His first mistake was to allow - not just allow but actively encourage! -the rook exchange at move 28 giving him that isolated d pawn - and this was doubly bad to my mind -borderline disastrous in fact- given that his rook pair was surely superior to a singular rook vs. a N and a B - and especially so with two 'sets' of pawns each, on both sides of the board. 31...g5 is baffling as it's a defensive move nobbling his own pawn chain - as i've already said he should've retained both rooks -and then prepared the way to engage white on the K side looking to get himself a runner with both his king (ideally placed - it being both far away from white's pieces and behind a strong advancing pawn chain) and now one, now two, of his rooks in support! 33...h5 was a logical move considering his thinly veiled plan of attack but in practical terms much worse than his decision to lock up the kingside with 31...g5 -an appallingly ill thought out gambit - even allowing for the horrible facts of both 31..g5 and the earlier surrendering of what would've been a powerful rook pair he should've now instead involved his king in the fight, getting it into the centre of the board -that's certainly what i would've done (if i'd by this time atlast recovered control over my mind) b/c how does white make progress if instead of 33..h5 black plays (say) 33..Kf7 - ? (looks pretty equal to this bunny) but as it was black's king is rendered impotent, tied down to white's (now passed!) h pawn -ok so 33..h5 enables black to clear the way for a passed b pawn: Botvinnik's rather lame plan of attack (which, though lame it most assuredly is, nevertheless mitigates my criticism of his play at this stage in the game) - 'lame' b/c his b pawn is on the wrong side of the board and still miles off queening, isn't nearly sufficient compensation for the self-inflicted damage when his king's too distant to lend any support and is forced to remain so b/c he's needlessly, almost suicidally, given white a passed pawn of his own that's more advanced- a Pyrrhic victory if ever there was one! - and only a rook with other duties to perform to provide the escort - woeful considering what Botvinnik had...he turned a silken purse into a sow's ear...and then as we see, notwithstanding Bronstein's clinically accurate play, it just goes from bad to worse so i'll say no more

an entertaining run through of the game. Do you know Bronstein's <200 Open Games> (Batsford 1974)? It's a lovely book.

Cunning Davik wrote the book in precisely the style you use in your post.

In my patzer opinion, this book has so much going for it that it offers something for everyone from the world-class GM to the non-chessplayer. A great conversational style with good anecdotes and fine analyses.

(after white's move 29 Be3)
"Now that the black queenside pawns cannot make any progress they are not so strong, but still Black has the initiative. I guess that Botvinnik was very surprised by my accurate defensive moves. I wish I had played this quality of endgame after the adjournments during my match in 1951. Botvinnik repeated for many years that he saved his title only because I was very bad in simple endgames."

(after White's 41 Kd4)
"At this point the game was adjourned. What was Botvinnik's sealed move? There were two considerations: if Black plays Rc3 then it looks like a draw, but after Ra5 White has good chances. Even now, many years later, I am not certain whether Botvinnik was playing for a win or for a draw."

(after Black's 62 ... Ke4)
The black king neglects his task (to prevent the white pawn from making the journey h6-h7-h8). There was no need for him to be so active. After 62 ... Kg6,despite the fact that Black has lost three pawns, it is still not clear how White can win. After Botvinnik's mistake in this simple endgame, White wins in 2 moves with a short but nice combination."

Rybka analysis confirms Bronstein's assertion about options at Botvinnik's sealed move: Ra5 vs Rc3 is the difference between a likely draw and winning chances for White.

click for larger view

Analysis by Rybka 2.2n2 mp 32-bit :

1. = (0.09): 41...Rc3 42.Nc4 Rc2

2. ² (0.56): 41...Ra5 42.h6 Rf5 43.Kc4 Rxf4+ 44.gxf4 g3 45.Kxd3 g2 46.Nf3 b3

3. ± (0.78): 41...Ra2 42.Kc4 Rb2 43.Kxd3 Kg7 44.Kc4 Kh7 45.Ne4 Kg7 46.Nc5 Rb1 47.h6+

In the present position Botvinnik does not manage to gain a distant dangerous passed pawn so this reason for the strength of the rook does not apply. It is Bronstein who manages to play with a extra king on the queen side.