The following game was one of the key games of the match. Botvinnik had the momentum after winning games 8 and 9 to close within one point, but the loss of this game left the normally imperturbable Botvinnik psychologically shattered.
Tahl’s trainer Koblentz said, “Botvinnik, a man of strong will, who was capable of hiding his emotions, left the stage literally broken, and behind his horned-rimmed glasses his eyes were incredibly sad... At this moment he appeared to me to be very unhappy.”
This game also shows that Tahl also knew how to play positional chess and was more than just a swindler.
Calculating tactical lines often fails to be satisfactory. If you have a superior position and there are no immediate tactical threats you must find a way to improve your position. To this end a tentative plan is helpful. You need to draw up a “wish list” of piece setups. You begin with an objective then constantly check it tactically. Hopefully, when your plan is successful, the balance will eventually tip in your favor and you can then launch the decisive attack.
The short version of finding an attacking plan is:
1) Deciding on a point to attack
2) Figuring out what pieces are required and any P-breaks that will be necessary
3) Determining the path to get your pieces into the desired positions
4) Calculating the exact sequence of moves being sure to include
possible defensive replies.
5) Modifying you ‘plan” as required
6) Constantly reassessing the position at critical points. This results in planning an attack, calculating variations and, if necessary, modifying the plan.
One difference between games of the older masters and modern day players lies in items 5 and 6. In older games you often see games where a plan is executed flawlessly and the clash of ideas is clear because the loser did not defend until it was too late.
Modern players tend to play games where plans are adopted for a few moves and when the plan becomes obsolete, they toss it out and replace it with a new one. The result is ‘plans’ are often nothing more than short maneuvers, lasting 2-4 moves, designed to place a piece on a better square for example.
Modern players rely on intuition and imagination, often accepting positions that older masters would have looked at in horror, as long as the play is dynamic enough.
Sticking with a plan too long is often as bad as not having one at all.
In the following game both players adopted plans that were only partially completed when they had to be abandoned to meet changing conditions. In this game both players used strategic and tactical weapons against each other.
A game that I liked (Fritz 17)
[Event "World Championship Match"]
[Site "Moscow URS"]
[Date "1960.04.07"]
[Round "11"]
[White "Mikhail Thl"]
[Black "Mikhail Botvinnik"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "A05"]
[Annotator "Stockfish 16"]
[PlyCount "143"]
[EventDate "1960.??.??"]
{D78: Fianchetto Gruenfeld} 1. Nf3 {It's possible that Tahl was not interested
in facing another Caro-Kann.} Nf6 2. g3 g6 3. Bg2 Bg7 4. O-O O-O 5. c4 c6 6. b3
Ne4 7. d4 d5 {This hybrid opening resembles the Catalan and Gruenfeld and it's
a area in which Botvinnik had some experience.} 8. Bb2 Be6 {This odd looking
move is explained by black';s desire to win a tempo by threatening ,,,dxc4.
However, the threat proves to be ineffective. Additionally, black remains
somewhat handicapped by the Bs awkward position. A better continuation would
have been 8...Bf5} 9. Nbd2 Nxd2 10. Qxd2 Na6 {Now Botvinnik realized he cannot
win the P without running into serious trouble. His best move is now known to
be 10...h6} (10... dxc4 11. Ng5 cxb3 12. Nxe6 fxe6 {White is better. Doda,
Z-Trifunovic,P Halle 1963}) 11. Rac1 Qd6 12. Ne5 Rfd8 13. Rfd1 Rac8 14. Qa5
dxc4 {With this move Botvinnik hope to get some pressure on thr half open
d-file. Although the position is nearly equal, black's position is more
difficult to play.} (14... Bxe5 {was a reasonable alternative.} 15. cxd5 Bxd5
16. dxe5 Qb4 17. Bc3 Qxa5 18. Bxa5 b6 {with a fully equal position.}) 15. Nxc4
{This is slightly better than taking with the P.} (15. bxc4 {This does not, as
one of the original annotators claimed, lose.} Bxe5 16. Ba3 (16. Qxe5 {as
originally suggest turns out badly after} Qxe5 17. dxe5 Nb4 18. a3 Na2 19. Ra1
Bxc4 {with much the better of it.}) 16... Qc7 17. Qxe5 Qxe5 18. dxe5) 15... Qc7
16. Qe1 Qb8 17. e4 Bxc4 {This N was performing no function and so Botvinnik
correctly decided to exchange it for white's more valuable N.} 18. Rxc4 (18.
bxc4 c5 19. e5 cxd4 20. Bxd4 b6 {and it's white who finds himself under some
pressure.}) 18... Nc7 {After this black finds himself in some difficulties.} (
18... c5 {keeps the balance.} 19. e5 cxd4 20. Rcxd4 Rxd4 {wuth equal chances.})
19. Bh3 e6 20. Bc1 $1 Qa8 {This mysterious move anticipates Bf4 possibly
followed by d4-d5.} 21. Bg5 Re8 22. Qd2 f5 {This move only serves to make
black's defense more difficult. However, it's probably a good practical choice
because rather than relying on a passive defense it seeks active counterplay.}
(22... Nb5 {is a better choice, Even so, after} 23. Bg2 Rc7 24. d5 e5 25. Be3 {
white's active position assures him of the better game.}) 23. Bh6 {This move
got an ! from one early annotator who wrote that Tahl meets his opponent's
plan with fine positional judgment. It actully allows black to equalize.} (23.
Re1 Rf8 24. exf5 exf5 25. Bg2 Rf7 26. d5 {The advance of the d-Pawn had to
happen sooner or later.} Nxd5 27. Bxd5 cxd5 28. Qxd5 Bf8 {Prevents the R from
reaching e7} 29. Rec1 Rxc4 30. Rxc4 Qe8 31. Rc7 {In spite of the equal
material white is clearly better.}) 23... Bxh6 24. Qxh6 Re7 25. Re1 Rf8 26. Rc5
Qd8 27. Re5 {This leaves the d-Pawn subject to capture, but taking it would
not result in black gaining any advantage.} Rg7 (27... Qxd4 {was more
profitable. For example...} 28. exf5 gxf5 29. Bf1 Rg7 30. Bc4 Rg6 {with
complete equality.}) 28. Qd2 Qd6 {While this threatens 29...Nb5, seeking play
on the K-side with 28...h5 would have been more fruitful.} (28... h5 29. exf5
gxf5 30. Bf1 h4 {with good play.}) 29. Bf1 Rd7 {Botvinnik had put up a stout
defense and he has obtained good counterplay...his pressure on the d-Pawn is
becoming dangerous.} 30. exf5 {The correct decision. White will meet the
pressure on his d-Pawn by counter-pressure on the e-file.} Rxf5 {It is
necessary to keep the e-file at least half closed.} (30... gxf5 31. Bc4 Qxd4
32. Qh6 {White is better.}) (30... exf5 31. Bc4+ Kg7 32. b4 Qf6 33. b5 {
with good play.}) 31. R5e4 Rf6 {It's hard to explain why Botvinnik didn't
equalize with 31...Rd5} (31... Rd5 32. R1e3 c5 {with complete equality.}) 32.
h4 {The idea behind this move is to give black another isolated P.} Kg7 33. h5
gxh5 34. Rh4 (34. Qg5+ {was slightly more accurate.} Rg6 35. Qxh5 {followed by
either 36.Bh3 or 36.Bc4}) 34... Kg8 35. Bd3 (35. Rxh5 {allows black to
equalize after} Qxd4 36. Qe2 Rdf7) 35... Rg7 {Preparing to flee with 35...Kf8
would have been more prudent.} 36. Re5 {[%mdl 32] The R comes into play with
devastating effect.} Rff7 37. Qh6 (37. Rexh5 $18 {was stronger...} Nd5 38. Qe1
Re7 39. Rh6 {with unbearable pressure.}) 37... Qe7 38. Rexh5 Nd5 39. Qd2 {
Although white has an excellent position there is no mating attack so he must
now find other targets to attack.} (39. Bxh7+ {loses after} Rxh7 40. Rg5+ Kh8
41. Qg6 Nf6) 39... Nf6 40. Rh6 {[%mdl 2048]} Qd6 41. Rf4 Qf8 {Botvinnik has
devised a plan by which he hopes tp draw, but it is faulty.} (41... Ng4 {
was necessary.} 42. Rxf7 Kxf7 43. Rxh7 Rxh7 44. Bxh7 c5 45. Qe2 Qxd4 {White
retains te advantage, but black is still very much in the game.}) 42. Qe3 Nd5 {
Black's idea is to give up a P for what he hopes will be drawing chances.} 43.
Rxf7 Qxf7 44. Qe5 {Tahl declines the P and keeps his attack going.} (44. Qxe6
Qxe6 45. Rxe6 Nf4 46. Re3 Nxd3 47. Rxd3 Rd7 {with possible drawing chances.})
44... Nc7 45. Qc5 Qf3 {Botvinnik's counterattack has failed and his position
is now quite lost.} 46. Bxh7+ {[%mdl 512]} Rxh7 47. Qg5+ Kh8 (47... Rg7 48.
Qd8+ Qf8 49. Rh8+ $3 {[%mdl 512]} Kxh8 50. Qxf8+) 48. Qd8+ Kg7 49. Rxh7+ Kxh7
50. Qxc7+ {[%mdl 4096] Technically the ending is lost for black. but the
presence of the Qs makes white's task difficult. As we will see, Tahl was more
than just a tricky tactician; he also excelled at all phases of the game.} Kg6
51. Qxb7 Qe4 52. Qa6 Qb1+ 53. Kg2 Qe4+ 54. Kf1 Qb1+ 55. Ke2 Qc2+ (55... Kf6 {
would have allowed a bit more resistance.} 56. Qd3 Qxa2+ 57. Kf3 {the g-Pawn
should prove decisive.}) 56. Kf3 Qf5+ 57. Ke3 Qg5+ 58. Ke2 Qh5+ 59. Kd2 Kf6 60.
Qxc6 Qa5+ 61. Qc3 Qxa2+ 62. Ke3 Kf7 63. d5 {Even in the ending Tahl never
hesitated to sacrifice a P for the sake of active play. Watch is Q and K close
in on black's K!} exd5 64. Qc7+ Ke6 65. Qc6+ Ke7 66. Qxd5 Qa1 67. Qe4+ Kf7 68.
Kf4 Qc1+ 69. Kg4 Qa1 70. Qd5+ Kf8 71. Kf5 Qb1+ 72. Kf6 {Black resigned.} (72.
Kf6 Qb2+ 73. Ke6 Qc1 (73... Qe2+ 74. Qe5 Qg4+ 75. Qf5+) 74. Qa8+ Kg7 75. Qxa7+
{wins easily.}) *
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