[Event "World Championship 24th"] [Site "Moscow"] [Date "1961.03.29"] [Round "7"] [White "Botvinnik, Mikhail"] [Black "Tal, Mikhail"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "E24"] [Annotator "Llewellyn, Alan"] [PlyCount "65"] [EventDate "1961.03.15"] [EventType "match"] [EventRounds "21"] [EventCountry "URS"] [Source "ChessBase"] [SourceDate "1999.07.01"] {In this game between the two giants of Soviet Chess, Mikhail Tal was ill and Mikhail Botvinnik had sussed him out. In the first match between these two in 1960 Botvinnik played in his 'correct' style concentrating on positionally good moves which gained the most advantage. But often Tal would mix up the position and confuse the issue leading to a tiring of Botvinnik and Botvinniks ultimate loss. But in the second match Botvinnik tried a new strategy of trying to bore Tal to death and always playing solid lines regardless of whether they gained an advantage. And so the tables turned and the, [previously], unstopable Tal was stopped.} 1. c4 Nf6 2. Nc3 e6 3. d4 { Transposing back from an English Opening in the first few moves to a more traditional Opening setup of the Nimzo-Indian Defence more often achieved with the move order 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3.} (3. e4 $1 {This move is a great favourite of myself avoiding the Nimzo-Indian Defence which is probably controvertially in my opinion Black's best opening in a main line. 3.e4 is called the Mikenas-Flohr Variation of the English Opening.}) 3... Bb4 4. a3 Bxc3+ 5. bxc3 {This setup is the Saemisch Variation of the Nimzo-Indian Defence.} b6 (5... c5 {This is now considered more dangerous but the theory of the time was in its infantsy.}) 6. f3 Ba6 {The silicon chip thinks this is a mistake but it is hard to see it can be so- the c4 pawn looks so weak after this move.} 7. e4 d5 $6 {The idea is to stop Botvinnik from castling but it seems to waste a lot of time and effort in order to do so and with the pawn mass in the centre it is difficult to open lines to the weakened White King.} 8. cxd5 Bxf1 9. Kxf1 exd5 10. Bg5 h6 11. Qa4+ c6 $6 (11... Qd7 12. Qxd7+ Nbxd7 $14) 12. Bh4 dxe4 13. Re1 $1 g5 14. Bf2 Qe7 (14... Qd5 15. fxe4 Nxe4 16. c4 Qe6 17. Qc2 f5 18. g4 Kd8 19. Nf3 Rf8 20. Kg2 Qd6 21. Ne5 Nxf2 22. Qxf2 f4 $13 ( 22... fxg4 $4 23. Nf7+ Rxf7 24. Qxf7 Qd7 25. Qf8+ Kc7 26. Re7 $18)) 15. Ne2 b5 16. Qc2 Qxa3 17. h4 $3 gxh4 $2 {Tal was out of sorts totally in this game, his play was positionally unsound especially here. This move helps Botvinnik to make an attack by actually creating a co-ordination of Whites pieces.} (17... g4 18. Ng3 $13) 18. Bxh4 Nbd7 19. Ng3 O-O-O 20. Nxe4 Rhe8 $2 (20... Nxe4 21. Qxe4 Qxc3 22. Bxd8 Kxd8 $16 {this is possibly won for White but their may still be chances to survive.}) 21. Kf2 $3 (21. Nxf6 $2 Rxe1+ 22. Kxe1 $2 Qa1+ 23. Qd1 Qxc3+ 24. Kf1 Nc5 25. Bf2 b4 26. Qb1 Ne6 $14 (26... b3 $4 27. dxc5 b2 28. Ne4 Qc1+ 29. Ke2 $1 $18)) (21. Rh3 Nd5 (21... a5 22. Nxf6 Rxe1+ 23. Kxe1 Kb7 24. Kf2 b4 25. cxb4 axb4 26. Rh1 Nxf6 27. Bxf6 Rd6 28. Be5 Rd5 29. Rb1 Rb5 30. Rb3 Qa5 $18 {Its hard to see the pawns getting through there. The defence especially a piece up is too strong.}) 22. Bxd8 Kxd8 23. Rxh6 f5 24. Nf2 Ne3+ 25. Rxe3 Rxe3 $16 {White is a clear pawn up after 26.Rxc6.}) 21... Nxe4+ 22. fxe4 f6 23. Ra1 {Now you see the importance of connecting Rooks which was achieved with Whites 21st move.} Qe7 24. Rxa7 Qxe4 25. Qxe4 Rxe4 26. Ra8+ $3 Nb8 (26... Kc7 $6 27. Bg3+ Ne5 28. Rxd8 Kxd8 29. dxe5 $18) 27. Bg3 Kb7 28. Rha1 Rc8 $6 29. R8a7+ Kb6 30. Bxb8 {the threat of R1a6 mate looms.} b4 {forced the best move here probably involves knocking the King over in resignation.} 31. Bd6 bxc3 (31... Kb5 $18) 32. Bc5+ $2 Kb5 33. R1a4 {mate is looming again in the shape of R7a5# or even Rb4# -nothing can be done, a few checks from Tal would have just looked petty and not avoided checkmate.} 1-0