Chess
Thud & blunder
Raymond Keene
Last week I argued that quality of play (or lack of it) cannot possibly provide grounds for terminaling a world title match. Here, for example, are three posi- tions from the 1951 Botvinnik-Bronstein match, generally regarded as one of the best and hardest fought of the series. I have taken the positions from the excellent book David Bronstein, Chess Improviser by B. S. Vainstein (Pergamon, £9.95), which gives all of the games from that contest, with Bronstein's own notes, as well as a wealth of other games by that ingenious player.
Bronstein-Botvinnik, game 6
White, to play, thought for 45 minutes, played 57 Kc2?? and resigned after 57. . . Kg3 when the `e' pawn queens. Of course, 57 Ne6+ and Nd4 leaves Black fighting for the draw. Botvinnik-Bronstein, game 9 White, a Rook up for nothing, failed to win this game!
Botvinnik-Bronstein, game 17 White blundered away a piece with 35 Nf6+? allowing 35 . . . Qxf6! (36 exf6 Rxel+).
Karpov-Kasparov at no stage touched such depths of ineptitude!
I learn from another book, World Chess Championship 1951 by W. Winter and R. G. Wade, that Bob Wade was representing Fide in Moscow at the time as acting vice-president. I imagine he would have' been hurled from the Kremlin's battle- ments by angry fans if he had tried to terminate that match even after these three egregious blunders. Winter/Wade has been reprinted by The Chessplayer and should be available from Chess or the BCM. The true nature of the decision from Moscow came home to me very forcibly while I was watching the thrilling course of the recent world snooker final. Dennis Taylor man- aged a Kasparovian comeback against Steve Davis after going 8-0 down, yet, ultimately, took the final 35th frame to win 18-17. How ridiculous if the referee had halted the match When Taylor was trailing 62-44 in the final frame, on the grounds that the champion was looking green around the gills, thus leaving Davis in possession of his title.
Tony Miles is currently representing England in the Tunis Interzonal. In coming weeks I hope to publish my eye-witness accounts of his attempts to become the first Englishman .to reach the Candidates'. For up-to-the-minute information on this and other chess items, turn to Ceefax page 268, Andrew Page's excellent seven-page chess feature.
In an historic move the BCF has made a bid to stage the 1985 world championship rematch in London. Spectator readers will be kept up-to-date on our chances. The Opposition is from Moscow and Marseilles.
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