3/29/2015Mikhail Botvinnik - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Mikhail Botvinnik From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Mikhail Moiseyevich Botvinnik, PhD (Russian: Михаи́ л Моисе́ евич Ботви́ нник, pronounced [mʲɪxɐˈil məɪ ˈsʲejɪvʲɪtɕ bɐˈtvʲinʲnʲɪk]; August 17 [O.S. August 4] 1911 – May 5, 1995) was a Soviet and Russian International Grandmaster and three-time World Chess Champion, widely considered one of the greatest chess players of all time. Working as an electrical engineer and computer scientist at the same time, he was one of the very few professional chess players who achieved distinction in another career while playing top-class competitive chess. He was also a pioneer of computer chess. Botvinnik was the first world-class player to develop within the Soviet Union, putting him under political pressure but also giving him considerable influence within Soviet chess. From time to time he was accused of using that influence to his own advantage, but the evidence is unclear and some suggest he resisted attempts by Soviet officials to intimidate some of his rivals. Botvinnik also played a major role in the organization of chess, making a significant contribution to the design of the World Chess Championship system after World War II and becoming a leading member of the coaching system that enabled the Soviet Union to dominate top-class chess during that time. His famous pupils include World Champions Anatoly Karpov, Garry Kasparov and Vladimir Kramnik. Contents 1 Early years 2 Soviet champion Mikhail Botvinnik Mikhail Botvinnik in 1962 Full name Mikhail Moiseyevich Botvinnik Country Soviet Union Born August 17, 1911 Kuokkala, Grand Duchy of Finland, Russian Empire (now Repino, Russia) Died May 5, 1995 (aged 83) Moscow, Russia Title Grandmaster 1948–57 World Champion 1958–60 1961–63 Peak rating 2660 (January 1971)[1] 3 World title contender 4 World Champion 5 Team tournaments 6 Late career 7 Political controversies 8 Assessment 8.1 Playing strength and style http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mikhail_Botvinnik 1/27 3/29/2015 Mikhail Botvinnik - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia 8.2 Influence on the game 9 Other achievements 9.1 Electrical engineering 9.2 Computer chess 10 Writings 10.1 Chess 10.2 Computers 11 Notable chess games 12 Tournament results 12.1 Match results 13 Notes 14 References 15 Further reading 16 External links Early years Mikhail Moiseyevich Botvinnik was born on August 17, 1911,[2] in what was then Kuokkala in the Russiancontrolled but autonomous Grand Duchy of Finland,[3][4] but is now the district of Repino in Saint Petersburg.[5] His parents were Russian Jews, his father was a dental technician and his mother a dentist,[6] which allowed the family to live outside the Pale of Settlement to which most Jews in the Russian Empire were restricted at the time. As a result, Mikhail Botvinnik grew up in Saint Petersburg's Nevsky Prospekt.[5][6] His father forbade the speaking of Yiddish at home, and Mikhail and his older brother Issy attended Soviet schools.[5][6] Mikhail Botvinnik later said, "I am a Jew by blood, Russian by culture, Soviet by upbringing." On his religious views, Botvinnik called himself an atheist.[7] In 1920, his mother became ill and his father left the family, but maintained contact with the children, even after his second marriage, to a Russian woman. At about the same time, Mikhail started reading newspapers, and became a committed Communist.[6] In autumn 1923, at the age of twelve,[2] Mikhail Botvinnik was taught chess by a school friend of his older brother, using a home-made set, and instantly fell in love with the game.[6] He finished in mid-table in the school championship, sought advice from another of his brother's friends, and concluded that for him it was better to think out "concrete concepts" and then derive general principles from these – and went on to beat his brother's friend quite easily. In winter 1924, Botvinnik won his school's championship, and exaggerated his age by three years in order to become a member of the Petrograd Chess Assembly – to which the Assembly's President turned a blind eye.[6] Botvinnik won his first two tournaments organized by the Assembly. Shortly afterwards, Nikolai Krylenko, a http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mikhail_Botvinnik 2/27 he became a candidate member of his school's Komsomol branch. he reached the final stage of the Leningrad championship.[6] world champion José Raúl Capablanca gave a simultaneous exhibition in Leningrad. secured Botvinnik a transfer to the Polytechnic's Electromechanical Department. In December 1926.[11] Botwinnik won the Leningrad Masters' tournament in 1930 with 6½/8.[9] In January 1929. Botvinnik was selected as one of his opponents. later. who was born in 1942.[9] While waiting. She was a student at the Vaganova Academy of Russian Ballet in Leningrad and. named Olga. following this up the next year by winning the Championship of Leningrad by 2½ points over former Soviet champion Peter Romanovsky. held in Sweden. Model taught Botvinnik the Winawer Variation of the French Defence. he was below the minimum age for the entrance examinations for higher education. Soviet champion http://en. They had one daughter. Leningrad won and the team manager. which was then regarded as inferior for Black. and the Assembly was replaced by a club in the city's Palace of Labor. he was selected for Leningrad's team in a match against Stockholm.wikipedia.[8] He wanted to study Electrical Technology at the Leningrad Polytechnical Institute and passed the entrance examination.[9] Early in the same year he placed joint third in the semi-final stage of the USSR Championship. where he was one of only four students who entered straight from school. which he maintained for most of his life. On his return. there was a persistent excess of applications for this course and the Prolestud. the free encyclopedia chess fanatic and leading member of the Soviet legal system who later organized Joseph Stalin's show trials.3/29/2015 Mikhail Botvinnik . however. he qualified for his first USSR Championship final stage in 1927 as the youngest player ever at that time. and thus failed to reach the final stage. After an appeal by a local chess official.[6] When Botvinnik finished the school curriculum. he entertained his schoolmates with a vivid account of the rough sea journey back to Russia. tied for fifth place and won the title of National Master. and won their game.[8] In 1926.org/wiki/Mikhail_Botvinnik 3/27 . had a policy of admitting only children of engineers and industrial workers. he was admitted in 1928 to Leningrad University's Mathematics Department. Botvinnik was commissioned to annotate two games from the match.[12] Botwinnik married an Armenian woman named Gayane (Ganna) Davidovna.Wikipedia. and as a result he started a program of daily exercise. On a rest day during the event. Krylenko organized the Moscow 1925 chess tournament. and scored +1 =1 against the future grandmaster Gösta Stoltz. Botvinnik played for Leningrad in the student team chess championship against Moscow. who was also Deputy Chairman of the Prolestud. a ballerina in the Bolshoi Theatre. which controlled admissions. and failed one of the examinations. but which Model and Botvinnik analyzed more deeply and then played with great success. Later that year. Around this time his mother became concerned about his poor physique. he had to do a whole year's Botvinnik in 1927 work in five months.[10] His early progress was fairly rapid. who was the daughter of his algebra and geometry teacher. began building a huge nation-wide chess organization. in Leningrad. mostly under the training of Soviet Master and coach Abram Model. and the fact that his analyses were to be published made him aware of the need for objectivity.[6] To test the strength of Soviet chess masters. As a result. Ng3+ Kg4 3. a b c d e f g h 8 8 7 7 6 6 5 5 4 4 3 3 2 2 1 1 a b c d e f g h White to move After sacrificing a piece to expose Black's king.[10] Soon afterwards. Kxh5 2.chessgames. but fell two games behind by the end of the first six. he repeated his Soviet Championship win. at the age of 20.[15] Botvinnik wrote that he did not make this mistake again. He stayed on at the Leningrad Polytechnical Institute to study for a Candidate's degree. Botvinnik played 1.[16] http://en. a Czech grandmaster who was then regarded as one of the most credible contenders for Alexander Alekhine's World Chess Championship title..[13] describing the results as evidence that Krylenko's plan to develop a new generation of Soviet masters had borne fruit. Botvinnik won his first Soviet Championship in Moscow.[10] In his first tournament outside the USSR. after completing a practical assignment on temporary transmission lines at the Dnieper Hydroelectric Station.[2] scoring 13½ out of 17. e. Bh5+ and Yudovich resigned since mate is inevitable.Wikipedia. Krylenko insisted on staging the match. Qe4+ Rf4 4.[10] In late summer 1931. Qxf4# In 1933.[10] Mikhail Botvinnik . When describing the post-match party. in London after the tournament. Botvinnik achieved only a tie for 5th–6th places. He and other young masters successfully requested the support of a senior Leningrad Communist Party official in arranging contests involving both Soviet and foreign players. as there had been none since the Moscow 1925 chess tournament. Botvinnik was informed that Alexander Ilyin-Genevsky. However. he leveled the score in Leningrad and the match was drawn. He wrote that.g. one of the older Soviet masters and a member of the Soviet embassy in Prague. Botvinnik wrote that at the time he danced the foxtrot and Charleston to a professional standard."[10] Botvinnik used what he regarded as the first version of his method of preparing for a contest.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1031833).3/29/2015 In 1931. as some of the pre-Revolution masters were absent. had arranged a match between Botwinnik [10] and Salo Flohr. played in Moscow. with 14/19. USSR Ch 1933" (http://www. aided by his old friend Ragozin and coach Abram Model.wikipedia. 1. with 5/9.[14] The highest-level chess officials in the Soviet Union opposed this on the grounds that Botvinnik stood little chance against such a strong international opponent. in his home city of Leningrad. saying that "We have to know our real strength. the free encyclopedia "Botvinnik vs Yudovich.[13] He commented that the field was not very strong. In spite of this attempt to dissuade him. the Hastings 1934–35. he graduated with a degree in Electrical Engineering.. Emanuel Lasker said his arrival only two hours before the first round began was a serious mistake and that he should have allowed ten days for acclimatization.org/wiki/Mikhail_Botvinnik 4/27 . he missed the 1937 Soviet championship. Although his Soviet rivals forecast disaster for him. as it included a mixture of top-class and weaker players.[17] However.[15] In early winter. and 1952. 1936. Krylenko drafted a letter to be sent in Botvinnik's name to Stalin. but Botvinnik objected that "titles were not the point. after his supervisor described the dissertation as "short and good". 1937 Botvinnik won further Soviet Championship titles in 1939. Botvinnik arrived ten days before play started.[16] When the result reached Russia. 1944.[17][18] This was the first tournament victory by a Soviet master outside his own country. won by Grigory Levenfish. to help Botvinnik play at his best. Later in 1937. Botvinnik was invited to play in a tournament at Nottingham.[15] he scored an undefeated shared first place (+6 =8) with Capablanca. scoring 15/17.[19][20][21] Accounts differ about how the match was arranged: Levenfish later wrote that Botvinnik challenged him.org/wiki/Mikhail_Botvinnik 5/27 . Despite politicking over the Soviet choices.Wikipedia. he accepted a free car and a 67% increase in his postgraduate study grant.[19] Levenfish vs. one point behind Capablanca and 2½ ahead of Flohr. in Moscow's second International Tournament. in 1952 he tied with Mark Taimanov and won the play-off match.[17] After consulting José Raúl Capablanca and Lasker. England. obtaining this in June 1937. both Krylenko and the Central Committee of the Komsomol quickly authorised the tournament. Botvinnik (right). allowed Botvinnik's wife to accompany him – a privilege rarely extended to chess players at any time in Soviet history. while Botvinnik wrote that Krylenko. Krylenko authorized his participation and. In 1945 he dominated the tournament. who was then nearly fifty. he began work on his dissertation for the Candidate's degree.3/29/2015 Mikhail Botvinnik . he took consolation from the fact the Soviet Union's best had held their own against top-class competition. Botvinnik advocated a double roundrobin event featuring the top five Soviet players and the five strongest non-Soviet players available. the free encyclopedia Botvinnik placed first equal with Flohr. both provided by the People's Commissariat of Heavy Industry. ½ point ahead of Lasker and one point ahead of José Raúl Capablanca. Taking Lasker's advice. and 1 point ahead of ex-champion Alexander Alekhine. and the first work in its field. 1945.[15] This was played in Moscow in June Botvinnik vs Lasker in 1936 [15] 1936.[15] As a result of his efforts." However. bringing his total to six.[15] He later reported to Krylenko that the 1935 tournament made it difficult to judge the strength of the top Soviet players. and Botvinnik finished second. On returning to Russia Botvinnik discovered he had been awarded the "Mark of Honour". held in 1935.[13] World title contender http://en. angered by Botvinnik's absence from the tournament.[22] however.[15] Three weeks later. ordered the match.wikipedia. Botvinnik drew a match of thirteen games against Levenfish. Krylenko proposed to award Botvinnik the title grandmaster. ½ point ahead of current World Champion Max Euwe and rising American stars Reuben Fine and Samuel Reshevsky. and Botvinnik obtained a job with the local electricity supply organization – at the lowest pay rate and on condition that he did no research. was born in Perm in April 1942. Botvinnik's preparation with his second. future World Champion Vasily Smyslov. The contestants were the top six finishers in the Soviet Championship – Bondarevsky.3/29/2015 Mikhail Botvinnik . Botvinnik wrote to a friendly official. who promptly accepted. Paul Keres (who had recently become a Soviet citizen). Viacheslav Botvinnik in 1936 Ragozin.[24] According to Botvinnik. 2½ points ahead of Keres and three ahead of Smyslov.[23] Botvinnik placed third. a daughter named Olya. without opening the window. who had tied for first place. so that he could again visit his homeland. He won the tournament. The official's efforts led to a tournament for the title of "Absolute Champion of the USSR".[29] http://en. but faded badly in the later stages. rather than seeking immediate tactical surprises that could only be used once. Lilienthal. especially those who had become prominent before the Russian Revolution[19] – and the outbreak of World War II prevented a World Championship match. as he had only a Candidate's degree. Alekhine was partly motivated by the desire for a reconciliation with the Soviet authorities.[23] In spring 1939. Alekhine was most interested in playing an opponent who could raise the funds. included training matches in noisy. Botvinnik's only child. eventually sharing fifth place.[26] Botvinnik took an early lead in the Capablanca vs Botvinnik in 1936 1940 USSR Championship. the world's top eight players met in the Netherlands to compete in the AVRO tournament. a ballerina. with plus scores in the "mini-matches" against all his rivals.wikipedia. however. whose winner was supposed to get a title match with the World Champion. Botvinnik won the USSR Championship. a letter of confirmation was only sent two months later – in Botvinnik's opinion. Botvinnik discreetly challenged Alekhine.[19] After consulting the nearest available Soviet officials. Botvinnik's wife Gayane. behind Paul Keres and Reuben Fine. Isaac Boleslavsky and Botvinnik – who were to play a quadruple round-robin.Wikipedia.[30] The family found an apartment there.[29] then known as Molotov in honour of Vyacheslav Molotov.[19] The match. One striking feature of this was emphasis on opening preparation in order to gain a permanent positional advantage in the middle game.[27] In June 1941 Nazi Germany invaded the Soviet Union. and his book on the tournament described the approach to preparation which he had been developing since 1933. Alexander Alekhine. whose official aim was to identify a Soviet challenger for Alekhine's title. commenting that the champion was to be the winner of a match between Igor Bondarevsky and Andor Lilienthal. but had no achievements in international competition. He attributed this to the unaccustomed difficulty of concentrating in a party-like atmosphere filled with noise and tobacco smoke.org/wiki/Mikhail_Botvinnik 6/27 . moreover. subject to conditions that would enable him to acclimatize in Russia and get some high-quality competitive practice a few months before the match. was authorised at the highest Soviet political level in January 1939. because of opposition by his Soviet rivals. including funding. smoky rooms and he slept in the playing room.[19][25] In Botvinnik's opinion.[28] told him that her colleagues at the Kirov Opera and Ballet Theatre were being evacuated to the city of Perm. the free encyclopedia In 1938. and in the dismissal of a senior chess official. becoming the sixth World Champion. he won the Moscow Championship.[28][42] http://en.wikipedia.[33][34] After Botvinnik won the 1944 and 1945 Soviet championships. which was held at The Hague and Moscow. Botvinnik suggested a match with Samuel Reshevsky in order to strengthen his claim for a title match with Alekhine. ½ point ahead of former World Champion Max Euwe and two ahead of Smyslov.[29] In 1943. after a two-year lay-off from competitive chess. He won the 1948 tournament convincingly. the free encyclopedia In the evenings.3/29/2015 Mikhail Botvinnik . opposition to his plan for a match with Alekhine re-surfaced. scoring 1½ out of 2 against each of his seven competitors – who included Smyslov. On his return. with 14½ points from nineteen games. three points clear. but these were cut short by Alekhine's death in 1946. ahead of Smyslov.[33] When the Second World War ended. but this received no political support. Botvinnik won the first high-level post-war tournament. Botvinnik opened negotiations with the British Chess Federation to host the match in England. and that she had made him take a rest from chess. Tal was met by Botvinnik's wife. who said the champion was asleep. Botvinnik was urged to return to Moscow by the People's Commissar for Power Stations. However. World Champion Botvinnik strongly influenced the design of the system which would be used for World Championship competition from 1948 to 1963. most top Soviet players supported his desire for a World Championship match with Alekhine. Botvinnik obtained from Molotov an order that he should be given three days off normal work in order to study chess. Vladimir Makogonov. Botvinnik was one of five players to contest the 1948 World Chess Championship. Boleslavsky. on the grounds that Alekhine was a political enemy and the only proper course was to demand that he be stripped of the title.[38] Botvinnik also won the very strong Mikhail Chigorin Memorial tournament held at Moscow 1947. at Groningen in 1946. His work included woodcutting for fuel.Wikipedia. At the same time. who was also a KGB colonel. which left him with insufficient energy for chess analysis. the allegations that Alekhine had written anti-Semitic articles while in Nazi-occupied France made it difficult to host the match in the USSR. an eleven-year old boy called Mikhail Tal paid a visit. in order to maintain his analytic skills in readiness for a match with Alekhine. Botvinnik won a tournament in Sverdlovsk. hoping to play a game against the new champion. an admirer and subsequent good friend.[35] He and Euwe both struggled in the last few rounds. In December 1943. with a score of 14/20.[37] This was Botvinnik's first outright victory in a tournament outside the Soviet Union.[23][39] Viktor Baturinsky wrote "Now came Botvinnik's turn to defend his title in accordance with the new qualifying system which he himself had outlined in 1946" (this statement referred to Botvinnik's 1951 title defence). one of those to have opposed Botvinnik's plan.[40] On the basis of his strong results during and just after World War II.[41] While he was on vacation in Riga after the tournament.[36] and Botvinnik had a narrow escape against Euwe. Botvinnik wrote a book in which he annotated all the games of the "Absolute Championship of the USSR". who he acknowledged had always been a difficult opponent for him.org/wiki/Mikhail_Botvinnik 7/27 . The dispute ended in Botvinnik's favor.[29][31] Chessbase regards this as one of the fifty strongest tournaments between 1851 and 1986.[32] Shortly afterwards. and Ragozin. he played board two behind Mikhail Tal.[47] In 1960. with Keres on top board. where he won the bronze with 9/12. and in 1958 he won the rematch in Moscow. during which he played seven world championship matches. again retaining the title. Then at home for Moscow 1956. now 23 years old. Botvinnik had a relatively poor playing record in the early 1950s: he played no formal competitive games after winning the 1948 match tournament until he defended his title. For Munich 1958.[53][54] Keres' playing record from 1950 to early 1952 had been outstanding. but also that Botvinnik's play was better than in the 1960 match.[55] http://en.[50][51] Finally. he scored 9/12 for the silver medal on board one. His final Olympiad was Tel Aviv 1964.[43] In 1954.[13][52] However. avoiding the tactical complications in which Tal excelled and aiming for closed positions and endgames. Though ranking as formal World Champion. he tied for first place with Smyslov in the 1956 Alexander Alekhine Memorial in Moscow. playing board 2 as he had lost his title to Petrosian. and won by 13–8 in Moscow. he lost to Smyslov by 9½–12½ in Moscow. At Amsterdam 1954 he was on board one and won the gold medal with 8⅓/11. in six Olympiads. probably due to his health.[45] but the rules then in force allowed him a rematch without having to go through the Candidates' Tournament. by 9½–12½ in Moscow.Wikipedia. Team tournaments Botvinnik was selected for the Soviet Olympiad team from 1954 to 1964 inclusively.[13] He included several wins from that tournament over the 1952 Soviet team members in his book Botvinnik's Best Games 1947–1970. In 1951. three of the four who finished ahead of him in the 1951 championship were future world champions Smyslov and Petrosian and a leading world championship contender (and winner in both tournaments) Paul Keres. with two brief interruptions. writing "these games had a definite significance for me".org/wiki/Mikhail_Botvinnik 8/27 . he lost the title to Tigran Petrosian. +5 −5 =14.3/29/2015 Mikhail Botvinnik . then struggled to draw his 1951 championship match with Bronstein. having lost his title to Tal earlier that year.[48] but again exercised his right to a rematch in 1961. he drew with Vasily Smyslov over 24 games at Moscow.[44] In 1957. the free encyclopedia Botvinnik then held the title. and scored 9⅓/13 for the bronze medal. won the play-off match). scored 8/12.[13][52] Botvinnik won the 1952 Soviet Championship (joint first with Mark Taimanov in the tournament. for the next fifteen years. Botvinnik was convincingly beaten 8½–12½ at Moscow by Tal. But he won the board two gold medal with 10⅓/13. At Leipzig 1960.[49] FIDE had by then altered the rules.6 percent.wikipedia. he drew with David Bronstein over 24 games in Moscow. +7 −7 =10. because he twice benefited from it. and helped his team to gold medal finishes each of those six times. keeping the world title. Overall. who won the second-last game and drew the last in order to tie the match. and he had also performed poorly in Soviet training contests.[54] In 1956. Botvinnik protested and refused to play. he scored 54½/73 for an outstanding 74. he was again board one.[46] Smyslov said his health was poor during the return match. The rematch rule had been nicknamed the "Botvinnik rule". He was back on board one for Varna 1962. largely due to thorough preparation. and he finished ahead of Petrosian and even with Smyslov in 1952. placed only fifth in the 1951 Soviet Championship. but failed to win a medal for the only time at an Olympiad. in 1963. despite a last-round loss to Keres. but it was a struggle for Botvinnik. he lost only five of over thirty games in the two tournaments. Botvinnik changed his style in the rematch. where Tal's technique was not outstanding.[49] Commentators agreed that Tal's play was weaker in the rematch. Botvinnik did not play in the Soviet team that won the 1952 Chess Olympiad in Helsinki: the players voted for the line-up and placed Botvinnik on second board. and tied for third in the 1952 Géza Maróczy Memorial tournament in Budapest. and he was not allowed a rematch. to Tigran Petrosian in Moscow in 1963. He remained involved with competitive chess.wikipedia. and in English translation as Achieving the Aim (ISBN 0-08-024120-4) in 1981. earning him the nickname of "Patriarch of the Soviet Chess School" (see below).3/29/2015 Mikhail Botvinnik . at its annual congress in 1965. the free encyclopedia Botvinnik also played twice for the USSR in the European Team Championship. But at Hamburg 1965. Botvinnik (right). http://en. Botvinnik died of pancreatic cancer in May 1995. Botvinnik withdrew from the following World Championship cycle after FIDE declined. Both times the Soviet Union won the team gold medals.[56] According to his daughter. appearing in several highly rated tournaments and continuing to produce memorable games. 1995 despite blindness in one of his eyes (and extremely poor vision in the other).org/wiki/Mikhail_Botvinnik 9/27 . he scored 6/9 for the gold medal on board one. A staunch Communist. and there were rumors that Soviet opponents were given hints that they should not beat him. he struggled on board two with only 3½/8. Botvinnik played one of the final events of his career at the Russia (USSR) vs Rest of the World match in Belgrade 1970. he was noticeably shaken by the collapse of the Soviet Union and lost some of his standing in Russian chess during the Boris Yeltsin era. During the last few years of his life he personally financed his economic computer project that he hoped would be used to manage the Russian economy. aged 59. At Oberhausen 1961. and continued to go to work until March.Wikipedia. Political controversies The Soviet Union regarded chess as a symbol of Communist superiority. to grant a losing champion the automatic right to a rematch. K Dostizheniyu Tseli.[57][58] As Botvinnik was the first world-class player produced by the Soviet Union. despite prominent health problems. his proposals did not receive significant attention from the Soviet government. Botvinnik remained active until the last few months of his life. as the USSR narrowly triumphed. Oberhausen 1961 Botvinnik's autobiography. Late career After losing the world title for the final time. and hence the Soviet chess world was extremely politicized. scoring 2½/4 against Milan Matulović. He kept actively working on the program until his death and financing the work from the money he made for the lectures and seminars he attended. Szabo vs. He retired from competitive play in 1970. was published in Russian in 1978. everything he said or did (or did not say or do) had political repercussions. preferring instead to occupy himself with the development of computer chess programs and to assist with the training of younger Soviet players. However. In the 1980s Botvinnik proposed a computer program to manage the Soviet economy. [64] http://en. proposed that Ilya Rabinovich should deliberately lose to Botvinnik. and Botvinnik's own annotations to the critical 23rd game indicate that Botvinnik knew of no such plot. playing each other four times. Botvinnik sent an effusive telegram of thanks to Joseph Stalin after his victory at the great tournament in Nottingham in 1936. two full points behind Igor Bondarevsky and Andor Lilienthal. to ensure that Botvinnik took first place. Botvinnik was exempted from war work for three days a week in order to concentrate on chess preparations. the free encyclopedia David Bronstein wrote that Boris Verlinsky had won the 1929 Soviet Championship and was granted the first Soviet Grandmaster title for this achievement. who were personal friends of Botvinnik.Wikipedia. saying ".[39] but other evidence suggests that FIDE (the "governing body" of chess).3/29/2015 Mikhail Botvinnik . yet he was later stripped of it.[39] Botvinnik wrote that before the last round of the 1935 Moscow tournament. With World War II under way by this time. Chess historian Taylor Kingston investigated all the available evidence and arguments. Max Euwe.[62] Bronstein insinuated that Soviet officials pressured him to lose in the 1951 world championship match so that Botvinnik would keep the title. Vyacheslav Molotov. Vasily Smyslov. and at this stage the Soviet Union was not a member and therefore took no part in framing that proposal. when it was thought more politically correct to make Botvinnik the first official Soviet GM (as distinct from the then-nonexistent FIDE grandmaster title). Yuri Averbakh alleged that this was done at the urging of the two Soviet representatives in FIDE. After a personal appeal to the defence minister. and concluded that: Soviet chess officials gave Keres strong hints that he should not hinder Botvinnik's attempt to win the World Championship. which featured the top six finishers from the 1940 event. and Paul Keres to join him in a tournament to decide the new world champion. Salo Flohr. FIDE changed the world championship rules so that a defeated champion would have the right to a return match..[63] In 1956. Reuben Fine. Botvinnik seems to have prevailed upon the Soviet chess leadership to hold another tournament "in order to clarify the situation". Botvinnik only discovered this about half-way through the tournament and protested so strongly that he angered Soviet officials.[39] but comments by Botvinnik's second. and that this was to Botvinnik's advantage as it reduced the number of Soviet players he might have to meet in the title match. suspicions have sometimes been raised that Keres was forced to "throw" games to allow Botvinnik to win the Championship.org/wiki/Mikhail_Botvinnik 10/27 . Botvinnik personally invited Samuel Reshevsky.[59] The game was drawn.wikipedia. and the strong possibility of little or no chess practice for some time in the future. and thus reclaimed his position as the USSR's top player. who was also in charge of Soviet chess. Keres probably did not deliberately lose games to Botvinnik or anyone else in the tournament.[23] Since Keres lost his first four games against Botvinnik in the 1948 World Championship tournament. then I will myself put a piece en prise and resign". Bronstein claimed that at the end of the 1946 Groningen tournament. with 11½/19. Soviet Commissar of Justice Nikolai Krylenko. Botvinnik played relatively poorly in the very strong 1940 Soviet Championship. Botvinnik refused. a few months after the death of reigning world champion Alexander Alekhine.[60] This wound up being the 1941 Absolute Championship of the USSR. winning only in the final cycle after the outcome of the tournament had been decided. finishing in a tie for fifth/sixth places. Averbakh also claims that Botvinnik's friends were behind FIDE's decision in 1956 to limit the number of players from the same country that could compete in the Candidates Tournament. and Botvinnik shared first place with Salo Flohr.[61] He won this tournament convincingly. had already proposed a World Championship tournament before the Groningen tournament began.. [64] In 1954. Anatoly Karpov and Bobby Fischer but ahead of José Raúl Capablanca.[64] And in 1960 Botvinnik wrote a letter to the Soviet Government proposing economic reforms that were contrary to party policy.[51] The Chessmetrics system is sensitive to the length of the periods being compared. Boris Spassky. Viktor Korchnoi. but his request was refused. when he drew a match against Flohr. his importance had waned and officials would not give him this "privilege". reigning champions had to play the strongest contender every three years. and his doctors in Riga advised that he should postpone the match for health reasons.wikipedia. but places Botvinnik third in a comparison of players' best individual years (1946 for Botvinnik) and sixth in a comparison of fifteen-year periods (1935–1949 in Botvinnik's case). when the http://en. Botvinnik was the highest-rated player from 1937 to 1954.[69][70] In 2005 Chessmetrics' creator Jeff Sonas wrote an article which examined various ways of comparing the strength of "world number one" players.3/29/2015 Mikhail Botvinnik . But after the FIDE world championship cycle was established in 1948. he wrote an article about inciting socialist revolution in western countries. Botvinnik evaded this "request" by saying that he wanted to write his own letter denouncing Korchnoi. so Botvinnik's name did not appear on the group letter – an outcome Botvinnik may have foreseen. to 1963. and that Tal then decided to play.org/wiki/Mikhail_Botvinnik 11/27 . and Botvinnik generally emerged as one of the top six (the greatest exceptions were in criteria related to tournament results).[71] FIDE did not adopt the Elo rating system until 1970. the free encyclopedia Botvinnik asked to be allowed to play in the 1956 Candidates Tournament. some not based on Chessmetrics.[67] Bronstein and Boris Spassky openly refused to sign the letter. when he lost the world championship for the final time.[72] This may seem surprising in the light of Botvinnik's results in the 1950s and early 1960s. Averbakh claimed that Botvinnik would agree to a postponement only if Tal was certified unfit by Moscow doctors. peaking about 2730 in 1946. By this time.[66] In 1976 Soviet grandmasters were asked to sign a letter condemning Viktor Korchnoi as a "traitor" after Korchnoi defected. Vasily Smyslov and Tigran Petrosian. Lasker. aiming to spread Communism without a third world war. when he failed to win a world championship match outright (as reigning champion) and his tournament results were patchy. by which time Botvinnik's strength had been declining for several years. as he wanted to use the event as part of his warm-up for the next year's title match. and successful title defenses became less common than in the pre-World War II years. however.[68] The statistical rating system used in Raymond Keene and Nathan Divinsky's book Warriors of the Mind concludes that Botvinnik was the fourth strongest player of all time: behind Garry Kasparov. According to unofficial calculations by Árpád Elo.Wikipedia. to Petrosian – "a feat equaled historically only by Emanuel Lasker and Wilhelm Steinitz".[65] Mikhail Tal's chronic kidney problems contributed to his defeat in his 1961 return match with Botvinnik.[53] Assessment Playing strength and style For more information see Comparison of top chess players throughout history Reuben Fine observed that Botvinnik was at or near the top of the chess world for thirty years – from 1933. Botvinnik also became world champion at the relatively late age of 37.[51] Reuben Fine considered Botvinnik's collection of best games one of the three most beautiful up to the mid-1950s (the other two were Alexander Alekhine's and Akiba Rubinstein's). meaning that Botvinnik was brilliant at making the best use of his talents.[80] http://en. annotating one's own games. Despite this. Keres smiled and said: 'But can Stolberg vs Botvinnik. Once in a conversation with Keres I mentioned this and even compared Botvinnik with a bulldozer. you imagine what it was like to play him when he was young?'"[79] Influence on the game Botvinnik's example and teaching established the modern approach to preparing for competitive chess: regular but moderate physical exercise. because World War II brought international competition to a virtual halt for six years. 1940 a b c d e f g h 8 8 7 7 6 6 5 5 4 4 3 3 2 2 1 1 a b c d e f g h Black to move After tying up White's pieces on the queenside. those of past great players and those of competitors. but to improve his position and undermine his opponent's. and he was 52 years old when he finally lost his title (only Wilhelm Steinitz and Emanuel Lasker were older when they were defeated).[80][81] Botvinnik also played many short training matches against strong grandmasters including Salo Flohr. Botvinnik was also capable of all-out sacrificial attacks when he thought the position justified it. "Botvinnik's chess career was the way of a genius. analysing very thoroughly a relatively narrow repertoire of openings. USSR Ch.. although he was not a genius". Botvinnik held the world title for a longer period than any of his successors except Garry Kasparov.. which sweeps away everything in its path. and was often willing to accept weaknesses that his opponent could not exploit in exchange for some advantage that Botvinnik could exploit.org/wiki/Mikhail_Botvinnik 12/27 . studying strong opponents to discover their strengths and weaknesses. yet many of his games feature sacrifices – often long-term positional sacrifices whose purpose was not to force an immediate win.3/29/2015 Mikhail Botvinnik . ruthless objectivity about one's own strengths and weaknesses.Wikipedia. Botvinnik's best years were from 1935 to 1946.wikipedia. Viacheslav Ragozin. Rxh3+ 2. Botvinnik won with a sudden kingside attack: 1.[73] and the USSR's 15½–4½ win in the 1945 radio match against the USA proved that the USSR's top players were considerably better than the USA's (who had dominated international team competitions in the 1930s)..[75] hence his results were often better with the Black pieces as he could avoid lines that were likely to produce draws. in contrast to an all-out attacker like Mikhail Tal or a defender like Tigran Petrosian.. Yuri Averbakh.[78] Botvinnik saw himself as a "universal player" (all-rounder).[2][82][83] Vladimir Kramnik said.[76][77] He confessed that he was relatively weak in tactical calculation.[70] during that period he dominated Soviet chess.[8] Kasparov quotes Tigran Petrosian as saying. as he could not stop . and Semion Furman – in noisy or smoky rooms if he thought he would have to face such conditions in actual competition. "There was a very unpleasant feeling of inevitability. the free encyclopedia titleholder could select his challenger.[8][76] He had a strong grasp of long-term strategy. gxh3 d4 and White resigned.[74] Botvinnik generally sought tense positions with chances for both sides. Qd5 and mate next move. publishing one's annotations so that others can point out any errors. [91] In 1956.[51][76] His advice to his pupils included "My theory of the openings fitted into one notebook" and "You don’t have to know that which everyone knows.Wikipedia. going some way towards balancing the common public perception of Botvinnik as dour and aloof. He earned his doctorate in electrical engineering in 1951. "The future of chess lies in the hands of this young man". for example: the Botvinnik variation of the Semi-Slav Defense in the Queen's Gambit Declined.[80][87] Other achievements Electrical engineering Engineering was as much of a passion for Botvinnik as chess – at Nottingham in 1936. the free encyclopedia Although Botvinnik did not use a wide range of openings. at first mainly for playing chess but he later also coauthored reports on the possible use of artificial intelligence in managing the Soviet economy. although Soviet players had their own preferred styles of play. but it is important to know that which not everyone knows.[84] The "Soviet School of Chess" that dominated competition from 1945 to about 2000 followed Botvinnik's approach to preparation and to openings research. which used general chess principles to decide which moves were worth considering.[8] He was awarded the Order of the Badge of Honour for his work on power stations in the Urals during World War II (while he was also establishing himself as the world's strongest chess player). especially the homework he assigned. he joined the Research Institute for Electrical Energy as a senior research scientist. he said "I wish I could do what he's done in electrical engineering" (referring to Milan Vidmar. when Kramnik entered the school. Vladimir Akopian and Jaan Ehlvest. another grandmaster). the Kasparov/Botvinnik system in the Exchange Variation of the Queen's Gambit Declined.[93] Botvinnik's research on chess-playing programs concentrated on "selective searches".[87][88] Botvinnik was not an infallible spotter of chess talent: although he said of the 11-year old Kasparov. with a marked improvement in his own play. "The boy doesn't have a clue about chess. where he had his first major tournament win outside the USSR. the Botvinnik System in the English Opening. Garry Kasparov and Vladimir Kramnik. which were only capable of searching three or four half-moves http://en. and its graduates include world champions Anatoly Karpov.[79] and Kasparov inherited Botvinnik's emphasis on preparation. and made a favorable impression on his pupil. In his openings research Botvinnik did not aim to produce tactical tricks that would only be effective once but rather systems in which he aimed to understand typical positions and their possibilities better than his rivals. he made major contributions to those he did use. and other top-class players such as Alexei Shirov." In fact he used different notebooks in different periods. the Winawer Variation of the French Defence.wikipedia. he said on first seeing Karpov.org/wiki/Mikhail_Botvinnik 13/27 . and copied a few analyses from one notebook to the next. research and innovation.[89] Kasparov presents Botvinnik almost as a kind of father figure.[90] Botvinnik was still playing a major teaching role in his late 70s. and.[92] Computer chess In the 1950s Botvinnik became interested in computers.[85][86] In 1963 Botvinnik founded his own school within the Soviet coaching system. the Caro-Kann Defence (both the PanovBotvinnik Attack for White and various approaches for Black)."[2] But Karpov recounts fondly his youthful memories of the Botvinnik school and credits Botvinnik's training. and there's no future at all for him in this profession.3/29/2015 Mikhail Botvinnik . they adopted his combative approach and willingness to ignore "classical" principles if doing so offered credible prospects of a lasting advantage. This was the only feasible approach for the primitive computers available in the Soviet Union in the early 1960s. with a few adjustments.M. M. (1982).com/? id=Mwriu9JqfPQC&printsec=frontcover&dq=mikhail+botvinnik&q=). (1973). (1978). ed. ISBN 1-85744-122-2. Achieving the Aim. Cafferty. Marfia. and Stauss.M. M. Botvinnik on the Endgame.[94][95] However. Dover Publications. 1947–1970.. Half a Century of Chess.S. (1960). Botvinnik eventually developed an algorithm that was reasonably good at finding the right move in difficult positions.[97] Writings Chess Botvinnik. Coraopolis. M. Alekhine vs.M. ISBN 0-08-024123-9.google. B's move) if they tried to examine every variation. where it was possible to checkmate in two moves. (1996).. M. ISBN 0-931462-15-0. M. A's move. B. Botvinnik. ISBN 0-71340357-8. ISBN 0-486-22184-9. This "selective" approach turned out to be a dead end. M. U. Candidates' matches 1974. enabled it to plan maintenance of power stations all over the USSR. S. Botvinnik.. The Gruenfeld Defense.. K. Botvinnik's best games. as computers were powerful enough by the mid-1970s to perform a brute-force search (checking all possible moves) several moves deep and today's vastly more powerful computers do this well enough to compete against human world champions. Courier Dover.e. ed. 1991 Botvinnik was awarded an honorary degree in mathematics of the University of Ferrara (Italy) for his work on computer chess. Cafferty..M. M. Neat. Botvinnik.wikipedia. e. 1941: Complete text of games with detailed notes & an introduction. Anatoly Karpov: His Road to the World Championship. B. ISBN 978-80-7189-317-2. Elsevier. ed.M.M. Pennsylvania.. M. Moravian Chess. Chess Digest.Wikipedia. (1981).M. (1973). Botvinnik. his PIONEER program contained a generalized method of decision-making that. Botvinnik. Selected Games: 1967–1970.M. Euwe return match 1937.[96] On September 7.M. (1985). ISBN 0-08021139-9. Botvinnik. Botvinnik.M. B's move. (1972). Pergamon Press. Kazic. J. Botvinnik. Pergamon.g. K. Neat. Batsford. ed. Smyslov 1958.3/29/2015 Mikhail Botvinnik . A. (2000). ISBN 0-89058-017-0. B. Centar Za Unapredivanje Saha. E.. M. Botvinnik. (1973). Y. Botvinnik. but it often missed the right move in simple positions. M. M. ISBN 0-931462-43-6. (1980). M.A: Chess Enterprises. ed. the free encyclopedia deep (i. ISBN 0-08-024120-4.M. One hundred selected games (http://books. ed. A's move. Botvinnik.M.org/wiki/Mikhail_Botvinnik 14/27 . Retrieved 2009-08-14. (1974). M. M. Garry. Yudovich.. Chess Digest Magazine. Rhm Pr.M.. M. (1981). Matanovic. Botvinnik's Best Games Volume 1: 1925–1941.M.. Botvinnik. Soviet chess championship. Chess Enterprises. ISBN 0-48620620-3. Fifteen Games and Their Stories. World Championship: The Return Match Botvinnik vs. Estrin. Botvinnik. http://en. Cadogan Books. chessgames. Réti Opening. ISBN 0-387-90869-2. 1–0 (http://www. World Championship Return Match: Botvinnik V. Computers in Chess: Solving Inexact Search Problems.chessgames. ed. Computers Botvinnik. (1984). Moravian Chess. (2004). M. (2000). 0–1 (http://www. I. ISBN 80-7189-370-6. Leningrad-Moscow 1941. M.com/perl/chessgame? gid=1032104)[8] Long-term positional sacrifices. Moravian Chess. ISBN 3-283-00459-5. ed.Wikipedia. Neat. Springer Verlag. Keres vs Botvinnik.. 1–0[8] At first sight Botvinnik's opening play looks unpromising. 0–1 (http://www. (2000).Moscow 1961.M. M. ISBN 0-38790012-8.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1032787) A fireworks display starting with an exchange sacrifice on the c-file. Botvinnik.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1032736) Botvinnik shows his superior understanding of closed positions.wikipedia. USA vs USSR radio match 1945.M.M. Botvinnik demolishes a world title contender in 22 moves. Neat. ISBN 978-3-283-00461-3. ISBN 978-1-84382-012-3. (2004). Computers. Hardinge Simpole.M.chessgames. 1–0 (http://www. Botvinnik vs Keres. Botvinnik's Best Games Volume 3: 1957–1970 – Analytical & Critical Works. Match for the World Chess Championship Mikhail Botvinnik-David Bronstein Moscow 1951. AVRO 1938. Botvinnik. Botvinnik. Botvinnik. M.. Moscow 1935. a tactic on which Botvinnik wrote the http://en. Notable chess games Botvinnik vs Chekhover.com/perl/chessgame? gid=1031877)[18] Botvinnik vs Capablanca. Botvinnik. Botvinnik vs Portisch. Nimzoindian Defense. 1–0 (http://www. USSR Championship 1944. ISBN 80-7189-405-2. ed.chessgames. Tolush vs Botvinnik.org/wiki/Mikhail_Botvinnik 15/27 . M. Chess and Long-Range Planning. 0–1 (http://www. but he knew how his attack would develop. M. M. Monaco 1968. Alekhine Memorial Tournament Moscow 1966.M. Botvinnik..chessgames. the free encyclopedia Botvinnik. K.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1032050)[8] Playing as Black. Springer-Verlag. K. Championship Chess : Match Tournament for the Absolute Chess Championship of the USSR. Olms.com/perl/chessgame? gid=1032119) Botvinnik uses the Botvinnik System in the Semi-Slav Defense to bulldoze US champion Arnold Denker. Tal. Edition Olms.3/29/2015 Mikhail Botvinnik .chessgames.M. USSR Absolute Championship 1941. and when to open them. Nimzoindian Defense.M. Botvinnik's Best Games Volume 2: 1942–1956. (1970). Denker vs Botvinnik. (2002). Wikipedia. In the second "Score" column. "+" indicates the number of won games. the free encyclopedia book.[85] Tournament results The following table gives Botvinnik's placings and scores in tournaments.3/29/2015 Mikhail Botvinnik .org/wiki/Mikhail_Botvinnik — Notes Botvinnik estimates "about 10th out of 16".[20] Tournament unfinished[20] Tournament unfinished[20] 11½ +11 / 12 -0 =1 16/27 . Date Location Tournament Placing Score 1923 Leningrad School championship — — — 1924 Leningrad School championship 1st 5/6 +5 -1 =0 1924 Leningrad non-category 1st 11½ +11 / 13 -1 =1 1924 Leningrad 2B and 3rd Categories 1st 11½ +11 / 13 -1 =1 1924 Leningrad 2A Category — — 1925 Leningrad 2A and 1B Categories 1st 10 / +10 11 -1 =0 1925 Leningrad 1st Category 3rd 7½ / 11 +7 -3 =1 1925 Leningrad 1st Category — — — 1926 Leningrad Leningrad Championship.wikipedia. Semifinals 1st 1926 Leningrad Leningrad Championship 2nd= 7/9 +6 -1 =2 1926 Leningrad Northwest Provincial Championship. Semi-finals 2nd= 9/ 11 +8 -1 =2 http://en.[20] The first "Score" column gives the number of points on the total possible. "−" the number of losses. and "=" the number of draws. Semi-finals 3rd= 2½ / 5 +2 -2 =1 1930 Leningrad Masters' Tournament 1st 6½ / 8 +6 -1 =1 1931 Leningrad Leningrad Championship 1st 14 / +12 17 -1 =4 1931 Moscow 7th USSR Chess Championship. the free encyclopedia 1926 Leningrad Northwest Provincial Championship 3rd 6½ / 10 +4 -1 =5 1927 Leningrad Tournament of "Six" 2nd 7½ / 10 +6 -1 =3 1927 Moscow 5th USSR Chess Championship 5th= 12½ / 20 +9 -4 =7 1928 Leningrad Regional Metalworkers' Committee Championship 1st 8½ / 11 +7 -1 =3 1929 Leningrad Regional Committee of Educational Workers' Championship 1st 11½ / 14 +9 -0 =5 1929 Odessa 6th USSR Chess Championship. Quarter-finals 1st 7/8 +6 -0 =2 1929 Odessa 6th USSR Chess Championship.org/wiki/Mikhail_Botvinnik +6 -2 =1 17/27 .3/29/2015 Mikhail Botvinnik . Semi-finals 2nd 6½ / 9 1931 Moscow 7th USSR Chess Championship 1st 13½ +12 / 17 -2 =3 1932 Leningrad Leningrad Championship 1st 10 / 11 +9 -0 =2 1932 Leningrad Masters' Tournament in House of Scientists 1st 7/ 10 +6 -2 =2 1933 Leningrad Masters' Tournament 1st= 10 / 13 +7 -0 http://en.wikipedia.Wikipedia. AVRO tournament etc.Wikipedia. Semi-finals http://en. Moscow Absolute Chess Championship of the USSR 1st 13½ / 20 +9 -2 =9 1943 Sverdlovsk Masters' Tournament 1st 10½ / 14 +7 -0 =7 1943 Moscow Moscow Championship 1st 13½ +12 / 16 -1 =3 11th USSR Chess Championship. the free encyclopedia =6 1933 Leningrad 8th USSR Chess Championship 1st 14 / +11 19 -2 =6 1934 Leningrad Tournament including Euwe and Kmoch 1st 7½ / 11 +5 -1 =5 1934 Hastings Hastings International Chess Congress 5th= 5/9 +3 -2 =4 1935 Moscow 2nd International Tournament 1st= 13 / 19 +9 -2 =8 1936 Moscow 3rd International Tournament 2nd 12 / 18 +7 -1 =10 1936 Nottingham International Tournament 1st= 10 / 14 +6 -0 =8 1938 Leningrad 1st 14 / +12 17 -1 =4 1938 Amsterdam.3/29/2015 Mikhail Botvinnik . 3rd 7½ / 14 +3 -2 =9 1939 Leningrad 11th USSR Chess Championship 1st 12½ / 17 +8 -0 =9 1940 Moscow 12th USSR Chess Championship 5th= 11½ / 19 +8 -4 =7 1941 Leningrad.org/wiki/Mikhail_Botvinnik 18/27 .wikipedia. the free encyclopedia 1944 Moscow 13th USSR Chess Championship 1st 12½ +11 / 16 -2 =3 1945 Moscow 14th USSR Chess Championship 1st 15 / +13 17 -0 =4 1946 Groningen International Tournament 1st 14½ +13 / 19 -3 =3 1947 Moscow Tchigorin Memorial Tournament 1st 11 / 15 1948 The Hague.org/wiki/Mikhail_Botvinnik Defeated Taimanov in a play-off for first place. Moscow World Chess Championship Tournament 1st 14 / +10 20 -2 =8 1951 Moscow 19th USSR Chess Championship 5th 10 / 17 +6 -3 =8 1952 Budapest Maroczy Jubilee 3rd= 11 / 17 +7 -2 =8 1952 Moscow 20th USSR Chess Championship 1st= 13½ / 19 +9 -1 =9 1955 Moscow 22nd USSR Chess Championship 3rd= 11½ / 19 +7 -3 =9 1956 Moscow Alekhine Memorial 1st= 11 / 15 +8 -1 =6 1958 Wageningen International Tournament 1st 4/5 +3 -0 =2 International Chess Congress (Premier) 1st 8/9 +7 -0 =2 1961/2 Hastings +8 -1 =6 1962 Stockholm International Tournament 1st 8½ / 9 +8 -0 =1 1965 Noordwijk International Tournament 1st 6/7 +5 http://en.wikipedia. 19/27 .3/29/2015 Mikhail Botvinnik .Wikipedia. Wikipedia.3/29/2015 Mikhail Botvinnik . "+" indicates the number of won games. Match results Here are Botvinnik's results in matches. http://en. Each opponent was played four times. "−" the number of losses.org/wiki/Mikhail_Botvinnik 20/27 .wikipedia. the free encyclopedia -0 =2 1966 Amsterdam IBM Tournament 1966/7 Hastings International Chess Congress (Premier) 1st 7½ / 9 +7 -1 =1 1st 6½ / 9 +5 -1 =3 1967 Palma de Mallorca International Tournament 2nd= 12½ / 17 +9 -1 =7 1968 Monte Carlo International Tournament 2nd 9/ 13 +5 -0 =8 1969 Wijk aan Zee Hoogovens (Grandmaster Section) 1st= 10½ / 15 +6 -0 =9 1969 Belgrade International Tournament 7th 8½ / 15 +5 -3 =7 1970 Leiden Quadrangular Tournament 3rd= 5½ / 12 +1 -2 =9 Four players.[20] In the second "Score" column. and "=" the number of draws. B. "By character they were absolutely opposites.” She was apolitical. Achieving the Aim. ISBN 0-67400828-6. pp. Retrieved 2009-06-06. pp. 11. Mikhail Botvinnik: The Life and Games of a World Chess Champion. 10.org/wiki/Mikhail_Botvinnik 21/27 . the free encyclopedia Date Opponent Result Location Score Notes 1933 Salo Flohr Tied Moscow. Chess Champion and Teacher of Champions. "FirstMoves". M.com/? id=frDGHIxc4EUC&pg=PA180&dq=kuokkala#PPR8. R. "The Polytechnic". p. Viktor Korchnoi. 6. Olga.com/gst/fullpage. she found it hard to deal with the stress that he seemed to thrive on. and Ro'i. Leningrad 8½ / 12 +5 =7 −0 Training 1951 David Bronstein Tied Moscow 12 / 24 +5 =14 -5 World title 1952 Mark Taimanov Won Moscow 3½ / 6 +1 =5 -0 USSR Ch playoff 1954 Vasily Smyslov Tied Moscow 12 / 24 +7 =10 -7 World title 1957 Vasily Smyslov Lost Moscow 9½ / 22 +3 =13 -6 World title 1958 Vasily Smyslov Won Moscow 12½ / 23 +7 =11 -5 Rematch 1960 Mikhail Tal Lost Moscow 8½ / 21 +2 =13 -6 World title 1961 Mikhail Tal Won Moscow 13 / 21 +10 =6 -5 Rematch 1963 Tigran Petrosian Lost Moscow 9½ / 21 +2 =14 -5 World title Notes 1. pp. He was an ardent Marxist. 234–243. Achieving the Aim. Gayane was religious. Y. Revolution.. 4. 1995). How to Play the French Defence. Jr. pp. 180–181. R. Botvinnik. Retrieved 2009-06-06. Botvinnik. As time went by. (May 7. Cafferty. Retrieved 2009-06-06. André Deutsch (now as paperback from Dover). ISBN 0-7425-5817-7. The World's Great Chess Games. while Botvinnik was fond of saying. (2000).M1). 16–22. Leningrad 6 / 12 +2 =8 −2 Challenge 1937 Grigory Levenfish Tied Moscow./graphs/Botvinnik. Lenin: a biography (http://books. McG..htm). Rowman & Littlefield: the Soviet Jewish Experience. Cafferty. "Mikhail Botvinnik. by Wolfgang Uhlmann.json) 2.M. Dies at 83" (http://query.org/Elo/OFC/chart.” their only child.org/BELARUS/rje_b.olimpbase. Unofficial Elo rating list released Spring 1969 – from Olimpbase (http://www. (2007).Wikipedia.nytimes. Z. 3. "Russia from Far and Near".wikipedia. 113–119. pp. ISBN 9780786473373. Mikhail Botvinnik.html? ofc=. M.com/?id=Cd3RM6Emko0C&pg=PA118&dq=kuokkala+repino#PPA118. 1995.” He reveled in his “hard character.. 5. introduction http://en. 1975. 23–39.google. "Russian Jewish Encyclopedia" (http://www.%20Mikhail%20URS. “I am an atheist and a communist in the spirit of the first communist on earth. "Mikhail Botvinnik".. B.M1). 7. repression. (1952). R. "The Polytechnic". Beizer.google. Service. Thomas. In Gitelman. Fine. Jesus Christ. "The Jews of a Soviet Metropolis". Leningrad 6½ / 13 +5 =3 −5 Challenge 1940 Viacheslav Ragozin Won Moscow. 9. Harvard University Press. New York Times. pp. Andy Soltis (2014).3/29/2015 Mikhail Botvinnik ..M. and revival (http://books. RHM Press. and Anatoly Karpov. 74. Cafferty." 8. McFarland. recalled in 2012. M. 1–16.html?res=990CEEDC173BF934A35756C0A963958260). Achieving the Aim.jewishgen. B. M. Botvinnik.M. 1960). the free encyclopedia RHM Press. E.endgame..com/perl/chesscollection?cid=1009466). 15.html).aol.nl/AVRO1938. M. The World's Great Chess Games. "The Match that was Never Played".M.htm).com/? id=ffpPAYq7Kr0C&pg=PA142&dq=perm+molotov). The sources agree that Botvinnik was only 2 points short of white-washing his opposition. Horoscopes of Europe (http://books. But Chessmetrics says the score was 16/18. Khariton. 142. http://en. R. Courier Dover Publications.wikipedia. (1952).aol.M. One Hundred Selected Games. 29.google. (1949. 192–200. Achieving the Aim. "The Match that was Never Played". "Interregnum" (http://www. Check date values in: |date=(help) 21. (1995)... "Max Euwe".htm). pp. "Chess Matches: from Lopez to Kramnik" (http://www. M. 23. Retrieved 2009-06-11.com/graemecree/chesschamps/ussr/ussr14. E.Wikipedia.chessgames. Moscow 1945" (http://web.org/wiki/Mikhail_Botvinnik 22/27 . Achieving the Aim.. B. Fine. (2006). Twelve Great Chess Players and Their Best Games. 78–80. "AVRO 1938" (http://www.. Cafferty. Cafferty. Golombek. "The Match that was Never Played". but disagree about the number of games played. Cree. M.htm). Cafferty. p. Chernev. 25. 41–62. the Mikhail Botvinnik results file 13. Botvinnik. M.M. B. H. http://www. "Sverdlovsk 1943" (http://www. Retrieved 2009-08-14.aol. 269–270.com/games/78-639-lev-kharitonthe-battle-that-never-was-read. 24.com/winter/extra/interregnum. Based on Botvinnik's memoirs. S. Retrieved 2008-05-23. Chess History Center. 31. Botvinnik. "The Soviet Chess Championship 1920–1991" (http://web. 30. 16. (2004-12-29). Achieving the Aim. "A Nod For A Title" (http://sportsillustrated. pp. pp.htm) on January 27. ISBN 0-48628674-6. ISBN 0-86690567-7. 69–74.endgame. Cafferty. 27. 1975. 81–86. Retrieved 2009-06-07.com.3/29/2015 Mikhail Botvinnik . pp. "Results in Tournaments and Matches". Botvinnik. Cafferty. "Triumphant Return". I. pp. Botvinnik.archive.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1071370/index. Stevens.archive. 75–76. Winter. B. 2008. André Deutsch (now as paperback from Dover). Bell & Sons. Retrieved 2009-06-06.com/graemecree/chesschamps/ussr/ussr14. B.chesshistory. B. G. M. pp.aol. by Mikhail Botvinnik.chessmetrics.htm) on January 27.htm). There is a full tournament table giving Botvinnik a score of 15/17 at "14th USSR Championship.asp? Params=199510SSSSS3S015154000000121100222100000010100). Archived from the original (http://members.com/cm/CM2/SingleEvent. but scored only 1/3 as he then retired from the tournament.M.shtml). pp.org/web/20080128115927/http://members. G. American Federation of Astrology. Dover Publishers 17. 19.. (May 30.nl/match. 20. "Lev Khariton:The Battle That Never Was" (http://ryxi. at "Event Details: Moscow (URS Championship). Achieving the Aim. Botvinnik. introduction 12. (1959). 203–249. 22. 1945" (http://chessmetrics.org/web/20080128115927/http://members. Penfield. translation published 1960). 2008. Archived from the original (http://members. One Hundred Selected Games (to 1946). Botvinnik. 28. Sports Illustrated.M. 26. Retrieved 2009-06-11. L.htm). Dover. Capablanca's Hundred Best Games of Chess. "The Match that was Never Played". 14.M. Achieving the Aim. Garry. M. 18. M. 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I. 2008).com/newsdetail.com/text/skittles208.asp? newsid=2409). 89 73. M.com/reviews/StoryofaChessPlayer.chesscafe.geocities. ISBN 3-283-00459-5. (1967). ISBN 0-689-12060-5. especially Botvinnik vs Portisch." – "Yuri Averbakh: An Interview with History. "An Imaginative Tactician Who Was at Ease in Complexity" (http://query. London 1972 http://en. M. translated by Bernard Cafferty. 91. (2004).htm).pdf) (PDF). New York Times. (1954). 194–195.htm).co. Penguin Books. p. A. 74. Hardinge Simpole.com/SiliconValley/Lab/7378/radio. "The Unfortunate Fate of Salo Flohr" (http://www.K. 77.chessville. ISBN 0-486-20620-3.3/29/2015 Mikhail Botvinnik . Secret Matches: The Unknown Training Games of Mikhail Botvinnik (http://www.co. My Great Predecessors.archive. 75. The Story of a Chess Player (http://www. Olms.com/SiliconValley/Lab/7378/radio. G. Ehlvest. J. In Neat.M.M.com/misc/History/PastPawns/UnfortunateFateofSaloFlohr. (2004). The URL links to a review. Chernev. 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External links Mikhail Botvinnik (http://www.wikipedia. By using this site.org/wiki/Mikhail_Botvinnik 27/27 .nl/media/7535/simultaan-schaken) Achievements Vacant Interregnum of World Chess Champions Title last held by World Chess Champion 1948–1957 Succeeded by Vasily Smyslov Preceded by Vasily Smyslov World Chess Champion 1958–1960 Succeeded by Mikhail Tal Preceded by Mikhail Tal World Chess Champion 1961–1963 Succeeded by Tigran Petrosian Alexander Alekhine Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.html?res=990CEEDC173BF934A35756C0A963958260).nytimes. Inc.3/29/2015 Mikhail Botvinnik . New York Times.com/perl/chessplayer? pid=11207) player profile and games at Chessgames. http://en. the free encyclopedia 83" (http://query.asp?newsid=7465) ChessBase.com/gst/fullpage. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. 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