Notable Games
Mikhail Botvinnik
17 celebrated games · 439 in the full archive
◈The games that made the legend
Botvinnik – Spielmann · 1935 · 1–0
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).
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Botvinnik – Chekhover · 1935 · 1–0
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#).
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Botvinnik – Vidmar · 1936 · 1–0
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.
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Botvinnik – Tartakower · 1936 · 1–0
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.
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Botvinnik – Capablanca · 1938 · 1–0
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.'
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Botvinnik – Alekhine · 1938 · 1–0
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.
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Keres – Botvinnik · 1941 · 0–1
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.
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Denker – Botvinnik · 1945 · 0–1
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.
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Botvinnik – Keres · 1948 · 1–0
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.
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Botvinnik – Euwe · 1948 · 1–0
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.
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Botvinnik – Bronstein · 1951 · 1–0
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.
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Botvinnik – Smyslov · 1954 · 1–0
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.
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Botvinnik – Tal · 1961 · 1–0
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.
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Botvinnik – Fischer · 1962 · ½–½
Varna Olympiad 1962 — one of his most famous games, though it was a draw. The 51-year-old Botvinnik reached a lost rook ending against 19-year-old Bobby Fischer, sealed his move, and saved it through a legendary night of adjournment analysis; Fischer, sure he had won, could not break through the next day.
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Botvinnik – Petrosian · 1963 · 1–0
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.
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Spassky – Botvinnik · 1966 · 0–1
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.
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Botvinnik – Portisch · 1968 · 1–0
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+.
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