Tal vs, Botvinnik

Mikhai; Ta;

    One of the most exciting World Championship matches that I remember was the 1960 Tal vs, Botvinnik match. How would the staid, scientific Botvinnik do against the “Magician from Riga”, Mikhail Tal with his wild and sometimes unsound sacrifices Botvinnikd didn’t do well at all, but in the rematch the following year he turned the tables and won easily. 

    In their very first game Tal’s success was well deserved, but it wasn’t much of a fight. Botvinnik adopts one of his pet lines which is now known ti be questionable and his 11th move worsened the situation. Then for no obvious reason Botvinnik gave away a Pawn after which Tal demonstrated flawless technique. 

 

[Event "World Championship Match, Moscow"] [Site ""] [Date "1960.03.15"] [Round "1"] [White "Mikhail Tal"] [Black "Mikhail Botvinnik"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "C18"] [Annotator "Stockfish 17.1"] [PlyCount "63"] [EventDate "1960.??.??"] {C18: French: Defense Winawer Variation} 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e5 c5 5. a3 Bxc3+ 6. bxc3 Qc7 {This is questionable. Evn at the tine this game was played most experts recommend 6...Ne7} 7. Qg4 f5 8. Qg3 Ne7 9. Qxg7 Rg8 10. Qxh7 cxd4 11. Kd1 {This position was known and wa cinsidered favorable to white. Botvinnlk obviously disagreed, but ahite is, in fact, slightly better and black's position is difficult to defend.} Bd7 {This move is also questionable. 11...dxc3 would have been better/} 12. Qh5+ (12. Rb1 {is much less effective,} Nbc6 13. Nf3 O-O-O 14. cxd4 {equals. Borovikov,V (2570) -Berg, E (2516) Pardubice 2002}) 12... Ng6 {Botvinnik has played the opening very poorly which qas uncharacteristice of him. Walking into a pin was a very poor decision. That saidm even after the better 12.Kd8 white stands considerably better.} (12... Kd8 {My database has 12 games that have reached this position anf white has tried 5 different movesm but the correct move to keep the advantage was not played in any of them.} 13. cxd4 Qc3 14. Rb1 Qxd4+ 15. Bd3 { with the advantage.}) 13. Ne2 {Better was 13.cxd4. After the text cxd4 the d-Pawn is defended and black can't play ...Qc3+. As played black could have gotten some counterchances.....} d3 {In his notes to this game Hams Knoch was wrong when he wrote that this move seems to be the resu lt of some miscalculation by Botvinnik because he gets nothing it and it leds to a losing game. In fact, it's the only move that keeps black in the game/} (13... dxc3 { was Kmoch's recommendation, but after} 14. Nf4 Kf7 15. Rb1 b6 16. Qh7+ Rg7 17. Qh6 Qxe5 18. Nh5 {Black's position is difficult, but hardly lost.}) 14. cxd3 Ba4+ {Botvinnik missed ti correct followuo to his last move.} (14... d4 15. cxd4 Nc6 16. Bd2 O-O-O 17. Rc1 Kb8 {Black has gotten his K to safety and white; s advantage is not so great.}) 15. Ke1 Qxe5 {After this logical looking move blacl's game is hopeless.} (15... d4 16. cxd4 Nc6 17. Bd2 O-O-O 18. Rc1 Kb8 { As in the previous note black has some chance of defending himself.}) 16. Bg5 Nc6 17. d4 Qc7 {Now black is a P down in an inferior position and so his resignation is only a matter of time.} 18. h4 {It is good technique to adva n ce the passed P and mobilize the R on h1. Also, by keeping his K in the center he gives black no opportunity for counterplay against it.} e5 {The only dim chance for counteplay· play} 19. Rh3 Qf7 20. dxe5 {Well timed. The poInt is that. on 20...Rh8 white has 21.e6!} Ncxe5 21. Re3 {The R has been mobilized.} Kd7 22. Rb1 b6 23. Nf4 Rae8 24. Rb4 Bc6 25. Qd1 Nxf4 26. Rxf4 Ng6 27. Rd4 Rxe3+ 28. fxe3 Kc7 29. c4 {Tal starts an attacj that wins a second P.} dxc4 {The d- Pawn cannot be defended.} (29... Ne7 30. cxd5 Bxd5 31. Bc4 Bxc4 32. Rd7+ Kc6 33. Qd6+ Kb5 34. Rxe7) 30. Bxc4 Qg7 31. Bxg8 Qxg8 32. h5 {Black resigned. Botvinnik's poor oprning and Tal's excellent technique secured the point.} 1-0