A Bright Day For Smyslov

     As mentioned in the previous post, I think Vasily Smyslov (March 24, 1921 - March 27, 2010) is greatly under-appreciated as a player. Besides being an 8-time candidate for the World Championship and holder of the title in 1957-58, he tied for first place in the Soviet Championship twice (1949, 1955), won 17 Olympiad medals, won ten gold medals in the European Team Championships, and he also had great longevity, remaining active and a dangerous opponent well after the age of sixty. 

     Among the books in my library is his My Best Games of Chess 1935-1957. Smyslov's original book contained games only up to 1951. My copy is the 1958 edition translated and edited by Peter H. Clarke, who (unfortunately) felt it necessary to eliminate 11 games from the original work while adding 18 later games "for balance." 

     After posting one of Smyslov's miserable losses to Botvinnik in their 1958 World Championship match, let's go back to their 1954 tied match and watch Smyslov absolutely crush Botvinnik. 

 

 

In this match there were 14 decisive games, 12 of the first 16, including a streak of 8 decisive results in a row! 

ChessBase

Vasily Smyslov–Mikhail Botvinnik1–0C18World Championship Match, Moscow903.04.1954Stockfish 15

1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.c3 b4 4.e5 c5 5.a3 a5 6.b4 cxd4 7.g4 This is the most aggressive continuation. In the 1st and 3rd games Smyslov played 7.Ng5 but didn't get any advantage. e7 7...f8 gives white a dangerous attack. 8.b5 White gets the initiative. 8.bxa5 dxc3 9.f3 e7 10.d3 d7 11.b4 c7 12.0-0 Unzicker,W (2592)-Botvinnik,M (2702) Amsterdam 1954. White is better, but despite Botvinnik's subsequent poor play Unzicker could only manage a draw. 8...b6 9.f3 c6 10.b2 8.bxa5 This is the only try for an advantage. 8.xg7 g8 9.xh7 c7 10.b5 a6 11.xc7+ 11.xd4 is less good. xe5 12.gf3 and now in Estrin-Khasin, Moscow Championship 1953 black could have gotten the better game with 12...Bf6 11...xc7 12.e2 xe5 with plenty of play. 8.b5 leads to no more than equality after c7 9.f3 g6 10.d3 c6 8...dxc3 9.xg7 g8 10.xh7 d7 Bringing another piece over to defend the K. Smyslov is already threatening to launch a formidable K-side attack by Nf3-g5 etc. 11.f3 f8 This is not very good. 11...Qc8 tying white down to the defense of his e-Pawn was better. 12.d3 xa5 13.h4 secures g5 and, given the opportunity, the further advance of the h-Pawn is a real possibility. Smyslov has already built up a position that's on the verge of being decisive. This seems unimaginable against Botvinnik. d7 14.g5 White would also have a good position after 14.Ng5, but developing the B on g5 is better. 14.g5 a4 15.h3 d7 16.f4 with good attacking possibilities. 14...c8 15.d4 Centralizing the N is quite logical, but the all seeing Stockfish prefers 15.Rb1 and then 16.Qd4. Smyslov's move is perfectly OK though. f5 16.b1 Very nice. White does not want to exchange the light squared Bs and so prevents ...Bb5. c4 Botvinnik should have contented himself with the docile 16...b6, but instead he plans to sacrifice the exchange in the hopes of obtaining some play. 16...b6 17.g4 xd4 18.xd4 xa3 Even though he is a P up and has a passed a-Pawn white is still better because he has good attacking possibilities. White scored 5 out of 5 in Shootouts from this position, but they were long games and securing the win could prove quite tricky. 17.xf5 exf5 17...e4+ loses at once because of the nifty... 18.xe4 dxe4 19.d6# 18.xb7 e4+ Botvinnik's intention was to play 18...Rxg5, but it is hardly much better. 18...xg5 19.hxg5 xa3 20.b8+ e7 21.xd5 e4+ 22.e2 c1+ 23.d1 xd1+ 24.xd1 and white is winning. 18...xa3 is also insufficient. 19.b8+ c8 20.xc8+ xc8 21.xd5 a1+ 22.d1 here, too, white is winning. 19.xe4 dxe4 20.b8+ c8 21.b5+ xb5 22.xb5 e6 23.f6 The advance of the h-Pawn quickly decides the outcome. xg2 24.h5 a6 25.h6 Botvinnik resigned. Forceful play by Smyslov! 1–0

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