Botvinnik – Portisch Botvinnik Portisch Result: 1-0 Metadata » Click to open. Date: 1968.??.?? Location: ? Tournament: Monaco Round: Opening: Submitted by: Published on: February 9, 2020 [Event "Monaco"] [Site "?"] [Date "1968.??.??"] [Round "?"] [White "Botvinnik"] [Black "Portisch"] [Result "1-0"] [PlyCount "51"] 1.c4 e5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.g3 d5 4.cxd5 Nxd5 5.Bg2 Be6 6.Nf3 Nc6 7.O-O Nb6 {This move is directed toward preventing White from playing d2-d4, but Botvinnik had been here before, against Flohr.} 8.d3 Be7 9.a3 a5 10.Be3 O-O 11.Na4 Nxa4 {11...Nd4 would have been better, controlling the c2-square. The e- pawn is taboo because of the infiltration on the light squares.} 12.Qxa4 {White's pieces are more actively placed, and he has achieved an excellent "reversed Sicilian" position.} Bd5 13.Rfc1 Re8 14.Rc2 {Botvinnik noted that this was the most difficult move of the game to find.} Bf8 {14...b5?! looks tempting, but in fact the pawn can be safely consumed, e.g., 15.Qxb5 Rb8 16.Qa4 Nd4 17.Nxd4 exd4 18.Bxd5 dxe3 19.B} 15.Rac1 Nb8 {15...e4 16.dxe4 Bxe4 17.Rd2 would have been wiser, even though White would gain control of the d-file.} 16.Rxc7 Bc6 {Now it looks as though White must play 17.R7xc6, but in fact there is a much stronger plan.} 17.R1xc6 {17.R7xc6 Nxc6 Black stands better.} bxc6 {17...Nxc6 18.Rxb7} 18.Rxf7 {The decisive move, because the light-squares belong to White. The Bg2 will awaken and join the invading forces.} h6 {18...Kxf7? would lead to a quick kill after 19.Qc4+.} 19.Rb7 Qc8 20.Qc4+ Kh8 {20...Qe6 21.Nxe5 Qxc4 22.Nxc4 leaves White with an overwhelming advantage, since he can pick off the queenside pawns at will. Now White has a fine combination. Do you see it?} 21.Nh4 {A fresh sacrificial offering of a rook buys time for the bishop to enter the game.} Qxb7 22.Ng6+ Kh7 23.Be4 Bd6 {Otherwise 24.Ne7+ and 25.Qg8++.} 24.Nxe5+ g6 25.Bxg6+ Kg7 26.Bxh6+ {Eliminating the final obstacle. 26.Bxh6+ Kxh6 27.Qh4+ Kg7 28.Qh7+ Kf6 29.Ng4+ Ke6 30.Qxb7} 1-0 [Event "Monaco"] [Site "?"] [Date "1968.??.??"] [Round "?"] [White "Botvinnik"] [Black "Portisch"] [Result "1-0"] [PlyCount "51"] 1.c4 e5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.g3 d5 4.cxd5 Nxd5 5.Bg2 Be6 6.Nf3 Nc6 7.O-O Nb6 {This move is directed toward preventing White from playing d2-d4, but Botvinnik had been here before, against Flohr.} 8.d3 Be7 9.a3 a5 10.Be3 O-O 11.Na4 Nxa4 {11...Nd4 would have been better, controlling the c2-square. The e- pawn is taboo because of the infiltration on the light squares.} 12.Qxa4 {White's pieces are more actively placed, and he has achieved an excellent "reversed Sicilian" position.} Bd5 13.Rfc1 Re8 14.Rc2 {Botvinnik noted that this was the most difficult move of the game to find.} Bf8 {14...b5?! looks tempting, but in fact the pawn can be safely consumed, e.g., 15.Qxb5 Rb8 16.Qa4 Nd4 17.Nxd4 exd4 18.Bxd5 dxe3 19.B} 15.Rac1 Nb8 {15...e4 16.dxe4 Bxe4 17.Rd2 would have been wiser, even though White would gain control of the d-file.} 16.Rxc7 Bc6 {Now it looks as though White must play 17.R7xc6, but in fact there is a much stronger plan.} 17.R1xc6 {17.R7xc6 Nxc6 Black stands better.} bxc6 {17...Nxc6 18.Rxb7} 18.Rxf7 {The decisive move, because the light-squares belong to White. The Bg2 will awaken and join the invading forces.} h6 {18...Kxf7? would lead to a quick kill after 19.Qc4+.} 19.Rb7 Qc8 20.Qc4+ Kh8 {20...Qe6 21.Nxe5 Qxc4 22.Nxc4 leaves White with an overwhelming advantage, since he can pick off the queenside pawns at will. Now White has a fine combination. Do you see it?} 21.Nh4 {A fresh sacrificial offering of a rook buys time for the bishop to enter the game.} Qxb7 22.Ng6+ Kh7 23.Be4 Bd6 {Otherwise 24.Ne7+ and 25.Qg8++.} 24.Nxe5+ g6 25.Bxg6+ Kg7 26.Bxh6+ {Eliminating the final obstacle. 26.Bxh6+ Kxh6 27.Qh4+ Kg7 28.Qh7+ Kf6 29.Ng4+ Ke6 30.Qxb7} 1-0 White to move: find the best move... click the ? for the solution Black to move: find the best move... click the ? for the solution Warning: This game can only be seen if JavaScript is enabled in your browser. No related posts.
