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  GM Paul Keres (2675) - GM Mikhail Botvinnik (2715)  
[E35]
 Moscow vs. Leningrad Match Game. 
Moscow, 1941. 

[ A.J.G. (+ ChessBase) ]

  MODEL GAME:  
  Castling into an attack, open file on the castled King, attacking a King after 0-0-0.  

1. d4 Nf6;  2. c4 e6;  3. Nc3 Bb4,   
The Nimzo-Indian Defense.

4. Qc2,   
The Classical Line, first played strongly by Capablanca. 

     [ The Rubinstein Variation starts with  4.e3.  

       The main line (today) would probably be:   
       4.e3 0-0;  5.Bd3 d5;  6.Nf3 c5;  7.0-0 Nc6;  8.a3 Bxc3;  9.bxc3,  "+/="  {Diag?}   
       when White has a slight edge. (Several thousand games have been played in this line.)  

       One of the earliest examples would be: 
       A. Burn - O. Bernstein; / San Sebastian, 1911. (1-0)   

       ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** **   

       A current example would be: 
       GM Kiril Georgiev (2645) - GM Mladen Palac (2561); [E58] 
       The Seventh (7th) European Individual {men's} Championships (7th ch-Euro)   
       Kusadasi, TUR; (R9) / 13,04,2006. ] ]   

4...d5!?;  
This is good, castling (king-side) is the move often employed in master-level practice today.  

     [ The main line could be:   
       4...0-0;  5.a3 Bxc3+;  6.Qxc3 b6;  7.Bg5 Bb7;  8.f3 h6;  9.Bh4 d5;  10.e3,  "+/="  (space + 2B's) 
       as in the high-level contest: 
       GM V. Kramnik - GM M. Adams; / ICT, XVI Super-GM (R # 6) / Linares, ESP; 1999. (1-0, 38 m.) 

       [ See MCO-14, beginning on page # 532 for the lines with 4.Qc2. The coverage of the variations of the 
          lines with 4...d5!?; 5.a3 begins on page # 35, with column # 07. ] ]  

5. cxd5!? exd5;  6. Bg5 h6;  7. Bh4 c5!; ('!!') 
Black vigorously attacks the center. 

With his next move, White castles into an incredibly strong attack. 
8. 0-0-0?,  
Definitely castling into an attack. 

Some people have said this is a clear case of Keres' being made to pitch this game. 
While I will simply state flat out that Keres was forced to lose on occasion, this is not one of them. 

What I think happened here was Botvinnik lost a game earlier, in this same variation to another player. 
(Mikenas, I think.)  It was often said that the great Botvinnik never lost the game the same way twice. 
(After losing the earlier encounter, I think he studied the game carefully and was simply ready for the 
 next player. This same scenario has happened to virtually every chess player of any real experience.) 

     [  Much better was:  8.e3,  (See the diagram just below.) 

        was sufficient for White to get a (fairly) playable game. ].  

8...Bxc3;  9. Qxc3!?,  (Maybe - '?!/?') 
White strives for piece activity and open lines. He also probably did not want to break up the 
pawn structure in front of his King. 

     [  By playing (the better)  9.bxc3!?,  "=/+"  (See the position just below.)  

        White could at least close the c-file. But his position remains bad. {A.J.G.} ].   

9...g5!;   
Breaking the pin with near decisive effect. 

10. Bg3 cxd4;  11. Qxd4 Nc6;    
Gains a tempo.  

12.Qa4 Bf5!;   
Catching White's King in the open and keeping him there. .

13.e3 Rc8!;   
Boom! Black puts a Rook on the same file as White's King. What could be simpler? 

(This has gotten ugly real fast. White's game is nearly lost, beyond any saving. {A.J.G.})

***

14. Bd3 Qd7!;   
Aside from the fact that Black protects his Bishop on f5; he (now) also has the nasty threat 
of playing ...Nb4 discovered check; winning White's Queen! {A.J.G.}.  

15. Kb1 Bxd3+;  16. Rxd3 Qf5;  17.e4,   
This looks pretty much forced.

     [  Or  17.Qc2 Nb4; 18.e4 Qd7; 19.Qd2 Nxd3; "-/+"  ].  

17...Nxe4!;    
Black employs the Third (3rd) Morphy principle. 
  (Always avoid excessive exchanges when you are attacking.)  

Black now threatens ...Nxg3 and ...Qxd3+; winning. 

The First (1st) Morphy Principle is rapid development; & bring ALL {and new} pieces into play. 
This may sound simple now, but when Morphy started playing these ideas in the mid-1800's they 
were nothing short of revolutionary. Many "Book" lines were completely refuted by the way Morphy 
played the opening. 

The Second (2nd) Morphy Principle is: When you are ahead in development,  (You have completed 
your mobilization of your pieces.);  and you have your opponent's King trapped in the center ... 
 -   OPEN LINES AT ALL COSTS!! 

Again, while this will surprise no GM today, this again was a new idea in Morphy's time. 
Morphy's games are full of examples of the 2nd Principle. 

THE Repeated and CONSTANT application of these ideas were found in Morphy's games ... 
--->  and NOWHERE ELSE!!!!)   08 Feb, 2001. {A.J.G.} 

     [ 17...Qxe4?; 18.Qxe4+ dxe4; 19.Rd2 0-0;  allows White to survive. ].  

18. Ka1,   
Defending the only way that he can. 

(White has removed his King from any possible discovered checks and/or pins.) {A.J.G.} 

     [ 18.Nf3? Nxg3; 19.hxg3 Qxd3+; ("/+")  or 18.Qc2? Nb4; "-/+"  ].  

18...0-0; ('!')   
There are all kind of weaknesses around Black's King, but White will not be able to exploit them 
due to his underdeveloped state.

(Black now also threatens ...Nxg3; followed by ...Nb4; winning. He could not do this as long as the 
 Knight on c6 was pinned to his King.) {A.J.G.}

19. Rd1 b5!; "-/+"   
A nice decoy sac. 

20. Qxb5,   
White is quite lost.

     The following analysis will show that White has no way to save his game.
     [  Fritz 6: Line # 1.)  20.Qxb5 Nd4; 21.Qe2 Nxe2; 22.Nxe2 Nxg3; 23.fxg3 Qf2; 
        24.Nc3 d4; "-/+"  - 6.78/9 

        Fritz 6: Line # 2.)  20.Qa6,  - 6.94/7  20...Nb4; 21.Qxa7 Nxg3; 22.a3 Nxh1; 23.Nh3 Nxf2; 
         (23...Qc2!)   24.Rf1 Nxh3!; 25.Rxf5,   (25.axb4 Qxf1+; 26.Ka2 Ra8; "-/+")     25...Rc1#; 

        Fritz 6: Line # 3.)  20.Qa3 Nd4; 21.Qxf8+ Kxf8; 22.Nf3 Nc2+; 23.Kb1 Ne3; 
          (23...Nxg3!?; 24.hxg3 Na3+; 25.Ka1 Qb1+!; 26.Rxb1 Nc2#.   Or - 23...Nd2+! "-/+") 
        24.fxe3 Nxg3+; ("-/+")  - 7.31/9  ].  

20...Nd4; ('!')     
With every move, Black draws the noose tighter. .

21. Qd3 Nc2+!;   
Black digs the White King out of the corner. 

22.Kb1 Nb4;  ("-/+")  White Resigns.  0-1. 

(White must move his Queen and fall prey to a deadly discovered check. This will entail an overwhelming 
 loss of material, so ... White bows - and lets the curtain fall.) {A.J.G.} 

Note:  Many different sources give various/different versions of this game. But the first 20 or so moves 
are not in dispute. 

[This game was more than likely played between Keres & Botvinnik in the annual Moscow vs. Leningrad Match in 1941. It was probably played in Moscow.] {A.J.G.} 

My notes are based on a very abbreviated version of this game that I got from my  ChessBase db. 
I have spent many hours updating and making them complete. {A.J.G.}

  0 - 1 

***

  Game first posted on my web site on  June 27th, 2002.  (Last edit/save on: 06/20/2013 .)  

(Code Initially)  Generated with  ChessBase 8.0

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