Smyslov's Most Horrible Moment

     Last night was dreadful. Scattered heavy rain with thunder and lightening, a tornado which fortunately did not touch down, isolated flooding of streets and homes and a nearby river overflowing its banks were the order of the evening. 

     We were blessed that except for a brief period of heavy downpour the bad stuff missed us, but only by a very few miles. After the storm passed a couple of hours before sunset a beautiful double rainbow appeared that lasted for about half an hour. 

     This morning as I drink my coffee and work on this post my sympathy is extended to those who are left with a messy cleanup and have destroyed cars and damaged homes. I know because in the past we suffered a catastrophic flood that put us out of our home for a couple of weeks and did over $20,000 damage, not including the loss of my car which was sitting in three feet of water. 

     Vasily Smyslov (1921 - 2010) was a Candidate for the World Championship on eight occasions (1948, 1950, 1953, 1956, 1959, 1965, 1983, and 1985), played three world championship matches and held the title from 1957 to 1958. 

     The 1954 World Championship match between Botvinnik and Smyslov was drawn 12–12, meaning Botvinnik retained the world title. Smyslov won the Candidates' Tournament at Amsterdam in 1956 and then went on to defeat Botvinnik by a score of 12.5-9.5 in 1957. 

     Botvinnik exercised his right to a rematch, and the following year won the title back with a score of 12.5-10.5. Smyslov later said his health suffered during the return match, as he came down with pneumonia, but he also acknowledged that Botvinnik had prepared very thoroughly. 

     Botvinnik started with three straight wins and was never in any danger of losing the match. After 14 games Botvinnik was leading with a score of 9-5 when, in a favorable position after 55 moves and only to two moves to make in three minutes to reach adjournment, he became so absorbed that he was surprised when the referee, Gideon Stahlberg, informed him that he had forfeited in time.

     Game 18 was critical. After 17 games Botvinnik was leading 10-7. If he won he would be up four games with six games left. If he lost his lead would be two games and Smyslov would have had some hope. 

     As it turned out Botvinnik missed a brilliant win then Smyslov returned the favor, but things got even worse; he repeatedly missed the best moves. After this game his hopes of salvaging the match were zero. 

 

     It's interesting to note that in their three world championship matches Smyslov held a slim edge: +18 -17 =34, but history gives preference to Botvinnik. 

     Personally, I think Smyslov was the better of the two and his games are more enjoyable to play over. Smyslov was primarily a positional player, but many of his games were fantastic attacking games and he was also an endgame virtuoso. You can read an interesting short article on Smyslov at ChessBase HERE. 

 

[Event "World Championship Match, Moscow"] [Site "?"] [Date "1958.04.19"] [Round "18"] [White "Mikhail Botvinnik"] [Black "Vasily Smyslov"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "A16"] [Annotator "Stockfish 15"] [PlyCount "147"] [EventDate "1958.??.??"] {English Opening} 1. c4 {The English was a favorite of Botvinnik.} Nf6 2. Nc3 d5 (2... g6 3. g3 Bg7 4. Bg2 O-O 5. e4 d6 6. d3 {Became known as the Botvinnik System in which white obtains good piece play and a center spatial advantage.}) 3. cxd5 Nxd5 4. g3 g6 5. Bg2 Nxc3 6. bxc3 Bg7 7. Qb3 {A departure from Games 14 and 16 in which Botvinnik played the more modern 7.Rb1. The text move threatens 8.Bxb7, but the Q will exposed to possible attack.} Nc6 {In the other games Smyslov played 7...Nd7 which is satisfactory because 8.Bxb7 loses to 8...Rb8. With the text move Smyslov is seeking complications.} 8. Nf3 O-O 9. O-O Na5 10. Qc2 c5 11. d3 Bf5 {The threat is 12...c4 and ...cxd3 which would leave white with weak Ps in the center.} 12. e4 {This meets the threat but his center ends up vulnerable. A safer continuation is 12.Nh4 followed by ...Rb1} Bd7 13. Bg5 {White hopes to provoke black into weakening his Ps with ...h6 or . ..f6} Rc8 14. Qd2 Bb5 15. Rfd1 Ba4 16. Re1 f6 17. Bh6 {This P offer is more active than the quiet retreat to e3.} Bxh6 18. Qxh6 Qxd3 {Smyslov accepts the challenge, but 18...e5 may have been safer.} 19. e5 {Intending to play on the e-file. If allowed he will play 20.exf6 exf6 21.Re7 which explains black's next move.} Nc6 (19... Qxc3 {would be a serious error.} 20. Rac1 Qb2 21. exf6 Qxf6 {Otherwise white has Re7} 22. Ng5 Qg7 (22... Qxf2+ 23. Kh1 Rf7 24. Rf1 { wins}) 23. Bd5+ Kh8 24. Qxg7+ Kxg7 25. Ne6+ Kh8 26. Nxf8 Rxf8 27. Rxc5 { and white is winning.}) (19... Rce8 {This is the best move challenging white on the e-file. The continuation might be} 20. Re3 Qf5 21. Rae1 Qh5 22. Qxh5 gxh5 {with equal chances.}) 20. Re3 Qc2 21. exf6 exf6 (21... Rxf6 {loses to} 22. Ng5 Qxf2+ 23. Kh1 Rf7 24. Rf3) 22. Rae1 Rcd8 {[%mdl 8192] Both playesr have overlooked the fact that white has a clear win after this move.} (22... Qxa2 {fails...} 23. Bh3 Rcd8 24. Be6+) (22... Ne5 {This would keep white's advantage to a minimum.} 23. Nxe5 fxe5 24. Bd5+ Kh8 25. f4 (25. Rxe5 Qxf2+ 26. Kh1 Rce8 {White's attack is over and black is left a P up.}) 25... Bc6 26. c4 { White is slightly better.}) 23. Bh3 {White can still claim the advantage after this, but 23.Nd4 wraps it up!} (23. Nd4 cxd4 24. Bd5+ {leads to mate} Kh8 ( 24... Rxd5 25. Re8) 25. Re7 Nxe7 26. Rxe7 {Black can only delay, but not prevent, mate.}) 23... Ne5 {By blocking the e-file black has succeeded in repelling white's attack.} 24. Nxe5 fxe5 25. f4 {Botvinnik is still seeking play on the e-file, but it allows Smyslov to seize the initiative.} (25. Be6+ Kh8 {Eliminating the threat to his f-Pawn.} 26. f3 Rde8 27. Bd5 {with an equal position.}) 25... Bc6 {[%mdl 2048] White must now prevent ...Rf7. White is under pressure.} (25... Rd2 {looks threatening, but it allows mate.} 26. Rxe5 Rdd8 (26... Rxh2 27. Be6+ Rf7 28. Bxf7+ Kxf7 29. Re7+ {mate next move.}) 27. Re7 Rf7 28. Rxf7 {black cannot avert mate.}) 26. Qg5 {[%mdl 8192] This move ought to have lost immediately. It's shocking that the two best players in the world missed the refutation of this move.} (26. Rxe5 Qxc3 27. Bg2 Qd4+ 28. Kh1 Qd6 29. Bxc6 Qxc6+ 30. Kg1 Qf6 31. f5 (31. Rxc5 Qd4+) 31... Rd7 32. Rxc5 { Black is only marginally better.}) 26... Rde8 {Smyslov proceeds as he intended, but misses the win.} (26... Rd2 {There is no answer to this.} 27. Be6+ Rf7 { He gets mated after 27.Kg7 28.Qe7+} 28. Qh4 Rg2+ 29. Kh1 Rxh2+ {mate next move} ) 27. Rxe5 Qxc3 28. Rxe8 {This next move is much weaker than trading off the Rs with 28...Rxe8} Bxe8 (28... Rxe8 29. Rxe8+ Bxe8 30. Be6+ Kf8 {Black has what should prove to be a won ending.}) 29. Qe5 Qxe5 30. Rxe5 {[%mdl 4096]} b6 {White's active R compensates for his P minus.} 31. Re7 a5 32. Rb7 {Better was 32.Be6 first} Rf6 {It's interesting that in annotating this game Hans Kmoch was critical of this move claiming that it throws away whatever advantage black had. He recommended that black play 32...b5. That's the exact opposite of what Stockfish claims as it gives 32...Rf6 an exclamation mark.} 33. Rb8 Kf7 34. Kf2 Rd6 35. Ke3 Ba4 {It's surpring that an endgame player of Smyslov's caliber missed the winning line here. Kmoch makes no mention of it either.} ( 35... c4 36. Bf1 c3 37. Bd3 {With his K cut off from the defense white is helpless.} Bd7 38. Rb7 b5 {with a decisive advantage.}) 36. Rb7+ Kg8 37. Rb8+ Kg7 38. Rb7+ Kg8 39. Rb8+ Kf7 40. Rb7+ Kf8 41. Rxh7 c4 {The difference between this position and the one in the note to move 35 is that black's K is also cut off and white's R is more active and he, too, has a P-majority that black will have to reckon with.} 42. Rc7 b5 43. Ke4 b4 (43... Rd2 {is the main alternative, but it's no better and things get quite tactical.} 44. Ke5 Rxa2 45. Kf6 b4 46. Rh7 Kg8 47. Rg7+ Kh8 (47... Kf8 48. Be6 {mate next move.}) 48. Be6 Rxh2 49. Rc7 Rd2 (49... c3 50. Rc8+ {mates in 5}) 50. f5 Bd7 (50... gxf5 51. Rc8+ Kh7 52. Bxf5+ Kh6 53. Rh8#) 51. Bxd7 Rd6+ 52. Kf7 {mates in 8...} g5 53. f6 Kh7 54. Ke7 Kg6 55. Kxd6 Kxf6 56. g4 Kf7 57. Ke5 Ke7 58. Be6+ Kf8 59. Kf6 c3 60. Rc8#) 44. Rxc4 Rd2 45. Ke5 Rxa2 46. Rc8+ {Now with 46...Ke7 black can hold the draw.} Be8 {[%mdl 8192]} 47. Bd7 {Black is in Zugzwang.} Re2+ 48. Kf6 {White id winning.} g5 49. fxg5 (49. Rxe8+ {obviously loses.} Rxe8 50. Bxe8 Kxe8 51. Kxg5 b3) 49... Rf2+ 50. Ke5 Re2+ 51. Kf4 b3 {Black loses a piece after 51...Rf2+ 52.Ke3} 52. Rb8 b2 53. Bxe8 Rxe8 54. Rxb2 a4 55. Ra2 Ra8 56. Ra3 {White has a sure win, but a quick one.} Kf7 57. h4 Kg6 58. Ke4 Kh5 59. Kd4 Rd8+ 60. Kc4 Re8 61. Kd5 Rd8+ 62. Ke5 Ra8 63. Kd5 Rd8+ 64. Kc5 Rb8 65. Rxa4 Rb3 66. Kd6 Rxg3 {A visit to the SHredder endgame tablebase web site reveals that after Botvinnik's next move he has a win in 30 moves.} 67. Ke7 Rb3 68. Ra6 Rb7+ 69. Kf6 Rb4 70. Rd6 Ra4 (70... Rxh4 {runs into} 71. Kf5 {and there is no way to avoid Rh6#}) (70... Kxh4 71. g6 {is an obvious win}) 71. Re6 Rb4 72. Kf7 Rb7+ 73. Re7 Rb4 {This the move as given in Chess Review's June 1958 issue. Some databases give the continuation 73...Rb5 74.Kg7 1-0} 74. Kg7 {Smyslov resigned. Black must lose eventually.} (74. Kg7 {Play might continue.} Re4 75. Rf7 Rg4 76. Rf5 Rf4 77. Rf8 Ra4 78. Rh8+ Kg4 79. g6 Rb4 80. Kh7 Kg3 81. h5 Rb7+ 82. g7 Kh2 83. Rf8 Re7 84. Kg6 Kg1 85. h6 Re6+ 86. Kh7 Re7 87. Kh8 Re1 88. g8=Q+ {It's mate in 4}) 1-0