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Mikhail Botvinnik vs Jan Hein Donner
Amsterdam GAK (1963), Amsterdam NED, rd 4, Dec-15
English Opening: Agincourt Defense. Neo Catalan Declined (A14)  ·  1-0

ANALYSIS [x]

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Kibitzer's Corner
Feb-22-06  Whitehat1963: Well-calculated final exchange on Botvinnik's part. Where might Donner have improved to save or even win this one? (Opening of the Day)
Feb-22-06  RookFile: I'm intrigued by the move 6.... Ne4
instead of 6.... b6. The idea is to
play 6...Bf6 in reply to 6. d3.
Feb-22-06  Whitehat1963: <RookFile>, good call. I like that. Has it ever been played in the database?
Feb-22-06  Whitehat1963: Just checked. It hasn't, but I tried it with the Little Chess Partner and 6...Ne4 was parried with 7. Nc3, and following up with 7...Bf6 was countered by 8. Bb2. Still, interesting thought.
May-07-11  mrjoshherman: Whitehat1963 -- indeed, a good game by Botvinnik. Michael Stean suggests 20. ... Ne5 as an improvement.
Aug-10-12  Ghuzultyy: Rd1-Ra1 manouver was great
Apr-14-20  zenwabi: This is game 6 in GM M. Stean's SIMPLE CHESS.
Jan-08-21  Torodeboro: The octopus knight-fields d3 and d6 are problaby the most famous outposts, besides the other quite common ones on f4 and f5. In this game Botwinnik showed that the one on c6/c3 could also be a big one. By supporting the c6-sqaure with the pawn on b5 and aiming with both his queen and his rook at the square he ultimately gets control over c6 and is able to put a knight there. From here on he finishes it off with pushing his pawn to e5 to open the h1-a8 diagnoal for his queen and infiltrating with his rook on a7 (supported by the c6-knight!) on the 7th rank. In the end it is just too much activity and too many threats.

It's interesting to see that the occupation of this one square by his knight was more or less decisive. 20.. Ne5 is given as an attempt for black to trade all the rooks and with that easen the defence. I am also wondering if in the far beginning after 12. a3 12... a5 is maybe a move to consider. It does create a weakness on b5, but it does stop b4 and with that the creation of an outpost on c6. After 13. e5 black could play.. Nc7.

Would this have been an improvement?

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