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Mikhail Botvinnik vs Tigran V Petrosian
URS-chT (1966), Moscow URS, rd 11, Oct-05
English Opening: Great Snake Variation (A10)  ·  0-1

ANALYSIS [x]

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Kibitzer's Corner
Aug-20-04  morphynoman2: Incredible! 34. Rc3?? Be4!! and all is over.
Jan-06-05  jondoe: 34 Re1 is better?
Nov-14-06  stanleys: <34 Re1 is better?>

Of course.I believe it's even winning.

But apparently the 55 years old Botvinnik was extremely tired(it was the last round of an incredibly strong URSS team championship)

Dec-10-06
Premium Chessgames Member
  Pawn and Two: <stanleys> Botvinnik's missed win also meant 2nd place for his team, instead of a 1st place finish.

Here are the final team standings and the 1st board (5 World Champions plus Geller, Keres & Stein!) for each of the teams:

Armed Forces - 80.5 - Geller
Trud - 80 - Botvinnik
Spartak - 79 - Petrosian
Burevestnik - 78 - Smyslov
Avangard - 63 - Stein
Daugava - 58 - Tal
Lokomotiv - 57.5 - Spassky
Moldava - 47.5 - Lutikov
Kalev - 41.5 - Keres
Vodnik - 37.5 - Chernikov
Mehnat - 36.5 - Birbrager

Botvinnik won 1st prize for best score on board 1, with 6/9, Geller and Petrosian were next with 6.5/10.

Aug-24-08  ToTheDeath: Eyewitness to this game Ilya Figler talks about it in this interview:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=loxy...

"I could see tears from Botvinnik when he lost to Petrosian."

Aug-24-08  ughaibu: There's a crosstable of games between the players mentioned by Pawn and Two, here: http://www.endgame.nl/spassky.htm
Apr-27-10  parisattack: <ToTheDeath: ...

"I could see tears from Botvinnik when he lost to Petrosian.">

I remember the first time I saw this game in Chess Review. I had just learned to play and Botvinnik was my hero... I almost cried, too.

Botvinnik played some of his best games after he lost the title...this was so close to being one of them!

Apr-27-10  Eisenheim: 14 ...bg8 - just lovde watching how tight he plays these defensive gems. this should be GOTD
May-01-10
Premium Chessgames Member
  keypusher: <To the Death>

Thanks for that link to Figler. I played him in one of my rare tournaments...he slaughtered me of course, but was so warm, pleasant and instructive in the post-mortem!

May-01-10  parisattack: <Eisenheim: 14 ...bg8 - just lovde watching how tight he plays these defensive gems. this should be GOTD>

I wouldn't consider a game where white blundered a win away on the last move GOTD material.

May-23-16  Fanques Fair: It´s a myth that Botvinnik was winning before the last move. 34- Rce1, Bb4 ! keeps the grip on White´s postion, despite being the exchange up.
Oct-01-16  ewan14: Another exchange sacrifice. !

I think. P v. the Elite said Qe2 was a poor move allowing P. to swap queens

Apr-07-18
Premium Chessgames Member
  keypusher: <Fanques Fair: It´s a myth that Botvinnik was winning before the last move. 34- Rce1, Bb4 ! keeps the grip on White´s postion, despite being the exchange up.>

I don't see Black's grip after 35.Rxd2 Bxd2 (35....ed 36.Re8+ Kg7 37.Rd8 is easier). It won't be an easy ending to win, though.

Oct-25-19  ewan14: 22 Qe2 losing move
Oct-25-19  PhillyCheapskate: Another exchange sacrifice by Petrosian
Jul-20-20  PJs Studio: I think that white still has to try and hold the balance after Re1 even being the exchange up. The d pawn is too big of a menace. Botvinnik didn’t see Be4 or the game would likely have ended in a draw.

Very exciting matchup of two legends

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