Mikhail Botvinnik vs David Bronstein (1951)

Mikhail Botvinnik vs David Bronstein
Botvinnik-Bronstein World Championship Match (1951) · French Defense: Tarrasch Variation. Open System (C07) · 1/2-1/2

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Sep-20-06		Resignation Trap: Botvinnik came right back with another course in positive thinking with his pre-game advice to himself: "Play efficiently. Don't blunder. Endeavour, finally, to obtain something by the 20th move, and not a lost game. It's not a matter of the number of pieces, but of pressure. Calculate carefully - don't believe him - he may miscalculate. Press to the end! Let's go for a win! The first 16 moves in one hour."

Sep-20-06		Resignation Trap: Botvinnik disappointed himself again with this game. This is what he had to say in his journal: "Contrary to expectations, played comparatively decently, although managed very badly with time. I analyzed weakly, but he found the maneuver ...Bf6-e7-c5 and saved the game. In the end I blundered slightly, but nevertheless gained a draw. 'Did we look at that?!' I must say to Slava. He defended well, but in time trouble he always plays superficially. The only result of my two days' work is that perhaps I weaned him of the habit of playing the Dutch. *** He deceived me! On the resumption his very first move was a showy one, but I (having overlooked the move 42...Rd8) did not take the pawn!!! A nightmare!!! The moral - analyze by meself, and only then listen to my seconds." --- <RT> "Slava" = Viacheslav Ragozin

Feb-20-12		plang: According to this database 9 0-0 was new although it doesn't seem to change the character of the position; the whole line with 5 Bb5+ and 6 Qe2+ seems pretty harmless for Black. Levenfish thought 13..Ba7 would have been better eyeing the d4 square; Bronstein's quote: "This last move-the retreat of the bishop to its initial position-emphasizes the difference in tastes of the two opponents. Black does not even attempt to fight for the d4 square but on the other hand he carefully observes all the squares around the d5 pawn. And the pawn? It defends itself, as long as it is within range of the ensemble of black pieces." Botvinnik may have overlooked 29..Qf4!; 30 Rxd5 could have been answered with 30..Ng3 31 Qd1 (31 fxg..Re1+ 32 Kh2..Qf1)..Ne2+ 32 Kh1..h5 and Black has the initiative. The complications after 31 c4..h5 32 Rxd5..Qc7 33 Ne3..Bh6 34 Rd3..Qf4 35 Qe1..Nxf2 would have favored Black. It would have been better for Bronstein to keep his rook active with 33..Re5. Bronstein's easiest path to a draw would have been 40..Kg7 41 c4..Kf6 42 Nb3..b6 43 cxd..Ke5; instead after 40..Bg7?! he had to work a lot harder to earn it. 50..b6?! was clumsy depriving Black of the opportunity of switching his rook to the queenside; 50..Re6 would have been better. The rook ending after Botvinnik's 58 Re1? was drawn; either 58 Rg4 or 58 Rg2 would have maintained winning chances.

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