Vladimir Zbandutto vs Mikhail Botvinnik (1924)

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Vladimir Zbandutto vs Mikhail Botvinnik
Leningrad 2nd cat (1924)
Spanish Game: Closed Variations. Chigorin Defense (C98) · 1/2-1/2

ANALYSIS [x]

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Jan-04-12		Knight13: They played pretty well for 2nd category players. Games such as this just goes on to show how inflated today's rating system is.

Jan-04-12		falso contacto: Che nome strano questo qui.

Nov-01-17		Sergash: Zbandutto was born in 1904 and Botvinnik in 1911. So, when this game was played, Zbandutto was 18 or 19 years old, while Botvinnik was only 12 or 13. Zbandutto died in 1959, aged only 55, which is pretty young. Botvinnik died in 1995, at 83 years old. <13...Nd8> This line might be inferior to <13...Na5 14.b3 Bd7 15.Nf1 Rfb8 ⩲> as in the game <Triantafyllos Siaperas (2385) - Ion Balanel, Moscow Olympiads (USSR) 1956 (Men), qualif. Group D, round 7 - Greece vs Romania, 0-1>, though it did not exist in 1924... <15.Bg5 h6> Trading this bishop on f6 doesn't seem to be in the spirit of the Ruy Lopez, in which the bishop pair is important (hence I could not find it played in an earlier game, nor in any serious game since). More commendable would be <15.b3> in order to answer <15...c4> with <16.b4 ⩲> denying the black knight access to c5. <Viktor Moseev (2370) - W. Massing, Kecskemet Open (Hungary) 1990, 1-0>. Instead of <15...h6>, after which White could have retreated the bishop instead of trading it with <16.Bxf6?! Bxf6▢=> (16.Bd2 Bd7 17.Ng3 ⩲ Stockfish 8 - 64 bits POPCNT), Black could also have played <15...c4 16.Qe2 Bd7=/ ⩲> followed with Nc5. Stockfish 8 - 64 bits POPCNT. <17...Bd7=> Stronger seems to be <17...c4! ⩱> to immediately get the c5 square for the knight. Stockfish 8 - 64 bits POPCNT. <18.g4?! g6 ⩱> Again, better is <18.b3=> Stockfish 8 - 64 bits POPCNT. <19...Bg7?!=> Seems logical, but this bishop would be better on e7, thus <19...Kg7 ⩱> Stockfish 8 - 64 bits POPCNT. <20.Qd2 Nc5 21.Rag1 a5=/ ⩱> More precise seems <20.Qe2 Rae8=> Stockfish 8 - 64 bits POPCNT. <23.Kf1?> White's plan cannot be clearer! But here, this is a faulty execution. This is the first serious mistake by the older teenager. It was better to target the ♙/c4: <23.Qe2 Qc8=/ ⩱> Stockfish 8 - 64 bits POPCNT. <23...Rab8?! 24.a3 ⩱> Young Botvinnik missed a tactical opportunity here: <23...b4! 24.Bb1> (24.a3 bxa3! 25.bxa3 Rab8 ∓) <Rab8 ∓> Stockfish 8 - 64 bits POPCNT. This ends the analysis of the opening and the first half of the game. During this part, Botvinnik had the upper hand over his elder.

Nov-02-17		Sergash: 2ND PART! <23...Rab8? 24.a3?!> I worsened my evaluation of Black's 23rd move. As for White: stick to the plan! Do not let the opponent distract you from it! <24.h4! b4 25.h5! g5 26.Kg2! Qc8 27.Nh2=> Stockfish 8 - 64 bits POPCNT. <24...Na6?! 25.h4 b4 26.h5 g5=> Apparently played so the ♙/c4 will be protected by the queen when b5-b4 will be played. Still <24...Rb7 25.h4! b4! 26.axb4 axb4 27.cxb4! Nd3! 28.Bxd3 cxd3 ⩱> Stockfish 8 - 64 bits POPCNT. Position after 27...Nf5?? Black wins! click for larger view <27.Nf5??> Incredible, this apparently plausible move loses the game! White could have played, amongst other moves: A- <27.Kg2 b3 28.Bb1▢> (this bishop is guarding d3 and e4) <Nc5=> Stockfish 8 - 64 bits POPCNT; B- <27.Qe2 b3 28.Bb1> (28.Bd1 Nc5! (Beware of opening the a6-f1 diagonal leading to the white king!) 29.Nf5! Kh7=) <Nc5=> Stockfish 8 - 64 bits POPCNT. After 27.Nf5?? Botvinnik was now winning and played <27...Bxf5?? 28.gxf5!=/ ⩱> to eliminate this threatening knight. Maybe there was also a zeitnot (time pressure to reach the time control) involved, as we are getting close to move 30. What should Botvinnik have played is the question! <27...bxa3! 28.bxa3 Rb2!> And here: A- <29.Kg2! Bxf5! 30.gxf5 Nc5-+>; B- <29.Ne7+? Kh8! 30.Qc1 Rfb8-+>; C- <29.Qe2 Rfb8 30.Kg2 Nc5! 31.Rb1 Bxf5! 32.gxf5 Nd3-+>; D- <29.Ne3 Ra2! 30.Kg2 Nc5▢-+> followed with Nxe4. All lines validated with Stockfish 8 - 64 bits POPCNT. <28...f6> Botvinnik is giving up on winning this game. <28...Kh7! 29.Kg2 b3! 30.Bd1! Nc5=/ ⩱> Stockfish 8 - 64 bits POPCNT. <29...Rb6?!> Better to complete the blockade at this point: <29...b3! 30.Bd1> (or 30.Bb1 a4=) <Nc5!=> Stockfish 8 - 64 bits POPCNT. <30.Rc1?! bxa3 31.bxa3▢ Nc5=> Stronger is <30.axb4! Rfb8!> (if 30...axb4 31.Ra1! b3 32.Bd1▢ Nc5! 33.Qe3 ±) <31.Ra1 axb4▢ 32.Qe2! ⩲/ ±> Stockfish 8 - 64 bits POPCNT. <35...Be7?!> Better was <35...Nxd2 36.Qxd2> (or 36.Rxb6 Rxb6 37.Qxd2 Be7=) <Be7=> Stockfish 8 - 64 bits POPCNT. <36.Rb2?! Nxd2! 37.Rxb6▢ Rxb6 38.Qxd2=> Another missed opportunity: <36.Bxb3! cxb3 37.Rb2! ±/ ⩲> Stockfish 8 - 64 bits POPCNT. The remainder of the game is relatively balanced and I presume Zbandutto offered the draw to Botvinnik after playing the last move.

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