For starters, it shows Mikhail Botvinnik on the losing side.
Not only that, but he loses in 26 moves after going pawn-grabbing ... twice.
Notes in italics are by Savielly Tartakower and Julius du Mont, algebraicised from 500 Master Games Of Chess.
Ilya Kan - Mikhail Botvinnik
Moscow 1935
Vienna Gambit
1.e4 e5
The future world champion would become famous for his love of the French Defence, but in this tournament, in which he shared first place with Salo Flohr, he only met 1.e4 with 1...e5, although Botvinnik did get a French after replying to 1.d4 with 1...e6.
2.Nc3 Nf6 3.f4 d5 4.fxe5 Nxe4 5.Nf3 Nc6 6.Qe2
A grave disappointment would result from a quiet developing continuation by 6.Be2, eg 6...Bc5 (threat: 7...Nf2, "mating" the queen) 7.d4 Nxd4 (a cruel surprise) 8.Nxd4 Qh4+ 9.g3 Nxg3 10.Nf3 Bf2+ (more trouble) 11.Kxf2 Ne4+ 12.Ke3 Qh6+ (more convincing even than 12...Qf7+) 13.Kd4 c5+ 14.Kxd5 Qc6+ 15.Kc4 Be6+ and wins.
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| Position after 15...Be6+ |
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This is a fascinating line, but it is far from clear White is lost at the end of it.
After 16.Kd3 Nf2+ (stronger than 16...0-0-0+, according to Stockfish16 and Komodo14.1) 17.Ke3 Nxd1+ 18.Rxd1 White has three minor pieces, including the bishop-pair, for queen and pawn. Komodo14.1 believes Black is winning, but Stockfish16 gives Black only a slight edge.
The engines reckon Black has a significant improvement with 13...Qb6+!? 14.Kd3 Nf2+ 15.Kd2 Nxd1. After 16.Kxd1 (or 16.Rxd1) Black has a pawn more than in the authors' line, and the black queen is more active.
Everything up to 12...Qh6+ was seen in Torsten Lang (2374) - Tobias Bärwinkel (2319), German League 2007. That game continued 13.Ng5?! Qxg5+ 14.Kd4 Qh4? (14...c5+) 15.Nxe4 Qxe4+ 16.Kc3 d4+ 17.Kb3 0-0 with an unclear position (1-0, 48 moves).
6...Bf5 7.Qb5?!
An optimistic sally, which - succeeds! Caution dictates 7.d3.
The engines strongly agree with this, although in ChessBase's 2024 Mega database the text scores 33%, two percentage points higher than 7.d3.
7...Nc5
Instinctively, Black wants to protect his two pawns (d5 and b7). A reply which meets the case is at once 7...a6, and then if 8.Qxb7 or 8.Qxd5 [then] 8...Nb4, which shows that the white queen has entered the fray without due preparation.
8.d4 a6 9.Qe2 Ne4?!
The engines reckon Black is better after 9...Ne6, as played by Joseph Blackburne in a win over George Gossip at the 1889 USA Congress in New York.
10.Qe3!?
White has restored the balance, and now maintains the superior grouping of his forces (a good centre, open f file, etc). The 'pawn sacrifice' is basically sound.
10...Nxc3 11.bxc3 Bxc2
Accepting the Greek gift.
12.Qf2 Bf5 13.Ne4 Be6
The engines prefer the more-active 13...Be4.
14.Bd3
Well developed at the price of a pawn, this bishop is becoming very active.
14...Qd7 15.0-0 Na5 16.Nf5 0-0-0
Or 16...g6 17.Nh4 with fresh targets.
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| Now both sides have castled, how would you assess the position? |
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As usual, positions with opposite-side castling are hard to evaluate. Komodo14.1 claims complete equality, but Stockfish16 gives Black a slight edge.
17.Qe2 Qc6 18.Rb1!? h6
Not 18...Qxc3? 19.Bd2 Qa3 20.Bxa6! etc.
19.Bd2 Nc4 20.Ne3 Nxe3!? 21.Bxe3 Qxc3?
Having had, at all times, a difficult game, Black has at least secured an advantage in material. As against this, the new [half-]open file will soon make itself felt.
Botvinnik's decision to grab a second pawn is extraordinary. Most club players, I believe, would avoid this error even if they could not see how it would be refuted.
22.Rfc1 Qa5 23.Qc2
The final assault.
23...c6 24.Bd2 Qc7 25.Qa4
All White's forces are cooperating. The two-fold threat now is 26.Bxa6 and 26.Ba5.
25...Rd7
There is no saving clause.
26.Bxa6! 1-0
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