GAMES OF MICHAEL BOTVINNIK

Abramovich - Botvinnik E61

Lenigrad, 1924, school Nu.157

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.Nf3 d6 5.Bf4 Nh5 6.Qd2?!
Is a doublful move. "Of couse it was more reasonable to withdraw bishop, but it meant that white "feared"...(M.Botvinnik)". Approximate development of events in case of possible retreat of the BIshop, for example, Bg5 was partly illustrated by the game Keres-Petrosian, Moscow, 1949 in which after 6...h6 7.Be3 c6 !? 8.g3 Nd7 9.Bg2 Nhf6 10.h3 0-0 11.0-0 Kh7 12.g4 e5 Black got a counter-game.

6...Nxf4 7.Qxf4 Nd7 8.Ng5?!
Is unlucky decision again. " White's intention is simple: either Black overlook checkmate (f7) or after 8... f6?? 9.Ne6 they lose the Queen (M.Botvinnik). "Instead of this simple snare it was preferable 8.e3, though after 8...e5 Black had in this a good play.

8...0-0 9.e3 h6
"Of couse, it were better at once 9...e5, but Black cannot refrain from proving the partner his aimlese manocuvre of knight to g5 (M.Botvinnik). "Probable development of events after 9...e5 may be followed taking example of the variation 10.dxe5 Nxe5!? ( this move may be considered as an immediate attempt to take advantage from the position of Bishop g7, which has no opponent and pawn obstacle on its way) 11.Qg3 (in case of imprudent 11.Be2? white will have great problems after 11...Bh6! with saving Knight g5) 11...h6 12.Nf3 Nxf3+ 13.Qxf3 Qg5 and Black's chances are more preferable due to domination on black squares.

10.Nf3 e5 11.dxe5 dxe5 12.Qe4
White's Queen fits ill as a blocker. It's more natural 12.Qg3 c6 with approximately equal play.

12...Nb6
Surely pieces shiuld be developed but it was more preferable to do either with move 12...c6 or 12...Nc5!? 13.Qc2 (after 13.Qd5 Qe7 White Queen could be in a very dangerous position) 13...f5 14.Rd1 Qe7 15.Nd5 Qf7 and Black's chances are evideutly higher than White's, because they have advantage of two Bishops.

13.Nb5?!
Again, as in caseof move 8.Ng5, White lose time in vain. To take use of quite uncovincing manoeuvre of black Knight on the previous more he could do with 13.c5!? Nd7 14.Rd1 c6 with approximately equal play, as the Bishop is ready to occupy a good position on the square c4, and Black has to add some efforts still in order to enliven his pair of Bishop.

13...a6
Sejchas chernye mogli nemedlenno popytat'sya ispol'zovat' vydvinutoe polozhenie belogo konya i ferzya s pomoshch'yu 13...f5 14.Qc2 c6 15.Rd1 Qe7 16.Nc3 (ploho dlya belyh aktivnoe 16.Nd6? vvidu 16...e4!? 17.Nxc8 Raxc8 i teper' chernye usilivayut svoj natisk po chernym polyam s pomoshch'yu 18.Nd4 f4! 19.exf4 Rcd8 20.Ne2 Qb4+ stavya belyh v kriticheskoe polozhenie) 16...Be6 poluchaya poziciyu s ochen' neplohimi perspektivami.

14.Rd1 Qe7 15.Nc3 c6
Chernye odnovremenno prikryvayut kak punkt d5, tak i peshku b7. Krome hoda v partii u nih byla ne plohaya vozmozhnost' svyazannaya s 15...f5!? analogichnaya toj , chto my rassmatrivali dva hoda nazad. Posle 16.Qc2 (v sluchae 16.Nd5 Qd6 17.Qc2 Nxd5 18.Rxd5 Qe7 k preimushchestvu dvuh slonov chernyh mozhno smelo priplyusovat' ochevidnoe preimushchestvo v razvitii) 16...Be6 shansy chernyh obladayushchih paroj groznyh slonov predpochtitel'nee shansov sopernika.

16.Be2?!
Esli predydushchie netochnosti belyh nosili pozicionnyj harakter, to to hod yavlyaetsya neudachnym po vpolne konkretnym prichinam. Belym neobhodimo bylo igrat' 16.Qc2 hotya i tom sluchae posle 16...Be6 shansy chernyh vyshe.

16...Bf5!
Nakonec-to chernye udalyayut belogo ferzya s blokadnoj pozicii na pole e4, prichem delayut to v samyj blagopriyatnyj dlya sebya moment, tak kak ferz' belyh ne mozhet udalit'sya na oslablennyj otsutstviem chernopol'nogo slona ferzevyj flang. Promedlenie hotya by na odin hod pozvolyalo belym uspet' konsolidirovat'sya. Tak posle 16...Be6 u belyh nahodilos' 17.Nd2! s hudshej, no vpolne oboronosposobnoj poziciej. Delo v tom, chto v sluchae 17...Bf5 18.Qf3 Qb4 v ih rasporyazhenii imeetsya 19.e4 Be6 20.a3 i belaya peshka b2, ne uyazvima tak kak kon' chernyh na b6 ne imeet nadlezhashchej peshechnoj opory i peremestiv svoyu lad'yu na b1 belye nanesut chernym nepopravimyj material'nyj uron.

17.Qh4 Qb4
"Otsutstvie belogo ferzya na ferzevom flange nachinaet skazyvat'sya (M.Botvinnik)."

18.Rd2 g5 19.Qg3

19... e4?
Chernye ne smogli uderzhat'sya ot togo aktivnogo hoda. S odnoj storony oni otkryvayut diagonal' svoemu chernopol'nomu slonu ne imeyushchemu sebe opponenta s drugoj predostavlyayut belym opornoe pole dlya konya na d4. V dannom sluchae minusy hoda pereveshivayut ego plyusy, tem bolee chto v rasporyazhenii chernyh bylo prostoe 19...Nxc4 20.Bxc4 Qxc4 21.Nxe5 (posle 21.h4 f6 chernye prosto ostayutsya s lishnej peshkoj za kotoruyu belye ne imeyut dostatochnoj kompensacii) 21...Qe6 i chernye takzhe otkryvali diagonal' dlya svoego sil'nogo slona g7 ne predostavlyaya belym vzamen nichego. Ne ploho takzhe smotrelos' i ukazannoe M.Botvinnikom 19...Rad8 20.a3 Qb3 s oshchutimym davleniem chernyh na ferzevyj flang sopernika.

20.Nd4 Rad8
Chernye nahodyat sposob podderzhat' svoyu iniciativu takticheskim putem. Poslednim svoim hodom oni delayut vid, chto "zevayut" figuru. V sluchae pryamolinejnogo 20...Bxd4 21.exd4 (21.Rxd4 posle 21...Qxb2 22.Nd1 Qxa2 23.h4 Qa5+ 24.Kf1 Bg6 chernye nanesya belym oshchutimyj ushcherb na ferzevom flange uspevayut podtyanut' svoi figury na pomoshch' svoemu korolyu na korolevskij flang) 21...Nxc4 22.a3 Qb3 23.Bxc4 Qxc4 za nedostayushchuyu peshku belye putem 24.h4 f6 (i posle 24...g4 25.Qf4 Qe6 26.d5 belye vladeyut dostatochno nepriyatnoj iniciativoj) 25.hxg5 hxg5 26.d5 poluchayut neplohuyu kompensaciyu v vide igry po chernym polyam ser'ezno oslablennym vokrug rezidencii chernogo korolya.

21.a3
"Brat' figuru 21.Nxf5?? konechno ploho vvidu 21...Rxd2 22.Kxd2 Qxb2+ (M.Botvinnik)." Odnako, znachitel'no sil'nee hoda v partii bylo 21.h4! g4 (v sluchae 21...f6 22.a3 Qa5 23.Nxf5 Qxf5 u belyh posle 24.Bg4 Qa5 25.Be6+ Kh8 26.hxg5 fxg5 27.b4! Qxa3 28.Rxh6+! Bxh6 29.Qe5+ Kh7 30.Bf5+ razgromnaya ataka na poziciyu chernyh) 22.a3 Qa5 23.0-0! i polozhenie belyh predpochtitel'nee, tak kak slon chernyh f5 ne imeya pod soboj nadezhnoj opory vynuzhden derzhat' v obeih rukah dve pudovye giri v vide sobstvennyh peshek e4 i g4, kotorye vot vot gotovy upast'.

21...Qa5 22.Nxf5??
Proigryvayushchij partiyu hod. U belyh byla horoshaya poziciya kak posle ukazannogo M.Botvinnikom 22.0-0 s posleduyushchim Rf1-d1, tak i posle rassmotrennogo v kommentarii k predydushchemu hodu belyh 22.h4! g4 23.0-0.

22...Rxd2!
Edinstvennyj put' vedushchij chernyh k uspehu. Botvinnik pishet , chto chernye legko mogli vyigrat' i putem 22...Bxc3 , no boyalis' ostavit' peshku h6 bez zashchity i potomu izbrali drugoe prodolzhenie. Chto zh, opaseniya patriarha sovetskih shahmat okazalis' ne naprasnymi. Esli by chernye izbrali tot put' to s pomoshch'yu 23.bxc3 Rxd2 24.Nxh6+ Kh7 neozhidannym 25.Qh3! belye obespechili by sebe kak minimum nichejnyj ishod vstrechi.

23.Ne7+
Esli 23.Nxh6+ , to posle 23...Kh7 24.Kxd2 Bxc3+ 25.Kc2 chernye putem 25...Bxb2! 26.Qh3 (v sluchae 26.Kxb2? chernye putem 26...Na4+ 27.Kb3 Qc3+ 28.Kxa4 b5+ 29.cxb5 axb5+ 30.Bxb5 Ra8+ forsirovanno matuyut belogo korolya) 26...Qc3+ 27.Kb1 Bxa3 28.Nf5+ Kg6 29.Qh6+ Kxf5 30.Bg4+ Ke5 31.Qg7+ f6 32.Qc7+ Bd6 33.Qxb6 Qd3+ 34.Ka1 f5 chernye otbivayut ugrozy svoemu korolyu sohranyaya reshayushchij material'nyj pereves.

23...Kh7 24.Kxd2 Bxc3+ 25.Kc1
Posle 25.bxc3 reshayushchuyu ataku poluchayut chernye s pomoshch'yu ukazannogo Botvinnikom 25...Rd8+ 26.Nd5 (26.Kc2 Qa4+) 26...Nxd5 27.cxd5 Rxd5+ 28.Kc2 Qa4+ , a na 25.Kc2 reshaet uzhe znakomoe nam po predydushchemu primechaniyu 25...Bxb2!.

25...Bxb2+! 26.Kxb2 Qd2+
Chernye prohodyat mimo forsirovannoj vozmozhnosti dat' mat belomu korolyu putem 26...Na4+ ! 27.Kb3 Qc3+ 28.Kxa4 b5+ 29.cxb5 axb5+ 30.Bxb5 Ra8+ 31.Ba6 Rxa6#

27.Kb3
Posle 27.Kb1 Na4! 28.Qe5 Nc3+ otdalit' mat belomu korolyu na neskol'ko hodov mozhet tol'ko zhertva ferzya no podobnoe reshenie problem zashchity razumeetsya ne reshaet.

27...Qxe2
Sil'nee 27...Nd7! posle chego vo izbezhanii mata svoemu korolyu belym pridetsya rasstat'sya s ferzem.

28.f4
"Maloponyatnyj hod. V sluchae 28.Rc1 manevr 28...Rd8 s posleduyushchim Rd3 reshil by partiyu (M.Botvinnik)".; K skazannomu shestym chempionom mira dobavim chto i v sluchae otnositel'no samogo upornogo 28.Qe5 proshche vsego vyigryvaet 28...Qxc4+ 29.Kb2 Na4+ (vpolne vozmozhno i 29...Qb5+!? 30.Qxb5 axb5 i pary lishnih peshek v ndshpile chernym dolzhno hvatit' dlya pobedy) 30.Ka1 Rd8 31.Nf5 Qc3+ 32.Qxc3 Nxc3 ndshpil' legko vyigran dlya chernyh.

28...Qxc4+ 29.Kb2 Na4+ 30.Kb1 Qd3+
Forsirovanno zamatovat' belogo korolya chernye mogli i s pomoshch'yu 30...Qb3+ 31.Kc1 Qb2+ 32.Kd1 Nc3+ 33.Ke1 Qe2#. 31.Kc1 Qc3+ 32.Kd1 Rd8+

Vvidu neizbezhnogo mata belye sdalis'. 0-1

Denker - Botvinnik D44

RadioMatch Moscow / New York (1), 1945

1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 c6 4.Nf3 Nf6 5.Bg5 dxc4 6.e4 b5 7.e5 h6 8.Bh4 g5 9.Nxg5 hxg5 10.Bxg5 Nbd7 11.exf6
11.g3!?

11...Bb7 12.Be2
better is 12.g3

12...Qb6! 13.0-0 0-0-0 14.a4
14.h4? Ragozin - Botvinnik, 1941; 14.Bf3 b4 (14...Ne5 15.dxe5 Rxd1 16.Raxd1 compensation) 15.Ne4 Qc7! 16.g3 (16.Ng3 Ne5=/+) 16...Ne5 17.Bg2 c5=/+ Arbakov - Andrianov, Moscow, 1981; 14.b3 Bh6 15.Bxh6!? (15.h4 Bxg5 16.hxg5 Rh4 initiative Spassky - Heyken, Germany, 1987) 15...Rxh6 16.bxc4

14...b4!
14...Ne5 15.dxe5 Rxd1 16.Raxd1 with the idea Ne4-d6 Botvinnik; 14...Nc5 15.dxc5 Qc7 16.g3 Rxd1 17.Rfxd1 unclear

15.Ne4
15.a5? Qc7-+

15...c5 16.Qb1
16.Qc2 c3!! 17.dxc5 (17.bxc3 Qc7 18.Ng3 cxd4 19.c4 Nc5-+) 17...Nxc5 RR18.Ng3!? (18.Nxc5 Bxc5 with the idea 19... Qc7 Botvinnik) 18...Bh6! 19.Bxh6 Rxh6 20.bxc3 b3 21.Qb2 Rdh8 22.h3 Qc6 23.Bf3 (23.f3 Rg8-+) 23...Qxf3!! 24.gxf3 Bxf3 25.Qa3 Nd7-+; 16.Nd2 Qc7 17.f4 cxd4 18.Nxc4 d3 19.Qxd3 Bc5+ 20.Kh1 Nxf6 21.Qb3 Rdg8-+ Kovac - Fux, Debrecen, 1967

16...Qc7!
16...Qc6 17.f3 cxd4 18.Bxc4 unclear 17.Ng3 17.h4 Bh6-+; 17.h3 Bh6 18.Bxh6 Rxh6 19.Rc1 Rg8-+; 17.g3 Bh6 18.Bxh6 Rxh6 19.Bxc4 Rdh8 20.h4 Nxf6 21.Nxf6 Rxf6 attack; 17.f4 Qc6 18.Bf3 cxd4 19.Nd2 Qc5 20.Nxc4 (20.Bxb7+ Kxb7 21.Rc1 d3+ 22.Kh1 Bd6 23.Rxc4 Rxh2+ 24.Kxh2 Rh8+ 25.Kg3 Qxg5+-+) 20...d3+ 21.Kh1 Bxf3 22.gxf3 Qf5-/+

17...cxd4 18.Bxc4 Qc6 19.f3

19...d3!!
with the idea 20... Qc5 and 20... Bc5 21.Kh1 Rh2

20.Qc1
20.Be3 Bc5 21.Bxc5 (21.Qc1 d2 22.Qxd2 Ne5-+) 21...Qxc5+ 22.Kh1 Rxh2+-+ Botvinnik; 20.Ne4 Qxc4 (20...Qc7 21.g3 Bxe4 22.fxe4 Qxc4 23.Rc1 Bc5+-+) 21.Rc1 Bc5+ 22.Nxc5 Qd4+ 23.Kh1 Nxc5-+

20...Bc5+ 21.Kh1
21.Be3 d2-+

21...Qd6
with the idea 22... Qg3 and 22... Rh2 23.Kh2 Rh8 24.Bh6 d2

22.Qf4
22.Bf4 Rxh2+ 23.Kxh2 Rh8+ 24.Nh5 Rxh5+ 25.Kg3 e5 26.Be3 (26.Bg5 e4+ 27.Kg4 d2 28.Qxd2 Nxf6+ 29.Bxf6 Qxd2 30.Kxh5 Qxg2-+) 26...e4+ 27.f4 (27.Kf2 d2 28.Qc2 exf3-+) 27...Qxf6 28.Kf2 Qxf4+-+ Botvinnik; 22.Bh6 d2 (22...Rh7! with the idea 23... Rdh8-+) 23.Qxd2 Qxd2 24.Bxd2 Ne5 25.Rfc1 Rxd2 26.Nf1 (26.Bb5 Nxf3 27.Rxc5+ Kd8 28.Rh5 Rxh5 29.Nxh5 Nh4-+) 26...Nxf3 27.Bxe6+ Kb8 28.Rxc5 Rf2 29.Bd5 Rxf1+-+

22...Rxh2+ 23.Kxh2 Rh8+ 24.Qh4 Rxh4+ 25.Bxh4 Qf4 0-1

update 05-01-2003