Table Of ContentBOTVINNIBKE'SGSTA MES
Volulm 1e9 2-51 941
MikhBaoillv innik
MikhaBiolt vinnik:
BOTVINNIK'SB ESTG AMES
Volum1e: 1925-1941
(Anal&yt CirciatWlio crakls )
TransalnEaddt iebtdyKe edNn e at
Olom2o0u0c0
Publisihnte hdCe z ecRhe publiin2c 0 0b0y
PUBLISHINGH OUSE MORAVI AN CHESS
P.O.B ox 1017,7 2 11OLOMOUC2
CzechR epublic
Thibso oki sa na uthoritsreadn slatMiMo n Booft vinnik
Analitiick hreistkiicreha ebso1k9tyi2 3e- 19(4M1osco1w984)
©Englitsrha nslactoipoynr iKgehntN eat2 000
ChessA gencCyA ISSA-90
Allr ighrtess erved
ISBN8 0-1789-317-X
Contents
From ChigoriSnha'khs matnLyi sttooth eka pproacthothe es
WorlCdham pionship 7
SelecGtaemed1s 9 25-1941 21
1 Rivlin-Botv1i29n5n ik, 21
2 Nadporozhsky-Botv1in9n2i5k , 24
3 Rivlin-Botvi1n29n5i k, 26
4 Botvinnik-Z1v29e5re v, 28
5 Perfiliev-Bot1v9i2n5ni k, 31
6 Prosrkinu-Botvin1n9i2k5, 33
7 Capablanca-Bot1v29i5n nik, 35
8 Botvinnik-She1b2a9r6s hin, 37
9 Rokhlin-Botv1i29n6n ik, 42
10B ot\rinnik-Rab1in9o2v6i ch, 45
11G olubevtvin-niBok,1 962 48
12B otvinntiokl-t1Sz29,6 50
13B otvin-nGirkigor1i29e7v, 52
14B otvinnik-Ra1g9o2z7i n, 54
15R abinovich-Bo1tv9i2n7n ik, 56
16M akogonov-Botv1i29n7n ik, 59
17B otvinnik-Nenar1o29k7ov 61
18I lyienn-eGvsky-Botv1i9n2n7i k, 63
19B otvinnik-Kholod1k9e2vi7c h, 67
20B otvinnik-Pavlov-1P29y7a nov, 69
21B otvikn-nYiure1v9,2 7/8 70
22B otvinnik-S1h29a8ro/v9, 72
.2B3o tvinnik-Go1ld29b9e rg, 74
24B otvinnik-1S2o9z9i n, 76
25R agozin-Botv1i9n3n0i k, 80
26B otvinnik-K1u9b3be0l , 84
27R okhlin-Bot1vi9n3n0i k, 87
28B otvirurik-K1an39,0 90
29B otvinnik1-K9a3n0, 93
30B otvirurik-Batuy1e39v0,1/ 95
31B otvinnik-Mya1so9e3d10o /v, 97
3
32A latortsev-Bo1t9v3i10n n/ik, 100
33Y urgis-Botvinn1i39k1, 102
34B otnvniik-Breit1ma9n3,1 105
35G olubev-Botvi1n9n3ik1, 106
36B otvinnik-Kas1p39a1ri an, 108
37B otvinnik-S1or9o13k in, llO
38K asparian-Bot1v39i1nn ik, 141
39B otvinnik-Ala1t9o13r tsev, 117
40B otvinnik1-K91a3n , 191
41R auzer-Botvi1n39ni1k , 122
42B otvinniyku-mRin1,9 13 152
43B otvinnik-Mya1so9e3d2o v, 127
44B otvinnik-Ala1t9o3rt2s ev, 129
45C hekhoveort-vBinn1i39k2, 132
46B otvinnik-M1o39d2e l, 134
47B otvinnik-Sav1i39t2sk y, 136
48L isitsyn-Bo1tvi9n3n2i k, 138
49B otvinRnaigko-zi1n39,2 /3 140
50B otvinnik-Alat1o39r2t/se3v , 142
51B otvinnik-Nen1ar9o3k3o v, 145
52L isitsyn-Bot1v39i3n nik, 147
53B otvinnik-S1o9z3i3 n, 150
54R auzer-Botv1i9nn3i3k , 152
55B otvin-nYiukdovi1c39h,3 145
56B otnnivki-Floh1r9, 33 157
57F lohr-Botv1i39nnik3, 160
58B otvinnik-Bel1a9ve3n4e ts, 162
59B otvinnik-Alato1r39t4se v, 164
60B otviikn-nRabinov1i9ch3,4 166
61Y udovich-Bot1vi9n3ni4k , 170
62B otvinnik-Km1o9ch3,4 173
63B otvninik-Mench1i9k, 3/45 175
64M ilner-Barry-iBnonti1vk9, 3/45 177
65B otviinkn-Spielm1a9n53n , 108
66C apablanca-Bo1tv9i3n5n ik, 181
67R yumin-Botvin1ni39k5, 138
68G oglidze-Botv1i39nn5i k, 158
69B otvinnik-La1s9k53e r, 188
70B otvinnik-Chek1h9ov3e5r , 192
71B otvinnik-Li1li39e6n thal, 149
72B otvinnik,1- K39a6n 189
4
73B otvinnik-Capa1b9l3a6nc a, 200
74B otvinnik-Ryu1rni9n3,6 203
75K an-Botvinnik1,9 36 206
76B otvinnik-1F9l3o6h r, 201
77B otvinnika-gRozi1n39,6 213
78B ogoljuBbootvwi-nni1k,9 36 216
79B otvinnik-Tartakow1e9r3, 6 281
80Al ekhine-Botv1i39n6ni k, 221
81C apablanca-Bo1t9v3i6nnik , 223
82L asker-iBnonitk1v,9 36 226
83B otvinnik-T1ho9m3a6s , 230
84B otvinnik-Vid1m9a3r6, 234
85L evenfish-Botvi1n9n3ik7, 236
86B otvinnik-Lev1e9n3fis7h , 240
87B otvinnik-Le1v9e3nfi7s h, 245
88S okolsky-Bot1v9i3n8n ik, 247
89B otvinnik-Chekh1o9v3e8r , 250
.9 0B otvinnik-Kasp1ari9a83n , 253
91B otvinnik-B1u9d3o8, 254
92B otvinnik-Makogono1v9, 38 256
93B otvinnik-Resh1e93v8s ky, 258
94B otvinnik-Alek1hi9n83e , 261
95B otvinnik-Capaa,1b 9l3an8c 265
96 AJekhine-Botv1i9n3n8i k, 271
97T olhu-sBotvin1n9ik93, 273
98Ra binov-iBcohtvinn1i9k3,9 275
99D ubinin-Bot1vi9nni3k,9 281
100B otvinnik1-9K3an,9 283
10l Pogrebysstkvyi-nBn1oi9k93, 286
102K otov-Botv1i9n3ni9k , 289
I0 3B otvinnik-R1ag49o0z in, 293
104B otvinnik-Ra1go49z0i n, 296
I50 Ragozin-Botvi1nn49i0k , 298
I0 6B otvinnik-Ragozin,1 490 301
I0 7R agozin-Bot1vi9nnik4,0 305
108Bo tvinnik-Bole1s9l4av0s ky, 307
I 0Bo9t vinnik-Lesvhe1nfi,9 40 311
II S0t olberg-Bo1t9vi4nnik0, 312
111P anov-Botv1i9n4nik0, 315
112B otvinnik-Boles1l9av4s1k y, 317
I 1.1B otvinnik-Lili1e9n4t1ha l, 321
5
114Ke res-Bot1vi49n1n ik, 323
115S myslov-Bot1v49i1n nik, 325
116B otvinnik1-9Ke4r1e s, 328
117B ondareyv-sBkotvi1n9n4i1k , 331
11B8o tvinnik-Bol1e49s1l avsky, 334
119S myslov-Bot1v9i4n1n ik, 3 3 8
102 Lilienthal-1B9o14t vinnik, 342
121 Bondarevsky-B1o9t4vi1n nik, 346
TrainGianmge s 349
Tournamentand MatchC ross-tables 357
Summaryo fT ournamenatn dM atcRhe su(lt1s9 231-)1 94 385
TranslatNoort'ess 388
IndeoxfO penings 391
6
FromC higorin's
ShakhmaLtinsyt ok
tot haep proacthoe s
thWeo rlCdh ampionship
Sixtyye arasg oi,n S eptemb1e29r3 I, lessoinnts h es chodoilni nrgo omT.h e
learnedt hatth eirseo nt hiesa rtha gameg amesl argelleyft a sensoef dis
callecdh essF.r omt hatti meI wass atisfacDteisopni.at leml y effortmsy,
forcetdo t hinakn,d t hitshi nkinwga s opponefrnetqsu ently dmeef:te haetye d
transforimnetdao ' professiWohnat'. hadm oree xperienancde k nowledge.
everI happenetdo s tud-y chess, I don otr ecall ewxhaocfi tlnyi shed
electreincgailn eeorric nygb ernet-iIc sfi rstth enb,u ti tw asp robabGlryi sha
alwaytsh oughrte,l yionng m y own AbramoviocrhV ityMai lyutiVni.ty a
conclusiaonndis n,t hipsr ofessiIo nM ilyutwiansi n tfihnea ly earw,h ile
probaabclhyi evqeudia th ei gsht andarGdr.i shAab ramovihcahd alr eadyl eft
Int hep resebnoto k( iits a ssumetdh ats choohle; was a membero f the
othewrisl foll lowt)h eriesa collectPieotnr ograCdh essA ssemblayn dh ad
of1 20ga me1s, playeidnt hep re-wart hircda tegorrya tinWge. a laflfo rded
perioTdh.eg amewse ntth rouagfa hi rlyhi m thegr eatersets pect.
striscetl ecttieosnat n,d- althoutghhe y Att hatti msei gnificancth angweesr e
aren ota lolf e quailm portainncm ey, tankgip laciens chooKlosm.s omouln its
opinion atrhene orw ee ak gaimnet sh e weroer ganiwsaeldnl,e wspapbeergsa n
bookT.h eya ren ormalnloytw ithoutto a ppeaarn,d m eetinagnsd s ocial
mistakebsu,tw heno nt hec hess bogaartdh erinwgesr ear ran ged.W hereas
theries a genuine battlec,an eerraorrlspi uepri ulssu alulsye dto g oh ome
hardbleya voided. afterl essonnosw, theyo ftens tayed
AfterL enyBaa skian f,ri enodf m y behi-ndt akinpga rti ns ociaaclt ivities,
brothheard,e xplainteodm e howt o politsitcuadlgy r oupssp,o rt(sn ormally
playc hessI, beganl ookinfogr basketbaanldal l)sc oh ess.
opponeinntm sy clasIsnt. h e autoufm n Att hatitm ec hesbse gatno b ecome
1293I t oopka rti na schotoolurn amentv erpoyp ulaarm ongL eningrsacdh ool
for thefi rstti mean,d playebda dlIy : childrTeonurn.a mentwse reh eldi n
scorreodu gh5l0y% I.h avoen lvya gue nearlya llt hes choolasn,d team
recollecotfi otnhsi st ournament.I competitbieotnwse esnc hoso wlerea
remembeorn lyt hawte playeadft er regulfaera t.u Orure 157ths choowla s
7
no exceptiotno:urn amentsw ere tournamenat m embero f theC hess
arrangiennd e arallytl h es enicolra ssesA.s semblwyh,o was' verbyu sy'th,e
Inm y clasaftse r lessoSnhsur aO rlov,n umber of participhanatds t o be
Vitya TabachainndskI y w ould batrtleed uc.e.d.
ont hec hesbso arwdi thofauitl t woo r On 22M arch1 92t4he fi rsrto unodf
three timeasw eek. thec hampionsbhiepg anI. w asp aired
Howevert,h esgea mesc ouldn o witBhl acakg ainMsitl yutainndI, w on.
longer samtei.sI fy k newb y heartT hiwsa sa greastu cce-smsy firswti n
ChigorinS'hs akhLmiastotnf1o y78k 6 -overM ilyutiIn g!a inecdo nfidencien
1787a,n dI e asidleyf eatmey do pponmy ownp owerbsu,ta tt hes amet imIe
entsA.s soon asi ssuoefsG rekoavn d was developai ncgr itiactatli ttudoe
Nenarokovb'oso ko n theo peningmsy sealnf dm y opponents.
appearIe di,m mediatbeoluyg hthte m, Ina s malnlo teboooftk h atti mmeo st
andI madea carefuslt udoyf a llth e ofm y notewse rmea dei np enciso lt,h at
newspapcehre scso lumns. someh aveb eenr ubbeodu ta nda re
Thev istiotL eningroaftd h efo rmer difficutlotr ead. Htehreera er eL asker's
WorldCh ampioEnm anuel Lawsakse rt ourg amestr,a nscribfreodm news
alsuos edI:r ecordaendda nalystheed papertsh,et abloef t hem atch-tourna
gamesL askeprl ayeodn hist oura,n d mentfo r thes chooclh ampionship,
myk nowledignec reased. and. .a. l isotfp upiwlhso h adp aitdh eir
GraduaIla llys boe gatno s urpasst he duetso t hem utuable nefifutn d:i no ur
oldebro ysb,u tI s implcyo ulndo tc ope clasIs w ast hec ollecItnot rh.i ssa me
witVhi tyaM ilyutIir ne.m embtehra ats, booka ren otetsom y gamew itVhi tya
soon Iaha sd 'learnedt'h eR uyL opezI, Milyutin.
immediatepllya yeidt with White Aftert hiIs p layetdw og amesw ith
againMsatl yutinH.o wevera,t s ome A.Zilberamnadnw onbo th.T hefi rst
poin(tl aughinagtm e)h ed eviatfreodm (with Blfaaicrkle)ya siltyh,es econd,
a variatigoinv enb y Grekova nd whichw asfu llo fm istakebsy both
Nenarokaonvd, q.u.i.c kwloyn ! sideasft,e ra lengtphoys itional battle,
Then excth ampionsohifo pu rs choolt hes ubtleotfiw ehsi cwhe hada lmost
was approachiInng c.o ntratsot t he no understandThienng .c ame the
previotuosu rnament.w,h eret herhea d secongamde witMhi lyutbiynn ;o wh e
beena bout1 4p artictisp,oa nn this wasd emoralainsdeh del osqtaj ckly.
occasiiotwn asd ecidteodar ran ge a GrishAab ramovihcahd stilnlo t
four-platyoeurrn amenotft wog ames begutnh et ornamu enth;e w asu nablteo
againesatc ho pponenWth.y only foufirn dt imet oc omet o tshceh ooSlo. o f
partiacnitwpse rien vitIed d,on otr ecallc.o ursIeh ,a dt og ot oh ish omea nda sk
1 think that·tbhyati tm ei th adb ecome himt op lay thSeormee.w hastu rprised
cleatrh atth er eswte rew eakebru,t t he bym y achievemeGnritssh,aa gr eeda,n d
main reasowna s probablGyr ishaw e promptslayt d owna tt hec hess
Abramoviicnho ;r detro a ttracttot he boardA. miracloec curre-d my
8
opponelnots hti sw ayi nc omplicatiobnes divertbeyd extraneomuast ters
ands ufferead d efeaBtu.ti nt hes econdd urinagc ompetition!
game( witWhh iteI) l os-ti na rook Immediataeftleyr wartdhse rwea sa
endinIfag i letdo o ccuptyh eo nloyp en newt ournamen-t catego2rby a nd3 .
fileH.o wevemry, opponednrto ppae d Againfi rstp lacaen da gaian useful
further halpfo initnt heto urnament,a nd lessoMny. m ain rivwaalsa deaf-and
asa resuIl bte camceh ampioonft he dumba rtibsytt hen ameo fF olgaH.e
157tshc hool. clearlwyi shemde illa,n di no rdetro
NevertheIl ewsassl, a ckiinngp osdemonsttrhaithese w oulrdu bhi sh ands
itional underAsfttanedrIi b negc.a mae witphl easurweh enI g oti ntdoi fficult
member of the PetrograCdh ess positioOnn so.n eo ccasiIo nno ticed
Assembolny1 J une1 924I,g ainetdh e thaFto lghaa da losgta meO.n eg ood
opportuntioty crosss wordsw ith tum deserveasn othIed re,c idaendd,,i n
strongoeprp onenIt psl.a yead t raininogr der etvheatr ythsihnogu ladl sob e
matchw ithS eryozhKaa minearn d. .. cleatrom y rivaIl l,a ihdi sk ingdo wn
losatl tlh ree g-ameIds i dn oth ave anoyn t heb oar.d. F.o lgpar otestaneddI ,
positieoxnpale rieIns cieg.n eudpfo r a wasa lmotshrto wno uto ft heA ssembly.
non-categtooruyrn amentto,o kfi rst In evearg airne peastuecdah m istake.
placoeb,t ain-3erddc ategosryt ataunsd Thenc amea notheevre n-tc ategory
- surprisingl-yb egatno s urpamsys 2a.A tt hes taortf t het ournamenItf ell
opponeinntt sh eev aulatioofnp ositionsse.r iouislwlliy t anhg inaH.o weveIrg ,o t
Evidentilfyt ,h ea bilietyx ist1s0,- 12u p from my beda nd wentt o the
monthsi s sufficientto mastetrh e tournamenta,l thouIg hc ouldh ardly
rudimenotfsp ositipolnaayl. dragm y feeIt w.o uladc hiewvien ning
During thitso urnamenta ni nstructipvoes iti(omnysp ositiounndaelr standing
incideocnctu rredI. wasl ivinagta wasp rogressibnugt)I ,w ouldq uickly
dachai n DetskoeS elo( nowc alledt iraen db lundIer re.a litsheaidtt w asn o
Pushkiann)dt ravellinag w etewkit coe good playing whcehne usnsw ell
theg amesI. w oulhda ved innetrh,e n (subsequeIn otnllyy o nceb rokteh is
catcthhe traitno L eningrOand .o ne ruleF)o.r tunatelfoyr me,t hiusn suc
occasiIo tranv elletdo t hec itiyn t he cessfutlo urnamewnats n otc ompleted.
morningi,no rdetrow atcah g amew ith The All-RussCihaens sU nionw as
livep iecesb etweent he mastersw oundu p,a ndt heC hesAss sembilny
Romanovsaknyd I lyRaa binoviocnh Leningracdl oseTdh.ea dministration of
thes quairnef ronotft heW intePra lacet.h e' chemsosv emen(ta's i tw ast hen
Is aitn t hes tanudn dear s corchsiunng callewda)sh andeodv etro t hep hysical
rigthott hee ndh,ur riedh ungrya ndw ith culturaen dt radeusn iocno unciIlns .
a headacthoet heC hess AssembJlayn,u ary 1925a goodc hescsl ubw as
obtainae dw ininngp ositaino.dn. l.o st!o peneidnt hPe alaocfeL abour.
Itw ast hetnh aItr ealitsheaodtn eh ast o Ii mmediajteoliyn aet do urnameonft
distinguwihsahit s i mportaannt,d n ott o catego2raya ndl b.I easitloyo fikr st
9
