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 Flohr, Salo
1-0Moscow 1936 B05
Lilienthal, Andor vs Botvinnik, Mikhail
1/2-1/2Moscow 1935 E24
Botvinnik, Mikhail vs Spielmann, Rudolf
1-0Moscow 1935 B13
Kan, Ilia Abramovich vs Botvinnik, Mikhail
1-0Moscow 1935 C29
Goglidze, Victor Arsentievich vs Botvinnik, Mikhail
0-1Moscow 1935 D90
Romanovsky, Peter Arsenievich vs Botvinnik, Mikhail
0-1Moscow 1935 C68
Rabinovich, Ilya Leontievich vs Botvinnik, Mikhail
1/2-1/2Moscow 1935 D79
Botvinnik, Mikhail vs Levenfish, Grigory
1-0Moscow 1935 D23
Bohatirchuk, Fedor Parfenovich vs Botvinnik, Mikhail
1-0Moscow 1935 C49
Botvinnik, Mikhail vs Pirc, Vasja
1/2-1/2Moscow 1935 A28
Botvinnik, Mikhail vs Chekhover, Vitaly
1-0Moscow 1935 A13
Botvinnik, Mikhail vs Stahlberg, Gideon
1-0Moscow 1935 D32
Botvinnik, Mikhail vs Alatortsev, Vladimir
1/2-1/2Moscow 1935 A25
Ragozin, Viacheslav vs Botvinnik, Mikhail
0-1Moscow 1935 C18
Riumin, Nikolay Nikolaevich vs Botvinnik, Mikhail
0-1Moscow 1935 C86
Botvinnik, Mikhail vs Lisitsin, Georgy
1/2-1/2Moscow 1935 E39
Botvinnik, Mikhail vs Menchik, Vera
1-0Moscow 1935 A34
Botvinnik, Mikhail vs Flohr, Salo
1/2-1/2Moscow 1935 B33
Yudovich, Mikhail Sr vs Botvinnik, Mikhail
0-1Leningrad 1934 A95
Botvinnik, Mikhail vs Rabinovich, Ilya Leontievich
1-0Leningrad 1934 D46
Botvinnik, Mikhail vs Norman, George Marshall
1-0Hastings3435 1934 E72
Milner Barry, Philip Stuart vs Botvinnik, Mikhail
0-1Hastings3435 1934 C19
Riumin, Nikolay Nikolaevich vs Botvinnik, Mikhail
1/2-1/2Leningrad 1934 A34
Michell, Reginald Pryce vs Botvinnik, Mikhail
1/2-1/2Hastings3435 1934 B85
Lisitsin, Georgy vs Botvinnik, Mikhail
1-0Leningrad 1934 D94
Botvinnik, Mikhail vs Kan, Ilia Abramovich
1/2-1/2Leningrad 1934 D63
Levenfish, Grigory vs Botvinnik, Mikhail
1/2-1/2Leningrad 1934 A28
Botvinnik, Mikhail vs Lilienthal, Andor
1/2-1/2Hastings3435 1934 E34
Botvinnik, Mikhail vs Kmoch, Hans
1-0Leningrad 1934 B14
Flohr, Salo vs Botvinnik, Mikhail
1/2-1/2Hastings3435 1934 E34
Botvinnik, Mikhail vs Chekhover, Vitaly
1-0Leningrad 1934 A50
Romanovsky, Peter Arsenievich vs Botvinnik, Mikhail
1/2-1/2Leningrad 1934 B30
Botvinnik, Mikhail vs Alatortsev, Vladimir
1-0Leningrad 1934 D61
Botvinnik, Mikhail vs Menchik, Vera
1-0Hastings3435 1934 D37
Thomas, George Alan vs Botvinnik, Mikhail
1-0Hastings3435 1934 B40
Freiman, Sergey Nikolaevich vs Botvinnik, Mikhail
0-1URS-ch08 1933 D10
Botvinnik, Mikhail vs Lisitsin, Georgy
1-0URS-ch08 1933 D47
Bohatirchuk, Fedor Parfenovich vs Botvinnik, Mikhail
1-0URS-ch08 1933 B73
Flohr, Salo vs Botvinnik, Mikhail
0-1Moscow/Leningrad m 1933 A95
Botvinnik, Mikhail vs Flohr, Salo
1/2-1/2Moscow/Leningrad m 1933 B10
Rauzer, Vsevolod vs Botvinnik, Mikhail
0-1URS-ch08 1933 B74
Botvinnik, Mikhail vs Flohr, Salo
1/2-1/2Moscow/Leningrad m 1933 D28
Botvinnik, Mikhail vs Alatortsev, Vladimir
1-0URS-ch08 1933 A90
Flohr, Salo vs Botvinnik, Mikhail
1/2-1/2Moscow/Leningrad m 1933 D95
Botvinnik, Mikhail vs Sorokin, Nikolay
1-0URS-ch08 1933 E35
Botvinnik, Mikhail vs Flohr, Salo
0-1Moscow/Leningrad m 1933 B13
Botvinnik, Mikhail vs Flohr, Salo
1/2-1/2Moscow/Leningrad m 1933 A28
Botvinnik, Mikhail vs Flohr, Salo
1-0Moscow/Leningrad m 1933 B13
Botvinnik, Mikhail vs Kan, Ilia Abramovich
1/2-1/2URS-ch08 1933 B83
Savitsky, Leonid vs Botvinnik, Mikhail
0-1URS-ch08 1933 A50