Smyslov – Botvinnik Smyslov Botvinnik Result: 1-0 Metadata » Click to open. Date: 1954.??.?? Location: ? Tournament: World Championship Round: Opening: Submitted by: Published on: February 9, 2020 [Event "World Championship"] [Site "?"] [Date "1954.??.??"] [Round "9"] [White "Smyslov"] [Black "Botvinnik"] [Result "1-0"] [PlyCount "49"] 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e5 c5 5.a3 Ba5 {Normally Black captures at c3, but this retreat leads to complications with a very unbalanced pawn structure.} 6.b4 cxd4 7.Qg4 Ne7 8.bxa5 dxc3 {White's queenside pawns are very weak, and the pawn at c3 is an annoyance, but White will pick up g7 and h7 and have an outside passed pawn.} 9.Qxg7 Rg8 10.Qxh7 Nd7 {This knight belongs on c6. Now White will execute a very simple plan: advance the h-pawn until it becomes a queen! Of course he will have to be careful in the execution of the strategy.} 11.Nf3 Nf8 {Botvinnik proposed 11...Qc7 as an improvement, but Smyslov correctly points out that White has a strong reply: 11...Qc7 12.Bb5! Rxg2?! 13.Kf1 Rg8 14.Rg1 Rxg1+ 15.Kxg1 and the pin makes it very hard for Black to develop.} 12.Qd3 Qxa5 13.h4 {Here we go! It turns out that Black's pawn at c3 just gets in the way.} Bd7 14.Bg5 {Black is prevented from castling, and the control of the h4-d8 diagonal keeps Black pinned down. Smyslov uses this fact and his h-pawn to win the game in fine style.} Rc8 15.Nd4 {Black was going to try and wiggle out with a combination of Rc8-c4- e4+ and the placement of a knight at f5. This stops both plans.} Nf5 {Now White does not want to capture immediately, because the Nf8 would occupy the new hole at e6. But how to answer the threat of Nf5xd4 and Bb5?} 16.Rb1 Rc4 {Smyslov considers 16.. .b6 best, but it is hard to blame Botvinnik, for what follows is truly inspired.} 17.Nxf5 exf5 18.Rxb7 Re4+ {How does White win? If White is to move in this position then Rb8+ is fatal. That's really all one needs to know in order to finish the game brilliantly.} 19.Qxe4 dxe4 20.Rb8+ Bc8 21.Bb5+ Qxb5 {21...Nd7 22.Rxc8+} 22.Rxb5 {Now the game is over, not because of the exchange, but rather because of the flying h-pawn which was the cornerstone of White's strategy.} Ne6 23.Bf6 Rxg2 24.h5 Ba6 25.h6 {It is only fitting that the pawn has the final say. After the bishop captures the rook there is no way to stop the pawn from queening.} 1-0 [Event "World Championship"] [Site "?"] [Date "1954.??.??"] [Round "9"] [White "Smyslov"] [Black "Botvinnik"] [Result "1-0"] [PlyCount "49"] 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e5 c5 5.a3 Ba5 {Normally Black captures at c3, but this retreat leads to complications with a very unbalanced pawn structure.} 6.b4 cxd4 7.Qg4 Ne7 8.bxa5 dxc3 {White's queenside pawns are very weak, and the pawn at c3 is an annoyance, but White will pick up g7 and h7 and have an outside passed pawn.} 9.Qxg7 Rg8 10.Qxh7 Nd7 {This knight belongs on c6. Now White will execute a very simple plan: advance the h-pawn until it becomes a queen! Of course he will have to be careful in the execution of the strategy.} 11.Nf3 Nf8 {Botvinnik proposed 11...Qc7 as an improvement, but Smyslov correctly points out that White has a strong reply: 11...Qc7 12.Bb5! Rxg2?! 13.Kf1 Rg8 14.Rg1 Rxg1+ 15.Kxg1 and the pin makes it very hard for Black to develop.} 12.Qd3 Qxa5 13.h4 {Here we go! It turns out that Black's pawn at c3 just gets in the way.} Bd7 14.Bg5 {Black is prevented from castling, and the control of the h4-d8 diagonal keeps Black pinned down. Smyslov uses this fact and his h-pawn to win the game in fine style.} Rc8 15.Nd4 {Black was going to try and wiggle out with a combination of Rc8-c4- e4+ and the placement of a knight at f5. This stops both plans.} Nf5 {Now White does not want to capture immediately, because the Nf8 would occupy the new hole at e6. But how to answer the threat of Nf5xd4 and Bb5?} 16.Rb1 Rc4 {Smyslov considers 16.. .b6 best, but it is hard to blame Botvinnik, for what follows is truly inspired.} 17.Nxf5 exf5 18.Rxb7 Re4+ {How does White win? If White is to move in this position then Rb8+ is fatal. That's really all one needs to know in order to finish the game brilliantly.} 19.Qxe4 dxe4 20.Rb8+ Bc8 21.Bb5+ Qxb5 {21...Nd7 22.Rxc8+} 22.Rxb5 {Now the game is over, not because of the exchange, but rather because of the flying h-pawn which was the cornerstone of White's strategy.} Ne6 23.Bf6 Rxg2 24.h5 Ba6 25.h6 {It is only fitting that the pawn has the final say. After the bishop captures the rook there is no way to stop the pawn from queening.} 1-0 White to move: find the best move... click the ? for the solution Black to move: find the best move... click the ? for the solution Warning: This game can only be seen if JavaScript is enabled in your browser. No related posts.
