# Soviet Union–Yugoslavia chess matches

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 | Cumulative totals (USSR–Yugoslavia), 1956–1979 | Cumulative totals (USSR–Yugoslavia), 1956–1979 | Cumulative totals (USSR–Yugoslavia), 1956–1979 | Cumulative totals (USSR–Yugoslavia), 1956–1979 | 440½–289½ | 104–48 | 110½–59½ | 655–397 |
The following players participated in seven or more matches:
* 16: Borislav Ivkov
* 14: Svetozar Gligorić, Aleksandar Matanović
* 11: Efim Geller, Milan Matulović
* 9: Bruno Parma, Mark Taimanov
* 8: Dragoljub Minić, Tigran Petrosian
* 7: Rafael Vaganian, Leonid Stein
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) | Final result (USSR–Yugoslavia) | Final result (USSR–Yugoslavia) | Final result (USSR–Yugoslavia) | Final result (USSR–Yugoslavia) | 11–9 |