# World Chess Championship 1957

A World Chess Championship was played between Mikhail Botvinnik and Vasily Smyslov in Moscow from March 5 to April 27, 1957. Botvinnik had been World Champion since 1948, while Smyslov earned the right to challenge by winning the 1956 Candidates tournament. This was the second World Championship match between the pair, after the drawn 1954 match.
Smyslov won the match and became the seventh World Chess Champion. However he lost the title in the 1958 rematch.

## 1955 Interzonal tournament

An interzonal tournament was held in Gothenburg, Sweden, in August and September 1955. The top nine finishers qualified for the Candidates Tournament.
    1955 Interzonal Tournament 123456789101112131415161718192021TotalTie break 1 David Bronstein (Soviet Union)x11½1½½½½½½½½½111111115 2 Paul Keres (Soviet Union)0x1½½½½½1½111½1101½½113½ 3 Oscar Panno (Argentina)00x½01½½1½111½½1½111½13 4 Tigran Petrosian (Soviet Union)½½½x½½½½½½½½1½½½1½11112½ 5 Efim Geller (Soviet Union)0½1½x½½1½0½½½01½111½112111.75 6 László Szabó (Hungary)½½0½½x½½½½½0½½1½1111112108.50 7 Miroslav Filip (Czechoslovakia)½½½½½½x½0½½½1½01½½½1111104.00 8 Hermann Pilnik (Argentina)½½½½0½½x0½½½½11½½½½1111102.50 9 Boris Spassky (Soviet Union)½00½½½11x100½1½½1011½11102.50 10 Georgy Ilivitsky (Soviet Union)½½½½1½½½0x½00½½1½½1½110½100.50 11 Luděk Pachman (Czechoslovakia)½00½½½½½1½x½½½1½½½1½½10½99.25 12 Miguel Najdorf (Argentina)½00½½1½½11½x000½½1½109½94.00 13 Carlos Guimard (Argentina)½000½½0½½1½½x½101½0½19½89.50 14 Braslav Rabar (Yugoslavia)½½½½1½½00½½1½x½½½0010993.50 15 Andrija Fuderer (Yugoslavia)00½½0010½½010½x11110½981.25 16 Wolfgang Unzicker (West Germany)000½½½0½½0½½1½0x½½½118½ 17 Gideon Ståhlberg (Sweden)01½000½½0½½½0½0½x1½½1874.00 18 Arthur Bisguier (United States)000½00½½1½½0½10½0x½11870.50 19 Antonio Medina (Spain)0½0000½½000½110½½½x005½53.25 20 Jan Hein Donner (Netherlands)0½00½0000½½0½010½01x½5½49.25 21 Bogdan Śliwa (Poland)00½00000½0½101½0001½x5½48.50
Ilivitsky won a 6-game match against Pachman (1–0 with 5 draws) to qualify as first reserve for the Candidates.

## 1956 Candidates tournament

The 1956 Candidates tournament was held in Amsterdam in the Netherlands in April and May. As the loser of the last championship match, Smyslov was seeded directly into the tournament and joined by the top nine from the Interzonal. Smyslov won, once again becoming the challenger in the 1957 championship match.
With two rounds remaining, the leaders were Smyslov 10, Keres 9½, Geller 9. In the penultimate round, Keres lost in a winning position against Filip, while Smyslov and Geller drew their games, giving Smyslov a full point lead. Smyslov also won his final game, against Pilnik, to ensure victory.
    1956 Candidates Tournament 12345678910Score 1 Vasily Smyslov (Soviet Union)xx= == =0 == == 11 1= 11 == 111½ 2 Paul Keres (Soviet Union)= =xx= == == == 1= == 01 =1 =10 3-7 László Szabó (Hungary)= == =xx1 == == == 10 == =0 19½ 3-7 Boris Spassky (Soviet Union)1 == =0 =xx= == 10 == == == 19½ 3-7 Tigran Petrosian (Soviet Union)= == == == =xx0 =0 11 == =1 =9½ 3-7 David Bronstein (Soviet Union)= 0= 0= == 01 =xx= 11 == == 19½ 3-7 Efim Geller (Soviet Union)0 0= == 01 =1 0= 0xx1 1= 11 =9½ 8-9 Miroslav Filip (Czechoslovakia)= 0= 11 == =0 =0 =0 0xx1 0= 18 8-9 Oscar Panno (Argentina)0 =0 == == == == == 00 1xx1 =8 10 Hermann Pilnik (Argentina)= 00 =1 0= 00 == 00 == 00 =xx5

## 1957 Championship match

The match was played as best of 24 games. If it ended 12-12, Botvinnik, the holder, would retain the Championship. Smyslov won.
World Chess Championship Match 1957 :
| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | Points |
| Vasily Smyslov (Soviet Union) | 1 | ½ | ½ | 0 | 0 | 1 | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | 12½ |
| Mikhail Botvinnik (Soviet Union) | 0 | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | 0 | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | 9½ |