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ANNOTATED GAME
Clash of the Mikhail's
Mikhail Botvinnik vs. Mikhail Tal
Annotated by: pika25 (1088)
Chess opening: English opening (A15)
Mikhail Botvinnik vs. Mikhail Tal
Annotated by: pika25 (1088)
Chess opening: English opening (A15)
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Tal was famous for making intuitive sacrifices that were hard to refute, but not completely sound. This strategy helped him wrest the title from Botvinnik in their first title match. When critics upbraided Tal, he replied, "Extraordinarily tense, full-blooded struggles that are absolutely without any mistakes are only to be found in distant interplanetary chess tournaments." | |
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1. c4 Nf6 2. Nf3 g6 3. g3 Bg7 4. Bg2 O-O 5. d4 d6 6. Nc3 Nbd7 7. O-O e5 8. e4 c6 9. h3 |
9 h3 is generally considered necessary to prevent the bishop from getting harassed by Ng4 after it gets to e3. For 9 Be3 Ng4 10 Bg5 Qb6 see Mikhail Botvinnik-Vassily Smyslov 1954. |
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9... Qb6 10. d5 cxd5 11. cxd5 Nc5 12. Ne1 Bd7 13. Nd3 Nxd3 14. Qxd3 Rfc8 |
Mikhail Tal: "A critical position. I took a long time to choose which plan to use. A detailed analysis proved that 14 ... Ne8 15 Be3 Qd8 is worth consideration. White cannot create any real threat on the queen side and black carries out f5 without any trouble." |
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15. Rb1 |
Subsequently, the position of the rook gives black a very important tempo. Instead, Tal suggested 15 Qe2. |
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15... Nh5 16. Be3 Qb4 17. Qe2 Rc4 18. Rfc1 Rac8 19. Kh2 f5 20. exf5 Bxf5 21. Rba1 Nf4 |
Mikhail Tal: "In my opinion, the arguments which this move raised were completely pointless. All the other continuations are bad, and if the knight sacrifice is incorrect, then a question mark should be placed after black's 17th move." |
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22. gxf4 exf4 23. Bd2 |
Another critical line is 23 a3 Qb3 24 Bxa7 Be5. Mikhail Tal: "It is possible that subsequently there will be found a way to strengthen white's defense, but I am sure the double-edged knight sacrifice on f4 appeared to be a correct decision." |
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23... Qxb2 24. Rab1 f3 25. Rxb2 |
?? Botvinnik finally buckles under the strain. After 25 Bxf3 Bxb1 26 Rxb1 Qc2 27 Rc1 (later it was found that 27 Be4!! Rxe4 28 Nxe4!! Qxb1 29 Nxd6 Rf8 30 Qe6 gives white a better ending) Qb2 (if 27 ... Qf5, 28 Bg4 Qe5 29 Qxe5 Bxe5 30 f4 Rxc3 31 Bxc8 wins) 28 Rb1 draws by repetition. |
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25... fxe2 26. Rb3 Rd4 27. Be1 Be5+ 28. Kg1 Bf4 |
Missing a quick win by 28 ... Rxc3! 29 Rbxc3 Rd1. |
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29. Nxe2 Rxc1 30. Nxd4 Rxe1+ 31. Bf1 Be4 32. Ne2 |
Not 32 Rxb7 Bd3. With two active bishops and an extra pawn, black's win should be a matter of proper technique. |
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32... Be5 33. f4 Bf6 34. Rxb7 Bxd5 |
Inviting 35 Rxa7? Rxe2! 36 Bxe2 Bd4 37 Kf1 Bxa7. |
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35. Rc7 Bxa2 36. Rxa7 Bc4 |
Now not 36 ... Rxe2? 37 Ra8+! Kg7 38 Bxe2. |
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37. Ra8+ Kf7 38. Ra7+ Ke6 39. Ra3 d5 |
There's no rush. Botvinnik has some drawing chances after 39 ... Bxe2 40 Re3 Kf5 41 Rxe2. |
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40. Kf2 Bh4+ 41. Kg2 Kd6 42. Ng3 Bxg3 43. Bxc4 dxc4 44. Kxg3 Kd5 45. Ra7 c3 46. Rc7 Kd4 |
The game was adjourned and Botvinnik saw no way to save it, so he chose to resign. |
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