MIKHAIL BOTVINNIK (born Aug-17-1911, died May-05-1995, 83 years old) Russia PRONUNCIATION: [what is this?] Mikhail Moiseevich Botvinnik was born in Kuokkala, near Viipuri (Today, Vyborg) in what was then Finland. He was raised in Leningrad (now St. Petersburg). He learned the game early and progressed rapidly, winning the 1st of his 6 USSR Championships in 1931; the other 5 victories were in 1933, 1939, 1944, 1945 and 1952. He also won the Leningrad tournament of 1934, the Absolute Soviet Championship in 1941, and the Sverdlovsk super tournament of 1943. Other significant achievements include equal first with Salomon Flohr in Moscow 1935, 2nd at Moscow 1936 behind Jose Raul Capablanca, equal first with Capablanca at Nottingham 1936, 3rd at AVRO 1938, and first at Groningen 1946 before playing for the World Championship in 1948. He also won the Tchigorin Memorial tournament of 1947 and came equal first with Vasily Smyslov in the Alekhine Memorial of 1956.(1) With the death of Alexander Alekhine in 1946, the FIDE saw its chance to take control of the World Championship and invited six players to take part in a tournament to determine the championship. With Reuben Fine declining the invitation to play, Botvinnik won it ahead of Vassily Smyslov, Paul Keres, Samuel Reshevsky, and Dr Max Euwe in the quintuple round robin FIDE World Championship Tournament (1948). He retained the crown in 1951 against David Bronstein when he tied the match, by winning and drawing his last two games. He again retained it in 1954 against Vasily Smyslov by again drawing the match, however Smyslov turned the tables in 1957 by wresting the crown from Botvinnik. At the time, a defeated champion was entitled to a return match the following year and so in 1958, Botvinnik defeated Smyslov in a return match. Likewise, after losing to Mikhail Tal in 1960, Botvinnik defeated him in a return match in 1961. He lost the title for the last time to Tigran Vartanovich Petrosian in 1963. FIDE had eliminated the return match and so Botvinnik chose to retire from world championship play. Generally regarded as the Patriarch of the Soviet Chess School, his style was based on rigorous opening preparation, deep calculation, and accurate endgame technique. Students of his school include Anatoly Karpov, Garry Kasparov and many more. Live footages of Botvinnik from 1933-1963 starting at the following link: Mikhail Botvinnik (kibitz #1197). Special edition of This Week in Chess devoted to Botvinnik and his career, assembled by Mark Crowther soon after Botvinnik's death in 1995: http://www.theweekinchess.com/html/... Wikipedia article: Mikhail Botvinnik (1) Crosstables of competitions mentioned in this paragraph are successively linked at [rusbase-1], [rusbase-2], [rusbase-3], [rusbase-4], [rusbase-5], [rusbase-6], [rusbase-7], [rusbase-8], http://www.worldchesslinks.net/ezig..., [rusbase-9], [rusbase-10], http://www.worldchesslinks.net/ezig..., http://www.worldchesslinks.net/ezig..., [rusbase-11], and [rusbase-12] Last updated: 2020-11-22 08:25:51

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page 1 of 48; games 1-25 of 1,200  Game   Result Moves Year Event/Locale Opening 1. Botvinnik vs I Kalinin 1-0 29 1924 Leningrad 2/3th cat C55 Two Knights Defense 2. Botvinnik vs N Begunov 1-0 32 1924 Leningrad 2/3th cat D30 Queen's Gambit Declined 3. Botvinnik vs N Timofeev 1-0 23 1924 Leningrad D26 Queen's Gambit Accepted 4. Botvinnik vs I Folga 1-0 37 1924 Leningrad A48 King's Indian 5. G Andreev vs Botvinnik 0-1 46 1924 Leningrad E60 King's Indian Defense 6. V Miliutin vs Botvinnik 0-1 23 1924 Ch Leningrad juniors D72 Neo-Grunfeld, 5.cd, Main line 7. S Kaminer vs Botvinnik 1-0 28 1924 Training Game D30 Queen's Gambit Declined 8. Botvinnik vs A Zilberman 1-0 48 1924 Leningrad jr D51 Queen's Gambit Declined 9. Botvinnik vs A Makhlin 1-0 28 1924 Leningrad 2/3th cat C62 Ruy Lopez, Old Steinitz Defense 10. G Abramovic vs Botvinnik 0-1 32 1924 Leningrad jr E61 King's Indian 11. Botvinnik vs S Kaminer 0-1 41 1924 Training Game E90 King's Indian 12. G Abramovic vs Botvinnik 0-1 17 1924 URS A80 Dutch 13. V Zbandutto vs Botvinnik ½-½ 43 1924 Leningrad 2nd cat C98 Ruy Lopez, Closed, Chigorin 14. Botvinnik vs B Rivlin 1-0 21 1925 Botvinnik-Rivlin Match D46 Queen's Gambit Declined Semi-Slav 15. Botvinnik vs B Rivlin 1-0 33 1925 Leningrad 1st cat D67 Queen's Gambit Declined, Orthodox Defense, Bd3 line 16. G Yagdfeld vs Botvinnik 0-1 35 1925 Leningrad (1b and 2a category) D15 Queen's Gambit Declined Slav 17. B Yuriev vs Botvinnik 1-0 38 1925 Leningrad 1st cat D02 Queen's Pawn Game 18. Botvinnik vs M Shebarshin 1-0 32 1925 Leningrad 1st cat A50 Queen's Pawn Game 19. J Dobropistsev vs Botvinnik 0-1 35 1925 Leningrad 1st cat C98 Ruy Lopez, Closed, Chigorin 20. N Proskurin vs Botvinnik 0-1 36 1925 Leningrad 1st cat C90 Ruy Lopez, Closed 21. Botvinnik vs Y Zverev 1-0 38 1925 Leningrad 1st cat D92 Grunfeld, 5.Bf4 22. A Perfiliev vs Botvinnik 0-1 36 1925 Leningrad 1st cat C56 Two Knights 23. B Rivlin vs Botvinnik 0-1 32 1925 Leningrad 1st cat D51 Queen's Gambit Declined 24. Botvinnik vs S Kaminer 1-0 39 1925 Leningrad (1b and 2a category) D44 Queen's Gambit Declined Semi-Slav 25. A Vaits vs Botvinnik 0-1 31 1925 Leningrad 1st cat D51 Queen's Gambit Declined  page 1 of 48; games 1-25 of 1,200

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< Earlier Kibitzing  · PAGE 65 OF 66 ·  Later Kibitzing> Jan-29-21    fabelhaft: Botvinnik was a hardcore Stalinist until his death in 1995, and supported the failed coup attempt in 1991. His views were “fixed forever” according to Kasparov, and while some might seem dated, he is far from alone in having a positive view of Stalin (for example Grischuk does too). This has changed a lot the last decades. Less than 20 percent see Stalin strongly or moderately negatively in Russia, and those numbers are decreasing swiftly. No other ruler of the past is even remotely as popular as Stalin. Even Putin is behind Stalin in approval rating, and all the Russian polls from the last years on greatest individual ever are topped by Stalin. So Botvinnik is much more “in” politically than when he died. Jan-29-21    MissScarlett: What's the difference between a Stalinist and a hardcore Stalinist? Jan-29-21    fabelhaft: <What's the difference between a Stalinist and a hardcore Stalinist?> Well, many were Stalinists in the 30s or 40s but to continue being it during the Khrushchev, Gorbachev and Yeltsin years is a bit more hardcore. At least he didn't gain anything from it. Karpov was a Communist and always said the "right" things in interviews, but I wonder if he was Communist a day later than he could benefit from it. Jan-29-21    keypusher: < MissScarlett: <Botvinnik was a toxic humourless Commie.> Agreed.> I can think of at least one funny thing he said. Though it was also a bit cruel. (Reminds me of you, MissS.) Botvinnik / Polugaevsky vs Keres / Prins, 1966 < The Rocket: And the reason most of his opponents were patzers is because Alekhines was barred from playing a lot of tournaments due to antisemitic backlash, even though he was not antisemitic> In 1942-43? You might want to check those dates. < (his texts were either manufactured or written under direct order.)> The Nazis committed lots of genuine crimes, you don't have to make any up. Jan-29-21    jessicafischerqueen: <fabelhaft> I met a retired Russia soldier- he was a student in an English as a second language class I was teaching years ago. He told me he liked life in the Soviet Union. He said that in the army he always had a decent place to live, clothes, and enough food. He eventually emigrated to Canada some years after the Wall fell. After he got demobbed from the army, he had trouble making ends meet in Russia. Jan-29-21    fabelhaft: On Soviet times I think this is the best possible book to read, 10/10: https://www.amazon.com/Secondhand-T... Jan-29-21    keypusher: <fabelhaft: On Soviet times I think this is the best possible book to read, 10/10:> On the strength of that recommendation, I'll try it. Have you (has anyone here) read a book re the other end of Soviet communism, <The House of Government>? I've also heard high praise for that. Jan-30-21    fabelhaft: <keypusher> No, haven’t read that one but the reviews look promising. Feb-02-21    keypusher: < fabelhaft: On Soviet times I think this is the best possible book to read, 10/10:> <Secondhand Time> was mesmerizing, harrowing. Thanks for the recommendation. May-02-21    Messiah: https://twitter.com/olimpiuurcan/st... Aug-17-21    tspchessfan: Happy Birthday Dr. Mikhail Botvinnik the great. Your contributions to chess and technology will be remembered for ever. Aug-17-21    MissScarlett: Didn't he work for years on a chess computer that was a complete failure? Aug-17-21    offramp: <MissScarlett: Didn't he work for years on a chess computer that was a complete failure?> LOL. When Stalin had a look at the result, the blood must have drained from his Georgian face. When Stalin thought of playing this new computer gave Botvinnik only one resource: He would hide a small competent chess player inside a wooden cabinet. Botvinnik selected the young Tal. Great player BTW. Aug-17-21    0ZeR0: Happy birthday Mikhail Moiseyevich Botvinnik. Though you did not teach me personally, I have learned much from your games and writings over the years. A better teacher could not exist. Aug-17-21    keypusher: Happy birthday to my favorite commie bastard! Oct-20-21    Caissanist: Nothing much ever came of Botvinnik's computer chess projects, but I doubt that had anything to do with the quality of hs work. He would not have had decent machines to run on, thanks to the failure of the Soviet computer hardware industry after 1968 and Cold War restrictions that prevented them from importing modern machines from the West. Jan-04-22    NatashaFatale: <keypusher> Sorry for the late response. The House of Government is purely wonderful. Jan-05-22    keypusher: < PAGE 65 OF 65 · Later> Premium Chessgames MemberJan-04-22 NatashaFatale: <keypusher> Sorry for the late response. The House of Government is purely wonderful> Yes, I read it. It’s amazing! Feb-02-22    Dionysius1: "Botvinnik once wrote 'Chess is the art which expresses the science of logic as music is the art which expresses the science of acoustics' " (Becoming a Grandmaster, by Raymond Keene. Batsford, 1977. p 35) Bravo! Dec-27-22    HeMateMe: Read <The Russians> by Hedrick Smith, a New York Times correspondent. Still relevant in understanding the Russian psyche, 40 years later. <https://www.bing.com/images/search?...> May-29-23    King.Arthur.Brazil: I would like to say a word about many critics to the big Botvinnik (about his defeat against Kotov, gid=1032133). Fistly, Smyslov placed in his best-games book, two of his victories against KOTOV who seemed to be an attack genius, like others: Ragozin, Keres and Geller. But, none of them succeeded to have a world crown. Moreover, in this theater from 70 over, several times you will see bad results from the people we repute as "best players". Smyslov was 15-16th in the 73 and 13-15th in 77 USSR also . In the Lvov Zonal of 78, Geller was the 15th (last one) and Smyslov only 7-9th. In the last, the leaders were Balashov, Vaganian and Kusmim. My point is that: aged happens to everyone, so you are not the same as you were at 40ties. Even so, Bovinnik resistered as few, his score is: Bronstein (8+ 6- 19=), Geller (1+ 4- 7=, his worst), Keres (8+ 3- 9=), Kotov (4+ 1- 4=), Korchnoi and Stein (1+ 1- 2=), Petrosian (4+ 7- 20=, similar to Geller), Polugaevsky (1+ 0- 1=), Smyslov (29+ 24- 52=), Spassky (1+ 0- 7=), Tal (12+ 12- 20=) and tied with Fischer 1 game. Man, he did great! Just to compare, Smyslov has the following score: Bronstein (7+ 6- 25=), Geller (8+ 11- 37=, his worst too), Keres (9+ 9- 22=), Kotov (6+ 3- 10=), Korchnoi (5+ 3- 14=), Petrosian (6+ 3- 27=), Polugaevsky (4+ 3- 19=), Spassky (3+ 5- 21=, bad too), Stein (1+ 1- 8=),Tal (4+ 3- 21=). But Smyslov were 10y newer than Botvinnik. Nov-25-23    Fusilli: And in the Useless Facts Department, Botvinnik and Juan Manuel Fangio share the same years of birth and death, 1911-1995. Two world champions with the same life bracket. I wonder if that's the only case of such a thing. The answer to that question would also belong in the Useless Facts Department, but I know you won't resist the temptation to look for it! Nov-25-23    perfidious: As Botvinnik was the greatest chess player of the 1940s, Fangio dominated the 1950s in his discipline. Guess Fangio made the right choice when he opted for F1 over football! Nov-26-23    Fusilli: <perf> Yup, and Argentina was not much of a football power back then. Didn't play in the 1950 and 1954 world cups, and it was sent home with a humiliating 1-6 defeat to Czechoslovakia in 1958. I started a documentary on Fangio the other day, on Netflix. Pretty interesting. Fangio was revered by my parents' generation, but my generation only knew the old man who looked like a kind grandpa rather than a fierce sportsman. Turns out back then race drivers needed to know a lot about mechanics, while comfort in the car (and maybe safety) was quite secondary. Nov-27-23    offramp: I garbled the link to that incredible lookalike. Here's another try. https://www.thewrap.com/wp-content/... Jump to page #    (enter # from 1 to 66) search thread:    < Earlier Kibitzing  · PAGE 65 OF 66 ·  Later Kibitzing>

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