Champion Of Champions (part 15)

HERE is the tournament bracket ahead of the final.

Round of 16               Quarter-Finals          Semi-Finals                      Final
1. Steinitz
v----------------------------Carlsen
16. Carlsen (+102.5)
                                    v................................Tal
8.Tal (+8.5)
v----------------------------Tal (+79.5)
9.Petrosian
                                                                      v.....................................Botvinnik
6. Botvinnik (+66)
v----------------------------Botvinnik (+18.5)
11. Fischer
                                    v.................................Botvinnik (+406.5)
13. Kasparov
v----------------------------Alekhine
4. Alekhine (+21.5)
                                                                                                             v...........................
3. Capablanca
v----------------------------Kramnik (+118)
14. Kramnik (+12)
                                     v................................Kramnik (+13)
5. Euwe
v----------------------------Karpov
12. Karpov (+11.5)
                                                                       v.....................................Kramnik
7. Smyslov (+18)
v----------------------------Smyslov (+11.5)
10. Spassky
                                     v................................Smyslov
15. Anand
v----------------------------Lasker
2. Lasker (+50.5)

Botvinnik reached the final by beating Fischer, Alekhine and Tal; Kramnik reached the final by beating Capablanca, Karpov and Smyslov.
Who had the tougher route? Hard to say, but Botvinnik's margins of victory were, in general, more convincing.

Final
Game One
Mkikhail Botvinnik - Vladimir Kramnik
Nimzo-Indian
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e3 0-0 5.Bd3 c5
Kramnik has played this eight times in ChessBase's 2020 Mega database, compared with five times for 5...d5.
6.a3

This is as far as we can go as Kramnik has not faced 6.a3

The analysis engines Stockfish11 and Komodo11.01 are divided over this position, with the former liking Black but the latter narrowly preferring White.
Their averaged evaluations give Kramnik a score of +25.5 - a commanding position since he has the white pieces to come.

Game Two
Vladimir Kramnik - Mikhail Botvinnik
Queen's Indian
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 b6 4.g3 Bb7 5.Bg2 Be7 6.0-0 0-0 7.Re1 d5 8.cxd5

As far as we can go - Botvinnik did not face 8.cxd5

The engines give White an averaged advantage of +11.
Here is the final tournament bracket.

Round of 16               Quarter-Finals          Semi-Finals                      Final
1. Steinitz
v----------------------------Carlsen
16. Carlsen (+102.5)
                                    v................................Tal
8.Tal (+8.5)
v----------------------------Tal (+79.5)
9.Petrosian
                                                                      v.....................................Botvinnik
6. Botvinnik (+66)
v----------------------------Botvinnik (+18.5)
11. Fischer
                                    v.................................Botvinnik (+406.5)
13. Kasparov
v----------------------------Alekhine
4. Alekhine (+21.5)
                                                                                                             v.............................Kramnik
3. Capablanca
v----------------------------Kramnik (+118)
14. Kramnik (+12)
                                     v................................Kramnik (+13)
5. Euwe
v----------------------------Karpov
12. Karpov (+11.5)
                                                                       v.....................................Kramnik (+36.5)
7. Smyslov (+18)
v----------------------------Smyslov (+11.5)
10. Spassky
                                     v................................Smyslov
15. Anand
v----------------------------Lasker
2. Lasker (+50.5)

The Champion Of Champions: Vladimir Kramnik.