MARK RUBERY CHESS

During an interview with the magazine New in Chess, Bronstein was asked about the dramatic conclusion of his match against Botvinnik (Bronstein was leading with two games to play, but the then World Champion managed to level the match): “Of course I was afraid to beat Botvinnik! Just imagine what that would mean! He was a monument, the pride of the Soviet rulers. Who won several Soviet championships (Bronstein picks up the a-pawn and emphatically puts it down on a4). Who played successfully against the world elite in Nottingham in 1936! (The b-pawn is put on b4) Who won the tournament in Moscow in 1935! (The c-pawn goes to c4) Who came out victorious in Groningen in 1946! (The d-pawn lands on d4) Who sent a telegram to the great leader Stalin! (The e-pawn goes to e4) Who brought them the World Championship in 1948 (The f-pawn is moved to f4) Who was a loyal supporter of the system! (The g-pawn is put on g4) Who received a car for his victory (The h-pawn is put on the last vacant square on the fourth rank) and who was I? A simple boy from the country.” Bronstein led 11,5-10,5 before this game: Botvinnik,M - Bronstein,D [D71] Wch19 Moscow (23), 1951

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.g3 c6 4.Bg2 d5 5.cxd5 cxd5 6.Nc3 Bg7 7.Nh3 Bxh3 8.Bxh3 Nc6 9.Bg2 e6 10.e3 0-0 11.Bd2 Rc8 12.0-0 Nd7 13.Ne2 Qb6 14.Bc3 Rfd8 15.Nf4 Nf6 16.Qb3 Ne4 17.Qxb6 axb6 18.Be1 Na5 19.Nd3 Bf8 20.f3 Nd6 21.Bf2 Bh6 22.Rac1 Nac4 23.Rfe1 Na5?! (Now Black begins to drift. 23...Nf5 was good enough to hold the position and possibly change chess history) 24.Kf1 Bg7 25.g4 Nc6 26.b3 Nb5 27.Ke2 Bf8 28.a4 Nc7 29.Bg3 Na6 30.Bf1 f6 31.Red1 Na5 32.Rxc8 Rxc8 33.Rc1 Rxc1 34.Nxc1 Ba3 35.Kd1 Bxc1 36.Kxc1 Nxb3+ 37.Kc2 Na5 38.Kc3 Kf7 39.e4 f5 40.gxf5

gxf5 41.Bd3 Kg6 (The game was adjourned here-a practice that is now as obsolete as vinyl records) 42.Bd6 Nc6 43.Bb1

Kf6 44.Bg3! (Putting Black in zugzwang. Botvinnik analysed through the night before stumbling on this idea at around 8am on the morning the game was to be resumed)...

fxe4 (44...Nab4 45 Be5+ Kg6 46 Bd6 Na6 47 exd5 exd5 48 Ba2 winning the pawn was the point of Botvinnik’s play) 45.fxe4 h6 46.Bf4 h5 47.exd5 exd5 48.h4 Nab8 49.Bg5+ Kf7 50.Bf5 Na7 51.Bf4 Nbc6 52.Bd3 Nc8 53.Be2 Kg6 54.Bd3+ Kf6 55.Be2 Kg6 56.Bf3 N6e7 57.Bg5 1-0 One of the pivotal moments in the match arrived at the climax of game six when Bronstein blundered after thinking over his next move for 45 minutes… 1 Kc2?? (1 Ne6+ Kf3 2 Nd4 leads to a draw)… Kg3! (Bronstein only anticipated 1…Kf3 2 Ne6 e2 3 Nd4+) 0-1 You can’t depend on your judgment when your imagination is out of focus. – Mark Twain