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 →Botvinnik, Mikhail vs Borisenko, Georgy K
1/2-1/2URS-ch22 1955 E66
Kortschnoj, Viktor vs Botvinnik, Mikhail
0-1URS-ch22 1955 A04
Antoshin, Vladimir S vs Botvinnik, Mikhail
0-1URS-ch22 1955 C19
Flohr, Salo vs Botvinnik, Mikhail
1/2-1/2URS-ch22 1955 A90
Averbakh, Yuri L vs Botvinnik, Mikhail
0-1URS-ch22 1955 C15
Botvinnik, Mikhail vs Kan, Ilia Abramovich
1-0URS-ch22 1955 A20
Botvinnik, Mikhail vs Salo, Toivo
1-0Amsterdam olm 1954 E69
Unzicker, Wolfgang vs Botvinnik, Mikhail
1/2-1/2Amsterdam olm 1954 C17
Botvinnik, Mikhail vs Minev, Nikolay N
1-0Amsterdam olm 1954 D47
Botvinnik, Mikhail vs Pirc, Vasja
1-0Amsterdam olm 1954 E42
Alexander, Conel Hughes vs Botvinnik, Mikhail
1/2-1/2Amsterdam olm 1954 B37
Botvinnik, Mikhail vs Porath, Yosef
1/2-1/2Amsterdam olm 1954 D35
Szabo, Laszlo vs Botvinnik, Mikhail
1/2-1/2Amsterdam olm 1954 D36
Botvinnik, Mikhail vs Stahlberg, Gideon
1-0Amsterdam olm 1954 A14
Parliaros, D. vs Botvinnik, Mikhail
0-1Amsterdam olm 1954 D02
Botvinnik, Mikhail vs Taimanov, Mark E
1/2-1/2URS-ch20 playoff-1pl 1952 D46
Botvinnik, Mikhail vs Boleslavsky, Isaak
1/2-1/2URS-ch20 1952 E68
Sliwa, Bogdan vs Botvinnik, Mikhail
0-1Budapest 1952 A36
Moiseev, Oleg L vs Botvinnik, Mikhail
0-1URS-ch20 1952 D93
Botvinnik, Mikhail vs Barcza, Gedeon
1/2-1/2Budapest 1952 E49
Botvinnik, Mikhail vs Pilnik, Herman
1-0Budapest 1952 D54
Szily, Jozsef vs Botvinnik, Mikhail
1-0Budapest 1952 C08
Botvinnik, Mikhail vs O'Kelly de Galway, Alberic
1-0Budapest 1952 A07
Platz, Hans vs Botvinnik, Mikhail
1/2-1/2Budapest 1952 E35
Troianescu, Octavio vs Botvinnik, Mikhail
0-1Budapest 1952 D94
Lipnitsky, Isaak vs Botvinnik, Mikhail
1/2-1/2URS-ch20 1952 C98
Kan, Ilia Abramovich vs Botvinnik, Mikhail
0-1URS m training 1952 C05
Taimanov, Mark E vs Botvinnik, Mikhail
1/2-1/2URS-ch20 playoff-1pl 1952 A85
Szabo, Laszlo vs Botvinnik, Mikhail
1/2-1/2Budapest 1952 A94
Aronin, Lev Solomonovich vs Botvinnik, Mikhail
1/2-1/2URS-ch20 1952 C48
Taimanov, Mark E vs Botvinnik, Mikhail
1-0URS-ch20 playoff-1pl 1952 E58
Botvinnik, Mikhail vs Kan, Ilia Abramovich
1/2-1/2URS m training 1952 E68
Kottnauer, Cenek vs Botvinnik, Mikhail
0-1Budapest 1952 E85
Kortschnoj, Viktor vs Botvinnik, Mikhail
1/2-1/2URS-ch20 1952 A11
Botvinnik, Mikhail vs Byvshev, Vasily Mikhailovich
1/2-1/2URS-ch20 1952 D35
Golombek, Harry vs Botvinnik, Mikhail
0-1Budapest 1952 A21
Botvinnik, Mikhail vs Stahlberg, Gideon
1/2-1/2Budapest 1952 D35
Ilivitzki, Georgi A vs Botvinnik, Mikhail
0-1URS-ch20 1952 E01
Taimanov, Mark E vs Botvinnik, Mikhail
0-1URS-ch20 playoff-1pl 1952 D45
Botvinnik, Mikhail vs Konstantinopolsky, Alexander
1-0URS-ch20 1952 B01
Suetin, Alexey S vs Botvinnik, Mikhail
0-1URS-ch20 1952 B63
Botvinnik, Mikhail vs Taimanov, Mark E
0-1URS-ch20 1952 E40
Tolush, Alexander V vs Botvinnik, Mikhail
1/2-1/2URS-ch20 1952 C05
Botvinnik, Mikhail vs Kan, Ilia Abramovich
1-0URS-ch20 1952 A30
Botvinnik, Mikhail vs Taimanov, Mark E
1-0URS-ch20 playoff-1pl 1952 E40
Botvinnik, Mikhail vs Gereben, Erno
1-0Budapest 1952 A13
Botvinnik, Mikhail vs Goldenov, Boris Petrovich
1-0URS-ch20 1952 A13
Botvinnik, Mikhail vs Simagin, Vladimir
1/2-1/2URS-ch20 1952 A25
Botvinnik, Mikhail vs Benko, Pal C
1/2-1/2Budapest 1952 D13
Kasparian, Genrikh vs Botvinnik, Mikhail
1/2-1/2URS-ch20 1952 C01