[Event "Leningrad-ch 8th"] [Site "Leningrad"] [Date "1930.12.??"] [Round "?"] [White "Botvinnik, Mikhail"] [Black "Myasoyedov, G."] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [ECO "E23"] [PlyCount "60"] [EventDate "1930.12.??"] [EventType "tourn"] [EventRounds "16"] [EventCountry "URS"] [Source "ChessBase"] [SourceDate "1998.11.10"] {Mikhail Botvinnik was a revelation to Soviet Chess, when he became the first Soviet World Champion in 1948 few realised how long chess would remain in the Soviet sphere of influence. The man who created so many World Champions was Mikhail Botvinnik and he held the title of World Champion for 13 years. The Botvinnik Chess School taught Anatoly Karpov and Garry Kasparov amongst many others. Mikhails analysis and scientific approach became the bye-word for every chess professional as Mikhail encouraged the publishing of games systematically and the categorisation of openings. Here he plays a move from home preperation which has extreme complications. his opponent is an unknown player but plays really well too.} 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 {this bishop move is well known to theory (its known as the Nimzo-Indian Defence) and is actually so strong, for Black, it is often avoided by many grandmasters playing White. ie usually they play 3.Nf3 or 3.g3. Note if they do Black often might decide to play 3...b6 and play a Queens Indian Defence.} 4. Qb3{At the time this was Botvinniks favourite reply to the Nimzo-Indian Defence.} c5 5. dxc5 Nc6 6. Nf3 {You may wonder why Myasoyedov doesn't take the pawn immediately on c5 but the pawn is a goner and the pin on the Knight at c3 allows 6...Ne4.} Ne4 $1 7. Bd2 Nxc5 {finally taking the pawn with gain of tempo as the Botvinnik Queen is being attacked} 8. Qc2 f5 9. a3 Bxc3 10. Bxc3 O-O 11. b4 Ne4 12. Bb2 (12. e3 {this was played by Alekhine that same year.}) 12... b6 13. g4 $3 {This is all opening preperation before the game. It was a common position at the time as the Nimzo-Indian Defence had not been decided to be avoided at the time this game was played.} (13. g3 {this would have been less exciting a game!!!}) 13... Nxf2 $3 {a brilliant move by the unknown but seen by Mikhail beforehand.} 14. Kxf2 fxg4 15. Rg1 Qh4+ (15... gxf3 $4 16. Rxg7+ Kh8 17. Qxh7#) 16. Ke3 Qh6+ 17. Kf2 Qh4+ 18. Ke3 Qh6+ 19. Kd3 $3 d5 $3 20. Qc1 $1 dxc4+ (20... Rf4 $3 $15) 21. Qxc4 Rd8+ 22. Kc2 Bb7 23. Qxg4 Nxb4+ 24. axb4 Rac8+ 25. Bc3 Rxc3+ $1 26. Kxc3 Qe3+ 27. Kb2 Rd2+ $3 28. Nxd2 Qxd2+ 29. Kb1 Qd1+ 30. Kb2 Qd2+ {a possible continuation attempt to win by Mikhail ends up losing for example- 31.Kb3 Bd5+ 32.Qc4 Bxc4+ 33.Kxc4 Qd5+ 34.Kc3 Qe5+ 35.Kc2 Qxa1 and Black is winning.} 1/2-1/2