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HE 1933 CONTEST was the most representative so far, as the Old Guard was fmally supplanted by the young men. As Botvinnik commented in his autobiography, it was the custom for participants to go through the games once fmished for the benefit of the spectators. On the day Botvinnik beat Grigory Levenfish, the strongest of the pre- 1 9 1 7 masters, the veteran had resigned over the dinner break. When Botvinnik went through the game on a demonstration board, oblivious of the audience in his joy, he was watched by the other participants as well. His friend Ragozin was there and said afterwards: 'This was a creative triumph for our generation.' Earlier in his autobiography, Botvinnik claimed that the older generation were jealous of him and showed him no signs of goodwill.Botvinnik was able to have his revenge on them later in 1933 when Levenfish and Romanovsky criticized Botvinnik for only drawing his match with Flohr, a contest that opened up Soviet chess to the West, and secured Botvinnik an invitation to Hastings. At a public disputation, somewhat in the academic style, Botvinnik turned round to Romanovsky and reminded him that he had lost a match against Bogoljubow in 1924 by a score of 4-8 (five losses, six draws). 'Pyotr Arseneevich', he asked Romanovsky, 'it would seem that you played correctly then from your point of view. What sort of shape would Soviet chess be in now if I had played against Flohr as you played against Bogoljubow?' As a footnote, one should observe that Botvinnik incorrectly stated the score in the Bogoljubow match in his autobiography Achieving the Aim. His almost total recall was so great that no reviewer pointed out the discrepancy.
One incident reveals the hostility felt towards the 'upstart' : in his game with Duz-Khotimirsky, Botvinnik ended up in an inferior ending and had to defend the rook ending with two pawns against three on one side of the board. The veteran continued playing even when there remained just a rook and king each on the board. It was only an intervention from the tournament committee that put an end to play after 102 moves. Later, Botvinnik learned that it was the intention of Duz to torment him until move 1 50 before stopping! The moves of this long 'masterpiece' are not
available, as the tournament book was a very thin effort, giving only 46 games. To make up for that overly long game, Botvinnik scored a win in only 12 moves.
Mikhail Botvinnik-Nikolai Sorokin Nimzo-Indian Defence E35
1 d4 ltlf6 2 c4 e6 3 ltlc3 .i.b4 4 'ifc2 d5 5 cxd5 exd5 6 .i.g5 'it'd6 7 e3 ltle4 8 .i.f4 'it'g6 9 'it'b3 c5 (D)
'At this point I realized that my opponent was about to blunder away a piece.'
10 f3 ltlxc3 1 1 bxc3 .i.a5 12 .i.xb8 1-0 Yudovich suffered from a poorly-placed knight at b6, but the fmish is superb.
Mikhail Botvinnik-Mikhail Yudovich Griinfeld Defence D96
1 c4 ltlf6 2 d4 g6 3 ltlc3 d5 4 ltlf3 .i.g7 5 'it'b3 c6?! 6 cxdS ltlxdS 7 .i.d2 0-0 8 e4 ltlb6? 9 l%d1 lLJsd7 10 a4 aS 11 .i.e3 'it'c7 12 .i.e2 'it'd6 13 ltla2 e6 14 0-0 h6 15 l%cl f5 16 ltlc3 �h7 17 l%fd1 fxe4 18 ltlxe4 'it'b4 (D)
Chasing after the win of a pawn is suicide, but l 8 ... 'it'e7 19 'ifc2 leaves g6 open to attack.
19 'it'c2 'it'xa4 20 b3 'it'a3 21 ltlh4 'it'e7 22 ltlxg6 �xg6 23 .i.b5+ 1-0
Botvinnik' s best game of the event was against Rauzer, a Sicilian Dragon that is widely known and often quoted. It is proof that Botvinnik's style had become more universal, so that he was happy to plunge into complications. As he commented: 'This was my first game to become widely known. It is probably my best effort from those years.'
Vsevolod Rauzer-Mikhail Botvinnik Sicilian Defence B74 1 e4 2 ltlf3 3 d4 4 ltlxd4 s ltlc3 6 .i.e2 7 .i.e3 8 ltlb3 9 f4 cS ltlc6 cxd4 ltlf6 d6 g6 .i.g7 .i.e6 0-0
The standard position of the Dragon in those days, before Rauzer developed the sharp system with .i.e3, f3 and 0-0-0, later to become known as the Yugoslav Attack.
10 0-0
Three years later the great Alekhine tried to baffle the young Botvinnik at Nottingham 1 936 by the aggressive I 0 g4, but met with worthy resistance after 1 0 ... d5 ! 1 1 f5 �c8 1 2 exd5 ltlb4 13 d6 'it'xd6 14 �c5 'iff4! 1 5 l:[fl 'it'xh2 16 �xb4 'it'g3+ 1 7 l%t2 'it'g1+ 1 8 l:[fl with a speedy draw.
10 ltlas
In reply to the attack White generally makes on the kingside, Black normally uses the c-file to prepare counterplay on the other side. He also has the alternative quiet move 1 0 ... 'it'c8.
1 1 ltlxaS
White has the more logical 1 1 f5, but in that case too Black maintains equality by various tactical tricks, e.g. 1 l ...�c4 1 2 ltlxa5 (12 e5?! is met by 12 ... �xe2 13 'it'xe2 dxe5 14 l%ad1 'ilc7 1 5 ltlb5 'it'c4!) 12 ... �xe2 1 3 'it'xe2 'it'xa5 14 g4 :ac8! 15 g5 (or 15 �d4 'it'b4 16 :ad1 'it'c4!)
36 The Soviet Championships 15 .. .l:hc3 16 gxf6 .l:.xe3 1 7 Wxe3 .ltxf6 1 8
c3 .l:.c8 and in all cases Black has nothing to fear.
1 1 'Wxa5
12 .ltf3
Botvinnik thought 12 ._d2 preferable, but this can hardly change the satisfactory assessment of Black's position.
12 .ltc4
13 .l:te1 .l:tfd8 By his operations on the queenside Black has diverted the opponent from his plan of an attack on the other wing.
14 'ii'd2 'Wc7 Directed against a later ltJd5.
15 .l:tacl
A manoeuvre which is hard to explain and which loses time. White could consider 15 Wt2 to get away from the 'X-ray' attack from the d8-rook and to tie down the aS rook to the defence of a 7.
15 e5!
16 b3 (D)
Rauzer clearly did not foresee the coming combinative storm. It was still not too late to stabilize the position in the centre by 16 fxe5 dxe5 17 Wt2, which, after 1 7 ... b6, would lead to a fairly level game.
16 d5!!
A blow at a point which is covered four times! It is hardly possible to calculate all the consequences of this bold decision, so all the more must one admire Botvinnik's intuitive conviction that it is correct.
17 exd5
The only reply. 1 7 bxc4 is met by 1 7 ... dxe4, and 1 7 fxe5 by 17 ... ltJxe4.
17
18 bxc4
e4!
In the labyrinth of complex variations Rauzer still follows the right path. With other moves, in the opinion of many analysts, White would have great difficulties, e.g.
a) 18 .ltxe4 ltJxe4 19 ltJxe4 .ltxd5 20 Wd3 'it'c6 2 1 .ltt2 .l:.e8 and White has to surrender the pawn on g2;
b) 1 8 ltJxe4 ltJxd5 ! 19 �h1 (19 bxc4? ltJxe3 20 Wxe3 .ltd4) 19 ... ltJxe3 20 'Wxe3 .ltd4 2 1 'Wd2 .ltb2 (2 1 ....lte6 22 c4 .lte5 23 'it'c2 .ltxf4 is also good) 22 'it'b4 .ltxc1 23 ltJf6+ <it.'h8 24 'it'c3 .ltd2 25 'it'b2 .lte6! 26 ltJd5+ .ltc3 ! 27 ltJxc3 �g8 28 ltJe4 'i'xf4 29 liJf6+ Wf8 and the chances are all Black's. This conclusion of a number of experts such as Tarrasch, Becker and Botvinnik is very interesting, but it is possible that it does not exhaust the possibilities of the position. Could not White, instead of the move 2 1 'ii'd2, which they gave an exclamation mark, play the trickier 21 liJf6+! in this variation? Then after 2 1 ....ltxf6 (2 1 ...Wf8 is risky in view of 22 'We4 .lte6 23 f5!) 22 bxc4 'i'xc4 23 .ltxb7 .l:[ab8 24 .ltf3 'i'xa2 25 c3 White has equality.
Obviously this rejoinder does not diminish Botvinnik's concept, as Black did not risk losing and he was posing very complex problems for the opponent. However, it does bring a fresh nuance into the assessment of the position.
18 exf3
19 c5 'ii'a5
The active play of Black's pieces looks very attractive. The main threat is 20 ... ltJxd5 ! .
20 .l:ted1
A natural multi-functional move which according to all the rules ought not to be bad. Yet, as we know, there are no rules without exceptions and White now falls into a difficult position. The tempting 20 d6 also fails to 20 ... ltJg4 2 1 ltJe4 'Wxd2 22 .ltxd2 (22 ltJxd2? ltJxe3 23 :xe3 .ltd4) 22 ... f2+! 23 ltJxt2 .ltd4. However, the unpre possessing 20 'i'd3 ! would successfully solve many of White's problems. Then, after 20 ... ltJg4 2 1 ltJe4 f5 22 ltJg5 f2+ 23 .ltxt2 ltJxf2 24 'iltxt2 'i'xc5+ 25 �g3 ! White cannot take the d5-pawn either with the rook due to the pin 26 'it'b3, or with the queen because of the murderous 26 :es+.
Yet, 20 'i'd3 ! does not refute Black's whole idea. By means of 20 ... b6! (which Botvinnik
admits he found nearly 30 years later!) Black would break up the enemy centre pawns. After 2 1 gxf3 bxc5 or 21 cxb6 axb6, Black has at least equal chances. Very interesting!
Now things go well for Black.
20 ltJg4!
21 .i.d4 (D)
The lesser evil was 21 ltJe4 'ifxd2 22 .i.xd2, though after 22 ... .i.d4+ 23 <iifh1 fxg2+ 24 <iitxg2 l:xd5 one would not like to be in White's shoes.
21 f2+!
22 <iitn
22 'iti>h1 fails to 22 .. Jhd5! 23 ltJxd5 fl'if+ 24 l:.xfl 'ifxd2.
22 'ifa6+
23 'ife2
Alternatives were equally hopeless: 23 'it'd3 .i.xd4 24 'ifxa6 ltJxh2+ 25 <iite2 fl 'if+ 26 l:.xfl bxa6, or 23 ltJe2 l:xd5 24 c3 l:e8! .
23 .i.xd4
24 l:xd4 'iff6!
A remarkable dynamic transfer of the queen to the other flank.
25 l:cd1
25 'ifd3 is no better. After 25 ... l:e8 26 l:.e4 (26 ltJe4 ltJxh2+ 27 'it>xt2 'ifxf4+, or 26 g3 l:le3 27 'ifd2 l:.ae8) 26 ... l:xe4 27 ltJxe4 'irxf4 Black wins.
25 'ifh4 26 'ifd3 l:e8 27 l:e4 fS 28 l:e6 ltJxh2+ 29 <iite2 'ifxf4 0-1 A wonderful battle.