June 19 1939
Evening Chronicle, Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear, England, Mon, Jun 19, 1939
RUSSIAN CHAMPIONSHIP
Our Moscow Correspondent sends us details of the eleventh Russian National Championship, which terminated a few days ago in a narrow victory for Michael Botvinnik.
There were 18 competitors—15 of them recognized masters. The Russian list would have been stronger had Dr. Alekhine and Bogoljubov entered.
People wonder why Russia has such a galaxy of chess talent. It should be remembered that Russia has a population of one hundred and seventy millions.
Botvinnik—well known to English players by his magnificent performance at Nottingham in 1936, where he divided the 1st and 2nd prizes with Capablanca—did not lose a game in the recent Moscow tourney, but he only finished one point above A. A. Kotov.
Our correspondent sends the vital game between the two magnets on which the Russian championship hinged in the final round.