Smyslov On the Rocks, Rolls Over Kotov

Submitted by GreenLaser on Fri, 11/21/2008 at 6:16pm.

Vasily Smyslov was born in 1921 and was the World Chess Champion in 1957. Smyslov played the champion, Mikhail Botvinnik three matches for the title. In 1954, Botvinnik kept his title with a score of 12-12. In 1957, Smyslov won 12.5-9.5. Botvinnik won the return match in 1958 with a score of 12.5-10.5. Smyslov was able to challenge the best players from the 1940s to the 1980s. Alexander Kotov (1913-1981) was a world class grandmaster. Both Kotov and Smyslov wrote important chess books. In the following game, which Smyslov and Kotov contested in the Budapest Candidates Tournament of 1950, Smyslov was in trouble, but managed to escape with a win. Smyslov came in third place, behind Bronstein and Boleslavsky. When Smyslov won the Zurich Candidates Tournament of 1953, his only loss was to Kotov.

» posted in Opening Theory

| 1028 reads | 6 comments |

2 votes:

Comments:

by Salaskan - 44 days ago
Netherlands Netherlands

Member Since: May 2008
Member Points: 34

Smyslov played an unimpressive game and was losing until his opponent blundered. The combination at the end is not really that hard to see, either.

by santiR - 44 days ago
outside Washington D.C. United States

Member Since: Apr 2008
Member Points: 457

nice.

by ShahidAnwer - 44 days ago
Lahore Pakistan

Member Since: Sep 2008
Member Points: 230

good game

by chawil - 44 days ago
Lowestoft, Suffolk United Kingdom

Member Since: Dec 2007
Member Points: 370

Very judo-esque, using his Kotov's own momentum against him. K must have been devastated by this loss as he was so clearly winning throughout the game.

by RoyalFlush1991 - 45 days ago
Massachusetts United States

Member Since: Jul 2008
Member Points: 102

Good stuff

by NM GreenLaser - 45 days ago
Chester, NY United States

Member Since: Oct 2007
Member Points: 881

In the note to 37. R3h4, (37. Kf3 Qe6 38. Qf2 Ra3 39. Qh4 Rg7 40. Kf2 (40. Rh6 Bb6 41. Qxf6 Qxf6 42. Rxf6 +-) Rb341. Nxg7 the evaluation "+-" is supposed to appear.) (37. Nh4 Bd638. Nxg6+ fxg6 39. Rh6 Ra4 +/-). I am having trouble adding such notes as +- alone. They do not appear without some trick. If I add a letter first, for example, v+-, it works. Then I delete the v, and the +- remains.

^ Back to top