Mikhail Botvinnik
Botvinnik won further Soviet Championship titles in 1939, 1944, 1945, and 1952, bringing his total to six  – a record he shares with Mikhail Tal. In 1945 he dominated the tournament, scoring 15/17;  in 1952 he tied with Mark Taimanov and won the play-off match. In post-Soviet Russia the championship is somewhat less strong, as entrants from the non-Russian countries are lacking. All the same, it is still the strongest national championship in the world, and Peter Svidler has won it six times.