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Vasily Smyslov vs Mikhail Botvinnik
Smyslov - Botvinnik World Championship Rematch (1958), Moscow URS, rd 23, May-08
King's Indian Attack: Smyslov Variation (A05)  ·  1/2-1/2

8
7
6
5
4
3
2
a
1
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f
g
h
White to move.
ANALYSIS [x]
Notes by Stockfish 9 v010218 (minimum 6s/ply) 5.Bg2 d5 6.d3 Bg7 7.Nbd2 O-O 8.O-O Nbd7 9.b5 a6 = +0.34 (27 ply)= -0.46 (25 ply) after 5...e6 6.c3 Be7 7.Bg2 d5 8.O-O Nbd7 9.d3 O-O 10.Nd2 12.Rb1 cxb4 13.Nxb4 Nc5 14.Re1 e5 15.Bh3 Bc8 16.Bxc8 = +0.27 (24 ply) 12...cxb4 13.a3 bxa3 14.Rxa3 e5 15.Ne1 a5 16.N1c2 Bc6 ⩱ -0.68 (24 ply)= +0.20 (24 ply)better is 15.bxc5 bxc5 16.Qc2 Rab8 17.Qc3+ e5 18.Nd2 Nb6 19.Nb3 = 0.00 (27 ply) ⩱ -0.65 (25 ply) 17.cxd5 exd5 18.exd5 Qe5 19.Ne4 f5 20.Nf2 Qxe3 21.Qa4 = -0.08 (23 ply) 17...Qxc5 18.d4 Qe7 19.Qa4 Qxg5 20.Qxd7 Re7 21.Qd6 dxc4 ⩱ -1.39 (25 ply)= -0.37 (25 ply) after 18.Rb1 Nb6 19.exd5 exd5 20.a4 Qe7 21.Nh3 Qxe3+ 22.Nf2 better is 20.a4 Nc5 21.Qa3 Qe7 22.Nf3 e5 23.Nd2 Bc6 24.Nb3 Nxb3 ⩱ -0.65 (29 ply) 20...Nxc5 21.Rac1 Qe7 22.Qc4 Rc8 23.Qxd4+ e5 24.Qe3 Nb3 ⩱ -1.33 (28 ply) ⩱ -0.52 (29 ply) 23.Bh3 Nf6 24.Qc2 Rb8 25.Qc4 Nh7 26.Rb1 Rxb1 27.Rxb1 f5 ⩱ -0.58 (23 ply) ⩱ -1.44 (28 ply)better is 24...Nf6 25.Bh3 Rb5 26.Nf3 Ra5 27.Qb3 Rb8 28.Qa2 Rbb5 ⩱ -1.40 (27 ply) ⩱ -0.79 (26 ply)better is 29.Qb3 Bd7 30.Bxd7 Qxd7 31.a4 Rc6 32.Rf3 Ng4 33.Qb4 Qc7 ⩱ -0.99 (26 ply) ∓ -1.60 (27 ply) after 29...Rb8 30.a4 Nh7 31.Bg2 Bd7 32.Qd5 Rbc8 33.c6 Bxc6 better is 31.Bg2 Rb5 32.Rf2 Ra5 33.Qb4 Ra6 34.Rcf1 Be8 35.Rc2 Rb7 ⩱ -1.23 (25 ply) 31...Rb5 32.Bg2 Rcb7 33.Qc2 Rb3 34.Qc4 f6 35.Bf1 Rxa3 ∓ -1.76 (24 ply) ⩱ -0.77 (31 ply) 33.Rcf1 Be8 34.c6 Rxc6 35.Rxf7+ Bxf7 36.Qxc6 Rb3 37.Rc1 = -0.33 (31 ply) ⩱ -1.21 (30 ply)better is 34...f6 35.h3 a5 36.Qa6 Rb3 37.Be2 Rc3 38.Rcf1 Rc6 ⩱ -1.15 (25 ply) ⩱ -0.58 (26 ply)better is 35...f6 36.Qa6 Ra7 37.Qd6 Qxd6 38.cxd6 Rd8 39.Rb2 Rxd6 ⩱ -1.11 (28 ply) 36.Qa6 Rc6 37.Qxa5 Rxc5 38.Rxc5 Rxc5 39.Qb4 Rc7 40.Qxe7 = -0.36 (29 ply)better is 36...Rxc5 37.Qxc5 Rxc5 38.Rxc5 g4 39.Be2 Qg5 40.Ra1 Qd2 ∓ -1.87 (30 ply)better is 37.Qb3 Qe8 38.Qb6 Bxa4 39.Bg4 Bxc2 40.Bxc8 Rxc8 41.Rxc2 ⩱ -1.27 (29 ply) ∓ -1.87 (27 ply) after 37...g4 38.Bf1 Qg5 39.Rf2 Be6 40.Qc2 Rc6 41.Qb2 Rxc5 better is 39.Qa2 f5 40.Kg1 g4 41.Bf1 Qf7 42.Qxf7+ Kxf7 43.exf5 ⩱ -1.36 (24 ply) ∓ -1.87 (27 ply) after 39...g4 40.Bf1 Qg5 41.Rf2 Be6 42.Qc2 Rc6 43.Qb2 Rxc5 41...Kg7 42.g4 Qf8 43.Qb6 Bxa4 44.Rf2 Bxd1 45.Rxd1 Qe7 ∓ -1.64 (27 ply)1/2-1/2

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
Mar-20-08  Knight13: b4 Bb2 Na3... Smyslov messing around in a World Championship Match?
Jun-19-14
Premium Chessgames Member
  offramp: When these two greats finished their World Championship shenanigans in the 1950s the chess world must have thought We will never see such a rivalry again!

Soon after, we had Karpov-Kortschnoij and then Karpov-Kasparov. And it won't end there! Records are made only to be broken!

Jun-19-14  Petrosianic: <the chess world must have thought We will never see such a rivalry again!>

I doubt it. a) It's a pretty silly thing to think, and b) nobody could be sure that it WAS over until Botvinnik lost the title. And c) It wasn't that hot a rivalry. They mostly just played the games, without much in the way of extra-curricular antics.

Jun-19-14  Howard: Not only that, chess competition is a lot more intense today than back in, say, the Karpov-Korchnoi era. The times where two players would have a long-standing rivalry are probably over for good.

Nothing will probably ever top the Karpov-Kasparov days, as far as intense, longtime rivalry.

Jun-19-14
Premium Chessgames Member
  offramp: Aha! I was right! Because everything <Howard> says contradicts everything <Petrosianic> says.
Jun-19-14  Petrosianic: Can you actually think of anyone who went on record saying there'd never be another such rivalry? I see Howard saying it now, but I never read of anyone saying it in the 1950's.

Can we agree that if Howard were around in the 50's that he probably <would> have said it about Botvinnik-Smyslov?

Jun-19-14  Howard: "Howard" wasn't born yet as of 1958 (when the third, and last, match was played).

But if I had been "around" in 1958, there's no telling what I or anyone else would have said about another future rivalry comparable to the Botvinnik-Smyslov one.

But let's keep in mind at least one thing---the third match was automatically triggered when Botvinnik lost the second one, due to the rematch clause back then. Now if there'd been no rematch clause at all, there's no telling if he would have been able to earn a third encounter with Smyslov. If there'd been only two matches, therefore, then this "rivalry" would not have been as well known as it is today.

Apr-03-20  ewan14: Petrosian - Spassky

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