June 06 1944
Harrisburg Telegraph, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, Tuesday, June 06, 1944
Mikhail Botvinnik successfully defended his title as absolute chess champion of the U.S.S.R. in the recent 13th national tournament held in Moscow, his score being 12½-3½. The famous young Moscow champion, Vassily Smyslov, defeated Botvinnik and finished second with 11½-4½.