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Yuri Averbakh vs Mikhail Botvinnik
USSR Championship (1955), Moscow URS, rd 9, Feb-25
French Defense: Winawer Variation (C15)  ·  0-1

8
7
6
5
4
3
2
a
1
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
White to move.
ANALYSIS [x]
Notes by Stockfish 9 v010218 (minimum 6s/ply)6...b6 was played in Stefan Djuric vs R Buhmann, 2017 (0-1)better is 8.Ne2 O-O 9.O-O Nxc5 10.Bc4 Bd7 11.a3 Bxc3 12.Nxc3 Rc8 = +0.08 (23 ply)= -0.45 (22 ply) after 8...O-O 9.Nf3 Nxc5 10.Bc4 b6 11.Qe2 Bb7 12.a3 Bxc3 better is 17.Nxf6+ gxf6 18.Be3 Qc6 19.Ne1 Ne5 20.f3 f5 21.c3 b5 = +0.14 (22 ply) ⩱ -0.52 (25 ply) after 17...Bxe4 18.Bxe4 Nxe4 19.Qxe4 Bxg5 20.Nxg5 Nf6 21.Qe2 better is 19.Bh4 Nxe4 20.Bxe4 Bxh4 21.Nxh4 Bxe4 22.Qxe4 Nf6 23.Qc2 = -0.19 (24 ply) ⩱ -0.77 (22 ply)better is 21...Bd6 22.Kh1 Qc6 23.Rfe1 Qc5 24.Kg1 Qh5 25.Bg3 Bxg3 ⩱ -0.55 (24 ply)better is 22.a3 Be7 23.b4 Qa4 24.Ra1 Qc6 25.Rad1 = 0.00 (27 ply)better is 22...Rc8 23.Bxf6 gxf6 24.Rd4 f5 25.Rfd1 Bf8 26.b3 Bg7 ⩱ -0.55 (25 ply) 23.b3 b5 24.cxb5 Qxb5 25.Bd3 Qb4 26.Bxf6 Bxf6 27.Bxa6 = 0.00 (25 ply) ⩱ -0.76 (25 ply) after 23...gxf6 24.Rxd8 Rxd8 25.Rd1 Rxd1+ 26.Bxd1 Kg7 27.Qd3 better is 32...Bxd5 33.cxd5 e3 34.Kg2 exf2 35.Qf3 Be7 36.a4 Bc5 ⩱ -0.59 (26 ply)= -0.08 (28 ply) 35.h5 Bxd5 36.cxd5 b5 37.hxg6+ Kxg6 38.g4 Qxd5 39.gxf5+ = 0.00 (31 ply) ⩱ -1.00 (30 ply)better is 38.g4 b5 39.Nd5+ Ke5 40.h5 gxh5 41.gxf5 Bxd5 42.cxd5 h4 ⩱ -0.77 (27 ply) ⩱ -1.30 (31 ply) 41.a4 b5 42.axb5 axb5 43.Be2 bxc4 44.bxc4 Kd4 45.Bd1 Bc8 ⩱ -1.11 (29 ply)better is 41...b5 42.Ke1 f4 43.Bh5 bxc4 44.bxc4 fxg3 45.fxg3 Kd4 ∓ -2.07 (29 ply) ⩱ -1.32 (32 ply) after 42.a4 Kd3 43.Ke1 b5 44.axb5 axb5 45.Bh5 bxc4 46.bxc4 Kd4 44.a4 b5 45.axb5 axb5 46.Kf1 Be6 47.Ke1 Ba5+ 48.Kf1 bxc4 ⩱ -1.17 (34 ply) 44...b5 45.cxb5 Kxd5 46.bxa6 Bb6 47.Bc4+ Kc5 48.Ke1 g4 -+ -3.22 (32 ply) 45.a4 b5 46.axb5 axb5 47.Nb4 Kc3 48.Nd5+ Kxb3 49.cxb5 ⩱ -1.35 (32 ply) 45...b5 46.Ne3 f4 47.Nf5+ Ke5 48.Nh6 Bb6 49.gxf4+ gxf4 ∓ -2.37 (29 ply) ⩱ -1.19 (31 ply) after 46.Kf1 Be6 47.Ke1 Bd7 48.Kd2 f4 49.gxf4 gxf4 50.f3 Bh3 47.a4 Bxd5 48.cxd5 Kxd5 49.Kf1 f4 50.Ba6 Kd4 51.gxf4 ⩱ -1.06 (46 ply) 47...b5 48.Ne3 Be6 49.g4 f4 50.Nf5+ Kc5 51.b4+ axb4 -+ -2.71 (28 ply) ∓ -1.62 (34 ply) 51...Be7 52.a4 Kc2 53.Nd5 Bc5 54.Bd7 Kxb3 55.Bb5 Bh5 ∓ -2.01 (33 ply)= -0.14 (34 ply) 54.b4 axb4 55.axb4 Bxb4 56.Ke2 Kc3 57.Ke3 Kxc4 58.Kxe4 = 0.00 (49 ply)-+ -12.04 (28 ply) 55...Bxa3 56.Ng3 Kxb3 57.Ne2 a4 58.Ke1 Kxc4 59.Ng3 Bc5 -+ -14.39 (27 ply)-+ -5.23 (31 ply) after 56.b4 Kxc4 57.Ke2 a4 58.Kd1 Kb3 59.Ng3 Kxa3 60.Kc2 Kxb4 59.c5 Bxc5 60.Kd3 a4 61.Nd2+ Kb2 62.Nc4+ Kb1 63.f4 b5 -+ -14.02 (29 ply)-+ -5.16 (27 ply)66.Kd4 Bc7 67.Nd5 a2 68.Nxc7 Kb3 69.Ne6 a1=Q+ 70.Kd5 -+ -132.67 (42 ply)0-1

rnbqkbnr/pppppppp/8/8/8/8/PPPPPPPP/RNBQKBNR w KQkq - 0 1
FEN COPIED

Annotations by Stockfish (Computer).      [35437 more games annotated by Stockfish]

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Kibitzer's Corner
Aug-29-12  WhoKeres: Botvinnik's use of the bishop pair and more active king to win this endgame, against a great endgame specialist like Averbakh, is most instructive and impressive.
May-29-19
Premium Chessgames Member
  manselton: 48...g4-g3 is more or less forced.


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If Black tries to keep the Knight restricted then White can play g2-g3 and make Black's g-pawn a target weakness.

May-29-19
Premium Chessgames Member
  jinkinson: <manselton> What game is that position from? It doesn't seem to be from this game.
May-29-19
Premium Chessgames Member
  perfidious: This is indeed a display of filigree technique by Botvinnik.
May-29-19
Premium Chessgames Member
  manselton: Sorry, I thought I'd deleted that post but I never completed the deletion. The position is actually from R P Michell vs Tartakower, 1925
May-30-19
Premium Chessgames Member
  manselton: At the year of this game Averbakh was Botvinnik's trainer. 23.Bxf6 feels like an odd move to make, voluntarily giving up a Bishop in an open position.


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Jun-02-19
Premium Chessgames Member
  manselton: Position after 27.Bd1


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Shereshevsky <The pawn formation is not symmetric. Black's K-side pawns can easily advance, cramping White's position. White has no way of opposing this plan. Play on the Q-side will only create weaknesses so he can only watch the unfolding of events.>

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