WCC Overview

1886 - Steinitz-Zukertort World Championship Match 1889 - Steinitz-Chigorin World Championship Match 1890 - Steinitz-Gunsberg World Championship Match 1892 - Steinitz-Chigorin World Championship Rematch 1894 - Lasker-Steinitz World Championship 1896 - Lasker-Steinitz World Championship Rematch 1907 - Lasker-Marshall World Championship Match 1908 - Lasker-Tarrasch World Championship Match 1910 - Lasker-Schlechter World Championship Match 1910 - Lasker-Janowski World Championship Match 1921 - Lasker-Capablanca World Championship Match 1927 - Capablanca-Alekhine World Championship Match 1929 - Alekhine-Bogoljubov World Championship Match 1934 - Alekhine-Bogoljubov World Championship Rematch 1935 - Alekhine-Euwe World Championship Match 1937 - Euwe-Alekhine World Championship Rematch 1948 - FIDE World Championship Tournament 1951 - Botvinnik-Bronstein World Championship Match 1954 - Botvinnik-Smyslov World Championship Match 1957 - Botvinnik-Smyslov World Championship Return Match 1958 - Botvinnik-Smyslov World Championship Rematch 1960 - Tal-Botvinnik World Championship Match 1961 - Tal-Botvinnik World Championship Return Match 1963 - Petrosian-Botvinnik World Championship Match 1966 - Petrosian-Spassky World Championship Match 1969 - Petrosian-Spassky World Championship Rematch 1972 - Fischer-Spassky World Championship Match 1975 - Karpov-Fischer World Championship Match 1978 - Karpov-Korchnoi World Championship Match 1981 - Karpov-Korchnoi World Championship Rematch 1984 - Karpov-Kasparov World Championship Match 1985 - Karpov-Kasparov World Championship Match 1986 - Karpov-Kasparov World Championship Rematch 1987 - Kasparov-Karpov World Championship Match 1990 - Kasparov-Karpov World Championship Match 1993 - Karpov-Timman FIDE World Championship † 1993 - Kasparov-Short World Championship Match 1995 - Kasparov-Anand World Championship Match 1996 - Karpov-Kamsky FIDE World Championship † 1998 - Karpov-Anand World Championship Match † 1999 - FIDE World Championship Knockout Tournament † 2000 - FIDE World Championship Knockout Tournament † 2000 - Kasparov-Kramnik World Championship Match 2001 - FIDE World Championship Knockout Tournament † 2004 - FIDE World Championship Knockout Tournament † 2004 - Kramnik-Leko World Championship Match 2005 - FIDE World Championship Tournament † 2006 - Kramnik-Topalov World Championship Match 2007 - FIDE World Championship Tournament 2008 - Anand-Kramnik World Championship Match 2010 - Anand-Topalov World Chess Championship 2012 - Anand-Gelfand World Chess Championship

<< previous HISTORY OF THE WORLD CHESS CHAMPIONSHIP next >>

Botvinnik vs Smyslov Return Match 1957 Moscow At the 1956 Amsterdam Candidates Tournament, a ten player double round robin, Vasily Smyslov again emerged victorious +6 -1 =11, 1.5 points ahead of Keres.     Vasily Smyslov This earned Smyslov the right to challenge Mikhail Botvinnik for a second time. The title match was held at Moscow, March 1957. In this match, and again in 1958, Botvinnik played without the use of a second. During the 1954 match, Botvinnik felt that Smyslov was too ready for prepared variations that he (Botvinnik) had never played before. Believing that his second was leaking information, and unwilling to trust anyone else, Botvinnik played the next two matches alone.1 By the half way point, Smyslov had a two point lead. In 22 games, Smyslov achieved 12.5 points and became the 7th World Chess Champion. click on a game number to replay game 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 Botvinnik 0 ½ ½ 1 1 0 ½ 0 ½ ½ ½ 0 1 ½ ½ ½ 0 ½ ½ 0 ½ ½ Smyslov 1 ½ ½ 0 0 1 ½ 1 ½ ½ ½ 1 0 ½ ½ ½ 1 ½ ½ 1 ½ ½ FINAL SCORE:  Smyslov 12½;  Botvinnik 9½ Reference: game collection WCC Index [Botvinnik-Smyslov 1957] NOTABLE GAMES   [what is this?]     · Game #17     Botvinnik vs Smyslov, 1957     0-1     · Game #6     Smyslov vs Botvinnik, 1957     1-0     · Game #13     Botvinnik vs Smyslov, 1957     1-0 1 World Chess Championships by Graeme Cree

page 1 of 1; 13 games    Game   Result Moves Year Event/Locale Opening 1. Botvinnik vs Smyslov ½-½ 23 1957 Botvinnik-Smyslov World Championship Return Match A07 King's Indian Attack 2. Botvinnik vs Smyslov ½-½ 41 1957 Botvinnik-Smyslov World Championship Return Match E63 King's Indian, Fianchetto, Panno Variation 3. Smyslov vs Botvinnik ½-½ 11 1957 Botvinnik-Smyslov World Championship Return Match C11 French 4. Botvinnik vs Smyslov ½-½ 13 1957 Botvinnik-Smyslov World Championship Return Match E60 King's Indian Defense 5. Smyslov vs Botvinnik ½-½ 45 1957 Botvinnik-Smyslov World Championship Return Match B62 Sicilian, Richter-Rauzer 6. Botvinnik vs Smyslov ½-½ 15 1957 Botvinnik-Smyslov World Championship Return Match A36 English 7. Smyslov vs Botvinnik ½-½ 55 1957 Botvinnik-Smyslov World Championship Return Match C98 Ruy Lopez, Closed, Chigorin 8. Botvinnik vs Smyslov ½-½ 56 1957 Botvinnik-Smyslov World Championship Return Match E45 Nimzo-Indian, 4.e3, Bronstein (Byrne) Variation 9. Botvinnik vs Smyslov ½-½ 40 1957 Botvinnik-Smyslov World Championship Return Match E62 King's Indian, Fianchetto 10. Smyslov vs Botvinnik ½-½ 47 1957 Botvinnik-Smyslov World Championship Return Match C98 Ruy Lopez, Closed, Chigorin 11. Smyslov vs Botvinnik ½-½ 46 1957 Botvinnik-Smyslov World Championship Return Match C18 French, Winawer 12. Smyslov vs Botvinnik ½-½ 62 1957 Botvinnik-Smyslov World Championship Return Match C15 French, Winawer 13. Botvinnik vs Smyslov ½-½ 23 1957 Botvinnik-Smyslov World Championship Return Match E45 Nimzo-Indian, 4.e3, Bronstein (Byrne) Variation   REFINE SEARCH:   White wins (1-0) | Black wins (0-1) | Draws (1/2-1/2)

Sep-18-06    Resignation Trap: Here's a photo of game 17 in progress: http://www.rebel.nl/smyslov/photo19... . Sep-18-06    positionalgenius: <Resignation Trap>Thanks for the link,thats a cool photo. Sep-19-06    Chess Classics: I wonder if you can contribute Botvinnik's collapse in this match to not having played with a second. On the other hand, he did win back the title 3 years later under the same circumstances. Regards, CC Sep-19-06    Maatalkko: Botvinnik had good reason to be suspicious of his second. I remember one famous game that Kasparov had annotated, in which Smyslov as Black had very deep prep for a kind of KID that Botvinnik hadn't yet used. Botvinnik vs Smyslov, 1954. Oct-29-06    talisman: what was the second's name? Dec-12-06    Ch3ckmate: what meaning or tasks does the "second" have? Dec-12-06    code13: The second's main task was to help with analysis. In particular adjournment analysis. Dec-12-06    Ch3ckmate: <code13> thanks for answering my questions Feb-11-07    Open Defence: wow a lot of decisive games... for both sides.... Feb-11-07    talisman: <Open Defence> take a look at the 24th game from the 1st match.any idea why smyslov would offer draw? or agree to a draw? Mar-19-08    Knight13: This match is really good. Mar-20-08    positionalgenius: <Knight13> Yes- they are legends of the game... Sep-30-08    Whitehat1963: In four of the five short "grandmaster" draws in this match, Botvinnik played white. I can only guess he was tired and needed a break and that Smyslov was happy to oblige. Are there other explanations? Feb-07-09    bluberry66: wowww Feb-07-09    bluberry66: people he was doing fine Sep-17-09    Pawn and Two: In the above opening comments, it states that Botvinnik used no seconds for either the 1957 or 1958 title matches with Smyslov. However, in "The World Chess Championships of 1957 and 1958", by Harry Golombek, he states that Botvinniks's seconds for the 1957 match were Averbakh and Goldberg, and just Goldberg for the 1958 match. In addition to writing a book on these matches, Golombek was in attendance as an International Judge. Perhaps Averbakh and Goldberg were seconds in name only. Does anybody have additional information regarding Botvinnik's use or not use of seconds in the 1957 & 1958 title matches? Sep-17-09    suenteus po 147: <<Ch3ckmate: what meaning or tasks does the "second" have?> code13: The second's main task was to help with analysis. In particular adjournment analysis.> Actually, the second's main task is to fetch cheese sandwiches and beer :) Apr-05-10    thegoodanarchist: <suenteus po 147: Actually, the second's main task is to fetch cheese sandwiches and beer :)> Bent Larsen said, "Mayny people don't understand the role of a second. Their most important function is to bring their player milk and cheese sandwiches. This is what Edmonson did for Fischer". -- "How to Get Better at Chess: Chess Masters on Their Art", pp. 65-66 Apr-24-11    bronkenstein: <Their most important function is to bring their player milk and cheese sandwiches> :) BTW Botvinnik´s finest game of the match , in his opinnion , was 13th , and almost no kibitzing there ...? I tried to remember some of the comments on that one from his autobiography , and paraphrase them there atleast . Jun-10-11    AVRO38: This was the first decisive title match in 20 years. Smyslov actually winning a title match before Botvinnik. Jun-16-11    AVRO38: This is also the first World Championship match without a Queen's Gambit game!

NOTE: You need to pick a username and password to post a reply. Getting your account takes less than a minute, totally anonymous, and 100% free--plus, it entitles you to features otherwise unavailable. Pick your username now and join the chessgames community! If you already have an account, you should login now.

Please observe our posting guidelines: No obscene, racist, sexist, or profane language. No spamming, advertising, or duplicating posts. No personal attacks against other users. Nothing in violation of United States law. See something which violates our rules? Blow the whistle and inform an administrator. NOTE: Keep all discussion on the topic of this page. This forum is for this specific tournament and nothing else. If you want to discuss chess in general, or this site, you might try the Kibitzer's Café.

Messages posted by Chessgames members do not necessarily represent the views of Chessgames.com, its employees, or sponsors.