William Hartston: <‘I had a conversation with Spassky last year which I think throws some light on C.N. 526 (Botvinnik’s match record). I had always supposed that Botvinnik took his first matches rather lightly, in the knowledge that he had the right to a return match if he lost. Spassky’s explanation was more convincing, bearing in mind what we know about Botvinnik’s meticulous approach. He claimed that Botvinnik had already started his preparations for the return match while the first match was in progress. Indeed, one might even accuse him of using the first match as part of those preparations. The exhausting process of winning through the qualifying tournaments, then beating Botvinnik left Smyslov and Tal too exhausted to put up a fight in the “serious” match which followed. With that gloss on chess history, we should perhaps be less impressed with the achievements of Bronstein and Smyslov in 1951 and 1954 in “only” drawing with a man who was just sizing them up for the big fight. Spassky said that he once told Botvinnik of his conclusions; the old man just glared at him and said, “You are very clever”.’>

<Botvinnik in London

Mikhail Botvinnik, for 14 years World Champion, has hardly played serious chess in the last ten years.

Leonard Barden, at 48 hours' notice, organised a simultaneous display with clocks for him against 8 of England's strongest juniors. He lost to Jacobs (17) and Conquest (14), drew with King (17), Dickenson (16) and Lane (16), beating Hodgson and Hawksworth (17) and Byron (18).

The boys' score, 3.5-4.5, was the best ever made against him in a simul in his entire career. The strength of British youth is becoming notorious. Clocks made the single player's task much harder. The champion took it well, saying he hoped his opponents had learnt something; he certainly had. Though his hair has turned snow-white, he has the healthy look and springy step of a man half of his 70 years.>

<Botvinnik> was in London to attend a computer conference at which he read two papers relating to his chess computer work.

Only two of the games are in the DB:

Botvinnik vs Byron, 1981

give it time. People might not yet realise it is the 100th birthday of the Patriach.

I have been having a fun time working through his 3 volume book of games this year. Fascinating stuff, of course.

Open
http://www.totalchess.spb.ru/

Seniors
http://www.obninskchess.ru/chess/to...

SuperRapid (with Anand, Carlsen, Aronian, Kramnik) at the beginning of September in Moscow

-- Mikhail Botvinnik

"Today is a remarkable date for the chess world – the 100th anniversary of a chess legend Mikhail Botvinnik.

Mikhail Botvinnik is known as one of the greatest chess players of the twentieth century, the founder of the Soviet chess school and three-times World Chess Champion. Mikhail Botvinnik played a major role in the chess life of his generation which led chess to a new, state level of its development. Due to his outstanding chess career and achievements people of his country learned more about chess and it gradually entered every Soviet family. He is not only the "Patriarch" of the Soviet chess school but also a wise mentor of such noble chess players as Anatoly Karpov, Garry Kasparov and Vladimir Kramnik among the others.

Anyone who loves chess will always remember his style of play and his brilliant games against Capablanca, Tal, Smyslov. These games helped many people learn and fall in love with chess. Playing top class chess for decades, being an eminent chess author, one of the pioneers of computer chess and one of the openings theory researchers, Botvinnik is widely regarded as the most influential chess contributor in the world.

We are paying tribute to the first world class player who will be in our hearts forever."

http://www.fide.com/component/conte...

I started playing serious Chess because of Bobby Fischer.

I have ALWAYS played The French Defense because of Mikhail Botvinnik.