Candidates Tournament 1953

Zurich 1953 was a chess tournament won by Vasily Smyslov. It was a Candidates Tournament for the 1954 World Chess Championship, which led to the match between Smyslov and Mikhail Botvinnik. The tournament is famous for the strength of the players, the high quality of the games, and books on the tournament by David Bronstein and Miguel Najdorf that are regarded as among the best tournament books ever written. As of 2019, Yuri Averbakh is the only player from this tournament who is still alive, and is also the oldest living chess grandmaster.

#	Player	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	Total
1	Vasily Smyslov (USSR)	xx	½½	11	½1	½½	11	½½	½0	½½	½½	½½	½½	1½	11	1½	18
2	David Bronstein (USSR)	½½	xx	1½	11	½½	½0	½½	½½	1½	½½	½½	01	1½	½½	½½	16
3	Paul Keres (USSR)	00	0½	xx	½½	½1	½1	½½	½½	½½	0½	11	1½	½1	½½	11	16
4	Samuel Reshevsky (USA)	½0	00	½½	xx	½½	½½	½½	10	½½	½1	½1	1½	½1	11	1½	16
5	Tigran Petrosian (USSR)	½½	½½	½0	½½	xx	½½	0½	½½	00	½½	½½	11	½1	1½	11	15
6	Efim Geller (USSR)	00	½1	½0	½½	½½	xx	11	½0	01	½½	01	1½	½1	01	½½	14½
7	Miguel Najdorf (Argentina)	½½	½½	½½	½½	1½	00	xx	1½	1½	½0	½½	½½	½½	0½	11	14½
8	Alexander Kotov (USSR)	½1	½½	½½	01	½½	½1	0½	xx	10	1½	00	10	1½	0½	01	14
9	Mark Taimanov (USSR)	½½	0½	½½	½½	11	10	0½	01	xx	10	½½	½½	½0	0½	11	14
10	Yuri Averbakh (USSR)	½½	½½	1½	0½	½½	½½	1½	0½	01	xx	½½	½½	0½	11	00	13½
11	Isaac Boleslavsky (USSR)	½½	½½	00	½0	½½	10	½½	11	½½	½½	xx	½0	½½	½1	½½	13½
12	Laszlo Szabo (Hungary)	½½	10	0½	0½	00	0½	½½	01	½½	½½	½1	xx	1½	½½	1½	13
13	Svetozar Gligorić (Yugoslavia)	0½	0½	½0	½0	½0	½0	½½	0½	½1	1½	½½	0½	xx	½1	11	12½
14	Max Euwe (Netherlands)	00	½½	½½	00	0½	10	1½	1½	1½	00	½0	½½	½0	xx	1½	11½
15	Gideon Ståhlberg (Sweden)	0½	½½	00	0½	00	½½	00	10	00	11	½½	0½	00	0½	xx	8