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 →Rudakovsky, Iosif vs Botvinnik, Mikhail
0-1URS-ch14 1945 E33
Romanovsky, Peter Arsenievich vs Botvinnik, Mikhail
0-1URS-ch14 1945 B62
Ragozin, Viacheslav vs Botvinnik, Mikhail
1/2-1/2URS-ch14 1945 C59
Botvinnik, Mikhail vs Koblencs, Aleksandrs
1-0URS-ch14 1945 D46
Ratner, Boris vs Botvinnik, Mikhail
0-1URS-ch14 1945 D87
Botvinnik, Mikhail vs Bondarevsky, Igor
1-0URS-ch14 1945 E68
Chekhover, Vitaly vs Botvinnik, Mikhail
0-1URS-ch14 1945 C86
Tolush, Alexander V vs Botvinnik, Mikhail
0-1URS-ch14 1945 C19
Lilienthal, Andor vs Botvinnik, Mikhail
0-1URS-ch14 1945 D35
Botvinnik, Mikhail vs Denker, Arnold S
1-0USA-URS radio-m 1945 D13
Botvinnik, Mikhail vs Flohr, Salo
1-0URS-ch14 1945 D22
Goldberg, Grigory Abramovich vs Botvinnik, Mikhail
0-1URS-ch14 1945 A34
Botvinnik, Mikhail vs Ragozin, Viacheslav
1/2-1/2URS-ch13 1944 C48
Botvinnik, Mikhail vs Flohr, Salo
1-0URS-ch13 1944 A09
Botvinnik, Mikhail vs Boleslavsky, Isaak
1-0URS-ch13 1944 C04
Lilienthal, Andor vs Botvinnik, Mikhail
0-1URS-ch13 1944 D44
Lisitsin, Georgy vs Botvinnik, Mikhail
0-1URS-ch13 1944 A06
Botvinnik, Mikhail vs Ravinsky, Grigory Ionovich
1-0URS-ch13 1944 D41
Tolush, Alexander V vs Botvinnik, Mikhail
1-0URS-ch13 1944 C22
Botvinnik, Mikhail vs Alatortsev, Vladimir
1-0URS-ch13 1944 D18
Botvinnik, Mikhail vs Sokolsky, Alexey
1/2-1/2URS-ch13 1944 E40
Mikenas, Vladas vs Botvinnik, Mikhail
0-1URS-ch13 1944 D44
Botvinnik, Mikhail vs Makogonov, Vladimir Andreevich
1/2-1/2URS-ch13 1944 C48
Veresov, Gavriil N vs Botvinnik, Mikhail
0-1URS-ch13 1944 E35
Botvinnik, Mikhail vs Khavin, Abram Leonidovich
1-0URS-ch13 1944 D41
Kotov, Alexander vs Botvinnik, Mikhail
0-1URS-ch13 1944 E14
Konstantinopolsky, Alexander vs Botvinnik, Mikhail
1/2-1/2Sverdlovsk 1943 C31
Ragozin, Viacheslav vs Botvinnik, Mikhail
1/2-1/2Sverdlovsk 1943 A60
Botvinnik, Mikhail vs Kan, Ilia Abramovich
1-0Sverdlovsk 1943 B84
Boleslavsky, Isaak vs Botvinnik, Mikhail
1/2-1/2Sverdlovsk 1943 C82
Botvinnik, Mikhail vs Ragozin, Viacheslav
1-0Sverdlovsk 1943 E44
Makogonov, Vladimir Andreevich vs Botvinnik, Mikhail
0-1Sverdlovsk 1943 D45
Kan, Ilia Abramovich vs Botvinnik, Mikhail
1/2-1/2Sverdlovsk 1943 C19
Botvinnik, Mikhail vs Makogonov, Vladimir Andreevich
1/2-1/2Sverdlovsk 1943 D42
Zagoriansky, Evgeny vs Botvinnik, Mikhail
1/2-1/2Sverdlovsk 1943 E18
Botvinnik, Mikhail vs Konstantinopolsky, Alexander
1-0Sverdlovsk 1943 B14
Botvinnik, Mikhail vs Boleslavsky, Isaak
1-0Sverdlovsk 1943 B83
Botvinnik, Mikhail vs Zagoriansky, Evgeny
1-0Sverdlovsk 1943 A13
Botvinnik, Mikhail vs Lilienthal, Andor
1-0Leningrad/Moscow 1941 E68
Botvinnik, Mikhail vs Bondarevsky, Igor
0-1Leningrad/Moscow 1941 D55
Boleslavsky, Isaak vs Botvinnik, Mikhail
1/2-1/2Leningrad/Moscow 1941 C82
Bondarevsky, Igor vs Botvinnik, Mikhail
0-1Leningrad/Moscow 1941 C02
Botvinnik, Mikhail vs Bondarevsky, Igor
1/2-1/2Leningrad/Moscow 1941 C88
Lilienthal, Andor vs Botvinnik, Mikhail
1/2-1/2Leningrad/Moscow 1941 C82
Botvinnik, Mikhail vs Boleslavsky, Isaak
1-0Leningrad/Moscow 1941 C09
Botvinnik, Mikhail vs Lilienthal, Andor
0-1Leningrad/Moscow 1941 E46
Lilienthal, Andor vs Botvinnik, Mikhail
0-1Leningrad/Moscow 1941 D49
Bondarevsky, Igor vs Botvinnik, Mikhail
0-1Leningrad/Moscow 1941 D02
Botvinnik, Mikhail vs Boleslavsky, Isaak
1-0Leningrad/Moscow 1941 C09
Boleslavsky, Isaak vs Botvinnik, Mikhail
1/2-1/2Leningrad/Moscow 1941 C15