Solitaire Chess / Instruction
The Mighty Botvinnik
This month we ask you to match wits with the “Patriarch of the Soviet Chess School.” This 1933 game is from when he was at the beginning of
what was to become a 30-year dominance of the chess world. By BRUCE PANDOLFINI
IN 1933, AFTER MIKHAIL BOTVINNIK had won the USSR Chess Championship, a match was arranged between the Soviet champ and Salo Flohr, a potential chal- lenger to then world chess champion Alexander Alekhine. The first six games were played in Moscow and the final six in Leningrad. Although Botvinnik lost the Moscow half of the match, he evened the score once he got to Leningrad. In the ninth game, Botvinnik (White) got into a tactical melee against the Czech defen- sive wizard and managed to score a neat point. A Panov Variation of the Caro-Kann, the contest began:
Caro-Kann Defense, Panov-Botvinnik Attack (B13) Mikhail Botvinnik Salo Flohr
Ninth Match Game, Leningrad 1933
1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. exd5 cxd5 4. c4 Nf6 5. Nc3 Nc6 6. Bg5 dxc4 7. d5 Ne5 8. Qd4 Nd3+ 9. Bxd3 cxd3 10. Nf3 g6 11. Bxf6 exf6 12. 0-0 Qb6 13. Rfe1+ Kd8
or deductions—for other moves and vari- ations. Note that **means that the note to Black’s move is over and White’s move is on the next line.**
14. Qh4 Par Score 6 Accept only 2 points part credit 14.
Qxb6+, inflicting two sets of doubled pawns, but giving up on trying to take advantage of Black's uncastled king. Accept 4 points part credit for 14. Qxd3, recovering the gambit pawn, but allowing Black to set up a blockade with 14. ... Bd6. The merit of the text is that it keeps queens on the board, while operating with a threat, 15. Ne5 (1 bonus point).
14. … g5 A drastic solution, but Flohr couldn’t
find anything better. Both 14. ... Bd6 and 14. ... Qxb2 fail against 15. Qxf6+ (1 bonus point). If 14. ... Be7, there's the Exchange sacrifice 15. Rxe7 Kxe7 16. Re1+ (1 bonus point) and Black is in serious trouble.**
15. Qh5 Par Score 4 White infiltrates on the light squares.
The threat is now 16. Qxf7 and 17. Re8 mate (1 bonus point).
15. … Bd6 Black gives up on the f-pawn, since 15.
... Qc7 runs into 16. Ne4 Bg7 17. d6 Qd7 18. Nfxg5 (2 bonus points) 18. ... fxg5 19. Qxg5+ f6 20. Nxf6 Qf7 21. Nd5+.**
16. Qxf7 Par Score 6 The queen has broken into Black’s camp
and threatens to take at f6 and h8 (1 bonus point).
Now make sure you have the above posi-
tion set up on your chessboard. As you play through the remaining moves in this game, use a piece of paper to cover the arti- cle, exposing White’s next move only after trying to guess it. If you guess correctly, give yourself the par score. Sometimes points are also rewarded for second-best moves, and there may be bonus points—
16 July 2013 | Chess Life 16. … Rf8
Flohr is willing to let the h-pawn go in order to guard f6.**
17. Qxh7 Par Score 4 This saves the attacked queen, while
confiscating a pawn and threatening another at d3.
22. Qg5+ Par Score 6 Deduct 4 points for the shortsighted 22.
Rxe5?, allowing 22. ... Qxf2+ 23. Kh1 Qf1+ 24. Rxf1 Rxf1 mate. Botvinnik sets up the capture of the second pawn with check, not permitting Black to break in at f2.
22. … Qe7 If 22. ... Kc7, then 23. Qxe5+; or 22. ...
Kd7, then 23. Qxg4+. Flohr reluctantly agrees to trade queens to reduce pres- sure on his king.**
17. … Time to harass the knight.** 18. Nd2 Par Score 4 Botvinnik keeps the d3-pawn under
observation, whereas 18. Nh4 (2 points part credit) allows 18. ... d2.
18. … 19. Qh6 Qc7
Flohr anticipates Nd2-c4 and offers a trade of queens.**
Par Score 6 Not yet! White retains the queen and
doesn’t go in for 19. Qxd3 Bxh2+ (2 points part credit).
19. … Qf7 If 19. ... a6, to stop 20. Nb5, then 20.
Rac1, and the black queen will have to move in any event.**
20. Nc4 20. … 21. Nxe5 Par Score 6
Also worthy of consideration was 20. Nde4 Be5 21. Nc5 (5 points part credit).
Be5 Par Score 5 A new phase begins, as Botvinnik sees
a way to simplify, entering the endgame two pawns up. Full credit for 21. Nb5, staying in the middlegame, threatening 22. Nxe5 fxe5 23. Qd6+.
21. … fxe5 g4
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