 10 | Alexander Beliavsky | 2555 | 0 | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | 1 | - | ½ | 1 | ½ | 0 | 0 | ½ | 1 | 0 | 8 |
| 11 | Nukhim Rashkovsky | 2510 | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | - | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 8 |
| 12 | Rafael Vaganian | 2545 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | - | 0 | 0 | ½ | 1 | 1 | 1 | 8 |
| 13 | Lev Gutman | 2395 | 0 | 0 | 1 | ½ | 0 | 0 | 0 | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | 1 | - | 1 | 1 | ½ | ½ | 0 | 8 |
| 14 | Vitaly Tseshkovsky | 2590 | ½ | ½ | 0 | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | 1 | 0 | - | 0 | 1 | 0 | ½ | 7½ |
| 15 | Vladimir Peresipkin | 2395 | ½ | 0 | 0 | 0 | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | 0 | 1 | - | 1 | 1 | 0 | 7½ |
| 16 | Mark Taimanov | 2530 | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | 0 | 0 | - | ½ | ½ | 6 |
| 17 | Arshak Petrosian | 2345 | 0 | 0 | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | 1 | 0 | ½ | 0 | ½ | 1 | 0 | ½ | - | ½ | 6 |
| 18 | Alexander Petrushin | 2345 | ½ | 0 | 0 | 0 | ½ | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | ½ | 0 | 1 | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | - | 6 |

## Final

The final at Leningrad featured the qualifiers plus the players who entered directly for the historical performance in previous championships.
45th USSR Chess Championship :
| | Player | Rating | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | Total |
| 1 | Boris Gulko | 2585 | - | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | 1 | ½ | 1 | 1 | ½ | ½ | 9½ |
| 2 | Josif Dorfman | 2455 | ½ | - | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | 1 | 1 | 9½ |
| 3 | Lev Polugaevsky | 2620 | ½ | ½ | - | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | ½ | 1 | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | 9 |
| 4 | Tigran Petrosian | 2645 | ½ | ½ | ½ | - | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | 1 | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | 9 |
| 5 | Efim Geller | 2590 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | - | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | 8 |
| 6 | Mikhail Tal | 2620 | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | - | ½ | 1 | ½ | 1 | 0 | ½ | 0 | 1 | 1 | ½ | 8 |
| 7 | Vladimir Bagirov | 2480 | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | - | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | 8 |
| 8 | Gennadi Kuzmin | 2550 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | 0 | ½ | - | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | 7½ |
| 9 | Oleg Romanishin | 2595 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | - | ½ | 1 | 1 | ½ | 1 | 1 | ½ | 7½ |
| 10 | Evgeny Sveshnikov | 2520 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | - | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | 1 | 7 |
| 11 | Yuri Balashov | 2565 | 0 | ½ | 0 | 0 | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | - | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | 7 |
| 12 | Alexander Kochyev | 2490 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | 0 | ½ | 0 | - | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 6½ |
| 13 | Vassily Smyslov | 2595 | 0 | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | - | 1 | 0 | ½ | 6½ |
| 14 | Vladimir Tukmakov | 2540 | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | 1 | 0 | 1 | ½ | ½ | 0 | - | ½ | ½ | 6½ |
| 15 | Karen Grigorian | 2465 | ½ | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | - | ½ | 5½ |
| 16 | Lev Alburt | 2505 | ½ | 0 | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | 0 | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | - | 5 |

### Play-off

Moscow :
| Player | Rating | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | Total |
| Boris Gulko | 2575 | ½ | 1 | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | 3 |
| Josif Dorfman | 2550 | ½ | 0 | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | 3 |