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Mikhail Botvinnik vs Conel Hugh O'Donel Alexander
Great Britain - Soviet Union Radio Match (1946), London ENG / Moscow URS, rd 1, Jun-19
Nimzo-Indian Defense: Normal Line (E40)  ·  1-0

ANALYSIS [x]

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Kibitzer's Corner
Jan-19-02  bishop: Again the White kingside attack comes out ahead of black's queenside play.
Feb-22-05  AdrianP: Great queen sacrifice.
Feb-22-05  aw1988: This another of the three games with this kind of system, the first being Botvinnik-Capablanca AVRO 1938, then came this game, which inspired Euwe-Denker Groningen 1946.
Jan-10-06
Premium Chessgames Member
  offramp: 30...Qa7+ was a mistake; if black had played 30...Nd4 he might have won. The idea would be to follow up with ...Qg4. If white then took the pawn on c3 with his queen black could play ...Qxg3. Black's king would be a bit of a dead man walking in the endgame, though.
Jun-26-06
Premium Chessgames Member
  Pawn and Two: If Alexander had played 30...Nd4!, he could had made a 2-0 score over Botvinnik in the Anglo-Soviet radio match of 1946.

After 30...Nd4!, if 31.Qe3 Qg4 32.Qxc3 Qxg3 33.Qxg3 Ne2+ 34.Kf2 Nxg3 35.Kxg3 Rxe5. White is now totally lost. If 36.Kf5, then 36...Re6.

Aug-12-07  wolfmaster: 34. Qxd4! was a beautiful conception.
Aug-12-07  MaxxLange: I don't understand the play after 21. e5 at all. What is 21...b5 for? And 22. Bd6 indicates that both players felt that 22...exf6 is not good, but I don't see what Black has.
Aug-12-07  jahhaj: <I don't see what Black has.> 22...b4 trapping White's bishop.
Aug-12-07  MaxxLange: <jahhaj> thanks, I had a blind spot for that. Play looks hectic after exf6 and ...b4

Botvinnik's play was devastating in this game! "A knight on f5 is worth a Rook" - indeed!

Nov-07-07  HOTDOG: 30.e6! or 30.Nh5!,instead of 30.f6?,are winning
Sep-02-15
Premium Chessgames Member
  plang: In his famous win over Capablanca Botvinnik had played 10 0-0; here he varied with 10 a4. 21..b5?! led to super-sharp complications. Marin thought that 22 exf! would have been stronger: ie. 22..b4 23 Qf2..bxa 24 Nf5..Qd7 25 Qg3..g6 26 Ne7+..Kh8 27 Qf4 and if 27..Ra6? then 28 Nxg6+..fxg 29 Rxe8+..Qxe8 39 f7 winning. As pointed out above the players traded errors with 30 f6? and 30..Qa7+?; another line after the missed winning move 30..Nd4 was 31 Qf2..Qg4 32 Kh1..c2 33 h3 (33 Qxd4..Qxd4 34 Nf5..Qf4!)..Qd1.
May-20-23  N.O.F. NAJDORF: I am sure I had not seen this game before now and saw at once that 32. Qe3 threatens 33. Qxd4.

For example:

32...a4 33. Qxd4 Qxd4 34. Nf5 Qd2 35. Ne7+ Rxe7 36. fxe7

What I do not understand is why white did not play 33. Qxd4 in the game:

33. Qxd4 Qxd4 34. Nf5

threatening the queen as well as double check mate - by Nh6 and Ne7.

Dec-18-23  SpaceRunner: "I don't understand the play after 21. e5 at all. What is 21...b5 for? And 22. Bd6 indicates that both players felt that 22...exf6 is not good, but I don't see what Black has."

Blacks strategy is his majority on the queenside. Game is pretty equal but black could not find the moves defending.

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