Mikhail Botvinnik was the model of a perfect Soviet chess machine. He was principled, moderate, composed, precise, and relentless. His play was based on clean preparation and calculation. No bluffing, no emotions. This is very important for the endgame, as there are few pieces on the board, and all that matters are precise moves.
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Mikhail Botvinnik was born in 1911 in what is today Finland. He started playing chess at the age of 12, which is pretty late considering his success.
When he was 16, he applied for his first USSR chess championship, and came in tied 5th! So his progress was rapid. Very soon he would become one of the strongest players in the world. He is, along with Reshevsky and Keres, among players who linked the old and the new master generations. He played with Capablanca and with Fischer!
The history of his world championships is immense, and I may get to that on another occasion. Botvinnik's chess career probably requires 1000 videos to cover. For this one I have chosen some of his memorable and instructive endgames.
The games I have covered are:
Mikhail Botvinnik - Alexander Alekhine, 1938 AVRO Tournament
Mikhail Botvinnik - David Bronstein, 1951 W. Ch., Game 23
Mikhail Botvinnik - Tigran Vartanovich Petrosian, 1963 W. Ch., Game 14
Timestamps:
0:00 Intro
03:20 Botvinnik - Bronstein, 1951 W. Ch., Game 23
13:52 Botvinnik - Alekhine, 1938 AVRO Tournament
24:09 Botvinnik - Petrosian, 1963 W. Ch., Game 14
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