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  3. /Botvinnik, Mikhail

Botvinnik, Mikhail

World Champion

classical era

Mikhail 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

Most Faced Opponents

Smyslov, Vassily94 gamesTal, Mihail44 gamesBronstein, David I30 gamesPetrosian, Tigran V27 gamesFlohr, Salo27 gamesRagozin, Viacheslav24 gamesLevenfish, Grigory19 gamesKeres, Paul19 gamesKan, Ilia Abramovich15 gamesReshevsky, Samuel Herman14 games

Featured Games

FCGFCG
1-0

Botvinnik, Mikhail vs Smyslov, Vassily

World Championship 22th

1958

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FCGFCG
1-0

Tal, Mihail vs Botvinnik, Mikhail

World Championship 23th

1960

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FCGFCG
1-0

Botvinnik, Mikhail vs Smyslov, Vassily

World Championship 21th

1957

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FCGFCG
0-1

Botvinnik, Mikhail vs Smyslov, Vassily

World Championship 20th

1954

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FCGFCG
1-0

Smyslov, Vassily vs Botvinnik, Mikhail

World Championship 21th

1957

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FCGFCG
1-0

Smyslov, Vassily vs Botvinnik, Mikhail

World Championship 22th

1958

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FCGFCG
0-1

Tal, Mihail vs Botvinnik, Mikhail

World Championship 24th

1961

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FCGFCG
0-1

Smyslov, Vassily vs Botvinnik, Mikhail

World Championship 20th

1954

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FCGFCG
1-0

Tal, Mihail vs Botvinnik, Mikhail

World Championship 24th

1961

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FCGFCG
1-0

Bronstein, David I vs Botvinnik, Mikhail

World Championship 19th

1951

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Games (891)

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Fine, Reuben vs Botvinnik, Mikhail
1-0
AVRO 1938 C17
Botvinnik, Mikhail vs Chekhover, Vitaly
1-0
URS-ch sf 1938 E21
Botvinnik, Mikhail vs Rabinovich, Ilya Leontievich
0-1
URS-ch sf 1938 E09
Botvinnik, Mikhail vs Fine, Reuben
1/2-1/2
AVRO 1938 C48
Flohr, Salo vs Botvinnik, Mikhail
1/2-1/2
AVRO 1938 D84
Gotthilf, S. vs Botvinnik, Mikhail
0-1
URS-ch sf 1938 B14
Romanovsky, Peter Arsenievich vs Botvinnik, Mikhail
0-1
URS-ch sf 1938 C15
Botvinnik, Mikhail vs Makogonov, Vladimir Andreevich
1-0
URS-ch sf 1938 A51
David, Michael vs Botvinnik, Mikhail
0-1
URS-ch sf 1938 A03
Botvinnik, Mikhail vs Budo, A.
1-0
URS-ch sf 1938 D26
Botvinnik, Mikhail vs Lisitsin, Georgy
1/2-1/2
URS-ch sf 1938 E13
Abramian, Suren vs Botvinnik, Mikhail
1/2-1/2
URS-ch sf 1938 C05
Ilyin Zhenevsky, Alexander vs Botvinnik, Mikhail
1/2-1/2
URS-ch sf 1938 C90
Botvinnik, Mikhail vs Poliak, Abram Borisovich
1-0
URS-ch sf 1938 D46
Botvinnik, Mikhail vs Flohr, Salo
1/2-1/2
AVRO 1938 D96
Botvinnik, Mikhail vs Levenfish, Grigory
0-1
Moscow/Leningrad m 1937 D94
Botvinnik, Mikhail vs Levenfish, Grigory
1-0
Moscow/Leningrad m 1937 A25
Botvinnik, Mikhail vs Levenfish, Grigory
1-0
Moscow/Leningrad m 1937 D94
Levenfish, Grigory vs Botvinnik, Mikhail
0-1
Moscow/Leningrad m 1937 E34
Levenfish, Grigory vs Botvinnik, Mikhail
1-0
Moscow/Leningrad m 1937 D93
Levenfish, Grigory vs Botvinnik, Mikhail
1/2-1/2
Moscow/Leningrad m 1937 C02
Levenfish, Grigory vs Botvinnik, Mikhail
0-1
Moscow/Leningrad m 1937 E17
Levenfish, Grigory vs Botvinnik, Mikhail
1/2-1/2
Moscow/Leningrad m 1937 E34
Levenfish, Grigory vs Botvinnik, Mikhail
1-0
Moscow/Leningrad m 1937 E34
Botvinnik, Mikhail vs Levenfish, Grigory
1/2-1/2
Moscow/Leningrad m 1937 D94
Botvinnik, Mikhail vs Levenfish, Grigory
1-0
Moscow/Leningrad m 1937 A13
Botvinnik, Mikhail vs Levenfish, Grigory
0-1
Moscow/Leningrad m 1937 D94
Levenfish, Grigory vs Botvinnik, Mikhail
1-0
Moscow/Leningrad m 1937 B14
Botvinnik, Mikhail vs Tartakower, Saviely
1-0
Nottingham 1936 A55
Botvinnik, Mikhail vs Levenfish, Grigory
1/2-1/2
Moscow 1936 D53
Botvinnik, Mikhail vs Ragozin, Viacheslav
1-0
Moscow 1936 D94
Botvinnik, Mikhail vs Lilienthal, Andor
1-0
Moscow 1936 A30
Botvinnik, Mikhail vs Riumin, Nikolay Nikolaevich
1-0
Moscow 1936 A98
Botvinnik, Mikhail vs Fine, Reuben
1/2-1/2
Nottingham 1936 A09
Levenfish, Grigory vs Botvinnik, Mikhail
1/2-1/2
Moscow 1936 B72
Alexander, Conel Hughes vs Botvinnik, Mikhail
0-1
Nottingham 1936 B24
Riumin, Nikolay Nikolaevich vs Botvinnik, Mikhail
1/2-1/2
Moscow 1936 C90
Kan, Ilia Abramovich vs Botvinnik, Mikhail
0-1
Moscow 1936 B72
Botvinnik, Mikhail vs Vidmar, Milan Sr
1-0
Nottingham 1936 D40
Botvinnik, Mikhail vs Thomas, George Alan
1-0
Nottingham 1936 D37
Botvinnik, Mikhail vs Tylor, Theodore
1-0
Nottingham 1936 E07
Ragozin, Viacheslav vs Botvinnik, Mikhail
1/2-1/2
Moscow 1936 E34
Bogoljubow, Efim vs Botvinnik, Mikhail
0-1
Nottingham 1936 E14
Eliskases, Erich Gottlieb vs Botvinnik, Mikhail
1/2-1/2
Moscow 1936 E22
Lilienthal, Andor vs Botvinnik, Mikhail
1/2-1/2
Moscow 1936 C15
Botvinnik, Mikhail vs Flohr, Salo
1/2-1/2
Nottingham 1936 B05
Botvinnik, Mikhail vs Winter, William
1/2-1/2
Nottingham 1936 D95
Botvinnik, Mikhail vs Kan, Ilia Abramovich
1-0
Moscow 1936 E33
Flohr, Salo vs Botvinnik, Mikhail
1/2-1/2
Moscow 1936 E13
Botvinnik, Mikhail vs Eliskases, Erich Gottlieb
1/2-1/2
Moscow 1936 E33
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