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)
Mikhail Thl–Mikhail BotvinnikA05World Championship Match11Moscow URS07.04.1960Stockfish 16
D78: Fianchetto Gruenfeld 1.f3 It's possible that Tahl was not interested
in facing another Caro-Kann. f6 2.g3 g6 3.g2 g7 4.0-0 0-0 5.c4 c6 6.b3 e4 7.d4 d5 This hybrid opening resembles the Catalan and Gruenfeld and it's
a area in which Botvinnik had some experience. 8.b2 e6 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.bd2 xd2 10.xd2 a6 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.g5 cxb3 12.xe6 fxe6 White is better. Doda,
Z-Trifunovic,P Halle 1963 11.ac1 d6 12.e5 fd8 13.fd1 ac8 14.a5 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...xe5 was a reasonable alternative. 15.cxd5 xd5 16.dxe5 b4 17.c3 xa5 18.xa5 b6 with a fully equal position. 15.xc4 This is slightly better than taking with the P. 15.bxc4 This does not, as
one of the original annotators claimed, lose. xe5 16.a3 16.xe5 as
originally suggest turns out badly after xe5 17.dxe5 b4 18.a3 a2 19.a1 xc4 with much the better of it. 16...c7 17.xe5 xe5 18.dxe5 15...c7 16.e1 b8 17.e4 xc4 This N was performing no function and so Botvinnik
correctly decided to exchange it for white's more valuable N. 18.xc4 18.bxc4 c5 19.e5 cxd4 20.xd4 b6 and it's white who finds himself under some
pressure. 18...c7 After this black finds himself in some difficulties. 18...c5 keeps the balance. 19.e5 cxd4 20.cxd4 xd4 wuth equal chances. 19.h3 e6 20.c1! a8 This mysterious move anticipates Bf4 possibly
followed by d4-d5. 21.g5 e8 22.d2 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...b5 is a better choice, Even so, after 23.g2 c7 24.d5 e5 25.e3
white's active position assures him of the better game. 23.h6 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.e1 f8 24.exf5 exf5 25.g2 f7 26.d5 The advance of the d-Pawn had to
happen sooner or later. xd5 27.xd5 cxd5 28.xd5 f8 Prevents the R from
reaching e7 29.ec1 xc4 30.xc4 e8 31.c7 In spite of the equal
material white is clearly better. 23...xh6 24.xh6 e7 25.e1 f8 26.c5 d8 27.e5 This leaves the d-Pawn subject to capture, but taking it would
not result in black gaining any advantage. g7 27...xd4 was more
profitable. For example... 28.exf5 gxf5 29.f1 g7 30.c4 g6 with
complete equality. 28.d2 d6 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.f1 h4 with good play. 29.f1 d7 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. xf5 It is
necessary to keep the e-file at least half closed. 30...gxf5 31.c4 xd4 32.h6 White is better. 30...exf5 31.c4+ g7 32.b4 f6 33.b5
with good play. 31.5e4 f6 It's hard to explain why Botvinnik didn't
equalize with 31...Rd5 31...d5 32.1e3 c5 with complete equality. 32.h4 The idea behind this move is to give black another isolated P. g7 33.h5 gxh5 34.h4 34.g5+ was slightly more accurate. g6 35.xh5 followed by
either 36.Bh3 or 36.Bc4 34...g8 35.d3 35.xh5 allows black to
equalize after xd4 36.e2 df7 35...g7 Preparing to flee with 35...Kf8
would have been more prudent. 36.e5 The R comes into play with
devastating effect. ff7 37.h6 37.exh5+- was stronger... d5 38.e1 e7 39.h6 with unbearable pressure. 37...e7 38.exh5 d5 39.d2
Although white has an excellent position there is no mating attack so he must
now find other targets to attack. 39.xh7+ loses after xh7 40.g5+ h8 41.g6 f6 39...f6 40.h6 d6 41.f4 f8 Botvinnik has
devised a plan by which he hopes tp draw, but it is faulty. 41...g4
was necessary. 42.xf7 xf7 43.xh7 xh7 44.xh7 c5 45.e2 xd4 White
retains te advantage, but black is still very much in the game. 42.e3 d5
Black's idea is to give up a P for what he hopes will be drawing chances. 43.xf7 xf7 44.e5 Tahl declines the P and keeps his attack going. 44.xe6 xe6 45.xe6 f4 46.e3 xd3 47.xd3 d7 with possible drawing chances. 44...c7 45.c5 f3 Botvinnik's counterattack has failed and his position
is now quite lost. 46.xh7+ xh7 47.g5+ h8 47...g7 48.d8+ f8 49.h8+‼ xh8 50.xf8+ 48.d8+ g7 49.xh7+ xh7 50.xc7+ 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. g6 51.xb7 e4 52.a6 b1+ 53.g2 e4+ 54.f1 b1+ 55.e2 c2+ 55...f6
would have allowed a bit more resistance. 56.d3 xa2+ 57.f3 the g-Pawn
should prove decisive. 56.f3 f5+ 57.e3 g5+ 58.e2 h5+ 59.d2 f6 60.xc6 a5+ 61.c3 xa2+ 62.e3 f7 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.c7+ e6 65.c6+ e7 66.xd5 a1 67.e4+ f7 68.f4 c1+ 69.g4 a1 70.d5+ f8 71.f5 b1+ 72.f6 Black resigned. 72.f6 b2+ 73.e6 c1 73...e2+ 74.e5 g4+ 75.f5+ 74.a8+ g7 75.xa7+ wins easily. 
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