CHESS

The acclaimed chess author and grandmaster, Genna Sosonko, in his researches gained access to KGB files that shed new light on former world champion, Mikhail Botvinnik. The following piece has some local interest. At the 1964 Olympiad in Tel Aviv the Soviet team was due to play South Africa in the semi-final. The USSR did not have diplomatic relations with that country at the time, and South Africa and Rhodesia were at the top of the list of countries that were the targets of the fiercest attacks in the Soviet press. Alexander Kotov, the team captain, was even considering the possibility of a boycott of this match by the Soviet grandmasters, especially as there were already precedents of this kind and the place in the final was already guaranteed. ‘If you make this decision,’ stated Botvinnik bluntly at a team meeting, without looking at Kotov, ‘I will go out to the playing hall alone.’ Thus the South African team faced the might of Russia with each Springbok crossing swords with a legend: Dreyer 0-1 Petrosian, Kirby 0-1 Botvinnik, Isaacson 0-1 Spassky, Friedgood 0-1 Stein Botvinnik’s opponent was Kenneth Kirby, who resided in Umtata and achieved a life’s ambition when at the age of 49 he faced across the board the great Botvinnik who was then 53. Naturally the South African was steadily ground down, but it is instructive to see how a former World Champion dispatches a strong amateur. Kirby,K - Botvinnik,M [B08] Tel Aviv ol (Men) prel (3), 1964 (While the Pirc at that time was not regarded as quite correct, it is ideal as a vehicle to reach less charted waters where the gulf in class will be the key factor) Ne2 followed by Ng3 looks more natural)…Nbd7 (Extracting the tension from the position with 17 dxc5 Qxc5 18 Be3 Qc7 19 c3 seems more prudent)…Bb7

(Now Botvinnik is able to slowly dictate events)