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Mikhail Botvinnik vs Vasily Smyslov
Botvinnik - Smyslov World Championship Match (1954), Moscow URS, rd 12, Apr-10
Slav Defense: Czech Variation. Classical System (D18)  ·  1-0

ANALYSIS [x]

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Given 27 times; par: 47 [what's this?]

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Kibitzer's Corner
Feb-25-07  mircea88: In both game 12 and game 16 of this match, Botvinnik uses the same attacking motif: advance of e and f pawns. Romanovsky (in his book "Middle game planning") discusses an older game of Alekhine where the idea was used: Alekhine-Bogolyubov 1921.
Jan-19-11  soothsayer8: What was Smyslov thinking with 34...Qf6??
Jan-19-11  diceman: <soothsayer8:
What was Smyslov thinking with 34...Qf6??>

Its actually best
(in a lost position)

The queen, rook, and knight are all attacked.
(that saves two of them)

Mar-13-12  talisman: <diceman> agree...the (winning?) shot seems to come earlier, f7+... and black loses d8 and pawn on d5.
Sep-09-13  zydeco: 17....g5 is a very Smyslovian move: setting up restraints on the dark squares. Botvinnik steps into it with g3 and f4 and it seems like an accurate calculation: white has a bishop and a pawn majority on the kingside and needs to attack. It looks like black should be able to manage something on the a8-h1 diagonal but he can't enough pieces there in time. I wonder if 20....Ne5 21.f4 Rxd1 22.Rxd1 Neg4 isn't an improvement.
Mar-06-18  whiteshark:


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Black to move

1) -0.22 (33 ply) 20...Kf8 21.Rd2 Ne5 22.Rxd8 Rxd8 23.f4 gxf4 24.gxf4 Nd3 25.Bb1 Qd4 26.Bxd3 Qxd3 27.Rd1 Qxe2 28.Rxd8+ Ke7 29.Nxe2 Kxd8 30.Nc3 a5 31.e5 Nd7 32.Ne4 Ke7 33.Kg2 b6 34.Kf3 f6 35.exf6+ Nxf6 36.Nf2 Kd6 37.Nd3 Nd7 38.Ke4 Nc5+ 39.Nxc5 Kxc5 40.Kf5 Kd5 41.h4 Kc4

2) =0.00 (33 ply) 20...Nf8 21.Rxd8 Rxd8 22.e5 Nd5 23.Nxd5 cxd5 24.Qd2 Qc6 25.Qxg5 Ne6 26.Qh4 Qc2 27.f4 Qe4+ 28.Kg1 Qe3+ 29.Kh1 Qe4+

6.0 minute analysis by Stockfish 9 v010218

Mar-06-18  Howard: So, what's the conclusion of this analysis ? Black can hold ?
Jun-08-20
Premium Chessgames Member
  plang: 9 Nh4 was a relatively new idea at the time. Botvinnik thought that 13..Qb6 would have equalized. 18..Ne5 19 Ba2..g4 20 f4..Nf3 21 e5..Nd5 22 Nxf5..cxd 23 h3 would have won a pawn for White. After 20..Nf8 Botvinnik was able to push his kingside pawns; an alternative was 20..Qb4 with Miton offering 21 Qe3..g4 22 fxg..Ne5 23 Rxd8..Rxd8 24 Qe2..Nfxg4 25 Bxf7+..Nxf7 26 Qxg4..Qxb2 27 Qe6..Rf8 as unclear. 24 Qd2! is a very subtle move limiting Black's options. Smyslov may have been expecting 31 Qg2? when he would have been better after 21..Nxf6; instead after Botvinnik's 31 f7+! he lost quickly.

A very well played and instructive game.

Mar-06-23  Ninas Husband: The day after this game, April 11, 1954 was named the dullest day of the 20TH Century. Just an interesting historical tidbit!

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