CHESS#1243

India had an arduous championship similar to the Soviet Union, though the field was much weaker

The Soviet Union had the most arduous of domestic championships. Players placing high in sundry “national” championships (of Georgia, Latvia, Russia, Armenia, et cetera) played semi-finals. Qualifiers from the semis played a 20-player round robin, with several world champions. Anybody who made the final league was at the least, a credible Candidate. 

India had a similarly arduous championship, though the field was much weaker. Hopefuls played state championships and then a semi-final, the “National B”. The top 14 from the B qualified for the championship proper (alias the “National A”). The A was a round-robin featuring 20 players with the