_ 15-Games-Their-Stories.pdf

M. BOTVINNIK
�s GamesS
Their Stories

$4.95
Mikhail Botvinnik is recognized as one of the greatest chessmasters of
all time, and is equally preeminent as a writer. His books are models
of good analysis and annotation and he has already produced a num
ber of recognized classics of chess literature. This new book is his
first effort at combining entertainment and anaJysis. It brings to the
reader the human side of.chess and makes the games come alive. We
meet here many of the famous grandmasters of this century: Smyslov,
Capablanca, Reshevsky, Euwe, Keres, Bronstein and others. The 15
games span four decades during which Botvinnik wore the crown of
world champion three times: 1948-1957; 1958-1960; and 1961-63.
Dr. Botvinnik, an electrical engineer by profession, retired from tour
nament chess in 1970 and is devoting his time to developing a com
puter program designed to play chess as a human plans his moves.
Chess Enterprises, Inc.
107 Crosstree Road
Coraopolis, PA 15108
ISBN 0-93146-15-0

Mikhail M. Botvinnik
15 Games And Their Stories
Translated by
JIM MARFIA
1982
CHESS ENTERPRIESE, INC.
CORAOPOLIS, PENNSYLVANIA

© C o pyright 1982 by Chess Enterprises, Inc.
ISBN 0-931462-1 5-0
Editor: B. G. Dudley

Preface
Entertaining chess books are as necessary as the theoretical sort. And
while I have never written a book of the former category, the present work
is actually a cross between the entertaining and the analytical.
Here the reader will find, along with my notes to these fifteen games,
something that generally lurks behind the dry text of the game scores. He
will become familiar with what the players go through, along with the funny
(and occasionally sad) stories that went with these games. Pushkin once said:
"This tale is fiction, but with a moral I A lesson for good children to heed."
These games and their stories may teach the reader something of the ethics
of chess, and its psychology as well, while he is evaluating the quality of the
games and their notes.
Thus, the author awaits the readers' sentence: let it be strict, but just!
And in conclusion, my sincere thanks to former World Correspondence
Champion Yakov Estrin, for his help in the preparation of this book.
The Author
20 November 1979
3

Encounter With The World Champion
Game 1 Queen's Gambit Declined
J. R. Capablanca - M. Botvinnik
Simultaneous Exhibition
Leningrad, November 1925
In July 1925, l tied for 3rd-4th places in a qualifying tournament composed
of the best first-category players, thereby earning the right to play in a so-call·
ed "Tournament of Cities", which in turn would offer me the chance to earn
the master's title. l was, naturally, most impatient for this tournament to be
gin ; but no, said my father: "This will be a hard year for you in school - plen
ty of time for tournaments the rest of your life." Now I remember my father's
decision with gratitude, for my nervous system in those days would not have
been strong enough to weather such difficult experiences. It is rare when
young players follow such advice. However, my playing strength was already
known to such an extent that, when Capablanca, the World Champion, took
advantage of a free day from the Moscow International Tournament of 1 925
to come to Leningrad to ·give a simultaneous exhibition on thirty boards,
Jakov Rochlin, the organizer, secured one of the boards for me.
It should be mentioned here that my mother opposed my involvement
with chess. "What do you want," she used to ask me, "to become Capablan
ca or something?" But, when she found I was really going to play Capablan·
ca, she bought me a new brown overcoat, in honor of the occasion.
And.so, November 20, 1925 found me in the Leningrad Philharmonic Hall;
the smaller hall was already crowded with spectators, while the exhibition
hall itself was as stuffy as a bath-house, overflowing with people. Even getting
to my chair turned out to be a difficult task. But the two second-category
players who were already sharing my chair ''graciously" accepted me into their
company. Capablanca probably didn't see just who it was that he was playing
for a while, since my arm kept coming out of the crowd somewhere, and mak
ing the moves.
My companions bombarded me with advice, but even at 14 years old, I al·
ready had firm opinions - I played my own moves.
The World Champion was self-assured, and quite handsome. After the ex·
change of greetings, the exhibition began . . .
1 d2·d4 d7�d5
2 c2-c4
3 Nb1·c3
s
e7-e6
Ng8-f6

4 Bcl·gS
S e2·e3
Nb8-d7
Bf8-b4
The choice of openings should come as no surprise. At the time, all the
current openings - the Indians, the Nimzos, the Gruenfelds - had scarcely
made their appearance. I decided that, rather than play the so-called Ortho
dox Defense (S...• Be7), I would play a lesser-known line, which two years later
was to acquire the name 'Westphalian Variation'.
6 c4xdS e6xdS
7 Qdl·b3
Not the strongest plan. Simple development - 7 Bd3, to be exact - is
known to guarantee White an advantage; but Capablanca was never strong in
theory - he just didn't need it.
7 .... c7·cS
8 d4xcS
Another inaccuracy, which loses a tempo, and also loses control of the
cS square, for no good reason.
8 •••• QdS-aS
9 Bg5xf6
Deflecting the knight away from cS ; White also rids himself of the threat
of .•..Ne4.
9 •••• Nd7xf6
10 0-0-0
Capablanca could only have allowed himself to make such a move in simul·
taneous play! 10 a3 would have secured him an even game. Now his king will
be endangered.
10 .... 0-0
11 Ngl·f3
Certainly 1 1 NxdS NxdS 12 QxdS Be6 would leave White in a bad way.
1 1 Bc8-e6
12 Nf3-d4 Ra8-c8
1 3 c5-c6
Capablanca tries to keep the c-file closed; already he must lose material.
6

1 3 .... Bb4xc3
14 Qb3xc3
White must give up the a-pawn, as 14 bxc Ne4 looks very bad for him.
14 .... Qa5xa2
15 Bfl-d3 b7xc6
And so Black is already up a pawn. However, his queen is in as much dan
ger as White's.
16 Kcl-c2
17 Nd4xe6
· c6-c5
Not 1 7 Ral, of course, in view of 1 7. ..cxd. But now 18 Ral is an unpleas
ant threat.
17 .... Qa2·a4+1
Black had to foresee this on move 14. Now he forces a prosaic pawn-up
endgame.
18 b2-b3
19 Qc3·b2
20 Kc2xb2
2 1 f2-f3
Qa4-a2+
Qa2xb2+
f7xe6
Otherwise, 2 1.. .. Ng4. Black's next move secures both the transfer of the
king's rook to the b-file and the advance of the c-pawn, while simultaneously
defending the a-pawn.
21 .... Rc8-c71
I played this move over the �nergetic protests of my buddies.
22 Rdl·al c5-c4
23 b3xc4 d5xc4
24 Bd3·c2 Rf8-b8+
25 Kb2·cl
Not 25 Kc3, of course, in view of 25 ... Nd5+, followed by 26... Rb2.
25 .... Nf6-d5
26 Rh l·el c4-c3
There is no satisfactory defense against the coordinated action of Black's
far-advanced passed pawn, pair of rooks, and knight. His major threat is to
7

put both his rooks on the second rank. So White devises a counterthreat:
Ral-a3xc3, to prevent ...Rb2.
27 Ral-a3 NdS-b4
Now the threat is 28...Nxc2 29 Kxc2 Rb2+.
28 Rel-e2 Rb8-d8
If the rook cannot go to b2, then perhaps it can go to d2, instead. . . White
is just as tied up as before: 29 Bb3 is met by 29...c2 ! 30 Bxc2 Rdc8.
29 e3-e4 Rc7-c6
The game is over; now that the threat of Rxc3 is eliminated, Black's rook
can advance unhindered to the second rank, and White must lose his bishop.
30 Re2-e3 Rd8-d2
31 Re3xc3
32 Rc3xc2
White resigned.
Rd2xc2+
Rc6xc2+
A game neither of us need have been ashamed of; Capablanca, who was,
after all, playing thirty boards simultaneously; or myself, who had only learn
ed the game two years before.
A legend arose concerning this game, that afterward the great Cuban spoke
very highly of my play. Rochlin, an eyewitness, asserted that he said "I play
ed as straight as a ruler." Later still, Rochlin even remembered Capablanca
saying: "Give that lad to Cuba and he will be World Champion !"
I don't believe any of it. Capablanca swept the pieces from the board as a
gesture of resignation, and his expression was anything but pleasant. Ten
years later, Capa and I became friends.
8

The joke
Gamel
M. Botvinnik - J. Rochlin
Six-Man Match-Tournament
Leningrad, July 1927
In the summer of 1 927, the chess club of the Hall of Labor (or Trade-Union
House) organized a double-round match-tournament, consisting of six well
known players: P. Romanovsky, S. Gotthilf, A. Model, J. Rochlin, V. Ragozin,
and myself.
It was an event of great importance for me, since the Vth USSRCltampion
ship was slated to take place that fall, and a successful result in this match
tournament would put my name on the list of possible participants in the
Championship.
I played this tournament with great verve, losing only one of my matches
(to Petr A. Romanovsky), and winning all the rest. I felt great: staying in a
dacha on Sister Creek, spending the entire day on the beach, taking the train
twice a week to Leningrad - in short, I was in outstanding physical health,
and my head was clear as a bell.
1 d2-d4 N�f6
2 c2-c4 e7-e6
3 Ngl-f3
In those days, I used to avoid the Nimzo-lndian Defense (3 Nc3 Bb4), con
sidering the text a sure way for White to gain a small, but enduring advantage.
3 .... c7-cS
4 d4-dS e6xdS
Blumenfeld's move, 4. ..bS, leads to a sharper game.
S c4xd5 b7-bS
6 a2-a4
6 Qc2 is good here too.
6 QdS-aS+
Probably the weakest reply for Black here. Being not yet sixteen, however,
I had no more knowledge of opening theory than the man in the street. So
here was my opponent, trying to take me off the beaten path.
7 Bc1-d2 bS-b4
8 e2-e41
Exploiting the Black queen's absence from d8 (8...Nxe4 9 Qe2 fS 10 NgS
Ba6 1 1 Qe3 would give White a dangerous attack) to occupy central squares.
8 .. .. Bf8-e7
9

Black loses his way. But after 8...d6 9 Na3 Qd8 10 BbS+ Bd7 1 1 Nc4
White has a clear advantage, while 1 1...Nxe4 1 2 Qe2 fS (or 12 ...Qe7 1 3 0-0)
1 3 NgS still gives White a powerful attack.
9 d5-d6
10 e+eS
Already, Black is at a loss for a good plan.
1 1 Bd2·g5
Be7-d8
Nf6-d5
This subtle move forces Black to surrender a pawn. 1 1...BxgS is bad, on
account of 12 QxdS, as is 1 1. .. Bb7, on account of 12 Bc4; and 1 1...Nb6 is
met by 1 2 Bxd8 Kxd8 1 3 NgS.
1 1
1 2 Bg5·d2
13 Qdlxb3
b4-b3+
Nd5-b4
Now White has both positional and material advantage.
1 3 .... 0-0
14 Nbl·a3 Bc&-a6
Black parries the threatened l S Nc4, as now he can take the knight.
15 Bfl·b5 1
Threatening 1 6 Nc4 again, this time winning the queen.
15 •••• Ba6xb5
16 a4xb5
Now Black's queenside is embalmed.
16 •••• Qa5-b6
17 0-0 a7·a5
With this move Black fortifies the position of his knight on b4 - but what
is he going to do about the knight on b8?
18 Ral·cl Qb6-a7
The c-pawn must be defended.
19 Qb3-c4 Bd&-b6
(See diagram at top of next page)
20 Bd2·g5
10

Position after 19.. .Bb6
The bishop occupies this square once again, this time with decisive threats.
20 . ... Qa7·b7
2 1 Rfl·dl
White prevents 2 1 . ..QdS.
2 1 ...• Rf8-e8
22 BgS·e7
Black is in deep trouble: 23 NgS is threatened.
22 •.•• h7-h6
23 Nf3·h4
Now there is no defense afainst 24 NfS. The concluding moves were:
Preventing 2S ...Nd4.
23 ... . Nb8-c6
24 b5xc6
25 Qc4-e4
25 ••••
26 Nh4-fS
27 Rdlxd4
Nb4xc6
Qb7-a6
Nc6-d4
This knight must be eliminated, so that White can have control of g7.
27 •••• c5xd4
28 Nf5xh6+ Black resigned.
Since either 28...gxh 29 Bf6, or 28...Kh8 29 Nxf7+ Kg8 30 NgS leads to
mate.
Well, asks the bewildered reader, what's so interesting about this game?
White played all right, of course, but Black. . . . ?
Well, this game has a little story connected with it.
A. Ilyin·Genevsky, who was running the chess section of "Pravda" in those
days, heard about my smashing victory over no less than Rochlin "himself'
(at that time one of the most experienced players in Leningrad), and called
Jakov Rochlin, who was a friend of his, on the telephone, asking him to dic
tate the score of the game. At first, Rochlin categorically refused, calling it a
1 1

"totally uninteresting game." But when Ilyin-Genevsky persisted, Rochlin de
cided to play a little trick on his friend. He proceeded to dictate the following
"game," which in due course appeared in the paper's chess section on Septem
ber 4, 1927, along with poor Ilyin-Genevsky's comments.
What sort of game did Rochlin dictate, and what sort of comment appear
ed with it?
M. Botvinnik - J. Rochlin
1 d4 Nf6 2 c4 e6 3 NfJ cS
This line gives White a little better play.
4 dS exd 5 cxd bS
A bold move, in the spirit of Blumenfeld's Defense. The simple S...d6, fol-
lowed by ... Be7 and ...0-0, was both quieter and better.
6 a41 QaS+
The queen stands poorly here. 6... Bb7 ! was better.
7 Bd2 b4 8 e4!
Botvinnik's opening is energetic and powerful.
8...Be7
8...Nxe4 would of course be met by 9 Qe2 fS 10 NgS Ba6 1 1 Qe3, with a
powerful attack.
9 d6 Bd8
The pawn could not be taken, owing to the fork.
10 eS NdS 11 Na3 Ba6 12 Bb5 !
Threatening to win the queen by Nc4.
12...BxbS 12 ax:b
This is stronger than taking with the knight, of course, since the Black
queenside is now completely locked up.
13 ... 0-0 14 0-0 Qb6 15 Qa41
Best! This knight sacrifice gives White's pieces excellent attacking positions.
15.;.bxa 16 Rxa3 g6
Black has no idea what to do. 16...Nc6 was better than this, although
White still has a winning position after 1 7 bxc.
17 NgS h6 18 Ne4 Kh7 19 Rh3 .
With this rook on the h-file, White's attack is quickly decisive.
19... hS 20 g4 h4 21 BgS Kg7 22 Rxh4 Rh8 23 Bf6+ Bxf6 exf+ Kg8 2S
Rxh8+ •h8 26 g5 Nc6 27 NxcS I Black resigned.
The reader can easily see that, beginning with White's 1 1th move we have
nothing but a "fantasie partie." And in fact, here Black need not resign (see
final position in the diagram at the top of the next page), when 27...Ncb4 28
Qb3 Q,cd6 29 Qh3+ I<g8 30 Nxd7 Qf4 would guarantee him a draw by perpet
ual check.
This is, unfortunately, not the only example of a game text ruined by the
12

Final position in the "fantasie-partie"
publication of such "partisan" commentary.
Let me close, however, by saying that the late Ilyin-Genevsky was an avid
promoter of chess, and a true friend of mine - as is J. Rochlin, who survives
today in good health.
1 3

Not A Usual Game
Game 3 Semi-Slav Defense
M. Botvinnik - V. Sozio
Novogorod, July 1929
At the close of our first year in the electro-mechanical curriculum of Lenin
grad Polytechnical, we students were sent to summer military camp, in the
Novogorod region. There were strong chessplayers among the students, which
gave rise to the idea: why not a match between a students' team and a Novo
gorod team?
We were loaded aboard a truck, and driven to the city. And thus it was
that I found myself on first board, facing the famous master Sozin. It turned
out to be an unusual game - the only one, in point of fact, that I was ever to
play in uniform !
1 d2-d4
2 c2·c4
3 Ngl·f3
4 e2·e3
d7-d5
c7·c6
Ng8-f6
In those days, I avoided both the complex variations stemming from 4 Nc3
and the Exchange Variation, 4 cxd.
4 ..•.
S Bfl·d3
6 0-0
e7-e6
Nb8-d7
At that time, I feared the Meran Variation, which Sozin knew well; hence
I avoided playing 6 Nc3. Black should meet 6 0-0 simply by continuing 6...
dxc 7 Bxc4 Bd6, followed by ...0-0 and ...e6·e5, fully equal play.
6 .... Bf8-e7
7 Nbl·c3 0-0
8 e3-e4 d5xe4
9 Nc3xe4 b7·b6
In those days, this system had
·
a good reputation for Black. In this game,
White succeeded in coming up with an original plan.
10 Bcl·f4 Bc8-b7
1 1 Ne4-c3 I h7·h6
On 1 1...cS, White intended to continue with 12 dS exd 1 3 cxd NxdS 14
NxdS BxdS 15 Bxh7+ KXh7 16 Q}cdS. Black should probably have gone in for
this, however, since after White's next move he can never play ...c6-c5, owing
to the reply d4-d).
12 Bd3·c2 Rf8-e8
14

13 Qdl-d2
14 Ral·dl
l S Nf3-e5
16 Bf4xh6!
Nd7-f8
Be7-d6
Qd8-e7
This sacrifice is of a positional nature. For the moment, White gets only
two pawns for the piece; but the exposed position of Black's king, coupled
with White's ability to bring his heavy pieces quickly over to the kingside,
make it reasonable to presume White's attack will prove irresistible.
16 .... g7xh6
17 Qd2xh6 Bd6xe5
Black sees that sooner or later he will have to eliminate White's knight; so
he decides to take it now, in order to gain the opportunity for counterplay by
18...Ng4.
18 d4xe5
Not 18 ... N6h7, in view of 19 Ne4.
19 Qh6-f4
20 e5xf6
Nf6-g4
f7-f5
20 h3 Ng6 2 1 Qg3 N4xe5 22 f4 Qg7 would allow White to recover his ma-
terial. However, like a true soldier, I decided to continue the attack.
20 •.•. Ng4xf6
2 1 Rdl-d3 e6-e5
22 Qf4-h6 Nf6-h7
23 Rd3-g3+ Kg8-h8
24 Nc3·e4 Ra8-d8
(See diagram at top of next page)
2 5 Ne4-g5
25 f4! would appear to give White every reason to expect victory. In view
of the awful threat of 26 f5, Black would have nothing better than 25 ...exf,
but then 26 Rxf4 sets up the unanswerable threats of 27 Rfg4 and 27 Nf6. In
choosing 25 NgS, I overlooked Black's 30th.
2 5 •.•• Rd8-d7
1 5

Position after 24...Rd8
26 NgSxh7
The correct move in this position was only found in 1950, and published by
by V. Kasparov in Sbakbmaty v SSSR, No. 1, 1 95 1 . With 26 Rh3! White suc
cessfully concludes his assault on the Black king. For example: 26... Qg7 (if
26...Rd6, then 27 Qxd6} 27 Qh5 R8e7 28 Nxh7 Nxh7 29 Bxh7 Qxh7 30 Qf5,
and White must win; or 26...e4 27 Bxe4 Qg7 28 Qh5 Rxe4 29 Nxe4, with con
siderable advantage to White.
Evidently, then, I overlooked a second winning line here. Well, what can I
say - camp life is no way to nurture one's creative impulses.
26 •••• Nf8xh7
27 Bc2xh7 Qe7xh7
28 Qh6-f6+ Rd7-g7
29 Rfl-dl
Of course not 19 Rh3?, on account of 29... Qxh3.
29 .... Bb7·c8
30 h2·h4 Re8-g8
Best! Black now threatens to seize the initiative with 31...Qf5, so the game
continuation looks like White's only move.
3 1 Qf6xe5 Qh7·f5
3 1.. . Qxh4 does not work, on account of 32 Rd4 Qh6 (32... Qe7 loses a
piece after 3 3 Qxe7} 3 3 Rd6 ! The text leads to a roughly equal position, but
with Black having to fight for the draw against White's three connected passed
pawns.
32 QeSxfS
3 3 Rg3xg7
34 f2·f3 1
35 b2-b3
36 Rdl·d6
37 g2-g4
38 Kgl-f2
16
Bc8xfS
Rg8xg7
Bf5·e6
Kh8-g8
·se6-d7
Kg8-f8
Kf8-e7

39 Rd6-d2
White should have played either 39 Rd3 or 39 Rdl , since now Black could
simply force the draw by playing 39...Bxg4 40 fxg Rxg4, when the h-pawn
cannot be defended.
39 ....
40 Kf2·g3
41 Kg3-f4
42 Kf4-g3
43 Rd2-e2
a7-aS
Bd7-e8
Rg7-f7+
Ke7-f6
Rf7-e7?
The exchange of rooks gives Black a lost game; with rooks on, he would
have more chances for counterplay. 43 ... Bd7 was the proper continuation,
although even then the three connected passed pawns are very dangerous.
44 Re2xe7 Kf6xe7
45 h4-h5 Ke7-f6
46 Kg3-f4 b6-b5
Nat.urally, Black tries to exchange pawns.
47 c4xb5 c6xb5
48 g4-g5+ Kf6-g7
48.. . Ke6 49 Kg4 Bd7 SO f4 KdS S l Kh4 Ke4 52 h6 ! BfS S 3 KhS also does
not save Black.
49 h5-h6+ Kg7-g6
50 Kf4-e5 Be8-f7
5 1 f3-f4 Bf7-g8
52 Ke5-d6 a5-a4
5 3 b3xa4 b5xa4
54 a2-a3
Black has insured himself against losing any pawns on the queenside - but
now the decision looms on the kingside.
54 .... Bg8-h7
5 5 Kd6-e7
After 55 Ke6 ! Bg8+ 56 Ke7 Bh7 57 Kf8, White wins simply.
55 .... Bh7-g8
1 7

56 Ke7-d6
White wants to return to the position after Black's 54th move, but my op
ponent is alert now.
56 ....
57 Kd6-e7
Kg6-f5
Kf5-g6
A notable position. Clearly, Black loses if it is his turn to move. White
therefore has to win a tempo, which can be done in the following manner:
58 Kd7 ! Kf5 (if 58...Bh7, then 59 Ke6; or if 58...Kf7 59 f5 Bh7, then 60 g6+
Bxg6 61 fxg+ KXg6, and Black is one move short of the draw) 59 Ke8! Kg6
60 Ke7 !, and Black's position is hopeless.
Instead, White provokes Black to bring the bishop to the bl-h7 diagonal,
hoping for a still simpler win. When the position is reached, however, it turns
out to be insufficient to win. So it appears that White has let three wins slip
in this game.
58 Ke7-e8 Bg8-e6
59 Ke8-f8 Be6-f5
60 Kf8-e7 Bf5-e2
61 Ke7-d6 Bc2-d3
62 Kd6-e6 Bd3-c4+
63 Ke6-e7
Only now did White see that 63 Ke5 Bd3 64 f5+ Bxf5 65 h7 Kxh7 66
Kxf5 leads only to a draw, since Black's king has time enqugh to reach c8.
So, after a few more moves, a draw was agreed.
1 8

One Year Before Marriage
Game 4 Semi-Slav Defense, Meran Variation
M. Botvinnik - S. Belavienetz
Leningrad - Moscow Match
Leningrad, May l934
This match was the largest of the series to date: a double-round match on
100 boards, organized by the Trade Unions. Two young players were paired
on Board One. Whereas I had already twice won the Soviet Championship,
Belavienetz held no such honors, having not yet even participated in the Sovi•
et Championships. This game went on to become famous, and was subjected
to exhaustive analysis; until now, however, no one knew the circumstances
under which it was played.
After playing the first game of the match on May 1st, I set off for Vasilev
sky Island to visit my friend Jakov Rochlin, who had recently married a
young soloist from the ballet corps of the Leningrad Theater, Valentina Lo
pukhina.
.
She had invited a friend of hers from the theater, Diana Ananova.
Diana was attractive and good-natured; I liked her at once. The question
was: would she like me?
All went well at first; but when it came time to take her home, we found
it had grown so late that the Lieutenant Schmidt Bridge was already drawn
(even today, big steamers can only go up the Neva at night). We barely got
across the Dvortsovy Bridge instead, in the midst of a driving rainstorm. I
must have looked a sight. Diana apparently thought nothing of it, however:
exactly one year later, on May 2, 1935, we were married.
I slept little that night but sat down to play, nevertheless, in high spirits -
perhaps this can be seen in my play.
1 Ngl·f3
2 c2·c4
3 d2-d4
From the Reti to the Slav.
3 ....
4 e2·e3
d7-d5
c7·c6
Ng8-f6
Five years after the Sozin game (No. 3), and still I preferred this quiet
move.
4 ....
5 Bfl·d3
6 Nbl·c3
19
e7-e6
Nb8-d7
d5xc4

7 Bd3xc4 b7- bS
And so we reach the Meran Variation, as Sozin offered to play against me
in 1929.
8 Bc4-d3 a7-a6
9 e3-e4 c6-cS
10 e4-eS
Today we know that 10 dS gives Black the most difficulties; in those days,
however, that move had not been investigated.
10 •••• cSxd4
1 1 Nc3xb5 Nd7xe5
Sozin introduced this move. For 1 1...axb, see Game 9.
12 Nf3xe5 a6xbS
1 3 0.0
White selects Rellstab's Attack; somewhat later, 1 3 Qf3 became popular.
However, after 1 3...Bb4+ 14 Ke2 Rb8 1 5 Qg3 (15 Nc6, as in the 8th Match
Game Botvinnik - Bronstein, is worth looking into) 1 5 ...Qd6 16 Nf3 Qxg3
1 7 hxg Bd6 ! 18 Nxd4 Bd7, I find it hard to understand why Black's game
should be considered inferior.
In Reshevsky - Botvinnik (USSR-USA match 195 5 ), I answered 1 3 Qf3
with 1 3.•. Qa5+ 14 Ke2 Bd6 1 5 Qc6+ Ke7, and after 1 6 Bd2 b4 17 Qxd6+
Kxd6 18 Nc4+ �7. a position was reached which promises about equal
chances to both sides.
In the 'Thirties, I believed that 1 3 0-0 offered White more chances.
1 3 .... Qd8-d5
14 Qd1-e2 Ra8-aS
This was a novelty, prepared by Belavienetz. But how can one hope to re
fute Rellstab's Attack with such moves?!
1 S f2-f41
A necessary preparatory move. Since Black may play ..• b5-b4, hitting the
knight on eS, that spot should be defended first. At the same time, White is
also defending g2. Of course, the routine 1 5 Bg5, followed by f2·f4, would
20

have been weaker, since this bishop will be needed to attack the rook at a5.
15 .... Bf8-d6
Black must develop his bishop at once. 1 5 ...Bb7 allows the pretty stroke
16 a4! bxa 1 7 Bd2, when the threat of 1 8 Bb5+ sets Black some very difficult
problems.
16 Bcl·d2
17 a2·a3
b5-b4
Temporarily sacrificing still another pawri, in order to gain a powerful at
tack. Black can defend successfully after 17 Nc4 Ra7 18 Nb6 Qb7. But now
the threat of 18 Nc4 forces Black to take on eS, since 17...Ra7 allows at least
18 Nc6!
17 . ...
18 f4xeS
19 Qe2·f3
Bd6xeS
Qd5xe5
19 ••.• QeS·dS
The best defense was 1 9...Ra7 20 Rael (but not 20 Qc6+ Bd7 21 Qb6 Qc7
22 Qxb.4 - which Black feared - because of 22 ...NdS 23 Qxd4 0-0) 20...QdS
2 1 Qg3 Bb7 (or 2 1 ...bxa 22 Rxf6 gxf 23 Qg7 Rf8 24 Bb4 Re7 25 Rel Bb7 26
bxa Bc6 27 a4) 22 Qb8+ Kd7 23 BbS + QcbS 24 Qxa7 Qd5 25 Rf2, when, des
pite Black's loss of the exchange, the game would be by no means over.
With the text, Black loses a tempo by comparison with the last note, since
19.•. Ra7 would force White to play 20 Rael, which would be useless now.
20 Qf3·g3 Ra5·a7
Black's position is hopeless. 20... NhS 21 Qc7 0-0 doesn't save him, either,
in view of 22 Bxb4. Curiously, White's position is so strong now, that even
giving his opponent a move would still leave him in the favorable variation
given in the preceding note.
2 1 Rflxf6
22 Qg3·g7
2 3 Bd2xb4
24 Rat-cl
2 S Rcl·cS
2 1
g7xf6
Rh8-f8
Ra7-e7
Bc8-b7
Black resigned.

There exists a photograph of this encounter, which shows us, surrounded
by a crowd of spectators, sitting at the chessboard. Belavienetz bends low
over the pieces, while I lean away, on the back of the chair, looking proud and
haughty, like Napoleon surveying the battlefield. And why not - I was feel
ing twice a "winner" that day.
In the decades that followed, my wife Diana did everything possible to
further my creative activities. Sergei Belavienetz became one of the strongest
Soviet masters, and a gifted analyst. He volunteered for the front, and lost
his life in the first months of the war.
22

A Historical Position
Game S Nimzo-Indian Defense
M. Botvinnik - J. R. Capablanca
AVRO Tournament
Rotterdam, November 1938
The reader already knows that Capablanca and 1 were friends, despite the
difference in our ages. However, this did not prevent each of our chessboard
encounters from being real battles. In all, we played seven tournament games
against Capablanca, and the final score was even. This, the seventh, was to be
our last encounter.
The AVRO tournament did not turn out well for Capablanca. He turned
fifty in the course of the tournament, losing to Alekhine on his birthday. It is
no surprise, then, that in an attempt to improve his tournament position, he
chose to play a rather risky attempt to win - a style which really did not suit
him.
1 d2·d4
2 c2·c4
3 Nbl·c3
4 e2·e3
Ng8-f6
e7-e6
Bf8-b4
Certainly not a method by which to play for a refutation of the: Nimzo
Indian; however, experience has shown that there most likely is no refutation
to this defense. With 4 e3, White seeks only to bolster his center, hoping the
strong center will do him good in the middlegame.
4 .... d7·dS
This continuation was in favor at the time, but this game showed that it
had definite drawbacks. After 4...0-0 or 4...cS, and then S a3 Bxc3+ 6 bxc,
White might have difficulties with the weak pawn at c4; after the text move,
White can play this line, as the c4-pawn can always be exchanged off.
S a2-a3 Bb4xc3+
S... Be7 6 Nf3 leads to a variation of the Queen's Gambit Declined, with an
extra move (a3) for White.
6 b2xc3 c7·cS
The most natural reply. White's basic plan is to play f2-f3 and e3-e4 later
on, seizing the central squares. This will be a hard plan to carry out, provided
Black, in turn, puts pressure on d4 - which end is served by 6...cS.
7 c4xdS e6xdS
A difficult question: which piece should Black use to recapture on dS? He
decides to take with the pawn, preventing 8 e4.
23

8 Bfl-d3 0-0
9 Ngl-e2
Up to this point, our game was similar to a game Lilienthal - Ragozin, Mos
cow 1935, except that in that game, White's f-pawn was already on f3. The
system White employs in the present game does not require him to make this
committing move, a tempo he can put to better use in development.
The most unpleasant piece facing Black now is clearly the bishop on d 3 ;
hence, h e takes steps to exchange it.
9 .... b7-b6
10 0-0 Bc8-a6
1 1 Bd3xa6
Perhaps White should have retained this bishop by retreating it to c2 ; in
that event, however, Black's bishop would stand well on a6. If White is going
to exchange bishops, then, it is better done in just this manner, making it
harder for the knight (which ends up on a6) to reach its good square �t c4.
It is interesting to note that this whole variation was tested a number of
times after this game - with successes for both sides!
1 1 .... Nb8xa6
12 Bcl-b2
Passive. 12 Qd3 ! was of course correct, forcing Black to answer 1 2...Qc8.
12 .... Qd8-d7!
13 a3-a4
White finds it hard to correct his error on the previous move: 12 Qd3 now
allows 12...Qa4!, so some preparation in needed.
13 .... Rf8-e8
An amazing error for Capablanca to make! The conti�uation 1 3 ...cxd 14
cxd Rfc8 should not have been difficult to find, when White would have had
problems along the c-file. His defensive resources would have been adequate
(but still..... ).
14 Qdl-d3 cS-c4
And this is a serious positional mistake. Evidently, Black was convinced
24

that White would be unable to advance the e-pawn, and that therefore his own
queenside majority would be decisive. Capablanca had in mind the maneuver
...Na6-b8-c6-aS-b 3, after which the a-pawn becomes difficult to defend.
Black's queenside majority is of no great weight, however, while White's
break with e3-e4 proves quite potent. Black should have settled for the mod
est defense 14...Qb7.
15 Qd3-c2
16 Ral-el
Na6-b8
Psychologically understandable: White demonstrates his intention not to
defend the a-pawn. But for accuracy's sake, it should be noted that the pawn
could easily have been saved by 16 Ba3 Nc6 17 Bb4, with equal chances.
However, 1 6 Ng3, preventing 16...NhS, was more exact.
16 .•.. Nb8-c6
Black mistakenly thinks that winning the a-pawn will give him the upper
hand.
.
Otherwise, he would certainly have played 16... NhS !, preventing 1 7
Ng3 (the exchange of knights is not good for White), and leading to a more
complex sort of game. For example: 1 7 h3 fS 18 Bel Nc6 19 f3 NaS 20 g4
fxg 2 1 hxg, when Black's kingisde position looks dangerous.
17 Ne2-g3 Nc6-aS
A curious position: Black has no way to prevent the break e3-e4. On 1 7...
Ne4, White retreats his knight to h l ( ! ), followed by 1 9 f3.
18 f2·f3 NaS·b3
19 e3·e4 Qd7xa4
The diagram at left shows the position from this game; the one at the right
depicts an almost identical position from the game Botvinnik - Alexander
(USSR-Gt. Britain Radio Match, 1946), the only difference being that in the
right-hand diagram, White's bishop is developed to a3, not b2. On the one
hand, this is good for White, since the bishop is more actively placed; but on
the other hand, at this point White must stop to defend the bishop.
Here is the continuation of the Botvinnik - Alexander game: 20 Qb2 aS
21 eS bS 22 Bd6 (exf! b4 23 Qf2 was stronger) 22...Re6 23 exf! Rxd6 24 fxg
2S

b4 25 ReS ! Rae8 26 f4! Qd7 27 Qe2 Rde6 28 fS RxeS 29 dxe bxc, and now,
instead of 30 f6, which Black could have met with 30...Nd4!, White could
have achieved a clear advantage with either 30 e6 or 30 NhS.
Now let us return to Botvinnik - Capablanca.
20 e4-eS Nf�d7
20...NcS ? leads to the loss of a piece after 2 1 Re2!
21 Qc2-f2
Necessary, in view of the threat of 21... NbcS, improving the position of
Black's queenside knight. Bringing the queen to the kingside, however, is part
of White's plan. Now Black has to defend against both the maneuver Ng3-f5-
d6 and the f-pawn's advance. His pieces are unable to move quickly to the
king's assistance, and in the meantime, his extra pawn is a long way from forc
ing the win. Capablanca's following maneuver is designed to open the e-file,
in the hope that simplification will be of benefit to Black.
2 1 g7-g6
22 f3-f4 f7-f5
23 e5xf6
The only way to continue the attack.
23 ••••
24 f4-f5
25 Rflxel
Nd7xf6
Re8xel
R�e8
Everything is forced after this. Black indirectly defends the knight on f6
(26 fxg hxg 27 Rxe8+ Nxe8),but this proves insufficient. Could he instead
have saved the game by playing 2S..•Rf8? I don't believe so; here are some
variations:
1 ) 26 Qf4! Qa2 27 fxg! Qxb2 (if 27.•. hxg, then 28 QgS) 28 g7 Kxg7 29
NfS + Kh8 30 Qd6 (A. Fedorov in Sbakhmaty v SSSR No: 1 2, 195 3 ), and if
30...Rf7, then 3 1 Qxf6+, and 30• . . Kg8 is met by 3 1 Qg3 +.
2) 26 Qf4 Qd7 27 Re6 NaS (or 27...Ne4 28 QeS Nxg3 29 Re7) 28 Ba3 Rf7
29 QgS!
26 Rel-e6! Re8xe6
The only move, since 26...Kf7 27 Rxf6+ Kxf6 28 fxg+ Kxg6 (28... Ke7 29
Qf7+ �8 30 g7) 29 QfS+ Kg7 30 NhS + Kh6 3 1 h4 Rg8 3:i g4 Qc6 33 Ba3!
leads to immediate mate. Now White is left with a powerful pawn at e6.
27 fSxe6 Kg8-g7
28 Qf2-f4 Qa4-e8
28... Qa2 would not work, in view of 29 NfS+ gxf 30 QgS+ Kf8 3 1 Qxf6+,
and mate in two.
29 Qf4-e5 Qe8-e7
Black falls in with White's intentions, but this move was unavoidable any
way. For example, after 29...NaS 30 Bel !, threatening either 3 1 Bh6+, or 3 1
Qc7+, followed b y 3 2 Bh6, Black would have to play 3 0...Qe7 anyway, when
26

White would carry out the same combination as in the game.
30 Bb2·a3 1
The position in the diagram has become a part of chess history. The spec
tators greeted White's combination with applause - the only time a foreign
player was applauded during the AVRO tournament. And in 1954, during the
World Chess Olympics in Amsterdam, one baker/chessplayer displayed a cake
in his window with this position atop it. Fate, however, had decreed a weight
ier role for this combination.
At present, I am working to create a man-made chessmaster/computer, the
chess program "Pioneer." Remembering our game with Capablanca, I have al
ways wondered, not without some unease, whether "Pioneer" would ever be
able to analyse this position the way Capablanca and I did during the game.
In the spring of 1979, a young colleague of mine, programmer B. Stilman,
went to the computer and gave "Pioneer" the task of beginning this analysis.
Unfortunately, the first move "Pioneer" included in its analysis was, to my
embarrassment, 30 NfS+ - a continuation I hadn't looked at during the game.
So then I had to find an answer for the question: "Why, instead of NfS,
had I analyzed Ba3?" Which immediately put me in mind of what I had writ
ten in "The Algorithm of Chess Playing" (published in Moscow by "Nauka"
Publishing, 1 968, and in an English-language edition titled "Computer Chess
and Long-Range Planning" by Springer-Verlag, New York 1970): "In my o
pinion, the process of playing chess (and probably any game) consists of a ba
sic exchanging operation. We define the basic exchange as that exchange in
which (speaking in general terms) one excl:anges values, whether they be ma
terial or position ("abstract" or conjunctive). The point of the basic exchange
is to secure a relative profit by this transaction of material or positional (con
junctive) values. There are no other goals, nor can there be any."
In this position, the highest conjunctive value belongs to the Black queen,
while White's lowest conjunctive value belongs to the bishop at b2 (among
those pieces, of course, which a chessmaster would takl" into his considera
tion).
27

Next we note that, in order to effect this exchange of conjunctive values
(as opposed to an exchange of physical, or material piece values), the pieces
need not necessarily leave the board - merely the squares on which they have
stood, Thus, in the variation 30 Ba3 <Dca3, this exchange of conjunctive
values has inscreased the strength of the White pieces' position, once the Black
queen left e7. This started me wondering whether this couldn't be formulat
ed, and written into the "Pioneer" program; it turned out - oh happiness! -
that almost everything necessary for this formulation already existed in the
program, In order to test our basic hypothesis, Stilman formulated it in basic
language, and once again went to the computer. On July 5, 1979, at 1400
hours Moscow time, after a short '.'think", the computer made the first move
in its analysis: 30 Ba3 • . . .
We are now in the process of preparing the formulation for the exchange
of conjunctive values in exact accordance with the algorithm. We have hopes
that "Pioneer" will find the same variations, and only those same variations,
which went through Capablanca's head and mine when we considered the dia
grammed position.
30 •••• Qe7xa3
Naturally, 30..•Qe8 3 1 Qc7+ I<g8 32 Be7 Ng4 3 3 Qd7 is not much better.
3 1 Ng3·h5+1 g6xh5
3 1 ...Kh6 is also bad: 32 Nxf6 Qcl + 33 Kf2 Qd2+ 34 Kg3 Qxc3+ 35 Kh4
Qxd4+ 36 Ng4+!
32 QeS..gS+
33 QgSxf6+
3 3...Ke8 allows mate in two.
34 e6-e7
Kg7·f8
Kf8-g8
White also wins by 34 Qf7+ Kh8 3 5 e7 Qcl + 36 Kf2 Qd2+ 37 Kg3 <Dcc3+
38 Kh4 Qxd4+ 39 Kxh5 Qe5 + 40 Kg4 Qe4+ 41 Kh3 Qe3+ 42 g3 Qh6+ 43
Kg2 Qd2+ 44 Qf2, and the e-pawn queens (E. Baum),
34 .••• Qa3·cl+
35 Kgl·f2 Qcl·c2+
36 Kf2·g3 Qc2·d3+
37 Kg3·h4 Qd3·e4+
38 Kh4xh5 Qe4-e2+
Nor can Black save himself with 38...Qg6+ 39 Qxg6+ hxg+ 40 Kxg6, when
e8(Q) mates next move.
39 Kh5·h4 Qe2·e4+
40 g2·g4
The simplest. But another winning line was 40 Kh3 h5 41 Qf8+ Kh7 42
Qf7+ Kh6 43 Qf6+ Kh7 44 Qg5, and if 44...(l.e2 45 Kh4 Qf2+, then 46 KxhS
Qe2+ 47 Kh4 Qf2+ 48 Kg4 <Dcg2+ 49 KfS Qe4+ SO Kf6, and Black is defense
less,
40 •••• Qe4-el+ 41 Kh4-h5 Black resigned.
28

A Most Important Encounter
Game 6 Queen's Gambit Accepted
M. Botvinnik - M. Euwe
Groningen, August 1946
The Groningen International Tournament holds a place of honor in chess
history: it was the first great international tournament held after the war.
Every player of note did his best to be included among the participants, for
it was known that FIDE would select the sixth participant in the forthcoming
World Championship Match Tournament (five of whose participants - Euwe,
Keres, Fine, Reshevsky and Botvinnik, were already known) precisely on the
basis of the results of the Groningen tournament.
I was fortunate enough to finish first, Euwe second. Smyslov was third,
thus entering the Sacred Six. Thus were the results peaceably affixed to the
tournament crosstable - but oh, what passions lay behind those dry scores!
Had the tournament ended otherwise, things might have turned out differ
ently, and not just for Smyslov. The Dutch chessplayers were hoping for a
victory by their hero, Max Euwe the former World Champion. They felt that
such a result would justify Euwe's being named World Champion, without the
necessity of a Match-Tournament. As long as Alekhine, who wrested the
Champion's title from Euwe in the return match of 1937, was no longer
among the living, why, that meant that if Euwe came out the winner of this
tournament, he must once again be the strongest player in the world !
So our game had special significance. It drew a large crowd of spectators,
all of them rooting for their countryman. I found myself a hairsbreadth from
"death", but fortune smiled upon me, and thus the World Championship
Match-Tournament of 1948 took place.
1 d2-d4 d7-dS
2 Ngl-f3 Ng8-f6
3 c2-c4 dSxc4
4 e2-e3 e7-e6
S Bflxc4 c7-c5
6 0-0 a7-a6
7 a2-a4
This old line, formerly played by Rubinstein, has fallen out of favor, since
today it is felt that by allowing Black to play ...b7-bS, White nevertheless re
tains an opening advantage, and without the weakening of the b4 square.
However, 7 a4 also gives Black a tough game.
7 .... Nb8-c6
29

8 Qdl·e2 Bf8-e7
A good defensive system which was also used at the Semmering·Baden
tournament of 1 937. Prior to this, Black usually took in the center: 8... cxd;
but after 9 Rdl, White has no difficulties developing his queen's bishop.
Black will meet 9 dxc with 9...Ne4.
9 Rfl·dl Qd8-c7
10 Nbl·c3
In a game with Keres (Leningrad 1941 ), I played 10 h3, which is not a
necessary move here.
10 •••• ().0
1 1 b2·b3
1 1 dxc looks dubious here: 1 1... BxcS 1 2 h3 (12 e4 Ng4!) NeS 1 3 NxeS
QxeS, etc. And if White prepares d4xcS by playing 1 1 h3 first, then Black
can play l l ... Rd8, and again White has accomplished nothing.
1 1 Bc8-d7
12 Bcl·b2 Ra8-c8
A routine move which puts Black in a critical situation. The only way for
Black to stave off the impending 1 3 d4-dS is to go in for the sharp continua·
tion 1 2...cxd 1 3 exd NaS 14 NeS, which grants him serious counterplay on
the queenside.
Now, however, the c-file remains closed, and White's central preponderance
becomes very significant.
1 3 d4-dS.I e6xdS
14 Nc3xdS Nf6xdS
1S Bc4xd5 Bd7-g4
Practically the only move for Black, since 1 S...Nb4 16 BeS ! is unsatisfacto·
ry for him. It is clear that, as a result of Black's 1 2th move, White has been
able to obtain a pleasant middlegame. Black is unable to fortify himself in
the center, and White's bishops become dangerous.
16 Qe2·c4
During the game it seemed to me that 1 6 h3 BhS 1 7 g4 Bg6 1 8 h4 h6 (18...
hS 19 NgS) would have been stronger; however, the text move is also good.
30

16 . ... Bg4-hS
17 BdSxc6
Quite logical, since the line 17 g4 Bg6 (17...NaS 18 Qfl ! Bg6 19 Rae1 is
dubious) 18 h4 hS would give Black good counterplay. White surrenders one
of his bishops, but gains still more territory.
17 •... Qc7xc6
18 Nf3-eS Qc6-e8!
Euwe defends very resourcefully. 19 g4 would now be met by l9...Bf6
20 RdS bS (or even 20...Bg6 2 1 RxcS RxcS 22 QxcS BxeS 23 QxeS QxeS
24 BxeS f6), and Black is out of the woods.
19 Rdl-dS
19 .... Rc8-d8
This was played too cautiously; as often happens in such cases, Black's po
sition should have been the worse for it.
By continuing 1 9...bS (White's queen must be driven away from its good
position), Black could have obtained fully equal play. For example:
1.) 20 Qc2 Rd8 2 1 Rxd8 Qxd8;
2) 20 Qf4 Rd8 (20...Bf6 is possible, too) 21 Rxd8 Qxd8;
3) 20 Qc3 f6 21 Nd7 Qf7 ! 22 e4 Rfd8.
Now, with 20 g4 Bg6 (20...bS now comes too late, in view of 21 Rxd8 ! )
2 1 Radl RxdS 2 2 QxdS Qc8 23 Nd7 (2 3...Rd8 2 4 Bxg7 ! Bc2 25 Bc3 Bxdl
26 QeS f6 27 Qe6+), White obtains a tremendous game.
Instead, White chooses to "play for mate", but comes up just one tempo
short. Seizing the initiative, Euwe begins to play with his customary energy.
20 NeS-d7 Rd8xd7
21 RdSxhS Qe8-d81
If the queen's rook were on fl, White would win immediately here with
22 Bxg7 Kxg7 2 3 Qg4+ Kh8 24 QfS. Unfortunately, however, the rook is on
al instead, and this variation leads to mate for White. So he must lose a vital
tempo.
22 Ral·fl g7-g6!
3 1

Very good; White's rook is now shut out.
23 Rh5·h3 Rd7·dl
White's pieces have lost their coordination, and Euwe plays for simplifica
tion. Don't forget; Black has a three-to-two pawn majority on the queenside,
which gives him a clear endgame advantage.
24 g2·g4 Rdlxfl+
25 Kglxfl b7·b5 !
Black seizes the opportunity to advance this pawn; White cannot take
twice, owing to the queen check on d1 .
2 6 a4xb5 a6xb5
f7-f6
27 Qc4-f4
Securing his king. Now White must defend the b-pawn.
28 e3·e4 Qd•dl+
29 Kfl·g2 Be7·d6
Euwe plays consistently for the endgame. Black could hardly hope to a
chieve more: after 29...Qc2 30 Bel Rf7 (otherwise 31 Rxh7) 31 Rf3, for ex
ample, White holds the balance.
30 Qf4-f3
3 1 Rh3xf3
32 Bb2xe5
33 Rf3·c3
Qdlxf3+
Bd6-eS
f6xe5
Of course, after 3 3 Rxf8+ Kxf8 34 Kf3 gS, Black wins by marching his
king to aS. Here, perhaps, White could have played better with 3 3 Rd3 Rc8
34 RdS c4 3 S bxc bxc 36 Kfl Kf7 ! (36...c3 37 Rdl ! is a draw, since the c
pawn is lost) 37 Ke2 Ke6 38 RaS, when a draw would be quite likely.
33 .... Rf•c8
34 Kg2·f3 Kg•f7 .
3S Kf3·e3 Kf7·e6
36 f2·f4
The onset of time-pressure somewhat spoiled this phase of the game; other
wise, however, we would have lost a valuable endgame! White's last move is
weak, since it gives Black the central square eS for his king. Perhaps the move
does not lose; but the simple 36 Kd2 suggests itself, when.Black, despite his
advantage, is not likely to win.
Otherwise 38...b4.
36 .... eSxf4+
37 Ke3xf4 c5·c4
38 b3xc4
38 .•••
39 h2·h4
bSxc4
h7·h6
It might seem 11trange that this natural move should grant White new saving
chances. After the game, Flohr gave 39... RcS as strongest, but Euwe found a
powerful rejoinder in 40 eSI KdS 3 1 Re3 ! Rc6 (41. .. c3 42 e6 c2 43 e7 Rc8
32

44 Rel Kd6 45 KgS Kd7 46 Rel Kxe7 47 Kh6) 42 hS, and White still has
hope.
39...Rc6 (given by Levenfish in Shakhmaty v SSSR No. 9, 1950) is no
stronger, in view of 40 hS RcS 41 eS Rc6, and now, not 42 Ke4 gS 43 Kd4
Rc8 44 Ke4 Rc7 45 Kd4 Rd7+ 46 Ke4 Rf7, which leads to a win for Black,
but instead 42 hxg hxg 43 Ke4 gS 44 Rh3 c3 45 Rh6+ Kd7 46 Rh7+ Ke8 47
Rhl, and White need not worry about losing this one anymore.
40 g4-gS I h6-h5
In this critical position, White had to seal a move. I considered White's
game lost, knowing that even Rubinstein had lost an analogous position to
Lasker at St. Petersburg 1914. When I set up the position during the break
for analysis, however, I managed to find a hidden drawing possibility.
I certainly didn't find it right away. My mind was clouded by the know·
ledge that even Rubinstein himself couldn't save this ending. As I stared de
spairingly at the position, in walked the head of our delegation, master Vere
sov. He knew that I stood badly, but nevertheless he spoke confidently:
"Mikhail Moiseevich, can't you find something?" So then I looked at the po·
sition again, this time with no prejudiCes; and - oh joy ! - I discovered the
secret of this endgame. After an hour and a half, play resumed.
The only.move.
41 Kf4-e3 Ke6-eS
42 Rc3·c2 ! 1
42
43 Ke3·d3
c4-c3
Rc8-d8+
My opponent spent quite a while in thought before making this move; al
ready he could see that the game must end in a draw. In the Lasker-Rubin"
stein game, there were no h·pawns (otherwise, the position is identical, with
colors reversed); by analogy with our game, Black won by playing 43...Rc7
44 Ke3 Rh7, followed by ...Rh7-h3·g3). White could not avoid this continua
tion, as the pawn ending was lost. But here 43 ...Rc7 leads to something quite
different: 43 ...Rc7 44 Rxc3 Rxc3+ 45 Kxc3 Kxe4 46 Kc4 Kf4 47 Kd4 Kg4
3 3

48 KeS Kxh4 49 Kf6 Kg4 50 Kxg6 h4 5 1 Kf6 h3 52 g6 h2 5 3 g7 hl(Q) 54
g8(Q)+, and it's a draw!
44 Kd3·e3 1
After 44 Kxc3, Black could still play for the win, in view o f the fact that
the White king is cut off from the kingside pawns.
44 .... Rd8-d4
45 Rc2xc3
46 Ke3·f3
47 Rc3·c6
Rd4xe4+
Re4xh4
The final finesse. 47 RcS + 1<06 48 RaS Rc4 may also possibly lead to a
draw, but White would have had a number of difficult decisions to make.
47 .... Rh4-f4+
Black cannot defend the g·pawn: 47...KfS 48 RcS+ Ke6 49 Rc6+, and
White either checks or attacks the g-pawn forever.
48 Kf3·e3 Rf4-e4+
49 Ke3·f3 KeS·fS
50 Rc6-f6+ Kf5xgS
S 1 Rf6xg6+ Draw agreed.
A fighting draw! And fifteen hundred spectators following this game stood
numb for some time; after all, they had all "known", at adjournment time,
that Euwe's victory was assured!
34

A Dif
ficult Match
Game 7 French Defense
S. Reshevsky - M. Botvinnik
USSR- USA Match
Moscow, SeptembCr 1946
The fall of 1 945 saw an American team lose a radio match to a Soviet team
by the wide mar2in of 1 S 1h - 41h. This came like lightning out of the blue,
since the Americans had won the prewar Olympiads four times. Naturally,
the Americans blamed their loss on the fact that the match had been played
by radio; they therefore challenged us to a face-to-face match in Moscow, one
year later.
This second match occurred under very difficult circumstances for the So
viets. Five of our players (Botvinnik, Smyslov, Kotov, Flohr and Boleslavsky
- fully half the team) were utterly exhausted from the Groningen tourna
ment, where only two of the Americans (Denker and Steiner) had played. We
had barely touched down in Moscow, and the very next day it was: Sit down
and play !
The public at large also expected a repeat of our previous year's victory,
which only served to increase the level of nervous-tension. Despite having the
White pieces in the first 2ame, it was only after adjournment that I managed
to save the half-point against Reshevsky. Here was the second game.
1 d2-d4 e7-e6
2 e2-e4
Reshevsky did not play 2 c4, in order to avoid the Dutch Defense, which
evidently he did not feel comfortable with.
2 .... d7-dS
3 Nbl·c3
4 e4-eS
S a2-a3
Bf8-b4
c7-c5
Bb4-aS
Not much was known about this move in those days. I played it for two
reasons. First, Reshevsky doesn't normally play e2-e4, so it was safe to as
sume he had something specially prepared against my known fondness for 3...
Bb4. Secondly, since the game against Alexander (radio match, USSRvs.
Great Britain 1946), I had lost my taste for S...Bxc3+.
Reshevsky spent quite a bit of time on the opening, but the plan he came
up with is probably the best White has here - an opinion which, curiously
enough, the theoreticians only came to share twenty years later.
6 Qdl-g4 Ng8-e7
35

7 d4xc5
8 b2xc3
9 Qg4xg7
Ba5xc3+
Nb8-d7
This hasty move brings White nothing but trouble; in this sort of position,
the White e-pawn is clearly more valuable than Bla.ck's g- and h-pawns. It was
later established that the simple 9. Nf3 grants White an advantage here.
9 ... . Rh8-g8
10 Qg7xh7 Nd7xe5
11 Bfl·e2
Now we see the consequences of White's error on move 9. Rather than de
velop his knight to f3 at once, he must first develop his bishop to the passive
square el. Of course, Black cannot play 1 1...Rxg2 now, because of 1 2 Qh8+
and 1 3 Q}ceS.
1 1
12 Bcl·d2
1 3 Ngl·f3
14 Be2xf3
Qd8-a5
QaSxcS
Ne5xf3+
e6-e5
Clearly, Black's opening difficulties are a thing of the past. His pawns con·
trol the center, and once he develops his queen's bishop and castles queenside,
he can begin the decisive assault. White makes a vain effort to prevent this.
15 Bf3-h5 Bc8-f5 !
Anyway ! 1 5... Be6 16 0-0 0-0-0 1 7 Bxf7 would leave White with a two
pawn advantage, and a relatively safe king.
16 Bh5xf7+
After 16 Q}cf7+ 1<07, the threat of 1 7...Raf8 is highly unpleasant.
16 .... Ke8-d7
17 Qh7-h6 Re8xg2
Black could have won a piece here, but at the cost of three pawns: 1 7...
Rh8 18 Qf6 Qc6 19 Q}ceS Rh7.
18 Rhl·fl .Qc5-b6
Inasmuch as White's chief concern is the unsafe position of his king, Black
should not be in any hurry to force:an endgame. 18...Qc4 was considerably
36

stronger, and if 1 9 Rbl (best), then 1 9...Qe4+ 20 Qe3 b6 ; here, the queen ex
change is not so favorable to White.
19 Qh6xb6 a7xb6
20 0-0-0
Correct! White returns the pawn, in order to unite his rooks.
20 ••.. Ra8xa3
2 1 Kcl-b2 Ra3-a4
22 Bd2-e3 Bf5-e6
2 3 Bf7xe6+
24 Be3xb6
25 Rfl-gl
Kd7xe6
Rg2xh2
Black's winning chances would be better if he could exchange even one
pair of rooks, since this pawn structure greatly favors the knight over the bis
hop. Unfortunately, such an exchange is difficult to attain, and meanwhile,
White's rooks are quite active.
2 5 Rh2-h6
26 Rgl·g7 Rh6-g6
27 Rg7-h7 Ne7-f5
This only appears strong; in reality, this sacrifice of the b-pawn reduces
Black's possibilities. 27... Rc4 was more logical; if then 28 Bd8 Nc6, or 28
Ba5 b5.
28 Rh7xb7 !
29 Kb2-b3 1
NfS-d6
Despite his terrible time-pressure, Reshevsky chooses the best continuation,
since now White's rook occupies the important square c6. Black could meet
the immediate 29 Rc7 with 29...Rg8, threatening 30•.. Rb8.
29 .... Ra4-a8
30 Rb7-c7 Ra8-b8
3 1 Rc7-c6 Ke6-d7
32 Rc6-c7+ Kd7-e6
3 3 Rc7-c6 Rb8-b7
Here I declined the draw (by repetition of moves), feeling that there was
no reason why Black should lose after a different move. Besides, I knew that
I was "obliged" to win this game.
34 c3-c41 d5xc4+
A risky move. The chances would have been about even after 34...d4 3 5
Rhl (35 c 5 Kd5 ) Kd7 36 Rc7+ Rx:c7 3 7 Rh7+ KC6 38 Bxc7.
3 5 Kb3-b4 Ke6-e7
Of course not 3 5• •• Kd7, on account of 36 Kc5, when Black loses a piece.
After White's next move, the threat of 37 BcS forces Black to give up the c4-
pawn ; however, the White king unexpectedly find itself endangered. So per
haps 3 5 RdS was to be preferred.
36 Kb4-aS Ke7-d7
37

37 Rc6xc4 Rg6-e6
By this time I too had practically used up all my time, so that for the rest
of the moves in this session, both sides were playing with "hanging flags".
Black could have won the exchange by playing 37...RgB !, forcing 38 Rxd6+.
38 Ka5-a6 Rb7-b8
39 Rc4-c7+
40 Ka6-a7
Kd7-e8
40 Rhl Ra8+ 4 1 Ba7 Rxa7+ 42 Kxa7 (42 Rxa7 Nc8+) 42...Nb5+ was nee-
essary, with a likely draw.
40 .... Rb8-d8
41 Rdl·hl
Reshevsky had no time to write down, or even to count, his moves; here
on move 41, he committed a tragic blunder, saving his rook on dl from the
threatened . . .Nb5 (c8) +, but forgetting to save the rook on c7 from the same
threat.
41
42 Ka7-b7
43 Bb6xc7
Nd6-b5+
Nb5xc7
Rd8-d41 !
I managed to seal this move before the game was adjourned. Since no one
saw it, everybody assumed White could draw by playing 44 f4, which grants
White either an exchange of pawns or a second passed pawn. With this move,
Black prevents both c2-c4 and f2-f4, saving his last pawn �rom being exchang
ed. If now 44 Rel, then 44...Rb4+ 45 Ka7 (45 Kc8 Rc4) 45...e4. So White
protects the b4 square, but now his bishop must abandon the defense of the
king.
44 c2-c3
45 Bc7-a5
46 Rhl-h8
Rd4-c4
Ke8-d7
Re6-f6
A very strong move, found during analysis. The pressure against the f-pawn
forces White's ro�k to a passive position too�
47 Rh8-d8+ Kd7-e7
48 Rd8-d2 Rf6-d61
38

Occupying an important file, and assuring the king's participation in the
forthcoming mating attack. 49 Bb4 is now impossible, in view of 49.. .Rxb4+;
and if 49 Re2, then 49. . . RdS SO Bb4+ Kd7.
49 Rd2-a2 Ke7-d7
The noose draws tighter.
SO Ra2-b2 Rc4-cS
S 1 BaS-b6
Since White is courting mate after S 1 Bb4 Rc7+, he must give up the c-
pawn.
Sl RcSxc3
S2 Rb2-b4 Kd7-e6
S 3 Rb4-b2 Rd6-d3
S4 Rb2-a2 Rd3-d7+
SS Kb7-a6 Rc3-b3
S6 Bb6-e3 Rd7-d6+
S1 Ka6-aS Rd6-d8
58 KaS-a6?
White loses a piece - an oversight, however, that has no effect on the out
come of the game.
S8 •••• Rb3xe3
S9 f2xe3, and White resigned
A tense and interesting struggle. But the most important event of this
game cannot be described in the chess commentaries.
As far as I can recall, Reshevsky forgot to press his clock after making the
move 38 Ka6. I sat and considered what to do. In a similar situation, ten
years earlier (against Bogoljubov, at Nottingham 1936), I had called my op
ponent's attention to his oversight. But this game against Reshevsky was part
of a team match. Did I have the right to be noble, without first consulting
the team captain? And how was I to consult the team captain, with both our
flags ready to drop? So there I sat, like the Sphinx. A picture of this game
exists, taken at precisely this moment. Euwe, the arbiter, is standing by; so
are Keres, Denker and Steiner; but none of them reminded Reshevsky of his
clock. Finally, he himself saw his error, and gave the button a resounding
whack. But on move 41, he overlooked the loss of the exchange.
Even now, it's not completely clear to me that I did the right thing. Most
likely, I did; otherwise, we would have been deprived of some fine analysis.
If, on the other hand, Reshevsky had been a little slower about noticing his
mistake, we most certainly would not have had this fine analysis, either:
Euwe would have had to forfeit him!
39

Prophecy
Game 8 Nimzo-Indian Defense
M. Botvinnik - P. Keres
World Championship Match-Tournament, Second Cycle
The Hague, March 1948
Before the departure of the Soviet players (Botvinnik, Keres and Smyslov)
for the Netherlands, a conflict unfortunately arose, leading to heated argu
ments over the scheduling of the Dutch half of the Match-Tournament. The
rounds had been scheduled without considering the elementary requirements
of a sporting event. A tournament should be so paced as to allow its partici
pants to accustom themselves to a definite rhythm of play. Then, and only
then, can you expect to see superlative creative achievements.
The Dutch organizers felt this was of little consequence, failing to see that
a string of free days (owing to holidays, and to the fact that we had an odd
number of players) would upset this playing rhythm, and put a player off his
stride.
When I discovered that one of the players would end up with six straight
"rest" days, just before the final round of the second cycle, I suggested to my
colleagues Keres and Smyslov that we register joint protest. Alas, they did
not support me! And so I told them, most sincerely, "Just wait; when we get
to the Hague, one of you will get six days of rest, and lose like a child on the
seventh day." Now the first part of my prophecy had been fulfilled. After
six days' rest, Keres sat across from me, pale as death, quite obviously afraid
that the second part of my prophecy would also come to pass!
1 d2-d4 Ng8-f6
2 c2·c4 e7-e6
3 Nbl·c3 Bf8-b4
4 e2·e3 0-0
S a2·a3 Bb4xc3+
6 b2xc3 Rf8-e8
Today we know 6•.• cS to be the strongest, as Reshevsky played against me
in the third cycle of this same Match-Tournament. Since Black's plan involves
.• . e6-eS·e4, White develops his king's knight to e2.
7 Ngl·e2 e6-e5
8 Ne2·g3 d7·d6
9 Bfl·e2 . Nb8-d7
9.. . cS might have been move logical, with . •. Nc6 to follow; but Keres loved
to develop his queen's knight to d7 in this opening.
40

10 0-0
11 f2·f3 1
c7-c5
Now we see why the knight stands poorly on d7 ; without the pressure on
d4, White can prepare for e3-e4. The move 1 1 f2 also conceals a subtle posi
tional trap.
1 1 .... c5xd4
Hardly an acceptable solution to this position; it activates White's queen
bishop and also rids White of his doubled pawn. Keres would nearly always
exchange c-pawns in the Nimzo-Indian, but he should not have done it here.
12 c3xd4 Nd7-b6
1 3 Bcl·b2 e5xd4
Black falls into White's positional trap (see note to move 1 1 ), evidently
counting on 14 exd dS ! White finds a way to avoid this, however, and winds
up exerting dangerous pressure on g7.
14 e3·e4! Bc8-e6
15 Ral·cl Re8-e7
Passive. 1 5 ...Rc8 16 Qxd4 Na4 1 7 Bal NcS was to be preferred.
16 Qdlxd4 Qd8-c7
And this was careless. The opening up of the game which follows can only
favor White, possessing two dangerous bishops.
17 c-4-cS d6xc5
18 RclxcS Qc7-f4
Some commentators thought that 18...Qd8 would have left Black some
hope. I find it hard to agree with this, since 19 Qe3 (19 Q}cd8+ Rxd8 20 Bxf6
gxf 2 1 NhS was also possible) leaves White with a position so strong that his
threats can hardly be met.
19 Bb2·cl Qf4-b8
20 RcS·gS
Decisive. 20...Ne8 is met bv 21 NhS f6 22 Nxf6+.
20 .... Nb6-d7
(See diagram at the top of the next page)
41

2 1 RgSxg7+1 Kg8xg7
22 Ng3·hS+ Kg7·g6
Retreating to the eighth rank is hopeless, too.
23 Qd4-e3
This quiet move forces mate.
With only seconds remaining, Keres stopped the clocks. Then, without a
word, he signed the scoresheets, rose and left. Poor Paul was probably think
ing less of chess during this game than of the mistake he had made before he
even left Moscow • . • •
42

Home Preparation
Game 9 Slav Defense, Meran Variation
Match-Tournament, Third Cycle
Moscow, March 1948
1 d2-d4 d7-dS
2 N�1-f3 Ng8-f6
3 c2-c4 e7-e6
4 Nbl·c3 c7-c6
S e2-e3 Nb8-d7
6 Bfl·d3 dSxc4
7 Bd3xc4 b7-bS
8 Bc4-d3 a7-a6
9 e3-e4 c6-cS
10 e4-eS
As we have already noted (see Game 4), 10 dS is the most dangerous con
tinuation for Black - indeed, it was precisely this continuation which has
caused Rubinstein's darling, the Meran Variation, to disappear from tourna�
ment play.
10
1 1 Nc3xbS
12 e5xf6
cSxd4
a6xbS
Qd8-b6
While preparing for the approaching XI USSR Otampionship in the spring
of 1939, I and my friend Ragozin decided to test what was at that time a nov·
elty in the Meran Variation, which was considered by contemporary theory
as not unpromising for Black.
Usually, I would play the variation I was proposing, While Ragozin would
play the opposing side. I did not fill him in on all the nuances of my prepared
opening system, and not because I didn't trust him - as friends, we did not
keep secrets from one another - but because I wanted to gauge the effect of
surprise on an opponent I would meet later under tournament conditions.
13 f6xg7 Bf8xg7
14 0-0
(See diagram at the top of �he next page)
In this position, Ragozin played 14...Ba6. This was the sort of move he
would usually play in our training encounters. Knowing that I had a system
prepared against already-published variations, he would try to get away from
the theoretical, in order to see how confidently I played without benefit of
precise analytical preparation.
43

Position after 14 0-0
14...NcS is more exact - a maneuver White now prevents. Here is how the
practice game with Ragozin continued:
15 b4 �o 16 Re l Bb7
A necessary maneuver, to bring the bishop to an active position.
17 Bf4
With his last two moves, White has secured a key point: the central square
eS. This was, in fact, the whole idea behind my prepared plan for the middle
game.
17• •• fS
This is the crux of the game. If, in fact, Black had time to get in ...BdS, he
would have good prospects. But White has the move, and he opens an immed
iate assault on the weak e-pawn. For this purpose, he needs to occupy c4.
18 a41 bxa 19 Bc4 BdS
If 19... Rfe8, then 20 Rxe6 Rxe6 2 1 NgS Nf8 22 QhS Qc6 23 Bxe6+ Nxe6
24 Qxh7+ Kf8 2S Bd6+! (2S QxfS+ Kg8 26 Qxe6+ Qce6 27 Nxe6 Bf6 28 NcS
Bc6 is unclear) 2S...Qxd6 26 QxfS+ Kg8 27 Qf7+ K L S 28 Nxe6 BeS (or 28...
Rg8 29 QhS+) 29 Qxb7, giving White a deci�ive material advantage.
20 BxdS exd 2 1 Re71
The strongest, and perhaps the only continuation. Black's position is not
so bad as it appears at first glance. White's queenside has been exterminated;
44

and while Black's center pawns may be doubled, they are nevertheless strortg.
White's paradoxical idea is to force the trade of his active rook for the passive
enemy rook, in order to entice Black's king into the danger zone.
21• • • Rf7 22 Rxf7 Kxf7 23 Qd3
The f-pawn is now indefensible, and when it falls, White's attack will de
velop automatically. On 2 3...Qf6 (g6), White plays 24 Qb5 !
23• • •Nf6 24 Qxf5 a3 25 Be5 Ra6 26 Ng5+ Kg8 27 Rel Qc6 28 Rxc6 Rxc6
29 g4, and Black resigned.
Now let us return to the game played under tournament conditions. Up to
Black's 14th move, it coincided with the training game I played vs. Ragozin
(see diagram after 14 0-0).
Had Euwe known how well prepared I was for this line, I doubt that he
would have chosen to play it.
14 .... Nd7-c5
The continuation 14.. . 0-0 15 Rel Bb7 16 Bf4 BdS 17 Ne5 NxeS 18 Bxe5
BxeS 19 RxeS f5 looks very dubious for Black.
15 Bc1-f4 Bc8-b7
16 Rfl·el
16 • . •• Ra8-d8
Black plays indecisively. 16...Nxd3 17 Qxd3 Bxf3 18 Qxf3 0-0 was better
- a continuation that has been tested in a number of later games, with White
usually having the better chances.
17 Ral·cl Rd8-d5
18 Bf4-e5
Just as in the training game, White has successfully carried out his plan to
seize the key square es.
18 .... Bg7xe5
The analysts recommended 18. . .0-0 here, showing, by means of some com
plex variations, that neither 19 Ng5, nor 19 Bxh7+ gives White an advantage.
In fact, however, Black's king is no bettt:r off on the kingside than he was
in the center. After 18.. . 0-0 1 9 Bxg7 ! Kxg7 20 NeS, the threat of 2 1 RxcS !,
45

followed by 22 Qg4+ and 2 3 QJ15 is most unpleasant; nor does 20.. .Nxd3 21
Q.xd3 Kh8 (21...f6 22 Rc7+! Qc:c7 23 Qg3+) 22 Qf3 f6 23 Qf4 (with the
threat 24 Ng6+) offer Black any relief. . Euwe decides to try simplification,
but he overlooks a neat tactical stroke.
19 RelxeS
20 Nf3xe5
21 Qdlxd3
22 Qd3-g3 1
Rd5xe5
Nc5xd3
f7-f6
Here's the point. If the knight retreats (which Black was counting on, from
as far back as his 18th move), Black has the advantage. But now, with two
White major pieces penetraing, Black must give up his queen to avert mate.
Taking the knight is forced, since 22...KfS is met by 23 Rc7 !
22 • • • • f6xeS
23 Qg3-g7 Rh8-f8
24 Rcl·c7 Qb6xc7
Or 24...Qd6 2 5 Rxb7 d3 26 Ra7 Qd8 27 Q.xh7.
25 Qg7xc7 Bb7-d5
26 Qc7xeS d4-d3
27 QeS-e3 BdS-c4
Other lines don't save him either.
28 b2-b3 Rf8-f7
29 f2-f3 Rf7-d7
30 Qe3-c;l2 e6-e5
3 1 b3xc4 b5xc4
32 Kgl·f2 Ke8-f7
On 32...c3 3 3 Q.xc3 d2, White continues 34 Qc8+ Ke7 3 5 Q.xd7+ and 36
Ke2.
3J Kf2-e3 Kf7-e6
34 Qd2-b4 Rd7-c7
35 Ke3·d2 · Rc7-c6
36 a2-a4 Black rengned.
Th e story behind this game is the clear evidence it gives of the importance
46

of research work for the chessplayer seeking a successful career. The triumph
of the analytical movement, which formed in the ' 30's and '40's, was precise
ly what earned the Soviet masters the acclaim of chessplayers the world over.
Unfortunately, it must also be noted that, for today's chessmasters, the watch
word is practicality.
47

Tbe Miraculous Pawn
Game 10 Queen's Gambit Declined
Match·Toumament, Fifth Cycle
Moscow, May 9, 1948
Prior to this game with my old friend and opponent Max Euwe, I had al·
ready amassed 12 out of a possible 16 points, 4 points more than my nearest
competitor. In other words, if I had had to drop out of the tournament at
that point, in the last four rounds no one could do better than to tie my score!
All I needed was a single draw, in order to render myself unreachable, and
thereby win the title of World's Champion.
1 d2·d4
2 Ngl·f3
3 c2·c4
4 c4xd5
d7·dS
Ng8-f6
e7·e6
The Exchange Variation of the Queen's Gambit Declined is the simplest
route to a draw.
4 ...•
S Nbl·c3
6 Qdl·c2
6 BgS was also possible.
e6xd5
c7·c6
6 .... g7·g6
Assuring the exchange of his queen's bishop on fS ; however, this only leads
to still more simplifying exchan�es.
7 Bcl·g5 Bf8-g7
7. .. Bf5 woull;l have been premature, because of 8 Qb3 b6 9 e4dxe 10 NeS
Be6 1 1 Bc4, with a dangerous attack.
8 e2·e3 Bc8-f5
9 Bfl·d3
Now 9 Qb3 could be met by 9.. .Qb6.
9 ....
10 Qc2xd3
1 1 0. 0
1 2 Nf3·e5
Bf5xd3
0.0
Nb8-d7
White is more than willinp to simplify further.
12 .... Qd8-e8
1 3 NeSxd7 · Qe8xd7
14 b2•b4 Rf8-e8 "
48

Here I felt that I simply could not play any longer, and offered my oppon
ent a draw. Since Euwe, the former World Champion, had a decidedly unhap
py tournament score at this point, I had no doubt that he would accept the
offer. But to my surprise, Euwe unexpectedly said that he would like to play
a little longer.
I was angered; my fighting spirit immediately returned. "Fine," I said,
"let's play on, then." Euwe felt the change in the atmosphere, and extended
his hand to congratulate me on winning the tournament.
Draw!
The excitement and noise in the hall were indescribable. Play on the other
boards ceased for several minutes, while chief arbiter Milan Vidmar quieted
the spectators. Meanwhile, my friends took me away to celebrate my victory.
It wasn't until some time later that the film crew noticed that they had
failed to "epochalize" the moment in which I played my last move, 14 b4,
the move that brought the Soviet Union the title of World Champion. Notic
ing that· the wallboard monitor, Jan Estrin, had the same color suit as mine,
they pressed him into service, in place of the newly-secured World Champion.
The newsreel viewers never suspected that the 'historic move' b2-b4 was
made, not by the Champion's hand, but by the wallboy's!
Nor does the b-pawn's story end here. Elizaveta Bykova took it home, as
a talisman, in the belief that the pawn would help her to become World Cham
pion. And so it did!
And even the humble wallboy who touched this truly "miraculous" pawn,
was later to become World Correspondence Champion.
49

The Raging Elements
Game 1 1 Dutch Defense
M. Botvinnik - D. Bronstein
7th Match Game
Moscow, March 195 1
At the time I played my match with Bronstein, my playing form certainly
left a lot to be desired. For three years, while working on my doctoral disser·
tation in the field of electronic machines, I had not played in a tournament;
while Bronstein was probably the strongest and most interesting opponent I
could have faced in those days. So I did not have an easy time against him,
particularly at the beginning.
The first six games ended with the score tied 3 : 3. The schedule gave us
two straight free days at that point; so I decided to take a rest at our cottage,
and went off to Nikolina Gora, with my ten-year-old daughter in tow. When
we reached the Moscow River, we found the wooden bridge broken, as the
river was in flood (the permanent stone bridge had not yet been built). So we
crossed by ferry-boat to the left bank, arriving at our summer cottage in just
under an hour.
On the evening of the day scheduled for the seventh game, I discovered to
my horror that returning was out of the question; the river had risen by sever·
al meters. Running to the broken bridge, I joined a group of locals watching
the raging elements. The ice was sweeping all before it. Clearly, I would be
unable to make it to the game.
·
I went to call the match organizers, therefore, to tell them of this unpleas·
antness and ask for some help. But when I returned to the shore - a miracle! -
the river was clear of ice. There was an icejam further upstream. So I was im·
mediately packed into the ferry-boat and brought to the right bank, thence to
the electric tramway, and at the appointed hour, I sat down to play at the
chess table in Tchaikovsky Hall.
·
1 d2·d4 d7·dS
2 c2·c4 e7·e6
3 Ngl·f3 c7-c6
4 g2-g3 f7-fs
So it's the Dutch Defense. This was one of my opponent's psychological
"revelations" in this match; to play the same openings against me that I used
in my own repertoire. In familiar surroundings, however, I felt like a fish in
water.
S Bfl·g2 Ng8-f6
so

6 �o Bf8-e7
7 b2-b3
A year later 7 Nbd2 was shown to be stronger, but the text is also good.
1 .... �o
8 Bcl-a3 b7-b6
Trading bishops here (8. • . Bxa3) would only expedite White's maneuver
Nblxa3-c2-b4 (or e l ) -d3, as was played as long ago as my game with Ragozin
(XI USSR Otampionship, Leningrad 1939).
9 Ba3xe7
rn Nf3-e5
1 1 Nbl-d2
12 Ne5xd7
13 e2-e3
Qd8xe7
Bc8-b7
Nb8-d7
Nf6xd7
If Black's pawn were on f7, the game would be even; but here, despite all
the foregoing simplifications, White maintains a small positional advantage
precisely because that pawn is on fS : the weakness at e5 may count.
13 .... Ra8-c8
14 Ral·cl
15 Qdl-e2
c6-cS
Nd7-f6
Black has managed to get all his pieces out, but White's pawn position still
gives him the nod.
16 c4xd5 Bb7xd5
This lets Black exchange off the bishop which covers White's king position;
however, this is achieved at the cost of some weakness in his own queenside.
Or 1 7...NxdS 1 8 e4.
17 Bg2xd5 e6xd5
18 Nd2-f3
19 Rel-cl
20 Rfl-cl
21 Nf3-e5
Rc8-c7
Rf8-c8
Nf6-e4
White has no �eed to hurry; his position is a little better, so he can quiet
ly wait for Black to tire of passive play.
5 1

2 1
2 2 Qe2-d3
2 3 Qd3-a6
24 Qa6-e2
25 a2-a4
Ne+f6
g7-g6
Kg8-g7
Qe7-d6
This looks senseless, but there's a reason behind it. If Black later on plays
...c5-c4, he will find that pawn difficult to support with ...b6-b5.
25 Nf6-e8
26 Q.e2-d2 Ne8-f6
27 Qd2-c:3 Nf6-e4
28 Qc3-d3 c5xd4
Since Black's king positi•Jn is not safe, he should not be opening the game.
Intrigued by tactics (29 Rxc7+ Rxc7 30 Rxc7+ Qxc7 3 1 Qxd4 Qc3 would
give Black an even endgame), my opponent ignores positional considerations.
Black's best policy was one of watchful waiting, but Bronstein just couldn't
wait to "liven it up" - besides, how else could he exploit White's incipient
time-pressure?
By the way, L. Szabo's continuation (as published in Sbakbmaty v SSSR
No. 6, 195 1): 28...c4 29 bxc Qb4 30 cS bxc 3 1 dxc RxcS 32 RxcS RxcS 3 3
Rbl Qxa4 3 4 Rb7+ I<g8 leads to a draw.
29 e3xd4
30 Kgl-g2
3 1 Qd3-e2
a7-a5
Ne+f6
f5-f4
Now the "time-pressure complications" get underway. It's funny that nei
ther of us saw that after 3 2 gxf Rxc2 ! 3 3 Rxc2 NhS ! recovers the pawn.
White should therefore have traded off both rooks first, and only then have
taken the f-pawn; this would have led to the same position as occurs in the
game.
32 g3xf4
3 3 Rc2xc7+
34 Rclxc7+
35 Qe2-g4
52
Nf6-h5
Rc8xc7
Ql6xc7
Nh5-f6

36 Qg4-e6
37 Qe6-d7+!
Forcing a won endgame.
37 ....
38 Ne5xd7
39 Kg2·f3
40 Nd7xb6
41 Kf3·f4
42 Nb6-d7+
43 Nd7·e5
Nf6-h5
Qc7xd7
Nh5xf4+
Nf4-d3
Nd3·b4
Kg7·f6
Kf6-e7
White's plan is obvious: bring his king to c3, his knight to d3, and b3-b4
will decide the game. The only problem will be how to keep Black's king,
meanwhile, from attacking the White kingside pawns.
43 ••.. Ke7-e6
44 Kf4-e3 Ke6-f5
45 f2-f3 g6-g5
46 Ke3·d2 h7..: h5
On 46...Kf4, White plays 47 Nd3+ Ncd3 48 Kxd3 Kxf3 49 b4 axb 50 a5,
and the pawn queens.
47 Ne5·d3
48 Nd3-c5
49 Nc5·d3
50 h2-h 3 !
Nb4-a6
Na6-b4
Nb4-a6
This precludes the exchnage of pawns on the kingside, since Black would
lose a second pawn after 50...g4 51 hxg+ hxg 52 fxg+ I<Xg4 5 3 Ne5+ I<f5 54
Nc6.
50 •••• Na6-c7
5 1 Kd2-e3
An immediate 5 1 Kc3 Na6 52 b4 axb+ 5 3 Nxb4 Kf4 54 Nxa6 Kxf3 55
Nc5 g4 56 hxg hxg (or 56...h4 57 g5 ) 57 Nd3 g3 58 Nel + Ke2 59 Ng2 was al
so possible; but White is in no hurry, mindful of the approaching (second)
time control.
5 3

5 1 . • . .
5 2 Ke3-e2
5 3 Ke2·d2
Nc7·a6
Kf5·e6
Here S 3 NcS+ would be dangerous, in view of S 3...NxcS S4 dxc Kd7 S S
Kd3 Kc6 S 6 Kd4 h4!
S 3 .... Ke6-e7
Dropping the king so far back simplifies White's task.
54 Kd2·c3 Ke7·d6
S S b3-b4 a5xb4+
56 Nd3xb4 Na7-c7
S7 a4-aS Nc7·b5+
SS Kc3·d3 Kd6-e6
59 Kd3-e3 Nb5·a7
60 a5-a6 Na7·b5
61 Nb4-c6 Nb5-c7
62 Nc6-b4 Ke6-f5
Or 62...NbS 6 3 Kf2, followed by Kg3 and fH4.
63 a6-a7 Kf5-e6
64 Ke3·f2 h5·h4
65 f3·f4 g5xf4
66 Kf2·f3 Black resigned.
My nerves proved a little sounder in this game. What probably helped were
those hours I spent in the fresh air out on the river bank!
S4

Home Anal
ysis
Game 12 Dutch Defense
L. Szabo - M. Botvinnik
Budapest, April 1952
A year after my match with Bronstein, my playing form still showed no im
provement - as the Budapest tournament, held in the spring of 1952, unfor
tunately confirmed. The following "game of a thousand cuts" against Szabo
contains interesting ideas, and some elementary lapses as well.
1 d2-d4 e7-e6
2 c2·c4 f7-f5
3 g2·g3 Ng8-f6
4 Bfl·g2 Bf8-e7
5 Ngl·f3 d7-d5
6 0-0 0-0
7 b2-b3
Somewhat later during this same tournament, Geller used the proper plan
against Szabo, beginning with 7 Nbd2.
7 ....
8 Bcl·a3
c7-c6
Nb8-d7
This is more exact than 8...b6, as Bronstein had played against me (see
Game 1 1 ). Now Black can meet 9 NgS with 9.•. Bxa3 10 Nxa3 (10 Nxe6?
would be an error, owing to the reply 10• • . Qe7 1 1 Nxf8 Nxf8) 10• . . Qe7.
The advantage of playing 8...Nbd7 over 8...b6 is that it defends the eS
square. ·
9 Qdl·cl Nf6-e4
A necessary move. If now 10 Bxe7 Qxe7 1 1 Qa3, Black has 1 1...Qf6.
10 Nbl·d2 Be7xa3
This exchange is quite playable now that White no longer has the maneuver
Nxa3·c2-el-d3, which is such a problem against the "Stonewall".
11 Qclxa3 b7-b6
12 Ral·cl Bc8-b7
1 3 Rfl·dl Qd8-f6
14 c4xd5
1 5 Nf3-el
e6xd5
a7·a5
Certainly not 1 S•. . Qxd4?, because of 16 Nxe4. With the text, Black re
lieves his rook from defending the a-pawn.
16 Nd2-f3
This allows the opening of the f-file; for this reason, 16 e3 was to be pre
ferred.
SS

16 .... f5-f4
17 Nel-d3 f4xg3
18 h2xg3
Now the weakness of f2 will delay White's occupation of eS. 18 fxg
was preferable.
18 ....
19 Rc1-c2
20 Qa3-c1
21 Bg2-h3
22 Kgl-g2
Ra8-e8
Qf6-h6
Qh6-d6
Rf8-f6
A rather risky move, after which Black plays to open up the a8-hl diagonal
immediately.
22 .... c6-cS
23 Bh3xd7
This allows Szabo to occupy eS, but at the price of further light-square
weaknesses.
23 ....
24 Nf3-e5
25 f2-f4
Qd6xd7
Qd7-d6
In trying to kill two birds with one stone - fortifying eS, while also elimi
nating his worries over the f2 square - White commits a serious error.
25 .... c5xd4
26 Rc2-c7
Now White must lose the exchange.
27 Rc7xc5
28 Qc1xc5
29 Nd3xc5
30 Rdlxd4
3 1 Nc5-d3
Ne4-c5
b6xc5
Qd6xc5
Bb7·a8
Re8-c8
White certainly has compensation for his lost material, namely: a pawn,
plus two centralized knights; Black's bishop is also poorly placed. Still, Black
should win, if he plays exactly. First, the a-pawn should be protected by 3 1...
56

Rb6, and if 32 Ra4, then 32...RbS.
3 1
32 Rb4-a4
3 3 Kg2-f3
34 Ra4xaS
3 5 Kf3·e3
Rc8-c2
Rc2xe2+
Re2-c2
Rf6-f8
dS-d4+
Black is not so rich in pawns that he can afford to sacrifice one so lightly.
While his desire to get the bishop into play is understandable, toward that end
it would have been better to play 3 5...hS first, which threatens 36...d4+ 3 7
Kxd4 Rg2, creating a passed pawn.
36 Ke3xd4 Rf8-d8+
37 Kd4-e3 Rc2·g2
Very weakly played. 3 7...Bg2 was the proper move, intending to continue
...Bg2-flxd3, trading off one of the knights.
38 g3·g4 Rg2·c2
The maneuvers of Black's rook make a very strange impression. And now
the bishop starts the same sort of moves.
39 b3-b4
40 a2·a4
Ba8-d5
BdS-hl
Short of time, Black makes pointless moves. Here too, the bishop maneu
ver pointed out above would still have avoided the worst for him. Now
Black's game is quite lost.
41 RaS·a7 1
The sealed move. White brings the rook to a better position, preparing for
the advance of his passed pawns - and, more importantly, securing himself a
gainst any unpleasantness stemming from an attack on the knight at d3, in
view of the reply Ra7-d7.
41 . . .. Rc2-a2
The threat of Ra7-d7 is unpleasant. Simplification favors White, as it
would allow his king to advance unhindered to the queenside, to aid his pass
ed pawns. Therefore, this move must be prevented, if only temporarily.
42 b4-bS
57

The first move of White's prepared analysis is a mistake. Black now has an
amazing drawing resource.
The winning continuation was apparently 42 aS ! The idea is to offer the
exchange of rooks again, by Rd7. Of course, putting the passed pawns on
dark squares allows Black chances to organize a blockade, but sooner or later,
the pawns would advance.
The variant Szabo feared - 42 aS Ra3 43 Rd7 Rxd7 44 Nxd7 Bc6 4S N7e5
BbS - could hardly have caused White any difficulties: after 46 Kd4 Rb3 47
Nc4! Kf8 48 KcS ! the pawns are not to be stopped.
White would have more to worry about from 44.••Bg2 ! (instead of 44.•. Bc6)
45 N7e5 Bfl ! 46 Kd4 Kf8 47 NcS Ke7, but here also, after 48 Ne4! !, Black
would be in a spot. White threatens to invade with his king by Kd4-cS-b6,
and 48. . • Kd8 is a poor reply, due to the simple 49 NgS, when Black loses one
of his kingside pawns.
Black's only chance would have been to sacrifice his bishop and rook for
White's pawns on the queenside, and to trade off all the pawns on the king
side. Even then, White could still have left Black one pawn, and mated with
his two knights (according to Troitsky).
White wanted to avoid all this "dull technique", and played for complica
tions instead - a bad idea, that !
42 •••• Ra2-a3
With the obvious intention of winning the a-pawn after 43...Ra8 ! White
therefore has no choice.
43 a+as
But now it would seem that the game is over, for something like 43 ...Bg2
44 b6 ! Bfl 45 b7 ! Bxd3 46 Ra8 ! ! leaves Black helpless; if necessary, White's
king can shelt er from the checks at h4. And 43• • . Ra8 44 Rxa8+ Bxa8 4S Nc4
is bad too.
However, Black happens to have an interesting counterplan, which leads to
a draw by force.
58

43 • . • . g7-gS !
This move (and just this move, not all those which followed) was the fruit
of home analysis; the only move Black had really analyzed very carefully was
42 aS. At the board, after lengthy consideration, I had to choose this line
anyway, even though the passed f-pawn looks very dangerous.
44 f+fS
White's only chance, but a very good one (44 fxg would have been point
less, in view of 44...RdS ). Now, however, the centralized White knight isn't
quite so solid any more.
44 . .. . Rd8-dS
Thus, one of the connected passed pawns falls; but now Black's king is in a
dangerous situation.
4S Ra7-e7! RdSxbS
46 fS-f6 RbSxeS+
Forced, as otherwise the f-pawn queens.
47 Re7xe5 Kg8-f7
48 Re5-f5 1
After 48 RxgS Kxf6, Black's task would have been simple: trade off all the
kingside pawns, and give up his bishop for the a-pawn.
48 .... Bh l-b7
Readying the conclusive sacrifice.
.
49 Ke3-d2
49 Kd4 Ra4+ SO Kc3 Ra3+ 5 1 Kd2 leads to the same position. Here,
Black might first have driven White's king back by playing 49...Ral+; but this
would not have made any difference.
49 .... Bb7-c81
The; g-pawn is White's main trump !
SO Nd3-eS+ Kf7-f8
S l RfSxgS
Black's position appears hopeless, due to the threat of f6-f7 . . .
51 Ra3xaS! I
White loses his last queenable pawn by force, and the draw become inevit-
able. 59

52 Ne5·d7+ Bc8xd7
5 3 Rg5xa5 Bd7xg4
54 Kd2-e3 Bg4-e6
55 Ke3·f4 Be6-c4
56 Ra5·a7 h7·h5
57 Kf4-g5 h5·h4
58 Kg5xh4 Bc4-b3
This is a theoretically drawn position, known to many endgame handbooks.
But White wants to try theory's conclusions • • .
59 Kh4-g5 Bb3·c4
60 Ra7·c7 Bc4-a2
61 Rc7·cl Ba2·d5
62 Kg5·f5 Kf8-f7
63 Kf5·e5 Bd5-b3
64 Rcl·c7+ Kf7·f8
65 Rc7·b7 Bb3·c4
After 66 f7, Black saves himself by 66...Kg7 ! White now tries to drive the •
bishop from the a2·g8 diagonal, but the board is too large for that!
66 Rb7·b4 Bc4-a2
67 Ke5·f5 Ba2·d5
The only square for the bishop! On 67. ..Kf7, White plays 68 Rb7+ and
69 Kg6.
68 Kf5·g6
Again, the only move!
69 Kg6-g5
70 Rb4-h4
7 1 Rh4-h8+
72 Rh8-h7+
73 f6-f7
Again the only move, but sufficient.
Bd5-f7+
Bf7·d5
Bd5·b3
Kf8-f7
Kf7·f8
Kf8-e7
74 Kg5·g6 Bb3·c41
But not 74. . . Bc2+?, on account of 75 Kg7 ! Now White is hemmed in.
.
75 Rh7·g7 Bc4-b3
76 f7·f8(Q)+ Ke7xf8
77 Kg6-f6 Kf8-e8
78 Rg7·e7+ KC8-d8
Draw.
There were only a few dozen spectators present for the adjourned session,
but they followed the game's dramatic course with unflagging interest. And
when the draw was announced, the hall broke into concerted applause from
the Hungarians. Perhaps they were disappointed at their countryman's lack
of success, but they were even more elated at the beauty of chess truth they
had discovered. The adjourned play in this game was based upon one of the
60

finest home analyses of. my career.
Years later, this game was unexpectedly put to another use. Capablanca
wrote in his Primer ofChess that in the endgame a chess master strives to
reach endings which theory evaluates in his favor. When we put together the
"Pioneer" chess program, we had to study and formulate this method of mas·
ter play - which was done, as a matter of fact, for the position diagrammed
after White's S lst move. "Pioneer... isn't finished yet, unfortunately, so there
is as yet no certainty that it would make the same moves as we grandmasters
found in our endgame.
61

Hoping For A Miracle
Game 13 Caro-Kann Defense
V. Smyslov - M. Botvinnik
World Championship Retum Match, Game 1S
Moscow, April 1958
Many people tried to convince me not to play the return match against
Smyslov. After all, Smyslov was 37, in the full flower of his chess abilities; I
was a whole decade older. However, when I analyzed the games of the 1957
match, in which I had lost my title to him, it became clear that we were about
even in strength. In that event, the winner would be the better-prepared play
er,
I got off to an early lead (Smyslov had underestimated me), so that later,
when my opponent had to play catch-up, I could begin playing for draws, in
the expectation that Smyslov would soon lose his self-possession. So it turned
out. In the game previous to this, the 14th game, I had managed to convert a
difficult rook-and-pawns endgame into a win, thereby increasing my lead to
four points. There could be no doubt that, with the White pieces in the 1 Sth
game, Smyslov would undertake a risky winning attempt.
1 e2-e4 c7-c6
This makes it a Caro-Kann; a good decision, since one should always play
solid openings when one has a big lead.
Smyslov understood Black's match tactic well. In order to get his oppon
ent out of well-trodden paths, he selected a complex variation he had used be
fore. The only drawback to this method is, however, a significant one: it
gives Black. an easy game!
2 d2-d4 d7-dS
3 f2·f3
While the reply 3.. . e6 had not yet been introduced into tournament play
at that time, it did have its supporters. The proper plan for Black - 3...e6,
followed by • • • Qb6 and • • . c6-cS - appears to have been a suggestion of Maka
gonov's (we attained the Master rank together, at the V USSR Cliampionship
in 1 927); after it was introduced, the variation practically disappeared. What
makes this plan attractive here is that, thanks to the weakening move f2-f3,
Black need not fear the isolation of his central d-pawn.
3 • • • • e7-e6
4 Nbl·c3 · Ng8-f6
S Bcl·gS
An attempt to distract Black's attention from the plan outlined in the pre-
62

vious note. The problem is that this plan is still move effective after S BgS
than after S Be3.
s .... h7-h6
6 Bg5·h4 Qd8-b6
Black has no need to fear the exchange on f6.
7 a2·a3 c6-c5 1
Clearly not 7. ..Qxb2?, in view of the reply 8 Na4.
White cannot capture on cS here, with the a7-gl diagonal weakened, since
his king's knight would then be en prise. 8 exd cxd also leaves Black with a
clear plus.
8 Ngl·e2
A hard decision. Now the king's bishop is shut in, granting Black further
opportunities.
8 .... Nb8-c6
White has gotten the king's knight out of danger, but now the f2 square
can only be defended by the bishop, which means Black's knight on f6 is still
safe. White has to undertake a clumsy maneuver in order to complete his de
velopment.
9 d4xcS
10 Nc3·a4
Bf8xc5
Of course, 10 b4 would be dangerous, leaving Black with a dangerous initi·
ative after 10... Be7 1 1 Bxf6 Bxf6 12 exd Ne7.
10 .••• Qb6-a5+
1 1 Ne2-c3
A forced reply, even though it leaves the queen's knight out on a limb; on
1 1 b4 Qxa4 1 2 Nc3 Bxb4!, however, White suffers material losses.
1 1 .... Bc5-e7
12 Bh4xf6
This attempt to win a pawn is actively rebuffed,
12 Be7xf6
13 e4xd5 Nc6-d41
63

The only reply, but sufficient; after either 14 dxe Bxe6 or 14 Bc4 exd 1 S
BxdS BfS, Black castles queenside, with dangerous threats. White makes a
reasonable decision; he returns the pawn, in order to complete his develop
ment.
14 Bfl·d3 e6xd5
15 ().0 ().0
16 f3·f4 g7-g6
Preventing 1 7 Qh5, while also clearing g7 as a retreat square for the king's
bishop.
17 Qdl-el
White threatened 18 Ne4.
18 Kgl·hl
19 b2-b4
Bf6-g7
Bc8-d7
There was nothing else. Now, however, White's queenside is irreparably
weakened.
19 . • • • QaS·d8
20 Ral·dl
Some commentators were surprised that White did not take the opportuni·
ty to bring his knight back into the game here by 20 Nc5. The answer is sim
ple: after 20• . • Bc8, followed by 21...b6, the knight has no good retreat square.
20 • • •• b7-b6
21 Qel·f2 Bd7-e6
22 Bd3·a6 Qd8-f6
23 Rdl·d2· Ra8-d8
24 Nc3·d1
White defends alertly, in spite of an acute time shortage. Here he covers
the c 3 square (which Black threatened to occupy by . • . Nf.S, followed by
• • • d5-d4), while also getting the knight on a4 back into play. 24 Rfdl was
weaker, in view of 24...NfS, when 25 NxdS Bxd5 26 RxdS Rxd5 27 Rxd5
does not work because of 27• • • Qal + 28 Qfl (Dca3.
24 .... Nd4-fS
25 Na4-c3 dS-d4
Fixing the e3 and c3 squares as weaknesses; additionally, the bishop on e6
now has its freedom.
26 Nc3-e4
27 Ba6-d3
Qf6-e7
This results in a catastrophe on the queenside. 27 Rel Qc7 (or 27...Qd7)
would have been somewhat better, but even then, White could hardly hope to
defend all his queenside weaknesses.
27 • • ••
28 b4xaS
64
a7·a5
b6xa5

Position after 27 Bd3
29 a3·a4
30 Rd2·e2
Qe7·b4
Be6-d5
Black of course declines to win a pawn by 30... Qxa4, in view of 3 1 Nc5,
followed by 32 Nxe6.
3 1 Ne4-g3
White's last chance is the threat of f4-fS ; to that end, he exchanges off the
knight on f5.
3 1 ••••
32 Qf2xg3
Leaving the other rook to protect f7.
3 3 Re2·f2
Nf5xg3+
Rd8-e8
Continuing 3 3 Rxe8 Rxe8 34 f5 gxf 3 5 Rxf5 Rel + 36 Rfl Rxfl + 3 7 Bxfl
Bc6 would only simplify Black's task.
3 3 .... Bg7·f6
Now 34 f5 can obviously be met by 34.•.g5.
34 Qg3·h3 Kg8-g7
35 Bd3·b5 ReS.el
Now the exchanges begin - an unpleasant symptom for White!
36 Qh3-d3 Bd5-e4
Material losses for White are now inevitable.
37 Qd3·b3 Relxfl+
38 Rf2xfl
If 38 Bxfl, then 38•. • Qel.
38 ....
Threatening mate at g2.
39 Ndl·f2
Qb4-d2
Be4-a81
Black keeps his bishop on its strong diagonal, while picking up the f-pawn
for free - which in turn activates the bishop on f6. The White king is in
trouble now.
40 Qb3·d3 Qd2xf4
65

41 h2-h3
The sealed move.
lt,s hard to think what White could have been hoping for by continuing the
game - a miracle, most likely. And would you believe it - the miracle came
to pass!
This "miracle" required the following two conditions, in order to come a·
bout: 1 ) Black must analyze the adjourned position carefully, lose himself in
the welter of winning possibilities after the resumption of play, and commit a
lapse; and 2) Black must • . . But wait! Let the reader exercise a bit of pa·
tience; in only 14 moves, he will see for himself what was the second half of
the "miracle",
41 • . • • h6-h 5
This was the end of Black's home analysis!
42 Qd3·e2 Qf4-e3
42...Qg3 43 Ne4 Bxe4 44 Q}ce4 BeS 45 Kgl Qh2+ 46 Kf2 Rd8 47 Ke2 was
hardly a simpler win: in this line, White has managed to consolidate his posi
tion somehwat. (But what about 42... BeS, etc.? - J. Estrin)
43 Qe2xe3 d4xe3
44 Nf2·dl Rf8-c8
An amazing miscalculation ! Black failed to see that, after 45 Nxe3 Rc3,
White could save the h-pawn by 46 Bd3. Black had an elementary win by
44...Bd4 45 Rel fS 46 Nxe3 f4 47 Ndl f3 48 Bfl Rc8 49. c4 fxg+ SO Bxg2
Bxg2+ 5 1 Kxg2 Rxc4, followed by 52 ...Rxa4 (pointed out after the game by
my second, Goldberg).
45 Ndlxe3
Now the pawns are even, although Black's two powerful bishops and the
weakness of the a-pawn still leave him with a clear advantage. Now Black had
to put his brain in gear, grit his teeth, and get down to the business of grind
ing out the v. in all over again.
45 • . . • . Rc8-c3
Black deflects the bishop from the bS square, for after the bishop retreats,
c2-c4 will no longer be such a good idea, since the pawn on a4 will be endan-
gered. 66

46 BbS-d3 Rc3-cS
Naturally not 46...Ra3, on account of 47 Nc4 Rxa4 48 Nb6.
47 Ne3·c4 RcS·gS
48 Rfl·f2 Ba8-c6
Short of time, Black passes up the continuation 48...Bd4 49 Rd2 Bc6 SO
Nd6, in favor of something simpler.
49 Nc4-d6
Parrying the threat of 49... Bxa4, which can now be met by SO Rxf6 Kxf6
5 1 Ne4+ KfS S2 NcS+, and White is doing better.
49 . . . . RgS-eS
SO Nd6-c4 ReS·gS
Another possibility was 50... Rel + 5 1 Rfl Rxfl + 52 Bxfl Bxa4 5 3 NxaS
Bxc2, when White's bad king position would give Black excellent winning
chances, in spite of the reduced material. Black declines this win of a pawn,
preferring to hold on to his own a-pawn instead.
S 1 Nc4-d6 RgS·dS
52 Nd6-b5 RdS-eS
53 Rf2·e2
The threat was • . • Bf6-e7·cS. In trading rooks himself, White cuts down
Black's attacking possibilities; however, this also makes it easier for Black to
play his game in time-pressure.
5 3 ....
54 Bd3xe2
SS Kh l·gl
Re5xe2
Bf6-e7
Obviously, after 5 5. . • fS S6 Kf2 Kf6 S7 Bf3 Be8, Black, with two active
bishops, a centralized king, and a pawn majority on the kingside, would have
all kinds of winning chances. Here I became preoccupied with the following
problem: which passed pawn (after g6-gS·g4) will win a piece the quickest:
the f-pawn, or the h·pawn? The f-pawn looks to be the better choice, since
then Black can control the queening square (fl ) from either the a6-fl diago-
� ru � h� ili.�
.
Imagine my surprise when our arbiter, Gideon Stahlberg, approached the
67

board with the news that Black had overstepped the time-limit! With a couple
of minutes left for my last two moves, I had forgotten about the clock and
overstepped - that was the second part of the "miracle".
Of course, such episodes happen quite infrequently - probably only once
in a lifetime. Nevertheless, Black was scored a loss.
This occurrence considerably upset Stahlberg, who could see that the por·
tion of the Chess Codex forbidding the referee from drzwing the player's at·
tention to a possible time-forfeit was in need of revision. "' When Stahlberg
refereed later World Championship matches, he inserted an amendment into
the match regulations, giving the arbiter the right to warn a player of an im
pending time-forfeit once each game.
Of course, this result inspired Smyslov. By the end of the match, he had
managed to win back one more point - which, however, was still insufficient
to save the match, or his Champion's title.
• Oh? See Game 7, Reshevsky·Botvinnik, for a diametrically opposed view
of the same situation ! - Translator•
. 68

A Cbessplayer 's Memory
Game 14 Benoni Defense
V. Aloni - M. Botvinnik
XVI Olympiad
Tel Aviv, November 1964
This was my seventh, and last, chess Olympiad. After losing the match
with Petrosian, naturally I played on the USSRs second board. Although all
the team's points are added together, still Board Two is not as responsible a
position; one is permitted certain "Liberties". Against Master Aloni, I was
able to play a "light" game.
1 d2·d4
2 c2·c4
Black clearly seeks a sharp game.
3 d4-d5
4 Nb1·c3
5 e2·e4
6 h2·h 3
Ng8-f6
c7·c5
g7·g6
d7·d6
Bf8-g7
Perhaps this move is premature. 6 Bd3 would be more consistent, but
opening theory has never been Master Aloni's strong point.
6 .... 0-0
7 Bc1·e3 e7·e6
8 d5xe6
Black has no further opening problems after this exchange, which grants
him a i:�mpo to develop his queen's bishop and complete his mobilization.
8 .... Bc8xe6
9 Ngl·f3 Qd8·a5
Since White cannot castle right away, this move, with its threat to the e
pawn, suggests itself.
10 Qd1·d2
1 1 Bf1·e2
Nb8-c6
Nf6-d7 !
The maneuver ...Nf6-d7·e5 gets rid of the weakness at d6, while creating
a nearly symetrical position.
12 0-0 Nd7·e5
13 Nf3xe5
White achieves nothing by 1 3 Qxd6. Black can play either 1 3 ... Nxf3+ 14
gxf Nd4, or 14...Nxc4 at once.
13 . . • • d6xeS
1 3...Nxe5 14 (Vcd6 Nxc4 1 5 Bxc4 (or 1 5 (Vcc5 Qxc5 16 Bxc5 Rfc8) 1 5. • .
Bxc4 Rfdl leads to a simpler sort of game. I was most curious to see how
Aloni, a player with a clearly defined attacking style, would try to attack
69

such a "reinforced-concrete" type of position.
14 Ral-dl Nc6-d4
15 Be2-d3
My calculations were correct. White disdains the quiet line 1 5 Nd5 , with
equality (since 1 5...�a2? would be bad, on account of 16 Bxd4, followed by
1 7 Ral Qb3 18 Ra3 ), and instead prepares to trade off the darksquared bis
hops with 16 Bh6 (an immediate 1 5 Bh6 was impossible, in view of 1 5...Nxe2+
16 Nxe2 �d2 1 7 Bxd2 Bxc4); It's hard to say whether my opponent over
looked the loss of a pawn, or intended to sacrifice it. More likely the latter,
since his play from this point was both interesting and energetic.
15 .... Be6xh3 !
16 b2-b41
16 Bxd4 exd 1 7 gxh dxc would leave Black with positional and material ad
vantage.
White temporarily gives up another pawn, but takes the initiative.
16 . . .. c5xb4
·
16...�b4 17 Rbl Q;lS 18 Rxb7 did not appeal to me, since White would
be left in control of the b-file.
17 Nc3-d5 Bh3-g4
Black seems to be only helping to develop White's initiative. Later I (erron
eously) concluded that 1 7...Bd7 had to be played in this position, failing to
note that White could then play 18 a3 !, with an active game (if 1 8...�a3 ?,
then 19 Bxd4 exd 20 Ral Qb3 21 Rfbl ).
The text gains Black time to meet the threat of a2-a3.
18 Rdl-bl Qa5-d8
Otherwise 1 9 a3 is unpleasant.
19 Be3xd4
20 Rblxb4
2 1 a2-a41
e5xd4
b7-b6
Threatening 22 a5, which either wins back the pawn, or creates a strong
passed c-pawn. Black finds the only solutfon: to drum up counterplay on the
70

kingside.
2 1
22 e4xfS
23 a4-aS
f7-f5
Bg4xf5
b6xaS
This was the last hope to win the game, based on a psychological trap:
would my opponent want to win back one of his pawns right away?
24 Rb4-b5
So he does - Aloni fails to come up with the strongest move, 24 Rb7 !, af
ter which Black could hardly hope to win. After either 24...Bxd3 2S Qxd3
Rf7 26 Rxf7 Kxf7 27 Qf3+ Kg8 28 cS Rc8 29 c6, or 24...Qh4 2S g3 Qg4 26
Kg2 !, threatening 27 Ne7+ and 28 Rhl, White would be out of danger - in
fact, it would be Black's turn to seek a draw.
Now Black can double his rooks on the f-file, and this has to be decisive.
24 .... BfSxd3
25 Qd2xd3 Qd8-h4
26 g2-g3
This weakening was not necessary, but White wished to free his rook from
the task of defending the f-pawn.
26 .... Qh4-g4
27 Rfl-el
A desperate attempt to stave off the inevitable. After 27 Kg2 Rf7 ! (now
we see why White should have played his rook to b7 ! ), with ... Raf8 to follow,
White's situation is hopeless.
27 ....
28 Qd3-bl
29 Rel·e4
Rf8-f3
Ra8-f8
This move is White's only hope: the Black queen has no retreat (if 29...Qh3
for example, then 30 Ne7+ Kh8 3 1 Nxg6+ hxg 32.Rh4+). But Black is not
obligated to retreat.
19 ....
30 f2xg3
31 Kgl-h l
71
Rf3xg3+
Qg4xg3+
d4-d31

This move, as the late Grandmaster Alexander Tolush was fond of saying,
cuts off the troops from the tanks: the queen is temporarily shut out of play.
The d-pawn's advance is a bad sign for White (by the way, the removal of
its blockader was one of the things accomplished by 21...fS ).
32 NdS-e7+ Kg8-h8
33 Qbl-el Qg3-h3+
34 Khl·gl d3-d21
And this is the end; the d-pawn has become so powerful that none of
White's counterthreats can measure up to it.
35 Ne7xg6+ h7xg6
36 Qe1-h4+
The tragedy for White is that after 36 Rh4+ Kg8 ! the e6 square is defended
and it is he who gets mated.
36 .... Kh8-g8!
White resigned, since 3 7 Qxh3 leads to mate after 37...dl(Q)+ 38 Kh2
Rf2+ 39 Kg3 Qgl + 40 Kh4 Bf6+ 41 RgS QxgS, and 37 Rbl is met by 37...
Qb3 !
What was the interesting story behind this dynamic game?
In 1 973, while touring East Germany, I made an appearance in Siegen,
home of the 1970 Olympics. While there, I visited a computer center, where
the local chessplayers had decided to give me a memory te.st. I was taken to a
magnetic demonstration board, on which was set up the concluding position
from this game with Aloni. I felt that it was a very familiar position, some
how, but at first I couldn't place it. The reason is simple: I had Black against
Aloni; seeing the position from Whiteis side, I could only recognize it with
difficulty. An interesting example of the peculiarity of a chessplayer's think
ing!
72

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