Hi there.
In this lecture, we see one of the most amazing games of the 1963 Botvinnik Petrosian World Championship
match.
This is in round five.
Take and Petrosian plays C for the English opening.
We have G six DD 496 and we transpose into a Grunfeld defense.
We have knights have three from Tigran Petrosian Botvinnik plays Bishop g7e free black consoles Bishop
E to d c for Bishop C four.
C five.
D five, e six.
Now there's a tiny bit of controversy here with e six after D takes e six White does have.
A small advantage in terms of Black's pawn structure has been slightly compromised.
There's an extra pawn islands here.
There's three pawn islands in the black possession.
And in fact, one of the things which we can potentially exploit about this is that E5 is not so exposed
from a frontal attack.
So bear that in mind, we have King E2 96 and this means basically both E five and E four.
These squares might be useful for white, more useful than usual to set up camp without being disturbed.
So we have rook D1 rook 88 and Petrosian doesn't mind the exchange of rooks here like g five rookie
and our knight ge4.
You can see that this is a very comfortable knight hitting C five and is not exposed on the e-file.
So it's less assignable.
L And when we say salable, less prone to attack, more comfortable there and.
Yeah, it's just.
It's just a very nice noise.
But is this enough to win the game?
We see B six rook B won, which releases the possibility of playing the B pawn on pending.
The B pawn might be four and then Bishop D two.
We have 95.
If Knight takes a two, this backfires with Rook one.
This position White can take on B four, then take on a seven and it doesn't matter about B two.
Dropping off to B seven.
Y is going to be better here.
For example, this position is better for white.
So 95 we have a four and this restrains Black's queenside pawn majority.
You can argue, well, black's got this queenside pawn majority free to two That's restrains though
rook now b four and this is away from the glare of the bishop putting pawns on light squares on the
other side of the road.
So, so to speak to the bishop is a good safety point.
On the nine squares, Bishop feint.
What else if si for the thing is why it has 96 -- the rook and pawn.
And yeah, there's no backfire here.
This is just winning a pawn.
So.
Bishop F eight, Rook C one, Bishop E seven and now be four.
We have c four.
And this is becoming a bit of a vulnerable pawn after B five.
It's kind of disconnected from Black's other pawns.
King of seven.
So here, if Bishop Are you free?
Roxy To C free.
And one can play Bishop, S.C. free here.
So, for example, this position as King DD two and taking on B four, it ends up being an edge for
white.
This position is an edge for White's safety point.
Tactically, if we enter this variation.
On scifri.
If he takes scifri, then that's announced night before and that's winning material.
The is looking at C one.
So that would be a bad idea.
So Bishop takes scifri though is a small entry point.
We have though in the game.
We have seven sort of bishops, eight free bishops.
See?
Free Bishop, a free hand.
And now Roxy, too.
So with the pool firmly blockaded these active possibilities that we just saw in that generation, they
don't exist now.
So, yes, you know, that's the value of blockade prevention with strong prevention is blockade.
It's the ultimate blockade.
We don't see that see free stuff.
So we see black plane night.
Take free check here.
If instead Bishop E 782 If we have a look at this position for a moment, we can win C four And even
if black gets the A pawn back, this end game is kind of favorable for white.
One pawn is stopping two, which is a kind of Capablanca end game rule one, pawn locking two.
And yeah, we're just going to be better here because that be pawns vulnerable.
And this is just one example where we can end up winning the people with advantage.
So we have nine take C free check rook C for bishop B for Rook goes back to C two king E 792 teasing
the pawn forward with C free.
It looks like a bad idea to take on the two.
The king could come and be very comfortable on C for an end to be for with this pawn really looking
vulnerable.
So we have C 394 and this represents.
Basically blank playing now a -- site with the track the way it's played.
Because if check now King B for this -- is going to go so the opportunity is taken to invade with
the rook and the cost of that --.
Is it enough?
Bottleneck to play like this.
We have Rook age one and 94, offering H two up for positional advantage if h three The thing is, Bishop
takes C free king.
Take C free rook D one though.
Yeah.
This is still plausible for white with advantage, but it's interesting to keep the knights on so 94.
It's interesting to keep this note on because it's very difficult for Black to get to this night and
it's very nice and central.
So offering H to King default, there is a particular idea here of being very, very aggressive with
the rook, the knight and the king.
So offering even G2 King D seven's played if rook takes G to rook C seven Shaq and actually we can take
our H seven.
And this position is absolutely great for white here.
For example, the king can infiltrate a bit more and these pawns are vulnerable.
So for example, King takes e six with advantage.
So King D seven was played g free bishop before and now the king goes forward.
King E5 Very aggressive.
King rook H five check.
And now king of six, you might ask.
Hold on, hold on.
What if black hair had tried to prevent King F six with Bishop E seven?
The thing is rook D to check and then we're just taking on E six.
Yeah, it wasn't possible.
So.
Rook five check.
The king goes to F six, Bishop E seven check.
If Rook had five instead, check this position of the G four rook C for the king's really a fighting
piece and is going to be winning one of these pawns.
So yeah, it's looking very dangerous for black hair.
And, you know, there's also possibilities of playing F4 and G five, if appropriate as well.
So we have Bishop E seven check though, King G seven, E five.
If instead of E five, let's say Rock H one is played.
King F seven has a strong threat of Brook RD to check and then winning the bishop.
So let's say rook d one to prevent rook d to check.
We can still make inroads here with white with C six and if e five we can actually play rocky sex and
the bishop moves g four.
Let's take this example with G five.
We have advantage here with white.
It's very nice.
This endgame advantage persists.
So say check King G eight rookie seven rook C6 Look at that Knights in front of the E five pawn.
It's a brilliant position for the knight.
9f6 And we're trying to win material as well.
We can even give up F two and once we take on H seven, G six is going to drop and we're on the way
to winning here.
So that's just one example of Rook h1y here.
King of seven is so dangerous for Rook D to check.
So E five was tried immediately.
We have rook 6h1 and now king of seven.
Not the illegal move.
This is a skilled move.
Botvinnik was trying to suggest an illegal sealed move had been written which would have lose white
the game.
But Botvinnik was trying to claim that quite desperately.
It seems to try and win by forfeit.
But Petrosian had a peculiar way of writing the number seven with tails.
So he actually meant, you know, clearly meant based on his past handwriting.
King of seven.
So a king of seven.
Now here we have Rook one rookie six, prompting the bishop to move to D eight.
If Bishop B four The thing is, there's nine of six.
Check, rookie eight check.
And this possession If we saw a four for seven, this is just better for white.
White's getting a number of past pawns over here.
And for example, with 94 White's going to win this pawn race this past g pawn is very strong for example
here.
And you can see that this is going to be winning as an example.
So Bishop Dines is tried trying to avoid this.
Six Check.
Rook RD six check.
Kinsey King E eight.
The bishop is being harassed.
Rook six.
Rook rd one.
If rook takes a four here, there's no C free with tempo for 95.
So Rook five, 95.
And then we're playing rook C seven, check and E four.
And this is sufficient if rook for winning.
If rook takes the thing is this position King E seven and that powerful D pawn past pawn is winning.
It's got the express route train with tempos.
So rugby one is tried.
We have g5d checking f7d7, checking King G eight and it moved 48 bubbling, resigned.
So if h five let's take H five then Rook takes g six.
And this is just great for white.
Yeah.
Pawns are dropping off and we can even secure a four there.
And we're just winning pawns.
Winning.
And if h six, we can play 96.
And actually here we can simply just simplify and use the Capablanca rule one, pawn locking two.
We're going to pick up these pawns with a winning position, easily winning king and pawn ending.
So, yes, a really fantastic game in this world championship match full of drama.
And that King invasion was very, very interesting.
So very, very interesting game with the King invasion.
The King aggressive king in endgames is a beauty to behold quite often.
So like this game, but also the knight versus bishop, the knight superiority versus the bishop and
this pawn islands.
We can see this is a vivid example.
While we say that sometimes the number of pawn islands, if there's pawn islands, that could represent
an exploitable weakness.
If there's nice blockades in front of single pawn islands, isolated pawns, basically, then they are
great squares where we're covered, where naturally we naturally have protection for not only from fronts
or pressures.
So yeah, great use of the knight in this game as well as the king and the invasive rook.
So I hope you enjoyed this beautiful end game, a very important game in chess history in this 1963
world Championship match with great endgame.
Lessons in game, strategy and game possession will play beautiful stuff and so much.