View source for World Chess Championship 1951

{{Short description|none}}
{{Infobox chess match
|comp1 = Mikhail Botvinnik
|comp2 = David Bronstein
|image1 = [[File:Mikhail Botvinnik 1962.jpg|center|Mikhail Botvinnik|140px]]
|image2 = [[File:David Bronstein in 1954.jpg|center|David Bronstein|140px]]
|title1 = Defending champion
|title2 = <br />Challenger
|flag1 = URS
|flag2 = URS
|flag1_variant = 1936
|flag2_variant = 1936
|dob1 = 17 August 1911
|age1 = 39 years old
|dob2 = 19 February 1924
|age2 = 27 years old
|qual1 = Winner of the [[World Chess Championship 1948|1948 World Chess Championship]]
|qual2 = Winner of the [[World Chess Championship 1951#1950 Candidates tournament|1950 Candidates Tournament]]
|prev = 1948
|prev_link = World Chess Championship 1948
|next = 1954
|next_link = World Chess Championship 1954
|score1 = 12
|score2 = 12
}}
The '''1951 World Chess Championship''' was played between [[Mikhail Botvinnik]] and [[David Bronstein]] in [[Moscow]] from March 15 to May 11, 1951. It was the first match played under the supervision of [[FIDE]]; and the first to use a qualifying system of an [[Interzonal]] and [[Candidates Tournament]] to choose a challenger - a system which stayed in place until [[World Chess Championship 1993|1993]].

Botvinnik was the defending champion: he was 39 years old, had been a world leading player in the 1930s and World Champion since [[World Chess Championship 1948|1948]]. The challenger, David Bronstein, was 27 years old and relatively new to top-level competition.

The match ended in a 12–12 tie (5 wins each, and 14 draws), meaning Botvinnik retained the title of World Champion. Writing in 1973, [[Israel Horowitz]] described the match as "''perhaps the most interesting match ever played for the world championship''".<ref name=Horowitz />

==1948 Interzonal tournament==
{{main|Interzonal tournament, Saltsjöbaden 1948}}
An [[interzonal]] tournament was held at [[Saltsjöbaden]] in [[Stockholm]], [[Sweden]], in July and August 1948. The top eight finishers qualified for the Candidates tournament.

:{| class="wikitable"
|+ 1948 Interzonal Tournament
|-
!  !! !! 1 !! 2 !! 3 !! 4 !! 5 !! 6 !! 7 !! 8 !! 9 !! 10 !! 11 !! 12 !! 13 !! 14 !! 15 !! 16 !! 17 !! 18 !! 19 !! 20 !! Total
|- style="background:#ccffcc;"
| 1 || align=left|{{flagathlete|'''[[David Bronstein]]'''|Soviet Union|1936}} || x || 1 || ½ || 1 || ½ || ½ || ½ || ½ || ½ || ½ || 1 || ½ || ½ || 1 || ½ || 1 || ½ || 1 || 1 || 1 || '''13½'''
|- style="background:#ccffcc;"
| 2 || align=left|{{flagathlete|'''[[László Szabó (chess player)|László Szabó]]'''|Hungary|1949}} || 0 || x || ½ || ½ || 1 || ½ || 1 || ½ || ½ || 1 || ½ || 1 || 1 || 1 || ½ || 1 || ½ || ½ || 1 || 0 || '''12½''' 
|- style="background:#ccffcc;"
| 3 || align=left|{{flagathlete|'''[[Isaac Boleslavsky]]'''|Soviet Union|1936}} || ½ || ½ || x || ½ || ½ || ½ || 0 || 1 || ½ || 1 || ½ || ½ || 1 || ½ || ½ || ½ || 1 || 1 || 1 || ½ || '''12''' 
|- style="background:#ccffcc;"
| 4 || align=left|{{flagathlete|'''[[Alexander Kotov]]'''|Soviet Union|1936}} || 0 || ½ || ½ || x || ½ || ½ || ½ || ½ || ½ || ½ || 1 || ½ || ½ || ½ || ½ || 1 || 1 || 1 || 1 || ½ || '''11½''' 
|- style="background:#ccffcc;"
| 5 || align=left|{{flagathlete|'''[[Andor Lilienthal]]'''|Soviet Union|1936}} || ½ || 0 || ½ || ½ || x || 1 || 1 || ½ || ½ || ½ || 0 || ½ || ½ || ½ || 1 || ½ || 1 || ½ || ½ || 1 || '''11''' 
|-
| 6 || align=left|{{flagathlete|[[Igor Bondarevsky]]|Soviet Union|1936}} || ½ || ½ || ½ || ½ || 0 || x || ½ || ½ || 1 || 0 || ½ || 1 || ½ || 0 || ½ || ½ || 1 || ½ || 1 || 1 || 10½
|- style="background:#ccffcc;"
| 7 || align=left|{{flagathlete|'''[[Miguel Najdorf]]'''|Argentina|alt}} || ½ || 0 || 1 || ½ || 0 || ½ || x || ½ || ½ || 1 || 0 || 1 || ½ || 0 || ½ || 1 || ½ || ½ || 1 || 1 || '''10½'''
|- style="background:#ccffcc;"
| 8 || align=left|{{flagathlete|'''[[Gideon Ståhlberg]]'''|Sweden}} || ½ || ½ || 0 || ½ || ½ || ½ || ½ || x || ½ || 0 || ½ || 1 || 1 || ½ || ½ || ½ || ½ || 1 || ½ || 1 || '''10½'''
|- style="background:#ccffcc;"
| 9 || align=left|{{flagathlete|'''[[Salo Flohr]]'''|Soviet Union|1936}} || ½ || ½ || ½ || ½ || ½ || 0 || ½ || ½ || x || ½ || ½ || ½ || ½ || ½ || ½ || ½ || 1 || ½ || 1 || 1 || '''10½''' 
|-
| 10 || align=left|{{flagathlete|[[Petar Trifunović]]|Yugoslavia}} || ½ || 0 || 0 || ½ || ½ || 1 || 0 || 1 || ½ || x || ½ || ½ || 0 || 1 || ½ || ½ || 1 || ½ || 1 || ½ || 10 
|-
| 11 || align=left|{{flagathlete|[[Vasja Pirc]]|Yugoslavia}} || 0 || ½ || ½ || 0 || 1 || ½ || 1 || ½ || ½ || ½ || x || ½ || ½ || 0 || 1 || 0 || ½ || 1 || ½ || ½ || 9½ 
|-
| 12 || align=left|{{flagathlete|[[Svetozar Gligorić]]|Yugoslavia}} || ½ || 0 || ½ || ½ || ½ || 0 || 0 || 0 || ½ || ½ || ½ || x || 1 || ½ || 1 || 1 || 1 || ½ || 0 || 1 || 9½ 
|-
| 13 || align=left|{{flagathlete|[[Eero Böök]]|Finland}} || ½ || 0 || 0 || ½ || ½ || ½ || ½ || 0 || ½ || 1 || ½ || 0 || x || ½ || ½ || ½ || ½ || 1 || 1 || 1 || 9½ 
|-
| 14 || align=left|{{flagathlete|[[Viacheslav Ragozin]]|Soviet Union|1936}} || 0 || 0 || ½ || ½ || ½ || 1 || 1 || ½ || ½ || 0 || 1 || ½ || ½ || x || 0 || 0 || ½ || 0 || ½ || 1 || 8½ 
|-
| 15 || align=left|{{flagathlete|[[Daniel Yanofsky]]|Canada|1921}} || ½ || ½ || ½ || ½ || 0 || ½ || ½ || ½ || ½ || ½ || 0 || 0 || ½ || 1 || x || 0 || ½ || ½ || ½ || 1 || 8½ 
|-
| 16 || align=left|{{flagathlete|[[Savielly Tartakower]]|France|1830}} || 0 || 0 || ½ || 0 || ½ || ½ || 0 || ½ || ½ || ½ || 1 || 0 || ½ || 1 || 1 || x || 0 || ½ || ½ || ½ || 8  
|-
| 17 || align=left|{{flagathlete|[[Ludek Pachman]]|Czechoslovakia}} || ½ || ½ || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || ½ || ½ || 0 || 0 || ½ || 0 || ½ || ½ || ½ || 1 || x || 1 || ½ || 1 || 7½ 
|-
| 18 || align=left|{{flagathlete|[[Gösta Stoltz]]|Sweden}} || 0 || ½ || 0 || 0 || ½ || ½ || ½ || 0 || ½ || ½ || 0 || ½ || 0 || 1 || ½ || ½ || 0 || x || ½ || ½ || 6½ 
|-
| 19 || align=left|{{flagathlete|[[Lajos Steiner]]|Australia}} || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || ½ || 0 || 0 || ½ || 0 || 0 || ½ || 1 || 0 || ½ || ½ || ½ || ½ || ½ || x || ½ || 5½  
|-
| 20 || align=left|{{flagathlete|[[Erik Lundin]]|Sweden}} || 0 || 1 || ½ || ½ || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || ½ || ½ || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || ½ || 0 || ½ ||½ || x ||4½ 
|}

The four players tied for sixth place were to have played off for three spots in the Candidates tournament, but Bondarevsky had to withdraw due to illness, so the other three qualified automatically.

==1950 Candidates tournament==

The 1950 Candidates tournament was held in [[Budapest]], [[Hungary]] in April and May 1950. The players who finished second through fifth in the 1948 championship tournament (Smyslov, Keres, [[Samuel Reshevsky|Reshevsky]], and [[Max Euwe|Euwe]]) were seeded directly into the tournament, along with [[Reuben Fine]], who had been invited to the 1948 tournament but declined, and the top eight finishers from the Interzonal.

It has been written that the two American players, Reshevsky and Fine, were prevented from travelling to Hungary by the [[US State Department]], with travel restrictions due to the [[Cold War]];<ref name=Horowitz>''From Morphy to Fischer'' (Batsford, 1973), [[Israel Horowitz]]. p.138</ref> However, Reshevsky said in 1991 that he could have gone but did not want to.<ref>[An Interview with Sam Reshevsky, by Hanon W. Russell], Chesscafe.com</ref> Euwe declined due to work commitments, and Bondarevsky due to illness.<ref name=Horowitz />

:{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"
|+ 1950 Candidates Tournament
|-
! !! !! 1 !! 2 !! 3 !! 4 !! 5 !! 6 !! 7 !! 8 !! 9 !! 10 !! Score 
|- style="background:#ccffcc;"
| 1 - 2  || align=left|{{flagathlete|'''[[David Bronstein]]'''|Soviet Union|1936}} || xx || = = || 0 1 || = 1 || 1 1 || 1 = || 0 1 || = = || 1 = || = 1 || '''12''' 
|- style="background:#ccffcc;"
| 1 - 2  || align=left|{{flagathlete|'''[[Isaac Boleslavsky]]'''|Soviet Union|1936}} || = = || xx || 1 = || = = || = = || 1 = || = = || = 1 || = 1 || 1 1 || '''12'''
|-
| 3  || align=left|{{flagathlete|[[Vasily Smyslov]]|Soviet Union|1936}} || 1 0 || 0 = || xx || = = || 1 = || = 1 || 0 1 || = 1 || = = || = = || 10 
|-
| 4  || align=left|{{flagathlete|[[Paul Keres]]|Soviet Union|1936}} || = 0 || = = || = = || xx || = = || 1 0 || 1 = || = = || = 1 || = = || 9½ 
|-
| 5  || align=left|{{flagathlete|[[Miguel Najdorf]]|Argentina|alt}} || 0 0 || = = || 0 = || = = || xx || = = || = = || 1 1 || = 1 || = = || 9 
|-
| 6  || align=left|{{flagathlete|[[Alexander Kotov]]|Soviet Union|1936}} || 0 = || 0 = || = 0 || 0 1 || = = || xx || = 1 || 1 0 || 1 0 || 1 = || 8½ 
|-
| 7  || align=left|{{flagathlete|[[Gideon Ståhlberg]]|Sweden}}     || 1 0 || = = || 1 0 || 0 = || = = || = 0 || xx || = = || = = || = = || 8 
|-
| 8 - 10  || align=left|{{flagathlete|[[Andor Lilienthal]]|Soviet Union|1936}} || = = || = 0 || = 0 || = = || 0 0 || 0 1 || = = || xx || 1 0 || = = || 7 
|-
| 8 - 10  || align=left|{{flagathlete|[[László Szabó (chess player)|László Szabó]]|Hungary|1949}} || 0 = || = 0 || = = || = 0 || = 0 || 0 1 || = = || 0 1 || xx || 1 0 || 7 
|-
| 8 - 10 || align=left|{{flagathlete|[[Salo Flohr]]|Soviet Union|1936}} || = 0 || 0 0 || = = || = = || = = || 0 = || = = || = = || 0 1 || xx || 7 
|}

The co-winners then played a 12-game match in [[Moscow]] in July and August 1950. In the event of another tie, the first decisive game would determine Botvinnik's challenger for the title.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|+Candidates playoff, 1950
|-
! !! 1 !! 2 !! 3 !! 4 !! 5 !! 6 !! 7 !! 8 !! 9 !! 10 !! 11 !! 12 !! Points !! 13 !! 14 !! Total
|-
| align=left | {{flagathlete|'''[[David Bronstein]]'''|Soviet Union|1936}}
| 1 ||style="background:black; color:white"| ½ || ½ ||style="background:black; color:white"| ½ || ½ ||style="background:black; color:white"| ½ || 1 ||style="background:black; color:white"| 0 || ½ ||style="background:black; color:white"| ½ || 0 ||style="background:black; color:white"| ½ || 6 || ½ ||style="background:black; color:white"| 1 || '''7½'''
|-
| align=left | {{flagathlete|[[Isaac Boleslavsky]]|Soviet Union|1936}}
|style="background:black; color:white"| 0 || ½ ||style="background:black; color:white"| ½ || ½ ||style="background:black; color:white"| ½ || ½ ||style="background:black; color:white"| 0 || 1 ||style="background:black; color:white"| ½ || ½ || style="background:black; color:white"| 1 || ½ || 6 || style="background:black; color:white"| ½ || 0 || 6½
|}

Bronstein thus earned the right to challenge the reigning champion.

=== Boleslavsky's strategy===
Going into the final round of the Candidates tournament, Boleslavsky had a half point lead over Bronstein. Boleslavsky had white against Stahlberg, and offered a short draw when he was in a good position, which Stahlberg accepted.<ref>[http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1125596 Isaac Boleslavsky vs Gideon Stahlberg Budapest Candidates (1950)], [[Chessgames.com]]</ref> This gave Bronstein the opportunity to catch him, which he did, with a brilliant win against Keres.<ref>[http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1033804 David Bronstein vs Paul Keres Budapest Candidates (1950)], [[Chessgames.com]]</ref> It has been said, by both Bronstein and by [[Yuri Averbakh]], that Boleslavsky allowed Bronstein to catch him. Averbakh said that Boleslavsky had a very poor record against Botvinnik, and hoped that a tie would mean a 3-way match between Botvinnik, Boleslavsky and Bronstein, although this did not eventuate.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20080227105124/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/skittles181.pdf Yuri Averbakh: An Interview with History Part 1], Taylor Kingston, [[Chesscafe.com]], 2002</ref>

It has also been speculated that the result of the Bronstein-Boleslavsky match was pre-arranged by the contestants.<ref>[http://en.chessbase.com/post/shattered-illusions-genna-sosonkos-the-rise-and-fall-of-david-bronstein Shattered illusions: "The Rise and Fall of David Bronstein"], [[Chessbase]], 10/25/2017</ref>

==1951 Championship match==

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

===Match===
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|+World Chess Championship Match 1951
|-
! !! 1 !! 2 !! 3 !! 4 !! 5 !! 6 !! 7 !! 8 !! 9 !! 10 !! 11 !! 12 !! 13 !! 14 !! 15 !! 16 !! 17 !! 18 !! 19 !! 20 !! 21 !! 22 !! 23 !! 24 !! Points
|-
| align=left | {{flagathlete|'''[[Mikhail Botvinnik]]'''|Soviet Union|1936}}
| ½ ||style="background:black; color:white"| ½ || ½ ||style="background:black; color:white"| ½ || 0 ||style="background:black; color:white"| 1 || 1 ||style="background:black; color:white"| ½ || ½ ||style="background:black; color:white"| ½ ||0 ||style="background:black; color:white"|1 || ½ ||style="background:black; color:white"| ½ || ½ ||style="background:black; color:white"|½ || 0 ||style="background:black; color:white"| ½ || 1 ||style="background:black; color:white"| ½ || 0 ||style="background:black; color:white"| 0 || 1 ||style="background:black; color:white"| ½ || '''12'''
|-
| align=left | {{flagathlete|[[David Bronstein]]|Soviet Union|1936}}
|style="background:black; color:white"| ½ || ½ ||style="background:black; color:white"| ½ || ½ ||style="background:black; color:white"| 1 || 0 ||style="background:black; color:white"| 0 || ½||style="background:black; color:white"| ½ || ½ || style="background:black; color:white"| 1 || 0 ||style="background:black; color:white"| ½ || ½ ||style="background:black; color:white"| ½ || ½ ||style="background:black; color:white"| 1 || ½ ||style="background:black; color:white"| 0 || ½ ||style="background:black; color:white"| 1 || 1 ||style="background:black; color:white"| 0 || ½ || 12
|}

Botvinnik retained the championship.

===Highlights===

{{Chess diagram
| 
| '''Botvinnik-Bronstein, Game 5'''
|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |kd
|  |  |  |rl|  |  |pd|pd 
|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  
|  |nl|pl|  |  |rd|  |  
|  |pl|  |  |  |  |nd|  
|  |  |  |pd|  |  |pl|  
|  |  |nd|  |  |  |kl|pl 
|  |  | |  |  |  |  |  
| Bronstein took the early lead in Game 5. Black (Bronstein) here played 39...Nce3+, and Botvinnik resigned because it is mate next move.
}}

{{Chess diagram
| 
| '''Bronstein-Botvinnik, Game 6'''
|  |  |  |nl|  |  |  |  
|  |pd|  |  |  |  |  |   
|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  
|pd|  |  |  |  |  |  |  
|  |  |pl|  |  |kd|  |  
|  |kl|pl|  |pd|  |  |  
|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |   
|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  
| In Game 6, Bronstein (white) made one of the worst ever blunders in world championship play. He played 57 Kc2??, apparently expecting 57...Kf3 58 Ne6 e2 59 Nd4+ (however this line also leads to a win for black with correct play), but resigned when Botvinnik (black) played 57...Kg3, after which 59 Nd4 is not check. 57 Ne6+ was a simple draw. The blunder so upset Bronstein that he played weakly, and lost, in Game 7.<ref name=Horowitz />
}}

==External links==
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20050122065128/http://members.aol.com/graemecree/chesschamps/world/world1951.htm 1951 World Chess Championship] at the Internet Archive record of Graeme Cree's Chess Pages

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{Chess}}
{{World Chess Championships|state=expanded}}

[[Category:World Chess Championships|1951]]
[[Category:1951 in chess]]
[[Category:1951 in Soviet sport]]
[[Category:1951 in Moscow]]