From: hwr@intercal.com (Hanon W. Russell)
Subject: Botvinnik Autobiography - Game 28
Organization: Chessnews list (chessnews-request@tssi.com)
Date: Tue, 1 Sep 1992 12:54:16 GMT


No. 28  Dutch Defense
M. Botvinnik-I. Kan
VI Leningrad-Moscow Match
Leningrad, 1930

1 d2-d4       e7-e6
2 c2-c4       f7-f5
3 Ng1-f3      Bf8-b4+
4 Bc1-d2      Bb4xd2+

Black usually plays 4...Qe7 here.

5 Qd1xd2      Ng8-f6
6 g2-g3       b7-b6

Ilyin-Zhenevsky had played the correct 6...d6 here. In his game with me in 
the Leningrad Masters Tournament (1930) he positioned his pieces thus: 
Qe7, 0-0, Nc6 and managed the important advance e6-e5, after which Black's 
position was completely satisfactory.

7 Nb1-c3      d7-d6

The natural 7...Bb7 would lead to difficulty after 8 d5. Now on that move 
Black replies 8...e5. The attempt to occupy a center square (7...Ne4) 
leads to the loss of a pawn: 8 Nxe4 fe 9 Ng5 d5 (9...Bb7 10 Qe3) 10 Bh3 
Qe7 11 cd.

8 Bf1-g2      Bc8-b7
9 0-0         Qd8-e7

On any other continuation, White locks the Black bishop out of the game 
with d4-d5, underscoring Black's positional error.

10 d4-d5      e6-e5

The Knight on f3 must not be allowed to go to d4.

11 e2-e4!     ...

This move should be played as soon as possible, with Black lagging in 
development. This is more energetic than 11 Ng5, inasmuch as after 
11...Nbd7 12 Ne6 Nc5 Black manages to defend the e6 square.

11 ...        f5xe4

If 11...Bc8 then White switches the play to the e-file: 12 ef Bxf5 13 Rael 
0-0 14 Nd4 Bd7 15 f4.

12 Nf3-g5     Nb8-d7
13 Nc3xe4     0-0

Black would have even more problems after 13...Nxe4 14 Bxe4 Nf6 15 Bf5, 
since the King would be caught in the center and the position will be 
opened up quickly by f2-f4.

14 Ng5-e6     Nf6xe4
15 Bg2xe4     Rf8-f6

If 15...Nf6 16 Nxf8 Nxe4 17 Qe3, then on 17...Nc5 there follows 18 b4 and 
on 17...Ng5 - 18 f4.

16 Qd2-c2     ...

16 Nxc7 would be premature because of 16...Rc8 and 17...Rxc4. But now, 
having defended the pawn on c4 with tempo (thanks to the attack on h7), 
White will be able to pick up the pawn on c7 without any risk. It might 
have been best to give up the pawn on h7: 16...Nf8 17 Nxf8 Raxf8 18 Bxh7+ 
Kh8 19 Be4 Bc8, and despite the material deficit, Black stands alright.

16 ...        Rf6-h6
17 Ne6xc7     Ra8-c8
18 Nc7-b5     ...

On 18 Ne6 Nf6, Black threatens 19...Bxd5, 19...Nxd5 or 19...Nxe4 20 Qxe4 
Rxe6.

18 ...        a7-a6
19 Nb5-a7     Rc8-f8
20 Na7-c6     Qe7-g5

On 20...Qf7 there could follow 21 f4.

21 Be4-g2     ...

Expecting the answer 21...Bc8, I intended to continue 22 Rae1 Nf6 23 f4 
Qh5 24 h4 ef 25 Rxf4 g5 26 Bf3!. It appears that an insignificant 
transposition of moves allows White to conclude matters even more quickly.

21 ...        Nd7-f6
22 Qc2-f5     ...

A surprising move for my opponent. With no more hope for any attack, Black 
has to go into a hopeless endgame.

22 ...        Qg5-h5

Bad for Black is 22...Qxf5 because of 23 Ne7+ Kh8 24 Nxf5 and 25 Nxd6.

23 Qf5xh5     Nf6xh5

Or 23...Rxh5 24 Bf3 Rh6 (24...Rh3 25 Kg2, 24...Rg5 25 h4) 25 Ne7+, 26 Nf5 
and 27 Nxd6.

24 f2-f4!     ...

Surprisingly enough the pawn on e5 finds itself under attack, since bad is 
24...ef due to 25 g4!. Then if 25...f3, Black gets mated: 26 gh fg 27 Ne7+ 
Kh8 28 Rxf8+, while exchanging the dangerous Knight first (25...Bxc6 26 
dc) allows White to promote the c-pawn (26...f3 27 gh fg 28 Rxf8+ Kxf8 29 
c7).

24 ...        Rf8-e8
25 Ra1-e1     Bb7xc6

There is no other way to save the pawn.

26 d5xc6      Nh5-f6
27 g3-g4      ...

Using Capablanca's terminology, "a small combination": White allows the 
Knight to take the pawn on g4 to open the f-file.

27 ...        Nf6xg4
28 f4xe5      Ng4xe5

28...de would not change matters.

29 Bg2-d5+    Kg8-h8
30 c6-c7      Rh6-f6
31 Bd5-b7     Resigns

Copyright 1988, 1992 Hanon W. Russell
All Rights Reserved