
Botvinnik and other World Champions
By GM Lubomir Kavalek
From the eight world champions I played in my career, I drew all games against Botvinnik, Tigran Petrosian and Bobby Fischer. I was undefeated against Vassily Smyslov, beating him twice. I lost one game to Mikhail Tal and Garry Kasparov. I won once against Anatoly Karpov, but lost four times with plenty of draws. My worst score was against Boris Spassky: in 21 games I lost six times and won twice.

Boris Spassky observing the duel Botvinnik-Donner, Leiden 1970
Some of the draws against the world champions were dramatic and had a powerful theoretical impact. For example, my game with Fischer "determined for a long time the main trend in one of the sharpest lines of the Najdorf Variation in the Sicilian Defense," according to Kasparov.
Still, it puzzled me why my drawn game against the Soviet patriarch was included in his collection "Botvinnik's Best Games 1947-1970." At the 1972 Chess Olympiad in Skopje, I was able to find out. I was playing the first board on the U.S. team, Botvinnik was there as an honorary guest.
"The game showed that my calculating power was not what it used to be," was his answer, and he added unexpectedly: "My playing strength was declining." Botvinnik always thought about his chess objectively.

Lubomir Kavalek in 1968
The see-saw battle was described in the daily tournament bulletin as chaotic after it took a sharp turn around move 15. The spectators and journalists were united in preferring the side of the former world champion, but they got lost in calculations. For every suggested win, there was some defense or escape. The Belgian GM Alberic O'Kelly found only one clear-cut win after analyzing it for two weeks. Suddenly, I threw my heavy pieces toward Botvinnik's king, leaving my monarch unprotected. The game had become tense and slippery. On move 37 Botvinnik had a choice of three moves: one would lose, one would win, and he picked up the drawing alternative. The tournament bulletin gave this advice: Highly recommended for further study! "Botvinnik missed an opportunity to win what would have been one of his finest games," Soltis concluded.
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1.c4 g6 2.d4 Bg7 3.Nc3 c5 4.d5 d6 5.e4 Nf6 6.Bd3 0-0 7.h3 e6 8.Nf3 exd5 9.exd5!? 9.cxd5 b5!? 9...Re8+ 10.Be3 Bh6 10...Rxe3+!? 11.fxe3 Qe7 12.e4 Nbd7 13.0-0 Nh5 11.0-0! Bxe3 12.fxe3 Qe7 12...Rxe3 13.Qd2 13.e4 Nbd7 14.Qd2 a6 15.Rf2 Ne5?! 15...Rf8 16.Raf1 Ne8 16.Nxe5 Qxe5 17.Raf1 Nd7 18.Rxf7 Qd4+ 19.Kh1 19.R7f2?! Ne5 20.Rd1?! Bxh3! 21.gxh3?? Nf3+-+ 19...Ne5 20.Qf4! Bxh3! 20...Bf5 21.Rxb7 Nxd3 21...Bc8 22.Re7!+- 21...Qxd3 22.exf5 Qxf5 23.Ne4+- 22.Qh6 21.Be2! 21.Qf6 Nxf7 22.Qxf7+ Kh8 23.gxh3 Qxd3 24.Qf6+ 21.gxh3 Qxd3 21...Bd7 21...Bxg2+ 22.Kxg2 Nxf7 23.Qxf7+ Kh8 24.Qf6+ Qxf6 25.Rxf6 Rad8 26.Rf7 22.Qf6? 22.Rf6! Kg7 23.Rd1?! Rf8! 24.Rxd4 Rxf6 22.Rf6! Kg7 23.Rxd6 Rf8 24.Rf6! Nd3 25.Rf7+! 22...Nxf7 23.Qxf7+ Kh8 24.Qxd7 Rf8 25.Qxd6 25.Rf7 Rxf7 26.Qxf7 Qg7 27.Qxg7+ Kxg7 28.e5! dxe5 29.Na4 25...Rxf1+ 26.Bxf1 Qf2 27.Qe5+ Kg8 28.Qe6+ Kh8 29.Qe5+ Kg8 30.Qe6+ Kh8 31.Be2 Rf8 32.Qe5+ 32.d6! Rf4 32...Qh4+ 33.Qh3 Qe1+ 33...Qg5 34.Nd5!+- 34.Kh2 Rf4 35.d7+- 32...h5 33.Nd5! Qxe2 34.Qe5+ Kg8 35.Nf6+ Rxf6 36.Qxf6+- 33.Bg4 Qh4+ 34.Bh3 Rf1+ 35.Kh2 Qf4+ 35...Qe1? 36.Qe5+ Kg8 37.Be6+ Kf8 38.Qh8# 36.g3 Qf2+ 36...Rf2+ 37.Bg2+- 37.Bg2 Qg1+ 38.Kh3 Rf2 39.Qe5+ Kg8 40.Qd5+ Kg7 41.e5 Qc1 42.Qxb7+ Rf7 43.Qe4 32...Kg8 33.Bg4 Qh4+ 33...h5!? 34.Be6+ 34.Bh3 Qe1+ 35.Kh2 Rf1-+ 34...Kh7 35.Kh2! Qd2! 36.d6 Rf2 37.Nd5!? 37.Qg3 Rf1 37...Rxg2+ 38.Kh3 Rg1? 38...Rf2! 39.Qg3 Qe1! 40.Bg8+! Kxg8 40...Kg7 41.Qc3++- 41.Qxg6+ Kf8 42.Qh6+ Kf7 43.Qh7+ 43.Qxh5+ Kg7 44.Qe5+ Kh7= 43...Kf8 44.Qe7+ Kg8 45.Nf6+ Rxf6 46.Qxf6 Qxe4 39.Bg8+! Kxg8 39...Kh6? 40.Qf4+! 40.Nf6+ Kg7 41.Qe7+ Kh6 42.Ng8# 34.Bh3 Qe1+ 35.Kh2 Rf1! 36.Be6+ Kf8 37.Qh8+? 37.Qd6+? Kg7 38.Qe7+ Kh8 38...Kh6! 39.Kh3 g5 37.Kh3! Rh1+ 37...Qe3+ 38.g3 Rh1+ 39.Kg2 Rg1+ 39...Qg1+ 40.Kf3 Qf1+ 41.Ke3 Qc1+ 42.Kd3 Qf1+ 43.Kc2 Rh2+ 44.Kb3 Qf2 45.Qh8+ Ke7 46.Qg7+ Ke8 47.Ka4! b6! 47...Qc2+ 48.Ka5! 48.Ne2! 48.d6?? Qc2+ 49.b3 Qxa2+ 50.Nxa2 Rxa2# 40.Kh2 Qf2+ 41.Kh3 Qg2+ 42.Kg4 Rf1 43.Qh8+ Ke7 44.d6+! Kxe6 45.Qe8+ Kxd6 46.e5+ Kc7 47.Nd5++- 38.Kg4 Qh4+ 38...Rh4+ 39.Kf3 Qf1+ 40.Ke3+- 39.Kf3 Rf1+ 40.Ke3 Qf2+ 41.Kd3 Qxg2 41...Re1 42.Qh8+ Ke7 43.Qxh7+ Kf8 44.Qh8+ Ke7 45.Qg7+ Ke8 46.Qxg6+ Kd8 47.Qg8+ Kc7 48.Qc8+ Kb6 49.Na4++- 42.Qh8+ Ke7 43.Qxh7+ Kf8 44.Qg8+ Ke7 45.Qg7+ Ke8 46.Qd7+ Kf8 47.Bg4 37...Ke7 38.Qxh7+ Kf6 39.Qh8+ Kg5 40.Qe5+ Kh6 41.Qh8+ 41.Kh3 Rh1+ 42.Kg4 Qh4+ 43.Kf3 Rf1+ 44.Ke3 Qf2+ 45.Kd3 Qxg2! 41...Kg5 42.Qd8+ Kh5 43.Qh8+ ½–½
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Botvinnik,M | - | Kavalek,L | - | ½–½ | 1969 | E90 | Wijk aan Zee | 11 |
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Here is the game quoted on move 18 above:
17.R1xc6! bxc6 18.Rxf7‼ h6 18...Kxf7 19.Qc4+ Kg6 19...Qd5 20.Ng5++- 19...Ke7 20.Bg5++- 20.Qg4+ Kf7 21.Ng5+ Kg8 22.Qc4+ Kh8 23.Nf7+ Kg8 24.Nh6+ Kh8 25.Qg8# 19.Rb7 Qc8 20.Qc4+ Kh8 20...Qe6 21.Nxe5+- 21.Nh4! Qxb7 21...Qe6 22.Qe4!+- 22.Ng6+ Kh7 23.Be4 Bd6 24.Nxe5+ g6 25.Bxg6+ Kg7 26.Bxh6+ 26.Bxh6+ Kxh6 27.Qh4+ Kg7 28.Qh7+ Kf8 29.Qxb7+- 1–0
- Start an analysis engine:
- Try maximizing the board:
- Use the four cursor keys to replay the game. Make moves to analyse yourself.
- Press Ctrl-B to rotate the board.
- Drag the split bars between window panes.
- Download&Clip PGN/GIF/FEN/QR Codes. Share the game.
- Games viewed here will automatically be stored in your cloud clipboard (if you are logged in). Use the cloud clipboard also in ChessBase.
- Create an account to access the games cloud.
Botvinnik,M | - | Portisch,L | - | 1–0 | 1968 | A29 | Monte Carlo | 7 |
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Botvinnik was supposed to play Bobby Fischer in Leiden in 1970 and prepared for that match with Spassky. But the match collapsed and the Dutch organizers changed it to a four-player tournament. It was Botvinnik's last.
Images from Botvinnik's last tournament in Leiden in 1970 by Lubomir Kavalek
Original column here – Copyright Huffington Post

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