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

White to move.

ANALYSIS [x]

Notes by Stockfish 8 v270317 (minimum 6s/ply)better is 14.c4 ⩲ +0.86 (31 ply)= +0.32 (33 ply)better is 24...Qb7 25.Kg2 Qc8 26.Kf1 b4 27.axb4 axb4 28.cxb4 Na6 = -0.27 (24 ply)= +0.29 (28 ply) 27.Qe2 Nc5 28.Nd2 bxa3 29.bxa3 Bb5 30.Ndxc4 Rfc8 31.Kg2 = 0.00 (29 ply) 27...bxa3 28.bxa3 Rb2 29.Kg2 Nc5 30.Qc1 Rfb8 31.Rd1 Bxf5 ∓ -1.65 (25 ply)= -0.10 (32 ply)better is 35...Nxd2 36.Qxd2 Qc5 37.Qe2 Rb2 38.Rxb2 Rxb2 39.Ra1 Be7 = +0.33 (34 ply)better is 36.Bxb3 cxb3 37.Rb2 Bd8 38.Qd3 R6b7 39.Ra1 Kg7 40.Ra3 ⩲ +0.85 (30 ply)= +0.16 (42 ply)better is 41...Qa3 42.Qc2 Qa1 43.Kg3 Kf8 44.Kf3 Kf7 45.Qd2 Qb1 = 0.00 (49 ply)better is 42.Qb2 Ke7 43.Kg3 Ba7 44.Bg4 Kd8 45.Bh3 Qb6 46.Qxb6+ ⩲ +0.51 (49 ply)better is 42...Qa3 43.Kg2 Bc5 44.Qc2 Ke7 45.Kf1 Qa1 46.Kg2 Qa3 = 0.00 (47 ply) ⩲ +0.56 (52 ply); 43...Kd8 44.Bg4 Ba7 45.Bh3 Kc7 46.Bf1 Qb6 47.Qxb6+ Bxb6 ⩲ +0.51 (53 ply)1/2-1/2

rnbqkbnr/pppppppp/8/8/8/8/PPPPPPPP/RNBQKBNR w KQkq - 0 1

FEN COPIED

Annotations by Stockfish (Computer). [35434 more games annotated by Stockfish]

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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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