[Event "Monte Carlo"] [Site "Monte Carlo"] [Date "1968.??.??"] [Round "6"] [White "Benko, Pal C"] [Black "Botvinnik, Mikhail"] [Result "0-1"] [ECO "A26"] [Annotator "Llewellyn, Alan"] [PlyCount "68"] [EventDate "1968.04.??"] [EventType "tourn"] [EventRounds "13"] [EventCountry "MNC"] [Source "ChessBase"] [SourceDate "1999.07.01"] {Mikhail Botvinnik didn't play much chess outside of the World Championship, sure he played a little in the Soviet Championship but here he was 'allowed' the luxury of going to the Monte Carlo tournament and this was in his older years. He plays in this 6th round match against an American player, Pal Benko, who was well known in the West and maybe at the time second only to Bobby Fischer in Western Chess. Here Pal plays a brilliant game in the Botvinnik System of the English Opening, I play that opening myself it is very attacking for an English System. Unfortunately, (atleast for Pal) , the man himself knew his own system better than Pal.} 1. c4 g6 2. g3 Bg7 3. Bg2 e5 4. Nc3 Ne7 5. e4 d6 6. Nge2 Nbc6 7. d3 f5 8. Nd5 $1 (8. f4 $11 {I play this way, it is an even game though no advantage to either player.}) 8... O-O 9. Be3 Be6 10. Qd2 Qd7 11. O-O Rf7 12. Rae1 Raf8 13. f4 $1 {challenging for the centre ground looks natural to me.} fxe4 14. dxe4 Nc8 15. c5 $1 Bh3 16. b4 Bxg2 17. Kxg2 exf4 18. gxf4 Re8 $3 {changing the point of the attack very intelligently.} 19. Ng3 h5 20. b5 $6 $11 (20. h4 a6 21. f5 gxf5 22. Bh6 Bxh6 23. Qxh6 Re6 24. Qg5+ Kf8 25. Nxf5 N6e7 26. Nh6 Rxf1 27. Rxf1+ Ke8 28. Nf6+ Rxf6 29. Qxf6 $18 {and Pal would have been miles ahead.}) 20... N6e7 21. f5 h4 $3 22. fxg6 $6 $15 {a dubious piece sacrifice.} (22. f6 $3 $11) 22... Rxf1 23. Rxf1 hxg3 24. Rf7 Be5 $3 ( 24... Nxd5 $4 25. Rxd7) (24... Rf8 25. Nxe7+ Nxe7 26. Rxe7 Qxe7 27. Qd5+ Kh8 28. Qh5+ Kg8 $4 (28... Bh6 29. Bd4+ (29. Qxh6+ Kg8 30. Bd4 $4 Qxe4+ 31. Kxg3 Rf3+ (31... Qxd4 $4 32. Qh7#) 32. Kg2 Qe2+ 33. Kh1 Rf1+ 34. Bg1 Qe4#) 29... Kg8 30. Qd5+ Rf7 31. cxd6 cxd6 32. gxf7+ Qxf7 33. Qxd6) 29. Qh7#) 25. Bd4 Qg4 $1 26. Rf4 $4 (26. Bxe5 gxh2+ $3 (26... dxe5 $4 27. Nf6+ Kh8 28. Rh7#) 27. Bg3 ( 27. Kxh2 $4 Qh5+ 28. Kg2 Qxg6+ 29. Bg3 Kxf7 $19) 27... h1=Q+ 28. Kxh1 Qxe4+ 29. Kh2 Qxg6 30. Nxe7+ Nxe7 31. Rf4 $15) 26... Qh5 27. Bxe5 $2 {a Queen sacrifice blunder.} Qxh2+ 28. Kf3 Qxd2 29. Nf6+ {with the Rook placed back on f7 this would have led to checkmate but its unlikely Mikhail would have fallen for it in that case...} Kg7 30. Nxe8+ Kxg6 31. Rf6+ Kh7 32. Bxg3 Qd3+ 33. Kf2 Qxb5 $1 {The wreck of Pals position lies in tatters. Here Pal falls on his sword.} 34. cxd6 (34. Nxc7 Qxc5+ 35. Kf3 Qc3+ 36. Kg4 Qxf6 $19) 34... Qxe8 {dxe7 is just a forlorn hope. Pal gave up there.} 0-1