Mikhail Botvinnik
Notable Games

Mikhail Botvinnik

20 celebrated games · 578 in the full archive
Player Index ◈ Biography 578 CURATED GAMES

Notable Games

  • 1935.02.15 Botvinnik, Mikhail vsSpielmann, Rudolf 1-0 Caro-Kann Defense: Panov Attack, Modern Defense, Reifir-Spielmann Line 12 moves Moscow International-02 Moscow 1935 — one of the most famous miniatures ever played. Against the great attacking master Rudolf Spielmann, Botvinnik lured the black queen to a2 in a Caro-Kann and simply trapped it; Spielmann resigned after just 12 moves (11.Nf3 Bxf3 12.gxf3).
  • 1935.03.08 Botvinnik, Mikhail vsChekhover, Vitaly A 1-0 English Opening: Agincourt Defense 43 moves Moscow International-02 Moscow 1935 — a sacrificial king hunt. Botvinnik prised open the black king with 22.Ng5 and 24.Nxf7!, then chased it up the board to a forced mate on move 43 (43.Qb1#).
  • 1936.08.25 Botvinnik, Mikhail vsVidmar, Milan Sr 1-0 Queen's Gambit Declined: Orthodox Defense, Botvinnik Variation 24 moves Nottingham International Masters Nottingham 1936 — the textbook isolated-queen's-pawn attack. Botvinnik massed his pieces behind the d-pawn, opened lines with f4–f5, and broke through with 20.Nxf7! to beat Milan Vidmar in 24 moves at the tournament he shared first with Capablanca.
  • 1936.08.13 Botvinnik, Mikhail vsTartakower, Saviely 1-0 English Opening: Anglo-Indian Defense, Old Indian Formation 30 moves Nottingham International Masters Nottingham 1936 — a celebrated attacking win. Botvinnik launched a kingside pawn-storm, sacrificed the exchange with 22.Rxf6+!, and hunted Savielly Tartakower's king into the open to force resignation on move 30.
  • 1938.11.22 Botvinnik, Mikhail vsCapablanca, Jose Raul 1-0 Nimzo-Indian Defense: Rubinstein System 41 moves AVRO AVRO 1938 — often called the finest game of his life. In a Nimzo-Indian Botvinnik built a queenside pawn mass, then uncorked 30.Ba3!!, deflecting Capablanca's queen so that his passed e-pawn and 31.Nh5+! decided. Kasparov judged it the 'game of his life.'
  • 1938.11.15 Botvinnik, Mikhail vsAlekhine, Alexander 1-0 Queen's Gambit Declined: Semi-Tarrasch Defense, Pillsbury Variation 51 moves AVRO AVRO 1938 — a win over the reigning World Champion. Botvinnik outplayed Alexander Alekhine from a Queen's Gambit Declined, Semi-Tarrasch, liquidating into a superior endgame and grinding out the full point in 51 moves.
  • 1941.03.26 Keres, Paul vsBotvinnik, Mikhail 0-1 Nimzo-Indian Defense: Classical Variation, Noa Variation 22 moves URS-ch Absolute USSR Absolute Championship 1941 — a 22-move demolition of Paul Keres with the black pieces in a Nimzo-Indian, from the event Botvinnik dominated to confirm himself as the strongest player in the Soviet Union.
  • 1945.09.01 Denker, Arnold Sheldon vsBotvinnik, Mikhail 0-1 Semi-Slav Defense: Botvinnik Variation 25 moves Match/Nation URS-USA (8-2) (7,5-2,5) USA–USSR radio match 1945 — a brilliancy in the razor-sharp Semi-Slav line that bears his name. Playing Black against Arnold Denker, Botvinnik crashed through with 22...Rxh2+! and forced resignation on move 25.
  • 1948.03.25 Botvinnik, Mikhail vsKeres, Paul 1-0 Nimzo-Indian Defense: Sämisch Variation 23 moves World-ch17 Tournament The Hague/Moscow 1948 — from the World Championship tournament Botvinnik won to become the sixth World Champion. He crushed Paul Keres in a 23-move Nimzo-Indian, sacrificing with 21.Rxg7+! to strip the king bare.
  • 1948.04.13 Botvinnik, Mikhail vsEuwe, Max 1-0 Semi-Slav Defense: Meran Variation, Blumenfeld Variation 36 moves World-ch17 Tournament The Hague/Moscow 1948 — another win from his championship triumph, over former World Champion Max Euwe. In a Meran Semi-Slav Botvinnik sacrificed a piece with 11.Nxb5! and drove home a decisive passed pawn.
  • 1951.05.08 Botvinnik, Mikhail vsBronstein, David Ionovich 1-0 King's Indian Defense: Fianchetto Variation, Immediate Fianchetto 57 moves World-ch18 Botvinnik-Bronstein +5-5=14 World Championship match 1951 — trailing David Bronstein late in the match, Botvinnik won this tense King's Indian (game 23) to square the score; the drawn match let him retain his title.
  • 1954.03.18 Botvinnik, Mikhail vsSmyslov, Vasily V 1-0 Nimzo-Indian Defense: St. Petersburg Variation, Fischer Variation 30 moves World-ch19 Botvinnik-Symslov +7-7=10 World Championship match 1954 — a title defence he drew 12–12 against Vasily Smyslov to keep the crown. Here Botvinnik storms the kingside with g4–g5 and h4, wrapping up a Nimzo-Indian in 30 moves.
  • 1961.03.29 Botvinnik, Mikhail vsTal, Mikhail 1-0 Nimzo-Indian Defense: Sämisch Variation 33 moves World-ch23 Botvinnik-Tal +10-5=6 World Championship return match 1961 — after losing the title to the young Mikhail Tal in 1960, Botvinnik prepared meticulously and won the rematch to regain the championship. A sharp Nimzo-Indian win from that comeback.
  • 1963.04.24 Botvinnik, Mikhail vsPetrosian, Tigran V 1-0 Queen's Gambit Declined: Charousek Variation 57 moves World-ch24 Petrosian-Botvinnik +5-2=15 World Championship match 1963 — one of Botvinnik's two wins in the match he lost to Tigran Petrosian, which ended his fifteen years bound up with the world title. A patient Queen's Gambit Declined decided deep in the endgame.
  • 1966.09.29 Spassky, Boris Vasilievich vsBotvinnik, Mikhail 0-1 Caro-Kann Defense: Classical Variation, Spassky Variation 68 moves URS-chT Cup 05th USSR Team Championship 1966 — at 55, Botvinnik outplayed the future World Champion Boris Spassky with the black pieces in his lifelong Caro-Kann, converting a small edge in a long, precise endgame.
  • 1968.04.09 Botvinnik, Mikhail vsPortisch, Lajos 1-0 English Opening: King's English Variation, Two Knights Variation, Reversed Dragon 26 moves Monaco Grand Prix-02 GM Monte Carlo 1968 — one of the great games of his final years. In an English Opening Botvinnik unleashed a double exchange sacrifice, 16.Rxc7! and 17.R1xc6!, and finished off Lajos Portisch with 26.Bxh6+.
  • 1948.03.09 Botvinnik, Mikhail vsReshevsky, Samuel Herman 1-0 Nimzo-Indian Defense: Rubinstein System 32 moves World-ch17 Tournament World Championship tournament 1948, round 4 — a 32-move win with White against Samuel Herman Reshevsky. Selected in Garry Kasparov, My Great Predecessors, Part IV, game 9 (PDF page 110).
  • 1951.03.26 Bronstein, David Ionovich vsBotvinnik, Mikhail 0-1 Sicilian Defense: Richter-Rauzer Variation, Traditional Variation 57 moves World-ch18 Botvinnik-Bronstein +5-5=14 World Championship 1951, game 6 — a 57-move win with Black against David Ionovich Bronstein. Selected in Garry Kasparov, My Great Predecessors, Part II, game 61 (PDF page 422).
  • 1958.03.04 Smyslov, Vasily V vsBotvinnik, Mikhail 0-1 Caro-Kann Defense: Two Knights Attack, Mindeno Variation, Exchange Line 62 moves World-ch21 Botvinnik-Symslov +7-5=11 World Championship 1958, game 1 — a 62-move win with Black against Vasily V Smyslov. Selected in Garry Kasparov, My Great Predecessors, Part II, game 72 (PDF page 491).
  • 1970.04 Botvinnik, Mikhail vsLarsen, Bent 1-0 King's Indian Defense: Sämisch Variation, Normal Defense 75 moves Leiden Leiden 1970 — a 75-move win with White against Bent Larsen. Selected in Garry Kasparov, My Great Predecessors, Part II, game 82 (PDF page 554).
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