[Event "World Championship 18th"] [Site "The Hague/Moscow"] [Date "1948.03.25"] [Round "10"] [White "Botvinnik, Mikhail"] [Black "Keres, Paul"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "E28"] [Annotator "Llewellyn, Alan"] [PlyCount "45"] [EventDate "1948.03.02"] [EventType "tourn"] [EventRounds "25"] [EventCountry "URS"] [Source "ChessBase"] [SourceDate "1999.07.01"] {Mikhail Botvinnik was the man of the revolution. The Soviet Union Chess Scene, known for being significant in its scope, worshipped the man like no other before or since. Here he demolishes his nearest challenger to become a strong favourite to take the vacant World Champion title. Poor Paul Keres (then a fellow Soviet) doesn't make it fully out of the opening.} 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 {A Nimzo-Indian Defence, they are usually good for Black.} 4. e3 O-O 5. a3 Bxc3+ 6. bxc3 {This is known as the Samisch Variation of the Nimzo-Indian Defence.} Re8 7. Ne2 e5 8. Ng3 d6 9. Be2 Nbd7 10. O-O c5 11. f3 cxd4 12. cxd4 Nb6 {there was no particular move which was dubious but every move by Black has only added to Mikhails advantage- so much so that Paul has few options. Correspondingly Mikhail has played with a suspicious strength of will and sense of purpose on every single move. hmm.} 13. Bb2 exd4 14. e4 Be6 15. Rc1 Re7 16. Qxd4 Qc7 $2 (16... Rc8 $16) 17. c5 $1 dxc5 18. Rxc5 Qf4 $2 $18 (18... Qd8 $16) 19. Bc1 $1 Qb8 20. Rg5 $1 Nbd7 21. Rxg7+ $3 Kxg7 22. Nh5+ $1 Kg6 23. Qe3 $1 {and mate is inevitable, all I can say is that I am gobsmacked by the level of play. And it is known Mikhail Botvinnik was a computer programmer and he developed an early chess program. hmm} 1-0