Unlike previous matches, there was no provision for a return match so Botvinnik retired from world championship competition. The right to a return match had been eliminated in 1959. While Botvinnik considered it an unjustifiable breach of a long established tradition he did not protest.
According to Botvinnik it was very hard to play Petrosian because he had an understanding of positional play that was deeper than most. Botvinnik regarded himself as a universal player and admitted that he did not completely understand Petrisoan's play and depth of judgment!
After Petrosian's victory in the 1959 Soviet Championship, Botvinnik wrote that Petrosian's style was reminiscent of that of Capablanca, Flohr and, maybe, Smyslov. What they all had in common was their superior positional understanding. As a result, they tried to obtain positions in which the elements of time and tactics were not of decisive importance, but rather positions in which they could base their play on a clear plan that lead to victory.
They were unlike Alekhine and Tal where everything depends on dynamics and factors like time and tactical vision which assume decisive importance. Of course even for these types of players a good positional feeling and technique are required. It is equally obvious that if Petrosian had been just a positional player he would never have been able to achieve the heights that he did.
The two players came into the match with equal scores against each other but would the age difference factor in? Botvinnik was 51, Petrosian was 34.
In the first half of the match Botvinnik often obtained a considerable advantage in the opening, but couldn't capitalize on it. This must have undermined his self-confidence.
Nevertheless, the score was equal until the 15th game and it was only after his victory in that game that the scales turned in favor of Petrosian. Botvinnik did manage to obtain the advantage in the next game, but he failed to make the most of it and that is when fatigue apparently began to set in.
Petrosian was a player with sharp tactical ability, but it showed only when absolutely necessary. Otherwise his style was clearly defensive, prophylactic and, as Botvinnik wrote, hard for his opponents to fathom. Petrosian was hard to defeat and very rarely lost. Later Boris Spassky expressed the opinion that Botvinnik did not understand Petrosian's style and Spassky himself needed two matches (1966 and 1969) to solve the problem of playing against Petrosian.
An unusual feature of the match was that none of the games began with 1.e4.
After losing the first game, in game 5 Petrosian evened the score in a game that illustrates Petrosian's style. Botvinnik transposed from the opening into an ending in which, though it was hardly decisive, he had a slight disadvantage. But, Petrosian's maneuvering was more precise than Botvinnik and so he was able to score the point. This game was played on 58 years ago on April 1st and I have relied on Petrosian's very insightful notes in annotating it.
Tigran Petrosian - Mikhail Botvinnik
Result: 1-0
Site: World Championship Match, Moscow
Date: 1963.04.01
Gruenfeld Defense
[...] 1.c4 g6 2.d4 ♘f6 3.♘c3 d5 4.♘f3 ♗g7 5.e3 O-O 6.♗e2 This modest move did not have a very good reputation and opening books of the day quoted Sokolsky-Botvinnik, Leningrad 1938 as the model game. This game shows the problem with opening books...they simply repeat moves, often from very old games, without pointing out improvements and they often make wrong conclusions. In his pre-game preparation Petrosian hit on a new idea in this line. 6...dxc4 7.♗xc4 c5 8.d5 e6 Botvinnik could have obtained a more complicated position with 7... Nfd7 or with the N maneuver ...Ne8-d6, but in this early stage of the match he was happy to seek simplifications, especially when playing black. 9.dxe6
9...♕xd1+ 10.♔xd1 ♗xe6 11.♗xe6 fxe6 At this point some members of the press began leaving. After all, with the Qs off the board how can anything interesting happen? But in fact, even though it's hard to define an advantage for either side, the endgame is very complicated, but still it wouldn't be surprising to see another draw. However, as Petrosian pointed out, white's P-structure is somewhat better thanks to the isolated P on e6, but it's hard to imagine that white would ever be able to create a serious threat to win it. That said, the squares in front of it can become outposts for white's pieces and so his position must be considered slightly better. Insightful GM thinking! 12.♔e2 ♘c6 Remove the Ns from the board, then it is not hard to come to the conclusion that white's hopes of an advantage would soon be liquidated. In reality, though, it is precisely the N on e4 that will occupy an ideal position. (Petrosian)
9.e4 trying to keep the P on d5 runs into the unpleasant 9...exd5 10.exd5 ♖e8+ 11.♗e3 ♘g4 12.O-O ♘xe3 13.fxe3 ♘d7
13...♖xe3 This is unpleasant for black after 14.d6 ♘c6 15.♗xf7+ ♔h8 (15...♔xf7 16.♕d5+ ♗e6 17.♘e5+) 16.♘d5
12...♘d5 Recommended by some commentators, but after 13.♘e4 ♘d7 14.♖d1 and according to Petrosian white has some initiative.
13.♖d1
13.♘g5 ♖fe8 14.♖d1 b6 15.♖d6 ♘b8 16.e4 ♗f8 17.♖d1 ♘c6 18.♘f3 with a fukky equal position. Alster,L-Smejkal,J/Pardubice 1965
13...♖ad8 One of several small inaccuracies, committed by Botvinnik in this game.
13...♔f7 was recommended by Petrosian, but after 14.♘g5+ ♔e7 15.♘ce4 white looks to be slightly better.
14.♖xd8 ♖xd8 15.♘g5 ♖e8 Here Petrosian makes another insightful comment when he wrote that one must also reckon with the fact that there are Bs on the board. Thus, the move 15...e5 would make the B on g7, if not outright bad, then at least not very good. 16.♘ge4 ♘xe4 Another tiny inaccuracy.
16...b6 17.♘xf6+ ♗xf6 18.♘e4 and black, according to Petrosian, can retreat the B to either e7 or g7. A small detail that doesn't mean much to anybody but a player like Petrosian. Engines rate the position as no more than equal.
17.♘xe4 b6 18.♖b1 ♘b4 19.♗d2 ♘d5
19...♘xa2 20.♖a1 ♘b4 21.♖xa7 ♗xb2 22.♗xb4 cxb4 23.♖b7 ♗c3 24.♖xb6 gives white some winning chances and black would be condemned to a prolonged defense.
20.a4 ♖c8 21.b3 ♗f8 Engines evaluate this position as equal, but Petrosian observed felt tht white has achieved rather more because he has completed the mobilization of his pieces and improved the position of his Q-side Ps. Black, meanwhile, has come to the conclusion that his B belongs on the a3 -f8 diagonal. 22.♖c1 ♗e7 This move was condemned in favor of 22...Rc7
22...♖c7 was, in fact, no better because after 23.♘g5 Black's defense it is not easy. Whereas after the text he could have achieved approximate equality with best play.
23.b4 An interesting move that was played only after considerable thought. The idea was to sharpen play. 23...c4 24.b5 Depriving Black of the possibility of supporting the passed P by means of ...a6-a6 and ...b6-b5. 24...♔f7 According to Petrosian this is another slip after which he will sooner or later lose the c-Pawn. He actually had several ways to obtain more or less satisfactory play.
24...♗a3 Was recommended by Averbach and also examined by Petrosian during the game. Petrosian planne dto meet it with 25.♖c2 c3 26.♗xc3 ♗b4 27.♔d2 ♖c4 28.♗xb4 ♖xe4 29.♗d6 ♖xa4 30.f3 But even so, the position is only marginally in white's favor.
25.♗c3 Petrosian wrote that probably Botvinnik had not yet seen the regrouping of the white pieces, which had to be found before playing the committal move 23.b4. The B comes to c3 , blockading the passed P, then the N from d2 attacks the P. Then white plays g2-g3 to take the f4 square away from the enemy N and then finally drives it away by advancing the e-Pawn. 25...♗a3 26.♖c2 ♘xc3+ 27.♖xc3 ♗b4 28.♖c2 More chances were offered by 28...e5 with the idea of trying to bring the K towards the square d5 as rapidly as possible. 28...♔e7 29.♘d2 c3
29...♗xd2 30.♔xd2 ♖d8+ 31.♔c3 ♖d1 allows black to put up stubborn resistance.
30.♘e4 ♗a5 31.♔d3 ♖d8+ 32.♔c4 ♖d1 This is another tiny inaccuracy on Botvinnik's part. The idea of it is clear on his next move, but he is barking up the wrong tree. Surprising from an endgame virtuoso of Botvinnik's caliber.
32...♖d2 is spectacular and would require precise play on white's part. 33.♔b3 (33.♘xd2 cxd2 obviously loses.) 33...♖d1 34.♘xc3 ♗xc3 35.♖xc3 ♔d6 and a draw seems likely.
33.♘xc3 ♖h1 Now black's position is completely lost. It is interesting to note that Petrosian feared the exchange ...Bxc3 considering that the R ending, although it does not look very good, actually offers black the best chance of saving the game.
33...♗xc3 34.♖xc3 ♖d2 35.g4 ♖xf2 36.♔d4 ♖xh2 37.♔e5 ♔d7 38.♖c6 ♖h4 39.♖d6+ ♔c8 40.g5 ♖xa4 is a draw owing to the great activity of white's K. 41.♔f6
34.♘e4±34...♖xh2 35.♔d4+− White's last two moves were brilliant. His centralized pieces are in stark contrast to black's scattered forces. Black's R is off in the corner and the B rests on an empty diagonal. As a result black's K is on its own. 35...♔d7 36.g3 The safest route to victory. Although only a few moves remained to the time control, Petrosian also had little time and consequently there was no sense in allowing complications, in which everything would depend on exact calculation.
36.♘f6+ was actually quicker. 36...♔d6 37.f4 h5 38.♖c6+ ♔e7 39.♔e5 ♖xg2 40.♖xe6+ ♔d8 41.♖e8+ ♔c7 42.♘d5+ ♔b7 (42...♔d7 43.♖a8 wraps it up.) 43.♖g8 and black is helpless.
36...♗b4 37.♔e5 ♖h5+ 38.♔f6 ♗e7+ 39.♔g7 e5 40.♖c6 Limiting the mobility of black's K. 40...♖h1 41.♔f7 This was the sealed move at adjournment and the start of the shortest way of realizing white's advantage. From e7 black's B defends a number of important squares: d6, f6 and g5 and so it must be forced to skedaddle. 41...♖a1 42.♖e6 And this is the move that forces the B to leave its post. 42...♗d8 43.♖d6+ ♔c8 44.♔e8 ♗c7 45.♖c6 ♖d1 (45...♖xa4 46.♘g5 ♔b7 47.♘e6 ♗b8 48.♘d8+ ♔a8 49.♖c8 wins the B.)
45...♖xa4 46.♘g5 ♖b4 Instead of Petrosian's ...Kb7 47.♘e6 ♖xb5 48.♖xc7+ ♔b8 and things are a bit complicated, but white should still win. 49.♖xh7 ♖b2 50.♘d8 ♖xf2 51.♘c6+ ♔c8 52.♘xa7+ ♔b8 53.♘c6+ ♔c8 54.♔e7 e4 55.♔e6 ♖f3 56.♘a7+ ♔b8 57.♔d6 ♖f6+ (57...♖xe3 58.♘c6+ mates next move.) 58.♔d5 ♖f3 59.♔c6 ♖f6+ 60.♔b5 ♖f1 61.♔a6 ♖a1+ 62.♔xb6 ♖b1+ 63.♘b5 The threat is Rh8 mate 63...♔c8 64.♔c6 ♖c1+ 65.♔d5 ♖d1+ 66.♔xe4 with a won ending.
46.♘g5 ♖d8+ 47.♔f7 ♖d7+ 48.♔g8 Botvinnik resigned. Powered by Aquarium
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