Mikhail Tal vs Mikhail Botvinnik (1961) Ironed Logician

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Mikhail Tal vs Mikhail Botvinnik
"Ironed Logician" (game of the day Mar-22-2011)
Tal - Botvinnik World Championship Rematch (1961), Moscow URS, rd 8, Mar-31
Caro-Kann Defense: Advance Variation. Botvinnik-Carls Defense (B12) · 1-0

ANALYSIS [x]

FEN COPIED

Given 65 times; par: 48 [what's this?]

Annotations by Stockfish (Computer). [35435 more games annotated by Stockfish]

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< Earlier Kibitzing · PAGE 3 OF 5 · Later Kibitzing>
Feb-27-08		Bobsterman3000: Tal's games are so beautiful, geometrically speaking. The pieces literally dance on the board!

Feb-27-08		just a kid: I got Nd7!

Feb-27-08		Steve Case: I got Nd7 too and I ain't no kid. My rule is, I allow myself to post if I get the first move. Anyway I did see most of the Queening possibilities and had it been my game I might have arrived at the final result. But I sure didn't "see" it all the way from that first knight move.

Feb-27-08		xrt999: so that explains why we havent heard from you in a while

Feb-27-08		patzer2: For this Wednesday's, Feb 27, 2008 puzzle solution, Tal initiates a winning passed pawn combination with 29. Nd7+! Botvinnik immediately resigned the lost Black position in the face of such possiblities as <29. Nd7+!> Bxd7 [29... Kc7 30. b6+ Kd8 (30... Kd6 31. cxb7 Rxc2 32. b8=Q+ Ke7 33. Ne5 ) 31. cxb7 Rxc2 32. b8=Q+ ] 30. cxd7 Rd8 31. Rc8+ Rxc8 32. Ra8+ Kxa8 33. dxc8=Q+ Ka7 34. Qc5+ .

Feb-27-08		Steve Case: That's correct Mr. 999 I'm most likely mute until Monday.

Feb-28-08		kevin86: I missed the solution. At least I didn't fall for : 29 ♖a8+?? ♔xa8 30 c7,then ♖d1 is mate.OUCH!!

Mar-24-08		Knight13: I thought I saw 29...Nd7+ 30. Bxd7 cxd7 31. Rd8 32. Ra8+ Kxa8 33. Rc8+.

Jan-27-09		Paraconti: And what did Botvinnik have to say about this loss? he seems to say a lot about his wins.

Oct-10-09		WhiteRook48: Botvinnik pretends his losses don't happen

Mar-24-10		thegoodanarchist: Looks more like a blitz WC game than a classical. Final position, Black must part with a rook to avoid mate.

Mar-22-11		Oceanlake: Black played a poor variation from the get-go (move 3, as has been pointed out).

Mar-22-11		sevenseaman: Wonderful game! "Ironed Logician" goes over my head!

Mar-22-11		squlpt: Botvinnik was sometimes referred to as the Iron Logician due to his highly logical play. In this case he was flattened though(ironed)

Mar-22-11		Llawdogg: Wow! 27 Nd7+! I wonder what went through Botvinnik's mind when Tal played that sacrifice.

Mar-22-11		Travis Bickle: What a masterpiece by Tal!

Mar-22-11		HeMateMe: "Misha, Misha, Misha!" [Only for TV Land devotees.]

Mar-22-11		paavoh: Among the best puns I've seen recently!

Mar-22-11		kevin86: This looks like a puzzle returned as a pun. Who says that life has no second acts? lol I knew black was in trouble with the open file and invading pawns.

Mar-22-11		goodevans: <kevin86: This looks like a puzzle returned as a pun.> L Milman vs J Fang, 2005 has been a puzzle twice and GOTD once. Candidate for the most recycled game? Great game though and well worth a look if you're one of the few that haven't seen it yet.

Mar-22-11		Penguincw: No sacrifices?

Mar-22-11		thegoodanarchist: A wonderful game to revisit

Mar-22-11		ajile: Black spent too much time moving the pawns in front of his king. 15..a5? and 17..a4? When castle opposite aren't you supposed to run your pawns from the other side to the king?

Mar-22-11		brankat: For fairness sake it would be useful to check the other games of the match. Botvinnik - Tal: 10 w...5 l...5 d. For a total of: 12.5 - 7.5. In the end, it was 25 years older Botvinnik who did the Ironing.

Jun-28-11		DrMAL: Amazing game one of my favorites. Tal trades black two bishops for two knights in order to gain some long term shakiness to black's king safety. Early 5.Qg4 seems to have magically foreseen this as it underlines the theme not yet apparent. Black probably should not have castled, with the central pawn structure f7 and e6 versus e5 already closed, black's king is likely safer in the center. 15...a5 further weakens black's king safety and 17...a4 is not terribly logical, it helps open lines in front of black's king. The maneuvering and advance starting with 18.c5 is brilliant and perfectly timed, black's pieces become hopelessly passive against white's pawn storm. After 27.Ra1 black is already lost. 27...Re4 was probably black's best here but nothing can stop white's attack. 27...Bxe5 was a tactical blunder that Tal played out brilliantly, including 29.Nd7+ beautiful finish!

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