World Chess Championship 1957

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World Chess Championship 1957
 
Defending champion
Challenger
 
Botvinnik vs Smyslov 1957-04-19.jpg
  Flag of the Soviet Union.svg Mikhail Botvinnik Flag of the Soviet Union.svg Vasily Smyslov
 
Scores12½
  Born 17 August 1911
45 years old
Born 24 March 1921
35/36 years old
  Winner of the 1954 World Chess Championship Winner of the 1956 Candidates Tournament
  1954
1958  

A World Chess Championship was played between Mikhail Botvinnik and Vasily Smyslov in Moscow from March 5 to April 27, 1957. Botvinnik had been World Champion since 1948, while Smyslov earned the right to challenge by winning the 1956 Candidates tournament. This was the second World Championship match between the pair, after the drawn 1954 match.

Contents

Smyslov won the match and became the seventh World Chess Champion. However he lost the title in the 1958 rematch.

1955 Interzonal tournament

An interzonal tournament was held in Göteborg, Sweden, in August and September 1955. The top nine finishers qualified for the Candidates Tournament.

1955 Interzonal Tournament
123456789101112131415161718192021TotalTie break
1Flag of the Soviet Union.svg  David Bronstein  (Soviet Union)x11½1½½½½½½½½½111111115
2Flag of the Soviet Union.svg  Paul Keres  (Soviet Union)0x1½½½½½1½111½1101½½113½
3Flag of Argentina (alternative).svg  Oscar Panno  (Argentina)00x½01½½1½111½½1½111½13
4Flag of the Soviet Union.svg  Tigran Petrosian  (Soviet Union)½½½x½½½½½½½½1½½½1½11112½
5Flag of the Soviet Union.svg  Efim Geller  (Soviet Union)0½1½x½½1½0½½½01½111½112111.75
6Flag of Hungary.svg  László Szabó  (Hungary)½½0½½x½½½½½0½½1½1111112108.50
7Flag of the Czech Republic.svg  Miroslav Filip  (Czechoslovakia)½½½½½½x½0½½½1½01½½½1111104.00
8Flag of Argentina (alternative).svg  Hermann Pilnik  (Argentina)½½½½0½½x0½½½½11½½½½1111102.50
9Flag of the Soviet Union.svg  Boris Spassky  (Soviet Union)½00½½½11x100½1½½1011½11102.50
10Flag of the Soviet Union.svg  Georgy Ilivitsky  (Soviet Union)½½½½1½½½0x½00½½1½½1½110½100.50
11Flag of the Czech Republic.svg  Luděk Pachman  (Czechoslovakia)½00½½½½½1½x½½½1½½½1½½10½99.25
12Flag of Argentina (alternative).svg  Miguel Najdorf  (Argentina)½00½½1½½11½x000½½1½1094.00
13Flag of Argentina (alternative).svg  Carlos Guimard  (Argentina)½000½½0½½1½½x½101½0½189.50
14Flag of Yugoslavia (1946-1992).svg  Braslav Rabar  (Yugoslavia)½½½½1½½00½½1½x½½½0010993.50
15Flag of Yugoslavia (1946-1992).svg  Andrija Fuderer  (Yugoslavia)00½½0010½½010½x11110½981.25
16Flag of Germany.svg  Wolfgang Unzicker  (West Germany)000½½½0½½0½½1½0x½½½11
17Flag of Sweden.svg  Gideon Ståhlberg  (Sweden)01½000½½0½½½0½0½x1½½1874.00
18Flag of the United States (1912-1959).svg  Arthur Bisguier  (United States)000½00½½1½½0½10½0x½11870.50
19Flag of Spain (1945-1977).svg  Antonio Medina  (Spain)0½0000½½000½110½½½x0053.25
20Flag of the Netherlands.svg  Jan Hein Donner  (Netherlands)0½00½0000½½0½010½01x½49.25
21Flag of Poland (1928-1980).svg  Bogdan Śliwa  (Poland)00½00000½0½101½0001½x48.50

Ilivitsky won a 6-game match against Pachman (1–0 with 5 draws) to qualify as first reserve for the Candidates. [1]

1956 Candidates tournament

The 1956 Candidates tournament, Amsterdam. Left to right: Filip, Smyslov, Keres, Pilnik, Bronstein, Geller, Spassky, Petrosian, Panno, Szabo. ChessCandidatesTournamentAmsterdam1956.jpg
The 1956 Candidates tournament, Amsterdam. Left to right: Filip, Smyslov, Keres, Pilnik, Bronstein, Geller, Spassky, Petrosian, Panno, Szabó.

The 1956 Candidates tournament was held in Amsterdam in the Netherlands in April and May. As the loser of the last championship match, Smyslov was seeded directly into the tournament and joined by the top nine from the Interzonal. Smyslov won, once again becoming the challenger in the 1957 championship match.

With two rounds remaining, the leaders were Smyslov 10, Keres 9½, Geller 9. [2] In the penultimate round, Keres lost in a winning position against Filip, [3] while Smyslov and Geller drew their games, giving Smyslov a full point lead. Smyslov also won his final game, against Pilnik, to ensure victory. [4]

1956 Candidates Tournament
12345678910Score
1Flag of the Soviet Union.svg  Vasily Smyslov  (Soviet Union)xx= == =0 == == 11 1= 11 == 111½
2Flag of the Soviet Union.svg  Paul Keres  (Soviet Union)= =xx= == == == 1= == 01 =1 =10
3-7Flag of Hungary.svg  László Szabó  (Hungary)= == =xx1 == == == 10 == =0 1
3-7Flag of the Soviet Union.svg  Boris Spassky  (Soviet Union)1 == =0 =xx= == 10 == == == 1
3-7Flag of the Soviet Union.svg  Tigran Petrosian  (Soviet Union)= == == == =xx0 =0 11 == =1 =
3-7Flag of the Soviet Union.svg  David Bronstein  (Soviet Union)= 0= 0= == 01 =xx= 11 == == 1
3-7Flag of the Soviet Union.svg  Efim Geller  (Soviet Union)0 0= == 01 =1 0= 0xx1 1= 11 =
8-9Flag of the Czech Republic.svg  Miroslav Filip  (Czechoslovakia)= 0= 11 == =0 =0 =0 0xx1 0= 18
8-9Flag of Argentina (alternative).svg  Oscar Panno  (Argentina)0 =0 == == == == == 00 1xx1 =8
10Flag of Argentina (alternative).svg  Hermann Pilnik  (Argentina)= 00 =1 0= 00 == 00 == 00 =xx5

1957 Championship match

The match was played as best of 24 games. If it ended 12-12, Botvinnik, the holder, would retain the Championship. Smyslov won.

World Chess Championship Match 1957
12345678910111213141516171819202122Points
Flag of the Soviet Union.svg  Vasily Smyslov  (Soviet Union)1½½001½1½½½10½½½1½½1½½12½
Flag of the Soviet Union.svg  Mikhail Botvinnik  (Soviet Union)0½½110½0½½½01½½½0½½0½½

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References

  1. 1955 Goteborg Interzonal Tournament, Mark Weeks' Chess Pages
  2. 1956 Amsterdam Candidates Tournament, mark-weeks.com
  3. From Morphy to Fischer, Israel Horowitz, Batsford 1973
  4. Amsterdam Candidates (1956), Chessgames.com