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 →Flohr, Salo vs Botvinnik, Mikhail
1/2-1/2Moscow/Leningrad m 1933 E38
Flohr, Salo vs Botvinnik, Mikhail
1/2-1/2Moscow/Leningrad m 1933 A84
Botvinnik, Mikhail vs Flohr, Salo
1/2-1/2Moscow/Leningrad m 1933 A28
Botvinnik, Mikhail vs Yudovich, Mikhail Sr
1-0URS-ch08 1933 D96
Flohr, Salo vs Botvinnik, Mikhail
1-0Moscow/Leningrad m 1933 E38
Flohr, Salo vs Botvinnik, Mikhail
1/2-1/2Moscow/Leningrad m 1933 C08
Chekhover, Vitaly vs Botvinnik, Mikhail
0-1Leningrad-ch 1932 E18
Rabinovich, Ilya Leontievich vs Botvinnik, Mikhail
0-1Leningrad-ch 1932 C01
Botvinnik, Mikhail vs Alatortsev, Vladimir
1-0Leningrad-ch 1932 D26
Botvinnik, Mikhail vs Savitsky, Leonid
1-0Leningrad-ch 1932 E23
Botvinnik, Mikhail vs Budo, A.
1-0Leningrad-ch 1932 A40
Ilyin Zhenevsky, Alexander vs Botvinnik, Mikhail
1/2-1/2Leningrad-ch 1932 C08
Botvinnik, Mikhail vs Ragozin, Viacheslav
1-0Leningrad-ch 1932 E33
Botvinnik, Mikhail vs Model, Abram Y
1-0Leningrad-ch 1932 A49
Lisitsin, Georgy vs Botvinnik, Mikhail
0-1Leningrad-ch 1932 A30
Goldberg, Grigory Abramovich vs Botvinnik, Mikhail
1/2-1/2Leningrad-ch 1932 E35
Botvinnik, Mikhail vs Miasoedov, Grigory
1-0Leningrad-ch 1932 E23
Rauzer, Vsevolod vs Botvinnik, Mikhail
0-1URS-ch07 1931 D60
Botvinnik, Mikhail vs Bohatirchuk, Fedor Parfenovich
1/2-1/2URS-ch07 1931 D60
Botvinnik, Mikhail vs Sorokin, Nikolay
1-0URS-ch07 1931 D60
Botvinnik, Mikhail vs Mazel, Isaak
1-0URS-ch07 1931 E23
Botvinnik, Mikhail vs Lisitsin, Georgy
1/2-1/2URS-ch07 1931 D60
Budo, A. vs Botvinnik, Mikhail
1/2-1/2URS-ch07 1931 E11
Verlinsky, Boris vs Botvinnik, Mikhail
0-1URS-ch07 1931 C15
Kasparian, Genrikh vs Botvinnik, Mikhail
0-1URS-ch07 1931 B44
Ilyin Zhenevsky, Alexander vs Botvinnik, Mikhail
1-0URS-ch07 1931 C90
Botvinnik, Mikhail vs Alatortsev, Vladimir
1-0URS-ch07 1931 E85
Botvinnik, Mikhail vs Goglidze, Victor Arsentievich
1-0URS-ch07 1931 D94
Sozin, Veniamin vs Botvinnik, Mikhail
1-0URS-ch07 1931 B85
Kirillov, Vladimir Grigorevic vs Botvinnik, Mikhail
0-1URS-ch07 1931 A34
Botvinnik, Mikhail vs Riumin, Nikolay Nikolaevich
1-0URS-ch07 1931 D30
Zamikhovsky, Abram Davidovich vs Botvinnik, Mikhail
0-1URS-ch07 1931 E18
Yudovich, Mikhail Sr vs Botvinnik, Mikhail
0-1URS-ch07 1931 C17
Botvinnik, Mikhail vs Kan, Ilia Abramovich
1-0URS-ch07 1931 A98
Botvinnik, Mikhail vs Kubbel, Arvid
1-0Leningrad-ch 1930 E72
Ragozin, Viacheslav vs Botvinnik, Mikhail
0-1Leningrad-ch 1930 C56
Chekhover, Vitaly vs Botvinnik, Mikhail
0-1Leningrad-ch 1930 A50
Botvinnik, Mikhail vs Vilner, Yakov S
1/2-1/2Leningrad-ch 1930 D27
Botvinnik, Mikhail vs Lisitsin, Georgy
1-0Leningrad-ch 1930 A53
Botvinnik, Mikhail vs Myasoyedov, G.
1/2-1/2Leningrad-ch 1930 E23
Rokhlin, Yakov vs Botvinnik, Mikhail
0-1Leningrad-ch 1930 C49
Ilyin Zhenevsky, Alexander vs Botvinnik, Mikhail
0-1Leningrad-ch 1930 C01
Botvinnik, Mikhail vs Ragozin, Viacheslav
1-0Leningrad-ch 1930 D37
Botvinnik, Mikhail vs Ilyin Zhenevsky, Alexander
1-0Leningrad-ch 1930 A90
Botvinnik, Mikhail vs Gotthilf, S.
1-0Leningrad-ch 1930 E22
Botvinnik, Mikhail vs Model, Abram Y
0-1Leningrad-ch 1930 D55
Botvinnik, Mikhail vs Stepanov, G.
1-0Leningrad-ch 1930 D60
Botvinnik, Mikhail vs Batuyev, A.
1-0Leningrad-ch 1930 D40
Alatortsev, Vladimir vs Botvinnik, Mikhail
0-1Leningrad-ch 1930 E32
Romanovsky, Peter Arsenievich vs Botvinnik, Mikhail
1/2-1/2Leningrad-ch 1930 D11