David Bronstein vs Mikhail Botvinnik (1951)

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David Bronstein vs Mikhail Botvinnik
Botvinnik - Bronstein World Championship Match (1951), Moscow URS, rd 10, Apr-06
Dutch Defense: Rubinstein Variation (A84) · 1/2-1/2

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Sep-21-06		Resignation Trap: April 6-7, 1951 Botvinnik's journal entry prior to this game: "The decisive stage of the match is beginning. 1) <time.> 2) deep calculation and technique; 3) irony and composure; 4) <procedure> - <Ragozin,> 5) <drag things out. Let's go!>"

Sep-21-06		Resignation Trap: Botvinnik's assessment of this game was short and sour: "Terrible - 1) time trouble, 2) weak analysis (shameful)."

Sep-21-06		keypusher: <irony and composure>? Starting to wonder about these translations. What did Botvinnik mean by <irony>? Had he been hanging out with Alanis Morissette?

Sep-21-06		Resignation Trap: <keypusher> Sometimes these translations leave me puzzled as well. They were done by Kenneth P Neat who is also responsible for calling the opening of Karpov vs Miles, 1980 the "Incorrect Defence" instead of the well-established term of "Irregular Defence".

Sep-21-06		Uzi: <irony and composure> May be a literary allusion. Maybe Lenin, Gorky, Chekhov, Lermontov, Feuerbach.

Sep-21-06		keypusher: <They were done by Kenneth P Neat who is also responsible for calling the opening of Karpov vs Miles, 1980 the "Incorrect Defence" instead of the well-established term of "Irregular Defence".> Oh, Mr. Neat is dead-on there. :-)

Jun-28-14		offramp: Two Dutches in succession (games 9 & 10). What are the chances of that happening? I worked it out. It's 250 billion to one.

Jun-28-14		RookFile: The ending was tense. One slip by either side and it's all over.

Jun-30-14		offramp: < Resignation Trap: April 6-7, 1951 Botvinnik's journal entry prior to this game: "The decisive stage of the match is beginning. 1) <time.> 2) deep calculation and technique; 3) irony and composure; 4) <procedure> - <Ragozin,> 5) <drag things out. Let's go!>"> "Irony" is slightly odd. I suppose we have all seen Botvinnik's handwriting... There is zero chance of a mistranscription. But was he using an abbreviation? Iron will and composure! Let's go! Thay sounds quite good!

Aug-15-14		plang: Nowadays it is almost automatic for White to develop his bishop to g2 against the Dutch but, of course, there are alternatives as Bronstein shows in this game. 8 d5 had been played in the draw Kotoc-Botvinnik Moscow 1947; 8 a3 was new. 13 Be2? preserved the two bishops but gave Black an easy game; instead after 13 0-0-0..Nxd3+ 14 Rxd3 White would have had an edge. After 15 Nd1? Black had a kingside initiative; Bronstein recommended 15 0-0..Qg5 16 Nd5..exd 17 f4 instead. 19 Rg1!? was a peculiar looking move; it was somewhat surprising that Botvinnik did not respond with 19..f4 opening up the position around the White king. Instead after 19..Qe7?! Bronstein was able to move his king to the queenside though Black retained some positional edge. Botvinnik thought that the knight sacrifice 29..Nxe4!? would have been very strong for Black; Bronstein disagreed thinking that the resulting complications were unclear. Botvinnik's knight maneuver with 29..Nd7 and 31..Ndf8 was pretty slow; Bronstein thought he should have tried 32 h4 as 32..Qxh4 33 Qb2..Qe7 34 Nxf4 would have been very strong for White. On the last move of the yime control Bronstein could have reached a drawn ending with 40 Bh3..g4 41 fxg..Ng5 42 Bf1..Bxe4+ 43 Ke2..hxg 44 Bxf4..Ne6 45 Bd6..Bc2 46 Bg2; instead after 40 Be2? he was in trouble. In his adjournment analysis Botvinnik missed the winning move 46..Kg6! when both 47 Ke2..Nc6 followed by 48..g4 and 47 Ke2..Nc6 winning the b-pawn are losing for White. An excellent fighting game though with numerous errors by both players.

Jul-12-23		nizmo11: Contrary to what both Botvinnik and Bronstein wrote, white was not lost after 42.♗h3 ♘d8 43.♗xd8 ♔xd8: click for larger view There is no win after 45.♗f6!. if now 45...♘f7 46.h3 ♔e6 then 47.Bg7 as in the game. And if 45...g4 then 46.♗xd8!▢ ♔xd8 47.♔e2 ♔e7, and white draws with 48.h3! (or 48.♔f2 first).

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