An (Almost) Perfect Botvinnik Game

    After the miniatures of the recent posts it’s time to get serious. The following game, Botvinnik vs. Portisch, Monte Carlo, 1968, is interesting. Portisch miscalculated when he laid a trap. Botvinnik fell for it, but he had seen the flaw and finished up the game in brilliant fashion. 

     The game appears with light notes in Andrew Soltis’ excellent book, Mikhail Botvinnik, The Life and Games of a World Chess Champion. When I looked at it with Stockfish it turned out to be a lot more complicated than it appeared during a casual play through! As you can see from Fritz 19’s “Blunder Chart” Botvinnik’s play was nearly perfect.

    The game was played in Monte Carlo in 1968 which was one of Botvinnik’s last good performances.. The event was organized by the French chess magazine Europe Echecs. British player/writer Harry Golombek complained about the inclusion of the two untitled French players, calling it as absurd and a waste of valuable places. 

    Fischer, the previous year’s winner, was invited, but due to his outrageous demands the organizers were adamant...his demands would not be met and he could stay home. Fischer, the previous year’s winner, was invited, but due to his outrageous demands the organizers were adamant...his demands would not be met and he could stay home. 

    The name of the Hungaroan GM Lajos Portisch (born 1937) may not be familiar to younger readers, but he was a nine time Hungarian champion and played in every Interzonal from 1962 to 1993, twelve in total and he qualified for the next stage, the Candidates Tournament, eight times. 

 

 

[Event "Monte Carlo"] [Site ""] [Date "1968.04.10"] [Round "?"] [White "Mikhail Botvinnik"] [Black "Lajos Portisch"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "A22"] [Annotator "Stockfish 17.1"] [PlyCount "51"] [EventDate "1968.04.03"] {A29: English Opening: Four Knights Variation} 1. c4 e5 2. Nc3 Nf6 3. g3 d5 4. cxd5 Nxd5 5. Bg2 Be6 6. Nf3 Nc6 7. O-O Nb6 8. d3 Be7 9. a3 a5 10. Be3 O-O 11. Na4 {This move results in a position with colors reversed as seen in the Sicilian Dragon, something with which Botvinnik was very familiar. 11.Rc1 is the most frequently seem ,ove.} Nxa4 12. Qxa4 Bd5 13. Rfc1 Re8 14. Rc2 Bf8 { Black needs to start thinking about how he will defend his b- and c-Pawns.} ( 14... Bd6 {This move was suggested by Smyslov in the post-mortem and all roads seem to lead to equality.} 15. Ng5 Be7 16. Nf3 {would draw.}) 15. Rac1 Nb8 { As he prepares the defense of his Q-side Ps with ...c6 at the same time Portisch sets a trap, but he has miscalculated and instead of being a good defense, 15...Nb8 loses the game.} (15... h6 16. Bc5 e4 17. dxe4 Bxe4 {White has slightly the better position. Lombaers,P (2255)-Kenney,D (2000) Caleta ENG 2014}) (15... Rb8 {This is also a reasonable move. After} 16. Qb5 g6 (16... e4 17. Ng5 {favors white.}) 17. Bg5 Qd6 {White is only slightly better.}) 16. Rxc7 {Appraently Portisch did not think this was possible because of...} Bc6 { ...and the R is trapped. But, Botvinnik has a surprise.} 17. R1xc6 {Botvinnik wrote that Portisch had seen this move, but underestimated it.} (17. R7xc6 { This would be the wrong capture because he needs the R to be on the 7th rank.} Nxc6 18. Rc4 {followed by 19.h4 black's disadvantage is only very slight.}) 17... bxc6 (17... Nxc6 {fails miserably.} 18. Rxf7 Kxf7 (18... Re7 19. Qc4 Kh8 20. Ng5 {leaves black in a heap of trouble.}) 19. Qc4+ Ke7 20. Bg5+) 18. Rxf7 { [%mdl 512] This is just as good as if black had played 17...Nxc6} h6 (18... Kxf7 {This results in, as one annotator put it, "a 19th century finish."} 19. Qc4+ Kg6 20. Qg4+ Kf7 21. Ng5+ Kg8 {Capturing he N only avoids immediate disaster.} 22. Qc4+ Kh8 23. Nf7+ Kg8 24. Nh6+ Kh8 25. Qg8#) 19. Rb7 Qc8 20. Qc4+ Kh8 {Botvinnik didn't think 20. ... Qe6 was worth analyzing. White would wim another P..} (20... Qe6 21. Nxe5 Qxc4 22. Nxc4) 21. Nh4 Qxb7 {Botvinnik now finished up forcefully.} 22. Ng6+ {This position is much more complicated than it might look. This is the only winning move he has!} (22. f4 {...for example.} g5 23. Ng6+ Kg7 24. Nxe5 Bd6 25. Ng4 Rxe3 26. Qd4+ Kf7 27. Qf6+ (27. Qxe3 Qe7 {Black is up a R.}) 27... Ke8 28. Qxd6 Rxe2 29. Bf3 Qe7 (29... Rxb2 30. Nf6+ Kf7 31. Bh5+ Kg7 32. Ne8+ Kh7 33. Qg6+ Kh8 34. Qxh6+ Qh7 35. Qf6+ Kg8 36. Qxg5+ Kf8 37. Qc5+ Qe7 38. Qf5+ Kg8 39. Nf6+ Kh8 40. Qc8+ Qd8 41. Qxd8+ Kg7 42. Qe7+ {mate next move.}) 30. Bxc6+ Kf7 31. Qd5+ Kf8 {The position is very complicated with a material imbalance where white has a B+3Ps vs. 2Rs, but theoretically at least neither side can win! Five Shootouts ended in draws.}) 22... Kh7 23. Be4 Bd6 24. Nxe5+ g6 25. Bxg6+ Kg7 {Of course 26.Bxe8 would win, but there is a flasky finish to be had...} 26. Bxh6+ $1 {[%mdl 512] Black resigned} (26. Bxh6+ Kxh6 (26... Kf6 27. Qf4+ Ke7 28. Bg5+ Ke6 29. Qc4+ Kxe5 30. d4#) (26... Kh8 27. Nf7+ Kg8 28. Nxd6+ Kh8 {There is a mate in 4 with either 29.Qd4+ or 29.Nxb7}) 27. Qh4+ Kg7 28. Qh7+ {wins the Q}) 1-0