Soviet chess school

Last updated
Mikhail Botvinnik, circa 1969 Mikhail Botvinnik 1969.jpg
Mikhail Botvinnik, circa 1969
David Bronstein, c. 1968 David Bronstein 1968.jpg
David Bronstein, c. 1968
Mark Taimanov, c. 1970 Mark Taimanov 1970.jpg
Mark Taimanov, c. 1970

The Soviet school of chess was asserted to be a national style of play by Soviet chess players and journalists. Although chess had been a game of the bourgeoisie and upper classes before the Russian Revolution, its popularity among Bolshevik leaders, including Vladimir Lenin, contributed to its being supported by state leaders in the USSR as a national pastime. A keen sportsman, Lenin spent much of his free time outdoors or playing chess.

Contents

Worldwide references to a now-solid Soviet school of chess only occurred after World War II, when a generation of Soviet chess players, led by soon-to-be world champion Mikhail Botvinnik, [1] began a string of victories over international competitors that surprised the world.

Generally speaking, chess experts in the USSR described the Soviet school of chess as a fast-paced, daring style of play best exemplified by the young generation of postwar players like David Bronstein. [2] Not all Soviet players used this playing style; the most notable exception was Botvinnik, whom grandmaster Mark Taimanov [3] compared to the methodical Wilhelm Steinitz. [4] The main contribution of the Soviet school of chess was not the style of players but their emphasis on rigorous training and study of the game, i.e. considering chess a sport rather than an art or science.

Sample game

The following is a game played in 1938 between Mikhail Botvinnik (White) and José Raúl Capablanca (Black). [5] The chess opening is Nimzo-Indian Defence: Normal Line (ECO code E40). Unlike most Indian Defence, the Nimzo-Indian does not involve an immediate fianchetto, although Black often follows up with ...b6 and ...Bb7. By pinning White's knight, Black prevents the threatened 4.e4 and seeks to inflict doubled pawns on White. White will attempt to create a pawn centre and develop his pieces to prepare for an assault on the Black position. This game is often set as an example for the foundation of chess strategy in chess middlegame.

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e3 d5 5.a3 Bxc3+ 6.bxc3 c5 7.cxd5 exd5 8.Bd3 O-O 9.Ne2 b6 10.O-O Ba6 11.Bxa6 Nxa6 12.Bb2 Qd7 13.a4 Rfe8 14.Qd3 c4 15.Qc2 Nb8 16.Rae1 Nc6 17.Ng3 Na5 18.f3 Nb3 19.e4 Qxa4 20.e5 Nd7 21.Qf2 g6 22.f4 f5 23.exf6 Nxf6 24.f5 Rxe1 25.Rxe1 Re8 26.Re6 Rxe6 27.fxe6 Kg7 28.Qf4 Qe8 29.Qe5 Qe7 30.Ba3 Qxa3 31.Nh5+ gxh5 32.Qg5+ Kf8 33.Qxf6+ Kg8 34.e7 Qc1+ 35.Kf2 Qc2+ 36.Kg3 Qd3+ 37.Kh4 Qe4+ 38.Kxh5 Qe2+ 39.Kh4 Qe4+ 40.g4 Qe1+ 41.Kh5 1-0

What would have followed is a brilliant mating attack from Botvinnik: 41.Kh5 h6 42.Qg6+ Kh8 43.e8=R+ Qxe8 44.Qxe8+ Kg7 45.Qe7+ Kh8 46.Kxh6 b5 47.Qg7#

Capablanca's resignation, in Garry Kasparov's opinion, this game "symbolized the end of an heroic era of chess titans, dominating the field with their natural genius. Since this historic moment the professional touch has played a more and more important role as an integral part of chess, the path to ultimate success".

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">David Bronstein</span> Soviet chess grandmaster (1924–2006)

David Ionovich Bronstein was a Soviet chess player. Awarded the title of International Grandmaster by FIDE in 1950, he narrowly missed becoming World Chess Champion in 1951. Bronstein was one of the world's strongest players from the mid-1940s into the mid-1970s, and was described by his peers as a creative genius and master of tactics. He was also a renowned chess writer; his book Zurich International Chess Tournament 1953 is widely considered one of the greatest chess books ever written.

The Nimzo-Indian Defence is a chess opening characterised by the moves:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Andor Lilienthal</span>

Andor Arnoldovich Lilienthal was a Hungarian and Soviet chess player. In his long career, he played against ten male and female world champions, beating Emanuel Lasker, José Raúl Capablanca, Alexander Alekhine, Max Euwe, Mikhail Botvinnik, Vasily Smyslov, and Vera Menchik.

Rosendo Carreon Balinas Jr. was a chess grandmaster from the Philippines. FIDE awarded him the International Master title in 1975 and the International Grandmaster title in 1976. He was Philippines' second chess grandmaster. Balinas was a lawyer by profession, as well as an award winning chess writer and journalist.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Francisco Vallejo Pons</span> Spanish chess grandmaster

Francisco Vallejo Pons is a Spanish chess grandmaster. He is a five-time Spanish Chess Champion.

The English Defence is a chess opening characterised by the moves:

In chess, the Cambridge Springs Defense is a variation of the Queen's Gambit Declined that begins with the moves:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">World Chess Championship 2008</span> Chess competition

The World Chess Championship 2008 was a best-of-twelve-games match between the incumbent World Chess Champion, Viswanathan Anand, and the previous World Champion, Vladimir Kramnik. Kramnik had been granted a match after not winning the World Chess Championship 2007 tournament.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">World Chess Championship 2010</span> Chess match between Viswanathan Anand and Veselin Topalov

The World Chess Championship 2010 match pitted the defending world champion, Viswanathan Anand, against challenger Veselin Topalov, for the title of World Chess Champion. The match took place in Sofia, Bulgaria from 24 April to 13 May 2010, with a prize fund of 2 million euros. Anand won the final game to win the match 6½–5½ and retain the title.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">World Chess Championship 1886</span> First official World Chess Championship match

The World Chess Championship 1886 was the first official World Chess Championship match contested by Wilhelm Steinitz and Johannes Zukertort. The match took place in the United States from 11 January to 29 March, the first five games being played in New York City, the next four being played in St. Louis and the final eleven in New Orleans. The winner was the first player to achieve ten wins. Wilhelm Steinitz won the match 10–5, winning his tenth game in the twentieth game of the match.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">World Chess Championship 1889</span> Chess match between Wilheilm Steinitz and Mikhail Chigorin

The World Chess Championship 1889 was the second official World Chess Championship, and was between Wilhelm Steinitz and Mikhail Chigorin. It took place in Havana, Cuba. Steinitz successfully defended his world title, by being the first of the two players to reach 10½. He won the match 10½-6½.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">World Chess Championship 1890–1891</span> Chess match between Wilheilm Steinitz and Isidor Gunsberg

The third World Chess Championship was held in New York City from 9 December 1890 to 22 January 1891. Holder Wilhelm Steinitz narrowly defeated his Hungarian challenger, Isidor Gunsberg.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">William H. K. Pollock</span> English chess player

William Henry Krause Pollock was an English chess master, and a surgeon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">World Chess Championship 1935</span> Chess match between Alexander Alekhine and Max Euwe

The 1935 World Chess Championship was played between challenger Max Euwe and title-holder Alexander Alekhine. It was played in various cities and towns in the Netherlands from October 3 to December 16. Euwe was the winner by overcoming a three-point deficit as late as the ninth game.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">World Chess Championship 1978</span> Chess match between Anatoly Karpov and Viktor Korchnoi

The 1978 World Chess Championship was played between Anatoly Karpov and Viktor Korchnoi in Baguio, Philippines from July 18 to October 18, 1978. Karpov won, thereby retaining the title.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Botvinnik versus Capablanca, AVRO 1938</span>

On 22 November 1938, Mikhail Botvinnik defeated José Raúl Capablanca in one of the most famous games in chess history. The game was played in round 11 of the AVRO tournament in Rotterdam. Capablanca was a former World Chess Champion (1921-27), while Botvinnik would later become World Champion himself (1948-57).

The 1992 Fischer–Spassky match between former world chess champions Bobby Fischer and Boris Spassky was billed as a World Chess Championship, though it was an unofficial rematch of their 1972 World Championship match. Fischer won 10–5, with 15 draws.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">World Chess Championship 2021</span> Chess match between Magnus Carlsen and Ian Nepomniachtchi

The World Chess Championship 2021 was a chess match between the former world champion Magnus Carlsen and the challenger Ian Nepomniachtchi to determine the World Chess Champion. It was held under the auspices of FIDE and played during Expo 2020 at Dubai Exhibition Centre in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, between 24 November and 12 December 2021. It was originally scheduled for the latter half of 2020 but was postponed until 2021 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, this is the first sporting event to be held at an international exposition since the 1904 Summer Olympics during the Louisiana Purchase Exposition in St. Louis, United States.

The 20th season of the Top Chess Engine Championship began on 1 December 2020 and ended on 1 February 2021. The defending champion was Stockfish, which defeated Leela Chess Zero in the previous season's superfinal. The season 20 superfinal was a rematch between the same two engines. Stockfish once again came out ahead, winning by 6 games.

References

  1. "The chess games of Mikhail Botvinnik".
  2. "The chess games of David Bronstein".
  3. "The chess games of Mark Taimanov".
  4. "The chess games of Wilhelm Steinitz".
  5. "Mikhail Botvinnik vs Jose Raul Capablanca (1938) the Blossoming Brilliance of Botvinnik".