By Zaldy Dandan
Variety Editor

MIKHAIL Moiseyevich Botvinnik was the founder and leader of the mighty Soviet School of Chess, and the champion of the world from 1948 to 1957, 1958 to 1960, and 1961 to 1963.
Born on Aug. 17, 1911, he was 14 when he beat chess legend Jose Raul Capablanca in a simultaneous exhibition in Leningrad. The boy had started playing only two years earlier. “He will go far,” predicted Capa.
Botvinnik was 20 when he graduated in electrical engineering from the Leningrad Polytechnical Institute. Four years later, he was already among the world’s top players and a possible challenger to the world crown. He would win the Soviet championship — the world’s strongest national event — six times: in 1931, 1933, 1939, 1944, 1945 and 1952. Only Tal, who was born in 1936, would have the same record.
After World War II, then-world champion Alekhine accepted Botvinnik’s challenge, but died before the match could take place. Botvinnik won the first strong post-war tournament, at Groningen 1946, and topped the very strong Mikhail Chigorin Memorial tournament at Moscow 1947. In 1948, when FIDE, the World Chess Federation, organized the match-tournament that would choose Alekhine’s successor, Botvinnik was the favorite. Playing against Smyslov, Reshevsky, Keres and ex-world champ Euwe, Botvinnik won convincingly, three points ahead of Smyslov.
He drew his title match against Bronstein in 1951 and against Smyslov in 1954. Smyslov emerged as the challenger again in 1957, this time beating Botvinnik, who took back the crown in the following year’s return match. The same thing happened in his match against the effervescent Tal. Botvinnik lost, then won the re-match.
In 1963, however, the return-match rule was no longer enforced by FIDE and when Botvinnik was out-slugged by Petrosian in their match, he never again competed for the world title.
Euwe says Botvinnik “is one of the most typical members of the [Soviet] School. His aim is always to seize the initiative. He is a remarkably deep combination player who can think out and compare long sequence of moves; but he is also an excellent position player, a good defender and a great master of the endgame. Remembering that Botvinnik is also much at home in the domain of openings, it is no exaggeration to say that [he] is the most versatile champion in the history of chess.”
Botvinnik considered chess a science. “His longevity at the top level of chess is attributed to his exceptional dedication to study. Pre-match preparation and post-match analysis had not featured quite so prominently in the armory of many of his predecessors, but this was Botvinnik’s real strength. Technique over tactics, endgame mastery over opening traps. His adoption and development of solid opening lines in the Nimzo-Indian Defense, Slav Defense, English Opening and Winawer French Defense stood up to the severest scrutiny, and he was able to focus on a narrow repertoire of openings during his most important matches, frequently guiding the game into well-chosen areas of preparation. There were many ‘secret’ training matches against masters of the caliber of Salo Flohr, Yuri Averbakh, Viacheslav Ragozin, and Semion Furman. It was the unveiling, many years later, of the details of these matches that provided chess historians with a fascinating new insight into Botvinnik’s reign.”
His training program “included a strong emphasis on physical fitness, because he understood, ahead of his time, that the immense concentrative effort required in chess tournament play was aided by a healthy body. He also encouraged players to train in different environments, playing games under very short time constraints, in smoky or noisy rooms, and even in swimming pools.” He was known as “The Iron Logician” because of “his extremely precise style and his ability to understand and demonstrate the essence of the most difficult chess positions on a very deep level. Botvinnik created numerous strategic masterpieces on the chessboard, many of which even today are textbook examples of correct play.”
A doctor of engineering, he retired from competitive play in 1970 to devote his time to computer chess programs and assist with the training of younger Soviet players — among them, Karpov, Kasparov and Kramnik. He died of cancer on May 5, 1995.
Game of the week. Here is the great Botvinnik in his immortal game played against his idol. A.J. Goldsby annotates.
White: M. Botvinnik
Black J.R. Capablanca
Nimzo-Indian Defense
AVRO 1938
1. d4 Nf6;  2. c4 e6;  3. Nc3 Bb4;  4. e3 d5!?; Black attacks the center, and grabs some more space. This may not be the most accurate move, but back in the 1930s, opening theory was far from being mapped out. A book line today is: 4...0-0; 5.Bd3 d5; 6.Nf3 c5; 7.0-0 Nc6; with close to an equal position. 5. a3!  Best, according to many annotators.  A novelty at the time that it was played. 5...Bxc3+  It is not clear whether it is best to capture or retreat here.  6. bxc3 c5  Bustin’ loose.  Kasparov says that Black has prematurely determined the pawn structure in this game. Today we know that Black should avoid doing this, and hold the pawn back until the early middle-game. But again this is the accrued knowledge of nearly 75 years of opening theory. Capablanca was operating without this knowledge, and was pretty much on his own. 7. cxd5 This seems a rather simplistic approach, but also an effective one. 7...exd5;  8. Bd3 0-0;  9. Ne2 The Knight goes here so that White can play a later f2-f3.  9...b6;  10. 0-0 There seems to be nothing wrong with castling as White gets his King to safety. Botvinnik later in his career chose the line: 10.a4 Ba6; 11.Bxa6 Nxa6; 12.Ba3! Re8; 13.Qd3 c4; 14.Qc2,   White had good chances here,  and would develop good attacking chances later in the game. Match Game, Soviet Union vs. Great Britain, 1946. 10...Ba6  Relieving himself of a possibly “Bad” Bishop.  By all chess standards that dominated the minds of the chess players in the 20s and 30s Black has absolutely nothing to complain about. Good  pawn structure, easy development, no weaknesses. White isn’t even threatening  any immediate action. However, Kasparov says, “Botvinnik felt correctly that a possibility of a central advance e3-e4-e5 (after the preparatory f3) could lead to a violent attack on the kingside. Hard to believe? Well, at least you are thinking on the same lines as the great Cuban champion.” 11. Bxa6 Reasonable.  And it also puts the Black Knight on the edge of the board. 11...Nxa6;  12.Bb2!?  Development. This is OK, but maybe not the absolute best. It’s possible this piece may be better, later, on the a3-f8 diagonal. 12...Qd7! Centralization and light-square control.  The centralized Queen hits key light squares. 13. a4 This is now forced, according to Kasparov. 13.Qd3?! Qa4! sealing White off from the Queen-side. 13...Rfe8!?  A sensible move. But much better, says Kasparov was: 13...cxd4!? 14.cxd4 Rfc8; with the idea of ...Rc4 and ...Rac8.  Botvinnik suggested this line before Garry was even born. Now 15.Nf4 Rc4; 16.Qb3 Rac8; “=”  14. Qd3 c4?!  Definitely not the best.  A  very strong  winning try by Capa but, says Botvinnik, a positional blunder. Black is playing for the win. He intends the maneuver the Knight from a6 to b8-c6-a5-b3; eventually isolating — and then winning — Black’s QRP. The move is also the beginning of a very deep plan. First, Black fixes White’s pawns on the dark-squares, and appears to make White’s QB a very bad piece indeed. Secondly, the move creates an outpost on b3. Black then maneuvers his Knight on a6 to that square, via b8-c6-a5. This knight deployment artificially isolates White’s QRP, which Black then can win.  In order to survive, White must let the Pawn go, and place all his hopes in a strong central advance. It takes ultra-brilliance of the very first magnitude  to refute Black’s plan!15. Qc2 Nb8 Redeployment. The Knight returns home to start anew on a long journey. 16. Rae1 White accepts the challenge. Now the groundwork for the ensuing battle is laid: White sacrifices the QRP and allows Black to advance on the Q-side, while he plans  to break through in the center. 16...Nc6 The square the Knight should have went to in the first place. This valiant steed is headed for b3. This will greatly disrupt White’s Q-side. Black will probably win the White QRP as a result. The danger is that the Knight may be slightly out of play here, as indeed happens here during the course of the actual game. 17. Ng3 This is probably the best, preparing the central advance. 17...Na5 Black continues with his plan. At this point, Black may not really have any real choice. 18. f3!  Getting ready for the, “Big Push!” White intends to play e3-e4, building a big center. He then would have the option of expanding further, say with e4 to e5. 18...Nb3 The computer programs/analysis engines all rate Black as better here. 19. e4 Qxa4  Grabbing the goodies. This miserable pawn has played an important role as  bait for the tiger, says Kasparov.  20. e5 Nd7;  21. Qf2!  White anticipates Black playing ...Ncb5 and shifts  the White Queen to the Kingside for attack.  21...g6 Black felt compelled to slow up the f3-f4 advance and keep a White Knight off f5 and h5. 22. f4 f5  Again, this is forced. 23. exf6 White must open lines to maintain the attack. 23...Nxf6 23...a5?!; 24.f5, “+/-”   24. f5 It is now very difficult for Black to defend. He tries to do so by exchanging off the Rooks on the e-file. 24...Rxe1  Black decides to reduce the material on the board.  25. Rxe1 Re8 The alternatives are clearly worse.  26. Re6! Rxe6  Forced.  27. fxe6 Kg7;  28. Qf4!?,  Qe8 This looks forced, also. 29. Qe5!  The most accurate. And clearly the best move here. Most computers, even today, do not immediately play this move! 29...Qe7!? This seems to smother the White attack. Now comes one of the most brilliant moves in all of the pantheon of chess. And also one of the prettiest moves ever played on a chessboard. 30. Ba3!! In a highly simplified setting Botvinnik gives away not one, but two minor pieces. The idea is to expose the Black King as much as possible, and then try to  force the White e-pawn in for a Queen. Most players, including all the other masters watching this game, felt confident Black could get at least a perpetual check.  30...Qxa3  Refusing the offer allows the White Queen to invade. 31. Nh5+!  gxh5 This, too, looks forced.  32. Qg5+ Kf8; 33. Qxf6+ Kg8;  Forced. 34. e7! A quiet pawn move finishes Black off.  White threatens both mate and a winning pawn promotion. White is still a piece down, but his pawn is now unstoppable. Black’s only hope is perpetual check, but it isn’t quite there.  34...Qc1+; 35. Kf2 Qc2+;  36. Kg3 Qd3+;  37. Kh4 Qe4+; 38. Kxh5! Qe2+  Lots of checks. Black cannot stop checking.  39. Kh4! White must still exercise caution. 39.g4 Qxh2+ 40.Kg5 still wins  for White but it takes much longer.  39...Qe4+;  40. g4! Qe1+;  41. Kh5 1-0.  Black has run out of checks. White mates or his pawn promotes. Perhaps one of the all-time 10 best games of chess ever played. 
Puzzler. Congratulations to J. Sablan Jr., “Isagani and Three Bears, Victorville FCI,” and Ulysses Morales for cracking last week’s three-mover: 1. Bd1 Nxc5 2. Nb5+ Kxd5 and the White Bishop mates.
This week, try this:
White — Pawn on h3, Rb5, Rd1, Qg1, Kh1.
Black — Pawns on b2 and b3, Ka1, Ra4, Bb1
White to play
and mate in three moves.
Send your answers to “64” c/o Marianas Variety, P.O. Box 500231, Saipan MP 96950. Our fax no. is 670-234-9271. You can also e-mail <idlasts@lycos.com>.