Hi there.
In this lecture, we see an amazing game of Mikhail tell against Mikhail Botvinnik very high stakes
game, World Championship Match 1960.
So this is the Botvinnik tal World Championship match in round one.
We see Tal kicking off with E4.
We have a French defense from Mikhail Botvinnik d4 d5 93 Bishop be forewarned, this is entering into
the winner variation.
The advanced variation of e5 c5 a3 Bishop takes C3 Jack B takes So White has the Dart square bishop
here without a counterpart, and this can quite often be an attacking ingredients in this variation.
Bobby Fischer was a fan of this variation and often was making use of this dark squared bishop.
Plans such as A4 and Bishop A3 later, for example, in Summer Fishers Games.
So we have Queen C7, Queen G4.
So looking at G seven.
So how does Black defend?
Will Black chose F five?
Here there is a gambit variation which is very sharp 97, and it leads to very sharp positions.
And if you don't know what you're doing here, you could be in trouble.
The key move is 92, it seems, and this position is thought to be, in theory, slightly better for
white.
I've played this variation on occasion in the past, and White has also this asset, this past h pawn
asset, which could be handy, but black has perks as well and can try and generate counterplay sometimes
through the center for a D4 push later.
So it's a complex, rich position.
But anyway, F5 on this occasion is played.
We have Queen G3.
It's no good to take on F6 that would get rid of our pawn wedge and Bishop B5 check again, they're
not going to play Bishop D7 and nine Queen E6 so this would be silly for black but black just has knight
C six her and also keeping hold of G seven and black ends up being better with Queen 85.
So this is no good.
This is a territory you shouldn't go anywhere near Black's call that semi-open F4 and all the prospects
here.
So Queen Geoffrey keeps the wedge of the pawn chain.
Now on E5, we have 97.
You might ask, what about the greedy variation?
C takes d4 C tech D for Queen C two?
Well, you know, Black hasn't really developed any pieces here.
White can just play simple moves like Bishop D to her Bishop B5 check, and there's a lot of pressure
building up the King's inconvenienced once can have great attacking prospects from here so for example
the bishop E to G6 more weaknesses and yeah White's just got a huge attacking potential here from this
kind of scenario.
So here with Bishop C frame, it's going to be difficult for black to get too much counterplay here.
Okay, so 97 was played offering G seven so Rook Giant Queen St H7 C 64.
Now this does look like a rather sharp and dangerous position for sure.
Now tells me if is intriguing King D one So addressing this queen site C free check in style leaving
the king in the center.
So you might think, well, the king's in the center.
Isn't that an attacking ingredient for black?
Yeah, potentially.
We have to look at the concrete positions now.
This is a battle.
Both kings are in the center.
If 92, this was an option here.
So 96, push the pawn, that 85 drop.
We get fascinating scenarios here, rich in complexity where the rook left rook free could be very relevant.
So this situation, it's strange.
Rook moves, sure.
But white overall does have that bishop pair and the past pawn on H five.
Overall white should be better.
And it's rich territory for sure.
We've done it to.
And if he takes H for Bishop five, this position, this kind of scenario is also it's rich territory.
Again, we've got a past h pawn.
We've got the bishop had those assets that we could make use of, so it should be better there.
So anyway we have King Day one curious move, we have Bishop D7.
And this does have some dangerous attacking ideas with it like de Frit.
At some point when the bishop's not looking to try and open up this diagonal.
So diagonals of death factor them in to both kings.
So there's two diagonals of death for White's King.
And at the moment, you know, that could work like that for Black's king.
I factor them in.
If Queen takes E5 might have three this position, Queen H five check and let's say Knight g6y overall
is doing quite nicely here.
If it takes D4 Bishop B2 as possible and this position black structure isn't great whites rook is awake
whilst black works is kind of stuck.
So this overall was better for.
Once this this tactic is possible because a bishop b5 track losing the rook and over was better here.
It's complex stuff.
So anyway, Bishop D7 Queen 95, Shank nine, G6 92.
Yeah this this is an important move likely to if for.
Then the taxi fray.
This position with 95 black holes was queenside.
And you can see that this doesn't entirely appetising.
This position black does have the edge here.
Okay, so E2 is more dynamic keeping this diagonal clear.
Rather than try and hold E5 because that's important for stopping black.
Having the luxury of castling queenside.
It's an important move.
92 to try and prevent black castling.
Yeah.
Just to recap that this is a key point.
I move 13 f4, we lose that option of Bishop G5 later.
So sometimes it is better to give up material.
So here Black pushes deep free, trying to wrench open this diagonal a41 with this pawn sack.
If Queen takes E5, C takes the full force possible here.
And what does Black do in this position?
This is a little bit tricky, that pin.
And presumably Queen Siegfried.
This position with Queen 64.
Check.
Anyone's going to take on gay sex.
But what is going on here?
It's just it's actually too dangerous.
This position for blank with things like rotates B seven and Bishop B to if the queen were.
It's complex stuff.
Very complex, but basically, yeah.
C 64 does seem one of the more incisive moves here.
So anyway, D3 is played C tanks, D3 bishop, a four check king E one queen takes E five.
So both kings are in the center, especially with this next move.
The king is cut off from castle in side and we have c6d for Queen C seven and now H four, which frees
up the Queen by protecting the bishop.
The bishop is less of a tactical liability.
E five is tried.
Now, if Queen Bee thinks Roxy want Queen Bee to this excursion, one can develop with Rook H free and
C4 is actually an interesting move here.
So, for example.
It's trying to dismantle the pawn chain to weaken our fight.
So sometimes see takes in just moving the bishop back.
Queens looking for it looks like a move to play structurally.
And here, Rook H.S. Free knights have for what It's going to be better here dismantling basically the
position of black.
So this will be quite horrible for black this position.
So anyway now safety points template rook cage free hair.
If he plays details, he's actually in big trouble of the 1965.
Can you see what black would be frat thing here?
Knight takes E5 frees up the rook.
Fraction.
And this looks extremely weird, this position, to be fair.
Okay, Why has the bishop around the ball, the king of the center like this?
Black's actually threatening here.
Rook h eight.
So as example F for actually not G for first, but that's got a huge advantage for.
That's a big concession.
But otherwise, you know say a free rook h A and queen B six, this is just nasty ones, just all over
the place.
So it's important to play rook free.
Very important.
We have Queen f7 if E tanks D for C tanks D for this position there is no 60 for the rook looks after
C free.
There's no problem there.
So yeah.
What is black doing here?
Blacks just made it possible to for wanting to get a strong attack with rookie free.
So Queen f7 was played but now D takes E5 and this is very different.
Now this takes on E5 because Knight takes E5 rookie free just in time.
There's no Rook h eight.
Here we have King D7 if Rook H ain't.
So we're right here.
Big difference.
What do we play with?
At some points.
Yeah.
Route 65.
Check.
So the knight can't really take the queen.
And then if that's the case, then if King of Faith is bishop, age six, Jack.
And that's just winning for white.
So, yes, that's out of the question right here.
So King D7 is played, but now Rook, D1, Rook B1, you can't play rook.
You know, the bishop's looking at D1, so b1 b6 for rook ain't rook b4 evicting the bishop.
If.
Be five.
Yeah.
We can actually play here.
Night.
Tasty five.
This little trick with the king and center.
So Queen takes rook D for pens to the queen.
So Bishop C six holding the five.
But now this is cute.
Queen D one All of a sudden, it seems as though White's possession actually makes sense.
Before it just seems absolute chaos.
The variation is absolutely chaotic y actually, now it's known about the h pawn as such.
The entry point is just a support role for that bishop not to be hanging in some rotations.
Y.
It's actually got a clear strategic break here with C4 amplifying the king and the center, just trying
to open up the king of C4.
So that is the clear and imminent threat now.
And we have night takes F for.
Rook.
Thanks for.
You might ask is Bishop takes her for possible just for the record.
Actually, yeah.
It seems as though this would be nice for one as well.
But Rook thinks that for Knight G6 broke D4 and we're back to the simple threat of C4.
We have Botvinnik playing rook tanks, E3, Czech F tanks, and now King C7 trying to get away from
the C4.
If 95 C4 happens this position, we just taking a pawn here.
We're doing very well.
We've vacated the here we've before.
And this is very nice.
This is a very nice attack position.
Big advantage.
So King C7, C4, detainee, C4, and this is just all of a sudden black's getting decimated from all
the complexity.
Black's just had it now with the C4.
So if Bishop Be7 wants taking that centre pawn and it's kind of miserable for Black, so Queen B4 is
looking at the rook Bishop B5, we've got that huge pass pawn to be pushed.
And this scenario, for example Queen hack winning material crushing if King b7c thanks again that centre
pawn we can yeah we're threatening head D six for rook C seven chang so 95 we're still threatening D6
here.
Bishop E2 is actually good though in this particular position.
And you know what?
It's much better there.
But in the game, Black gets decimated by playing D.S. C4.
Bishop takes C4.
It's just it looks like a simple skewer.
Yeah, an interesting, simple end to this game from hugely complex positions.
So the past pawns pushed here with H5 and now Botvinnik resigns if 95 Bishop f4 is a nasty pen.
You know.
But what else?
This this looks really kind of dangerous anyway.
So an H six blanks overloaded, H seven and so nine G since this is just the position which is going
to be winning either Queen H five or Queen H one is ramping up things and this is just an easily winning
position as example.
So yes, anyway, the game ended at h five.
Now you might ask why on earth, why on earth did I pick this game to show you Well.
It's an important world championship game.
Mickelson eventually won the world championship.
I know it's utterly confusing the opening with both both kings in the center.
It's part of I Am important, the history and culture of the game to know these key games.
And perhaps you can argue to keep revising these key games, to look at the nuances.
For me, I did pick up some new nuances in certain variations, such as, you know, because I've previously
analyzed this on multiple occasions.
So I pick up new nuances of things.
So the E5 from Botvinnik, for example, with the idea that D takes is so dangerous for education,
these little nuances, you know, we get some new fresh insights.
Engine technology is also increasing virtually every year, you know, still making inroads, especially
with the neural network engines.
So I feel it's worth revisiting these games with the best technology to get the best possible insights.
And it's not one of the clearer Mikhail Games.
But as I mentioned, as I mentioned elsewhere, I just want to make this clear.
It's because of McNaughton's bias towards huge complexity that Alexander Alekhine makes the first layer
of this course.
This is one of the very high, complex games with so many intriguing variations which to explore indefinitely
as a work in progress this game.
But it's interesting to see it from time to time and to get some fresh insights.
So you could argue, well, the winner is actually getting this ingredient.
Quite often this don't square with our counterpart that did play a role.
Also, the rook lifts were just expertly handling the possession, trying to exploit the opponent's
king in the center.
The bishop played a key role to try and stop the king going to the side in luxury.
So an immensely complex fighting game and an iconic game.
So I believe these are worth revisiting from time to time.
I hope you got something out of it.
Hence much.
Don't worry if you don't remember all the variations or whatever, it's just to get the gist to build
up our kind of evaluation function for attacking patterns and ingredients.
Okay.
That's a much.