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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

View Print
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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Spassky, Boris V vs Botvinnik, Mikhail
0-1
URS-chT 1966 B19
Botvinnik, Mikhail vs Geller, Efim P
1/2-1/2
URS-chT 1966 A26
Botvinnik, Mikhail vs Smyslov, Vassily
1-0
URS-chT 1966 A25
Tal, Mihail vs Botvinnik, Mikhail
1-0
URS-chT 1966 B14
Botvinnik, Mikhail vs Petrosian, Tigran V
0-1
URS-chT 1966 A26
Botvinnik, Mikhail vs Larsen, Bent
1-0
Noordwijk 1965 D36
Tal, Mihail vs Botvinnik, Mikhail
1/2-1/2
URS Spartakiad 1964 B18
Botvinnik, Mikhail vs Smyslov, Vassily
1-0
URS Spartakiad 1964 A22
Botvinnik, Mikhail vs Fischer, Robert James
1/2-1/2
Varna olm 1962 D98
Portisch, Lajos vs Botvinnik, Mikhail
1/2-1/2
Leipzig olm fin-A 1960 D46
Spassky, Boris V vs Botvinnik, Mikhail
1/2-1/2
URS-chT 1959 B63
Keres, Paul vs Botvinnik, Mikhail
1-0
Alekhine mem 1956 B63
Najdorf, Miguel vs Botvinnik, Mikhail
1/2-1/2
Moscow olm fin-A 1956 A37
Larsen, Bent vs Botvinnik, Mikhail
1/2-1/2
Moscow olm fin-A 1956 B63
Smyslov, Vassily vs Botvinnik, Mikhail
1/2-1/2
Alekhine mem 1956 B39
Botvinnik, Mikhail vs Bronstein, David I
1/2-1/2
Alekhine mem 1956 D40
Botvinnik, Mikhail vs Najdorf, Miguel
1-0
Alekhine mem 1956 E42
Botvinnik, Mikhail vs Reshevsky, Samuel Herman
1/2-1/2
URS-USA telex 1955 E51
Botvinnik, Mikhail vs Spassky, Boris V
1/2-1/2
URS-ch22 1955 A30
Smyslov, Vassily vs Botvinnik, Mikhail
1-0
URS-ch22 1955 A04
Keres, Paul vs Botvinnik, Mikhail
1-0
URS-ch22 1955 C03
Reshevsky, Samuel Herman vs Botvinnik, Mikhail
1-0
URS-USA telex 1955 D49
Botvinnik, Mikhail vs Reshevsky, Samuel Herman
1/2-1/2
URS-USA telex 1955 D41
Petrosian, Tigran V vs Botvinnik, Mikhail
1/2-1/2
URS-ch22 1955 D94
Botvinnik, Mikhail vs Geller, Efim P
0-1
URS-ch22 1955 D35
Reshevsky, Samuel Herman vs Botvinnik, Mikhail
1/2-1/2
URS-USA telex 1955 A04
Botvinnik, Mikhail vs Najdorf, Miguel
1-0
Amsterdam olm 1954 E65
Botvinnik, Mikhail vs Euwe, Max
1/2-1/2
Amsterdam olm 1954 E59
Botvinnik, Mikhail vs Geller, Efim P
1-0
URS-ch20 1952 E66
Botvinnik, Mikhail vs Smyslov, Vassily
1/2-1/2
URS-ch20 1952 D13
Botvinnik, Mikhail vs Geller, Efim P
0-1
Budapest 1952 E69
Botvinnik, Mikhail vs Keres, Paul
1-0
URS-ch20 1952 D36
Bronstein, David I vs Botvinnik, Mikhail
0-1
URS-ch20 1952 C36
Botvinnik, Mikhail vs Petrosian, Tigran V
1/2-1/2
Budapest 1952 B92
Smyslov, Vassily vs Botvinnik, Mikhail
1/2-1/2
Budapest 1952 C08
Keres, Paul vs Botvinnik, Mikhail
1/2-1/2
Budapest 1952 A48
Petrosian, Tigran V vs Botvinnik, Mikhail
1/2-1/2
URS-ch19 1951 A46
Smyslov, Vassily vs Botvinnik, Mikhail
1-0
URS-ch19 1951 C92
Botvinnik, Mikhail vs Keres, Paul
1/2-1/2
URS-ch19 1951 E26
Botvinnik, Mikhail vs Geller, Efim P
0-1
URS-ch19 1951 D23
Bronstein, David I vs Botvinnik, Mikhail
0-1
URS-ch19 1951 D44
Keres, Paul vs Botvinnik, Mikhail
0-1
Chigorin mem 1947 A95
Smyslov, Vassily vs Botvinnik, Mikhail
1/2-1/2
Chigorin mem 1947 C90
Botvinnik, Mikhail vs Euwe, Max
1/2-1/2
Groningen 1946 D27
Botvinnik, Mikhail vs Reshevsky, Samuel Herman
1/2-1/2
URS-USA 1946 E49
Botvinnik, Mikhail vs Smyslov, Vassily
1-0
Groningen 1946 D98
Najdorf, Miguel vs Botvinnik, Mikhail
1-0
Groningen 1946 E35
Reshevsky, Samuel Herman vs Botvinnik, Mikhail
0-1
URS-USA 1946 C17
Botvinnik, Mikhail vs Smyslov, Vassily
1-0
URS-ch14 1945 D13
Botvinnik, Mikhail vs Bronstein, David I
1/2-1/2
URS-ch14 1945 E68
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