Born on March 24, 1921, Smyslov learned the game when he was 6 from his father, who received chess lessons from the Russian legend Mikhail Chigorin. In 1938, at 17, Smyslov won the junior championship of the Soviet Union, and three years later, in 1940, he finished third in the Soviet championship, ahead of Mikhail Botvinnik. In 1946, Smyslov placed third at the elite Groningen tournament which was won by Botvinnik. In the 1948 world championship match-tournament, he placed second, again behind Botvinnik. In 1953, Vasily topped the Zurich Candidates tournament to earn the right to challenge the world champ, his rival Botvinnik. From 1954 to 1958, they would play three matches for the world title. The first ended in a draw, but Smyslov again won another shot at the title after topping the Amsterdam Candidates tournament. In 1957, he crushed Botvinnik, 12.5-9.5 to become champion of the world. In their 1958 return match, however, the mighty Botvinnik regained the crown, beating Smyslov 12.5-10.5.
Smyslov continued to play at the highest level throughout the 1960s and 1970s. In 1983, at the age of 62, he amazed the chess world by reaching the Candidates final. He lost to a young player named Gary Kasparov.
Writing about Vasily in “My Great Predecessors (2),” Kasparov noted that because of the “apparent simplicity of his style, Smyslov is rarely mentioned among the players who have made the greatest contributions to the development of the ancient game. However, his victories at the peak of his career are amazing for the lack of a clear defense for his opponents, and a careful study reveals that no one in the world could withstand Smyslov’s very fine technique. His credo was as follows: ‘I will make 40 good moves and if you are able to do the same, the game will end in a draw.’ But it was precisely this ‘doing the same’ that was the most difficult: Smyslov’s technique was ahead of his time…. I think that it is this innate sense of harmony which has helped Smyslov to break all records for chess longevity.… This phenomenon was wittily explained by Spassky: ‘Vasily Vassilievich has an incredible intuition, and I would call it his ‘hand’ — that is, his hand knows on which square to place every piece, and he does not need to calculate anything with his head.’
The Dutch grandmaster J.H. Donner said Smyslov was “the great magician who masters all problems, but in the way of an elegant animal. His play has something incomprehensibly superficial, opportunistic. And this is typical for the talent: it is only interested in the surface of things, for all deep problems are human, and talent is in fact ’super’-human. Therefore we must admire players like Smyslov, but it is always admiration mixed with a touch of jealousy. It is admiration for something we do not have, and cannot have.”
Smyslov was “known for his positional style, and, in particular, his precise handling of the endgame, but many of his games feature spectacular tactical shots as well. He has made enormous contributions to chess opening theory in many openings, including the English Opening, Grünfeld Defence, and the Sicilian Defence. He has a variation of the Closed Ruy Lopez named for him: the line runs 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Be7 6.Re1 b5 7.Bb3 d6 8.c3 0-0 9.h3 h6. Smyslov also successfully revived the Fianchetto Defence to the Ruy Lopez (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 g6) in the 1970s. In the Slav Defence, the main line with 1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Nf3 dxc4 5.a4 Bf5 is named the Czech or Smyslov Variation.”
Smyslov also loved music and was a gifted baritone singer. He once said, “I have always lived between chess and music.” He said he tried to achieve harmony on the chess board, with each piece assisting the others. Mig Greengard says the adjective “harmonious” is attached to Smyslov’s name the way “brilliant” is to Tal’s and “universal” to Spassky’s.
Former world champ Vladimir Kramnik said Smyslov was “truth in chess!” Smyslov “plays correctly, truthfully and has a natural style…. I would recommend a study of Smyslov’s games to children who want to know how to play chess because he plays the game how it should be played: his style is the closest to some sort of ‘virtual truth’ in chess. He always tried to make the strongest move in each position. He has surpassed many other of the world champions in the number of strongest moves made…. He mastered all elements of play. Smyslov was a brilliant endgame specialist, all in all his play resembled a smooth flow, like a song. When you look at his games, you have that light feeling as if his hand is making the moves all by itself while the man is making no effort at all — just like he was drinking coffee or reading a newspaper! This has the feel of Mozart’s light touch! No stress, no effort, everything is simple yet brilliant. I like this feature of Smyslov and I am fond of his games.”
Game of the week. Here is Smyslov in action against his perennial Soviet rival. It was the 10th game of their match for the world championship, and the score was 5-4 in Botvinnik’s favor. His opponent, however, “ seemed to be increasing in stature with every game,” wrote Harry Golombek. “The spectators, aroused by the terrific fight into which the match had developed, thronged the hall. Every seat in the Tchaikovsky Hall was occupied. The game itself was high drama. Botvinnik came up with an improvement and dominated the proceedings only to find Smyslov turning the tables on him. Two brilliant moves by Smyslov caused the packed crowd of spectators to burst into applause.”
White: M. Botvinnik
Black: V. Smyslov
World Championship Match
Moscow 1954
1.d4 d5 2.c4 dxc4 3.Nf3 a6 4.e3 Bg4 5.Bxc4 e6 6.Qb3 Bxf3 7.gxf3 b5 8.Be2 Nd7 9.a4 b4 10.f4! Ngf6 Not 10…c5? 11.d5! 11.Bf3 Ra7 A passive move. But what should Black play? If 11…c6?! 12.Bxc6 Rc8 13.Bxd7+ Qxd7 14.Nd2 and White is slightly better, says Botvinnik. 11…Rb8 was considered bad on account of 12.Qc4 But after 12…c5 13.0–0 it may not be so bad for Black-NSH (13.Qxa6?! cxd4 14.exd4 Be7 15.0–0 Qc7 =∞) The critical variation is11…c5 !? 12.Bxa8 (12.d5? c4!) 12…Qxa8 13.Rg1 (13.0–0 Qf3) 13…cxd4 14.exd4 Bd6 15.Be3 0–0 16.Nd2 Rc8 17.Kd1! (17.Ke2?! Nd5 18.Rac1 Re8 =∞) 17…Nd5 18.Rc1 and White is better, Malakhatko-Papenin, Alushta 2001. 12.Bc6! Be7 13.Nd2 Not 13.e4?! 0–0 14.e5 Ng4 with the idea of Nh6-f5. 13…0–0 14.Nc4 With the idea of Na5. 14…a5! 15.Ne5 15.0–0!? 15…Nb8 16.Bg2 c5 17.dxc5 Bxc5 18.Qc2 and White is slightly better. 15…Nb8 16.Bd2 Nd5! 17.e4 Nb6 18.Be3 Bd6 19.Bb5 Qh4! 20.Rc1 20.0–0–0 Bxe5 21.dxe5 c5 offers Black chances of a counterattack on the White king. 20…Kh8 21.Be2? A pointless move unless he wishes to place the bishop on f3. [Instead he should play 21.Nf3 ! 21…Qh6 (21…Qg4 22.Ke2 Bxf4? 23.Rcg1+-; 21…Qh5 22.Be2) 22.Ng5 Qh4 23.e5 Be7 24.Nxf7+ ! 24…Rxf7 25.Qxe6 Rf8 (25…Rxf4 26.Bxf4 Qxf4 27.0–0±) 26.d5 Rb7 27.Rg1↑ according to Botvinnik. 21…Bxe5 22.dxe5 N8d7 23.Bb5 Not 23.0–0? c5 threatening both …c4 and …g5. 23…Rd8 24.Bd2? The decisive error. Oblivious of Black’s threat, White hopes to play Qg3 on the next move. Instead he should play 24.Qc2, although after 24…g5 (24…c5 25.Rd1) 25.fxg5 Nxe5 26.Be2 b3 27.Qxb3 Qxe4 28.f3 Nd3+ ! 29.Qxd3 Rxd3 30.fxe4 Rxe3 Black is better. 24…Nxe5! 25.Qe3 Ng4 26.Qg3 Qxg3 27.fxg3 Nf2! 28.Kxf2 Rxd2+ 29.Ke3 Rxb2 30.Rb1 Rxb1 31.Rxb1 c5 32.Rd1 Ra8 32…g6? 33.Rd8+ Kg7 34.Rb8 Nd7 35.Rc8 gives needless chances to White. 33.Rd6 Rb8 34.Kd2 If 34.Rc6? c4 35.Bxc4 Nxa4–+ 34…c4 35.Kc2 g6 36.Rc6 c3! 37.Kb3 Rc8! and 0–1.
Puzzler.
White — Ka4, Ba6, Nb8, Nc6, Qc1, pawns on e3 and h4
Black — Kd5, Nd6, Rf7, Bh7, Rh3, pawns on b3, c4, c7, d4, e6 and f3
White to play and mate in four.
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 or [email protected].
