Pal Benko vs Mikhail Botvinnik (1968)

Pal Benko vs Mikhail Botvinnik
Monaco 1968 · English Opening: Great Snake Variation (A10) · 0-1

To move:

Last move:

explore this opening	find similar games	2 more Benko/Botvinnik games
sac: 26...Qh5	PGN: download \| view	Help: general \| java-troubleshooting

TIP: Some people don't like to know the result of the game in advance. This can be done by registering a free account then visiting your preferences page, then checking "Don't show game results".

For help with this chess viewer, please see the Pgn4web Quickstart Guide.

Dec-12-05		KingG: According to Bill Hartston in 'Teach Yourself Better Chess'(not a bad little book by the way), Botvinnik explained the 5 stages of his winning strategy as follows(starting from the position after White's 13th move). <(1) Exchange pawns immediately on e4 in order to ensure that White recaptures with the pawn rather than the bishop(since 13...fxe4 14.Bxe4 Nf5 favours Black). (2) Exchange light-squared bishops with Bh3, to eliminate a defender of e4. (3) Play exf4, forcing the recapture with the g-pawn. (4) Attack the e-pawn with Re8. (5) Meet Ng3(defending the pawn) with h5 and h4, when the weakness of the e-pawn and white king must prove decisive.> And then at the end he adds: <And if White had played 14.Bxe4, or 16.cxd6, or 18.Bxf4, or 19.Nbc3 instead of the moves in the game? Well then, of course, Black would have followed a totally different plan and written an equally lucid, but totally different note to the position in the diagram(after White's 13th move).>

Dec-12-05		Goran: Thank you for posting these comments. Very useful.

Jan-30-06		refutor: <anenglishman> where do you think white went wrong? as early as f4?

Feb-26-10		echector: Refutor, f4 is completely correct. Both sides played brilliantly except for white's inaccuracy on move 19,(Nec3 would have been better) and the blunder Rf4?. Until then, it was a sharp, roughly equal position.

Feb-26-10		ray keene: i once had the chance to emulate botvinniks play in this line and i followed his recipe to the letter --see the game <andriessen v keene dutch league 1979> in this database-however andriessen played in my opinion better than benko and better than botvinniks indicated plans-in fact i won from a worse position when white blundered having previously played very well indeed-its worth taking a look.

Feb-27-10		Chessical: Link: W Andriessen vs Keene, 1979 <GM Keene> you can add the link to the game simply by copying and then pasting the http address of the target game in your browser's window onto the Comment box.

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 game 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.

Spot an error? Please submit a correction slip and help us eliminate database mistakes!
This game is type: CLASSICAL (Disagree? Please submit a correction slip.)

Featured in the Following Game Collections [what is this?]

Game 79
from Garry Kasparov's On My Great Predecessors (2) by AdrianP

Mikhail Botvinnik's Best Games
by KingG

Game 310
from Guess-the-Move Chess: 1960-1979 (Part 4) by Anatoly21

Peter R's Modern Defense
by Peter R