Botvinnik, Mikhail
World ChampionMikhail Botvinnik, the "Patriarch of Soviet Chess," held the World Championship across three reigns (1948-1957, 1958-1960, 1961-1963), twice reclaiming the title in rematches after losing it. His iron-logical, deeply analytical style and scientific approach to preparation established the template for modern competitive chess training. As a legendary coach, he mentored three future World Champions -- Karpov, Kasparov, and Kramnik -- leaving an unparalleled legacy in chess education.
Total Games
891
Wins
406
Draws
375
Losses
110
45.6% wins42.1% draws12.3% losses
Most Played Openings
D94 - Grünfeld Defense: Flohr Defense13A36 - English Opening: Symmetrical Variation, Botvinnik System13D13 - Slav Defense: Exchange Variation12B12 - Caro-Kann Defense12C19 - French Defense: Winawer Variation, Positional Variation12E35 - Nimzo-Indian Defense: Classical Variation, Noa Variation11D35 - Queen's Gambit Declined: Normal Defense10C15 - French Defense: Winawer Variation10C08 - French Defense: Tarrasch Variation, Open System10A30 - English Opening: Wing Gambit10
Featured Games
1-0
Botvinnik, Mikhail vs Smyslov, Vassily
World Championship 22th
1958
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Tal, Mihail vs Botvinnik, Mikhail
World Championship 23th
1960
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Botvinnik, Mikhail vs Smyslov, Vassily
World Championship 21th
1957
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Botvinnik, Mikhail vs Smyslov, Vassily
World Championship 20th
1954
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Smyslov, Vassily vs Botvinnik, Mikhail
World Championship 21th
1957
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Smyslov, Vassily vs Botvinnik, Mikhail
World Championship 22th
1958
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Tal, Mihail vs Botvinnik, Mikhail
World Championship 24th
1961
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Smyslov, Vassily vs Botvinnik, Mikhail
World Championship 20th
1954
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Tal, Mihail vs Botvinnik, Mikhail
World Championship 24th
1961
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Bronstein, David I vs Botvinnik, Mikhail
World Championship 19th
1951
View PrintGames (891)
Search & Filter All Games →Tarnowski, Alfred vs Botvinnik, Mikhail
0-1Leipzig olm prel 1960 D13
Drimer, Dolfi vs Botvinnik, Mikhail
1/2-1/2Leipzig olm fin-A 1960 B62
Botvinnik, Mikhail vs Pachman, Ludek
1-0Leipzig olm fin-A 1960 A07
Botvinnik, Mikhail vs Barenboim
1/2-1/2URS-chT 1959 A21
Nurmamedov, Mammed vs Botvinnik, Mikhail
0-1URS-chT 1959 B15
Kholmov, Ratmir D vs Botvinnik, Mikhail
1/2-1/2URS-chT 1959 A34
Botvinnik, Mikhail vs Nezhmetdinov, Rashid
1/2-1/2URS-chT 1959 A36
Botvinnik, Mikhail vs Gurgenidze, Bukhuti
1/2-1/2URS-chT 1959 A36
Botvinnik, Mikhail vs Alexander, Conel Hughes
1-0Munich olm fin-A 1958 A42
Botvinnik, Mikhail vs Pomar Salamanca, Arturo
1-0Munich olm fin-A 1958 B14
Uhlmann, Wolfgang vs Botvinnik, Mikhail
0-1Munich olm fin-A 1958 E43
Pachman, Ludek vs Botvinnik, Mikhail
1/2-1/2Munich olm fin-A 1958 D30
Botvinnik, Mikhail vs Raizman, Maurice
1-0Munich olm prel 1958 D24
Dueckstein, Andreas vs Botvinnik, Mikhail
1-0Munich olm prel 1958 B66
Botvinnik, Mikhail vs Dueckstein, Andreas
1-0Munich olm fin-A 1958 A29
Botvinnik, Mikhail vs Unzicker, Wolfgang
1/2-1/2Munich olm fin-A 1958 E49
Botvinnik, Mikhail vs Lombardy, William James
1/2-1/2Munich olm fin-A 1958 A42
Botvinnik, Mikhail vs Donner, Jan Hein
1/2-1/2Munich olm prel 1958 E25
Walsh, Chris vs Botvinnik, Mikhail
0-1Munich olm prel 1958 B27
Cintron, Rafael vs Botvinnik, Mikhail
0-1Munich olm prel 1958 D13
Botvinnik, Mikhail vs Stahlberg, Gideon
1-0Alekhine mem 1956 A14
Czerniak, Moshe vs Botvinnik, Mikhail
1/2-1/2Moscow olm fin-A 1956 B26
Botvinnik, Mikhail vs Szabo, Laszlo
1-0Alekhine mem 1956 A21
Botvinnik, Mikhail vs Padevsky, Nikola
1/2-1/2Moscow olm prel 1956 D35
Botvinnik, Mikhail vs Taimanov, Mark E
1/2-1/2Alekhine mem 1956 A36
Botvinnik, Mikhail vs Benkner, Otto
1-0Moscow olm prel 1956 A29
Gligoric, Svetozar vs Botvinnik, Mikhail
1/2-1/2Alekhine mem 1956 C11
Padevsky, Nikola vs Botvinnik, Mikhail
0-1Alekhine mem 1956 B88
Filip, Miroslav vs Botvinnik, Mikhail
1/2-1/2Moscow olm fin-A 1956 E53
Botvinnik, Mikhail vs Golombek, Harry
1-0Moscow olm fin-A 1956 A30
Botvinnik, Mikhail vs Padevsky, Nikola
1-0Moscow olm fin-A 1956 E64
Botvinnik, Mikhail vs Uhlmann, Wolfgang
1-0Alekhine mem 1956 A08
Sliwa, Bogdan vs Botvinnik, Mikhail
0-1Alekhine mem 1956 C01
Pachman, Ludek vs Botvinnik, Mikhail
1/2-1/2Alekhine mem 1956 A36
Botvinnik, Mikhail vs Gligoric, Svetozar
1-0Moscow olm fin-A 1956 A37
Botvinnik, Mikhail vs Stahlberg, Gideon
1-0Moscow olm prel 1956 A11
Unzicker, Wolfgang vs Botvinnik, Mikhail
1/2-1/2Alekhine mem 1956 B07
Vestol, Aage vs Botvinnik, Mikhail
0-1Moscow olm prel 1956 B34
Botvinnik, Mikhail vs Ciocaltea, Victor
1-0Alekhine mem 1956 C75
Botvinnik, Mikhail vs Golombek, Harry
1-0Alekhine mem 1956 B14
Botvinnik, Mikhail vs Szabo, Laszlo
1/2-1/2Moscow olm fin-A 1956 A36
Botvinnik, Mikhail vs Blau, Max
1/2-1/2Moscow olm fin-A 1956 A26
Botvinnik, Mikhail vs Simagin, Vladimir
1/2-1/2URS-ch22 1955 B08
Botvinnik, Mikhail vs Mikenas, Vladas
1/2-1/2URS-ch22 1955 D30
Botvinnik, Mikhail vs Sherbakov, Vitaly S
1-0URS-ch22 1955 A24
Botvinnik, Mikhail vs Furman, Semen Abramovich
1-0URS-ch22 1955 E49
Taimanov, Mark E vs Botvinnik, Mikhail
1/2-1/2URS-ch22 1955 D46
Botvinnik, Mikhail vs Ilivitzki, Georgi A
1/2-1/2URS-ch22 1955 D91
Kotov, Alexander vs Botvinnik, Mikhail
0-1URS-ch22 1955 D46
Botvinnik, Mikhail vs Lisitsin, Georgy
1/2-1/2URS-ch22 1955 E26