Defending champion | Challenger | |||||
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 Vasily Smyslov | Mikhail Botvinnik | |||||
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| Born 24 March 1921 36/37 years old | Born 17 August 1911 46 years old | |||||
| Winner of the 1957 World Chess Championship | Former world champion | |||||
A World Chess Championship was played between Mikhail Botvinnik and Vasily Smyslov in Moscow from March 4 to May 9, 1958. Botvinnik won. Smyslov had unseated Botvinnik in the 1957 match, so he was entitled to this rematch a year later.
The match was played as best of 24 games. If it ended 12-12, Smyslov, the holder, would retain the Championship.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | Points | |
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| Mikhail Botvinnik (Soviet Union) | 1 | 1 | 1 | ½ | 0 | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | 1 | ½ | 1 | 0 | ½ | ½ | 1 | 0 | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | 12½ |
| Vasily Smyslov (Soviet Union) | 0 | 0 | 0 | ½ | 1 | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | 0 | ½ | 0 | 1 | ½ | ½ | 0 | 1 | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | 10½ |
Botvinnik regained his title.
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