Although, IMO, Bronstein's claim about Zurich 1953 should be taken with more than just a grain of salt, I agree with the rest of Your post.

Frankly, I didn't know about the financial arrangements, other than the Russians (Soviets) being sponsored/funded by the state.

Kashdan is too often forgotten but according to Chesmetrics he was predominantly the number two graded player in the world between November 1932 and June 1934.

"Maailmameistri turniir Haag - Moskva 1948".

It was written in Estonian langauge.
(In parallel, that book or a similar book was published in Russian langauge.)

The 20. game Botvinnik - Keres was to Keres the last game to play in Hague before returning to the Soviet Union.

In his book (pp 140-141), Keres notes his following mistakes:

According to KERES:

<11... c5:d4?>
(better was 11... Nf8)

<12... Nd7-b6?>
(better was 12... Nf8 or 12... b6)

<15... Re8-e7?>
(better was 15... Rc8)

<16... Qd8-c7??>
(better was 16... Na4)

<18... Qc7-f4?>
(better was 18... Qd8)

KERES:
"Without doubt, my weakest game in the tournament."

Video analysis of this game by <Kingscrusher>:

<When [Reshevsky and Botvinnik] met in the first cycle, it was Reshevsky who was in first place. As I said above, he got a very good game with Black, but blundered in time pressure and lost. But his blunder can't be explained by overreaching, since he was leading and Botvinnik and Keres hadn't even played.>

I was wrong about the standings, Reshevsky and Botvinnik met in the fourth round of the first cycle. Going in to that round, Keres had two wins and a loss, and Reshevsky and Botvinnik each had a win, a draw, and a bye. So depending on how you treat byes, Keres was in first or there was a three way tie. If you wanted to be catty, you could say Reshevsky was leading because he hadn't played Euwe yet...

Keres wrote an introduction to each round. Here is what he said in his discussion of Round 10.

<The most interesting game in the final round of the second cycle was the one between Botvinnik and Keres. Because in the event of a win by Keres, Botvinnik’s lead would be caught up by the end of the Hague-part of the tournament. Black played an original line in the Nimzo-Indian Defence, thus preventing Botvinnik from choosing his favorite variation. But in the middlegame Black incorrectly started to generate activity on the queenside, and thereby opened up a strong diagonal for White’s dark-squared bishop. After this, White threatened to initiate a strong kingside attack. In the case of resourceful defence, Black would still have obtained adequate defensive chances, but on the 16th move he made a blunder that allowed White’s rook to come into play with the win of a tempo, and Black subsequently faced a devastating attack. With a beautiful rook sacrifice, Botvinnik created a mating net around the enemy king, whereupon Black resigned on the 23rd move.>

Notes to the game

After 4.e2-e3

<Botvinnik exclusively employs this modest way, which grandmaster Rubinstein recommended, of playing against the Nimzo-Indian Defence, and he has achieved very good results with this line. The advantage with this system of development is that White abstains from unnecessary complications in favor of a solid position where Black is forced to play quite accurately and carefully to keep the balance.>

4….0-0

<Here Black has a wide variety of systems of development that give rise to very different types of positions. The text-move is one of the more elastic, and Black keeps the choice open regarding his further plan of campaign.>

5.a2-a3 Bb4xc3+ 6.b2xc3 Rf8-e8

<6….d5 7.cxd5 exd5 8.Bd3 followed by Ne2 is a standard continuation, and thus generally known. Therefore Black tries to develop along new paths. Also interesting is the idea to play 6….c5 followed by …b6, …Nc6, …Ba6 and …Ne8, which was utilized by Reshevsky against Botvinnik some rounds later. With this method of play, Black commences an attack against White’s pawn weakness on c4 and at the same time …Ne8 protects his kingside against eventual attacks.>

click for larger view

7.Ng1-e2

<White can no longer utilize the normal system of development by 7.Bd3, as it would be met by 7….e5 8.Ne2 e4 9.Bc2 b6 and Black gains strong pressure against the c4-pawn. With the text-move White chooses another move order, but it likewise fails to bring him any success.>

The position after 5.a3 is not particularly common (141 examples in the database) and Keres’ continuation is vanishingly rare. But Shredder shares Keres’ positive evaluation of his novel idea. Tolush and his pupil Spassky both tried 7.Bd3 e5 8.Ne2 e4 9.Bb1 and won wild and woolly games:

Tolush vs Byvshev, 1952

Spassky vs G Uusi, 1958

7….e6-e5 8.Ne2-g3 d7-d6

<Another interesting continuation for Black was 8….d5, in an attempt to open the position and utilize his small edge in development. Also 8….e4 9.Be2 b6 followed by ….Bb7 and taking control over the e4-point merited consideration.>

Shredder’s favorite is 8….b6. After running for hours it comes up with 9.f3 Nc6 10.e4 Ba6 and evaluates the position at +0.09. After Keres’ suggestion 8….d5 it plays 9.Be2 dxc4 10.Bxc4 Be6 11.Bxe6 Rxe6 12.0-0 Nc6 13.Bb2 Na5 14.Qe2 exd4 15.cxd4 c6 16.Bc3 Nd5 17.Bxa5 Qxa5 18.Rfb1 +0.22. After the text-move it continues 9.f3 b6 10.e4 Nc6 11.Be3 Na5 12.Bd3 d5, 0.00. After Botvinnik’s 9.Be2 Shredder thinks Black is infinitesimally better.

You’re not likely to see 4.e3 0-0 5.a3 — this is the only time Botvinnik played it in a serious game — but if you do, Keres’ idea looks pretty good. Unfortunately, Keres doesn’t make another good move for the rest of the game….

9.Bf1-e2

<This restrained bishop development is likewise forced; 9.Bd3 would enable Black to win a tempo by 9….e4. Owing to the modest development of White’s pieces, Blackk hardly has any opening problems.>

9….Nb8-d7

<Without any kind of need, Black chooses a relatively passive way of development and thus lets his adversary get away from many problems. The normal continuation 9….c5 10.0-0 Nc6 exerts pressure against the d4-pawn and thus obstructs the e3-e4 advance. Also 9….Nc6 10.0-0 Na5 deserved attention, when Black plans to take advantage against the c4-pawn.>

As we’ve seen, Shredder likes …b6, …Nc6, and …Ba6. It thinks White is a little better after 9…c5 10.0-0 Nc6 11.d5 and e3-e4, about the same as it feels about 9….Nb8-d7.

10.0-0 c7-c5

<Suddenly Black shows activity again, and tries to generate a risky attack against the c4-pawn. This opens up the position and thus noticeably increases the power of White’s bishop pair. If Black did not want to play 10….e4 (11.f3 b6 12.fxe4 Bb7) at this point and thus eliminate the tension in the centre, then he could proceed with either 10….b6 or 10….Nf8. This would yield him a solid position without weaknesses where White would not find it so easy to utilize his pawn centre.>

11.f2-f3 c5xd4?

<Black proceeds with his inaccurate plan and quickly becomes worse. The correct continuation was still 12….Nf8, and despite the previous exchange would have given Black a satisfactory position.

12….b6 would also have been stronger than the text-move. It is surprising that Black puts his knight on b6, where it is very badly placed and subsequently does not let Black coordinate his pieces.>

13.Bc1-b2 e5xd4

<Black has nothing better, since White simply threatened to play e3-e4 followed by f3-f4 with a strong attack. For example: 13….Be6 14.d5 Bc8 15.f4 and Black’s position is on the brink of collapse.> In Keres’ line Shredder keeps oscillating between 15….Bd7 and 15….Nbd7, with an evaluation of about +0.5. Incidentally, Shredder thought 13.e4 was stronger than Botvinnik’s move.

click for larger view

14.e3-e4!

<Naturally not 14.exd4 d5 and Black suddenly has an excellent position; Black would also be given some counterplay after 14.Qxd4 Na4 15.Bc1 Qb6 as well as after 14.Bxd4 d5 15.c5 Nc4. After the strong text-move, Black’s position is already very difficult and it is unlikely that he still has the possibility to equalize, even in the case of the best defence.>

14….Bc8-e6 15.Ra1-c1

<Naturally not 15.Qxd4 Na4 16.Bc1 Qb6 and Black can defend himself quite well in the endgame. The text-move opens up the a1-square for the bishop, so that White no longer has to calculate about the threat of ….Na4.>

15….Re8-e7?

<It is amazing how many weak moves Black is able to make in such a short time span. With the text-move he later plans to play ….Ne8, but this whole idea is completely useless.

It was necessary to proceed along the paths of the initial plan and play 15….Rc8 16.Qxd4 and now not 16….Rc6 17.f4 Qc7? 18.Nh5!, but 16….Na4 17.Ba1 Nc5 and Black has at least placed one of his pieces in a favourable position. In this case Black would still have prospects of defending his battered position; however, now White’s attack achieves a dangerous strength.>

After 15….Rc8 16.Qxd4

16.Qd1xd4 Qd8-c7??

<With this move Black crowns his series of mistakes and loses the game within a few moves. The initially planned 16….Ne8 was also bad in view of the maneuver 17.Nh5 f6 18.Nf4 and White takes control of the important d5-square, but 16….Na4 (Also 16….Rc7 17.Rfd1 Qc8 comes into consideration.) 17.Ba1 Nc5 still offered Black chances of a stubborn resistance.

17.c4-c5!

<Naturally White utilizes the chance to open up new lines with gain of tempo. Black now falls under a mating attack.>

Interestingly, Shredder prefers 17.f4 Qc5 18.Qxc5 19.dxc5 and now either 20.Bxf6 gxf6 21.Nh5 f5 22.Nf6+ or 20.e5 Ne8 21.f5 Bd7 22.Bg4 seem to provide White with a winning positional advantage. But 17.c5 is also obviously quite strong.

17….d6xc5 18.Rc1xc5 Qc7-f4?

<Black could still put up some resistance by 18….Qd8, since the endgame after 19.Qxd8+ Rxd8 20.Bxf6 gxf6 21.Nh5 Rd2 gives him adequate counterplay and on 19.Qe3 there could follow Nfd7 and Black’s defensive resources are by no means over yet. After the text-move Black loses by force.>

Shredder rates White about a pawn up after 18….Qd8 19.Qb4 Ne8 20.f4, which is certainly a better score than it gives the game continuation.

19.Bb2-c1

A huge improvement is 19.Bb5, clearing e2 for the knight, hitting the d7 square (where a knight could support the knight on f6) and threatening to bring the rook to g5. Black has no defense, e.g.. 19….a6 20.Ne2 Qb8 21.Rg5 threatening both Qxf6 and Rxg7, or 19….Bd7 20.Nf5 Bxf5 21.Rxf5 Qh4 22.Bc1 h6 23.Be3 Rd7 24.Qb2, etc.; or 19.Nbd7 20.Ne2 Qb8 21.Rg5 Qf8 22.Bxd7

19…..Qf4-b8

<Or 19….Rd7 20.Qb4 Qb8 21.Bb5 Rd8 22.Bg5 and Black can resign.>

After 22…..Nbd7 Black need not do anything so drastic. Stronger than 21.Bb5 in Keres’ line is 21.f4 or 21.Be3, but Black needn’t resign after that move either. Botvinnik definitely gave Black a chance to stay alive with 19.Bc1, but Keres did not take advantage.

20.Rc5-g5 Nb6-d7

<Losing on the spot, but 20…Ne8 21.Nh5 f6 22.Nxf6+ Nxf6 23.Qxf6 could only prolong the final result, and no longer change it.>

click for larger view

21.Rg5xg7+!

<This beautiful sacrifice, which is easily seen, is the simplest road to victory. Black can no longer escape from the mating net.>

21….Kg8xg7 22.Ng3-h5+ Kg7-g6

<Or 22…..Kh8 23.Bg5, or also 22….Kf8 23.Nxf6, and Black has no defense.>

23.Qd4-e3

<23.f4 would also have won, but the text-move is quicker.>

<Black resigned.

Definitely my weakest game of the tournament. However, Botvinnik vigorously utilized the chances he was offered, and convincingly demonstrated the power of the bishop pair in an open position.>

The question is: why was he offered them?

What on earth could be the purpose of 15... Re7?

If the purpose was to play 16 ... Rc7, why did he play 16 ... Qc7 instead?

And why not just play ... Rc8, rather than ... Re7, followed by ... Rc7?

If the purpose was to play 16 ... Qe8, why didn't he?

Is it really believable that a player of Keres' strength could not foresee 17 c5 in reply to 16 ... Qc7?

The moves 15 ... Re7 and 16 ... Qc7 seems to be contrived to facilitate an attack on the black king reminiscent of a game played by Botvinnik against Capablanca ten years earlier in a tournament which Keres had won!

In both games, black's king is on g7 and knight on f6 and white plays Nh5+.

Is it really believable that Keres didn't remember the combination, even though it occurred in what was arguably his best-ever tournament?

why did black play the suicidal 18 ... Qf4,

when he could have played 18 ... Qd8 ?>

Probably in hopes of inducing Botvinnik to pull the bishop off the long diagonal, which worked. If Keres had interpolated 19....Rd7 before retreating the queen (if 20.Qxd7?? Nbxd7 White's advantage is pretty much gone), he still would have been in the game. Much stronger that 19.Bc1 was 19.Bb5, but neither Botvinnik nor Keres saw that.

<The moves 15 ... Re7 and 16 ... Qc7 seems to be contrived to facilitate an attack on the black king reminiscent of a game played by Botvinnik against Capablanca ten years earlier in a tournament which Keres had won!

In both games, black's king is on g7 and knight on f6 and white plays Nh5+.

Is it really believable that Keres didn't remember the combination, even though it occurred in what was arguably his best-ever tournament?>

Yes, of course it is. You're being silly. Botvinnik-Capablanca was one of the most famous games of the 1930s, so I’m sure Keres would have been familiar with it no matter where it had been played. The positions in the Capablanca and Keres games aren't even that similar, but the basic motif of taking advantage of a pinned knight with a knight check is pretty common. So what? At the beginning of every week on this website we see grandmasters falling into simple combinations featuring themes they've doubtless seen any number of times.

Yeah, they can all have clunkers but this one is embarrassingly bad. The biggest sins for these guys are often: losing tempo, lack of mobility, and illogical moves. Painful to even see, forget about playing, for top GM's.

Here Keres seems to commit them all starting move 15...Re7. And that still might be forgivable if it results in at least some sort of hail-mary attack counter play. But here...

I don't know why Keres played this lemon. But it is extremely rare that GM's play such a series of unprovoked unprincipled moves, without an apparent plan, and end up in such a passive position.