World Chess Championship 1954 Explained

Comp1:Mikhail Botvinnik
Comp2:Vasily Smyslov
Title1:Defending champion
Title2:Challenger
Flag1:URS
Flag2:URS
Flag1 Variant:1936
Flag2 Variant:1936
Dob1:17 August 1911
Age1:42 years old
Dob2:24 March 1921
Age2:32/33 years old
Qual1:Winner of the 1951 World Chess Championship
Qual2:Winner of the 1953 Candidates Tournament
Prev:1951
Prev Link:World Chess Championship 1951
Next:1957
Next Link:World Chess Championship 1957
Score1:12
Score2:12

A World Chess Championship was played between Mikhail Botvinnik and Vasily Smyslov in Moscow from March 16 to May 13, 1954. Botvinnik had been World Champion since 1948 and had successfully defended the title in 1951, while Smyslov earned the right to challenge by winning the 1953 Candidates tournament.

The match was drawn 12–12, meaning Botvinnik retained the world title.

1952 Interzonal tournament

An interzonal tournament was held at Saltsjöbaden in Stockholm, Sweden, in September and October 1952. The top eight finishers qualified for the Candidates tournament.

1952 Interzonal Tournament
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 Total Tie break
1 x ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ 1 1 1 1 1 ½ ½ 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 16½
2 ½ x ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ 1 ½ ½ ½ 1 1 1 ½ 1 ½ ½ 1 1 13½ 125.50
3 ½ ½ x ½ ½ ½ 1 ½ ½ ½ ½ 1 ½ ½ 1 1 ½ 1 1 1 ½ 13½ 125.00
4 ½ ½ ½ x ½ 1 0 0 1 ½ 1 ½ ½ ½ 1 ½ 1 1 1 1 ½ 13
5 ½ ½ ½ ½ x 0 ½ 1 ½ ½ ½ ½ 1 ½ ½ 1 ½ 1 1 1 ½ 12½ 115.25
6 ½ ½ ½ 0 1 x 0 1 ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ 1 1 1 0 1 1 ½ 1 12½ 115.00
7 0 ½ 0 1 ½ 1 x ½ ½ 1 ½ ½ ½ ½ 1 1 ½ ½ 1 ½ 1 12½ 114.25
8 0 ½ ½ 1 0 0 ½ x 0 ½ ½ ½ 1 1 ½ 1 1 1 1 1 1 12½ 105.50
9 0 0 ½ 0 ½ ½ ½ 1 x ½ 0 ½ 1 ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ 1 ½ ½ 11½
10 0 ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ 0 ½ ½ x ½ 1 0 ½ 0 ½ 1 ½ 1 1 1 10½
11 0 ½ ½ 0 ½ ½ ½ ½ 1 ½ x 1 0 ½ ½ ½ 1 0 ½ ½ 1 10 93.75
12 ½ ½ 0 ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ 0 0 x ½ ½ 1 ½ ½ 1 1 ½ ½ 10 92.50
13 ½ 0 ½ ½ 0 ½ ½ 0 0 1 1 ½ x ½ 0 0 1 1 ½ 1 1 10 88.50
14 0 0 ½ ½ ½ 0 ½ 0 ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ x 0 ½ 1 ½ 1 ½ 1 9
15 0 0 0 0 ½ 0 0 ½ ½ 1 ½ 0 1 1 x 1 ½ 0 0 1 ½ 8
16 0 ½ 0 ½ 0 0 0 0 0 ½ ½ ½ 1 ½ 0 x 0 1 1 ½ 1 7½
17 0 0 ½ 0 ½ 1 ½ 0 0 0 0 ½ 0 0 ½ 1 x ½ 0 1 1 7
18 0 ½ 0 0 0 0 ½ 0 0 ½ 1 0 0 ½ 1 0 ½ x ½ 0 1 6
19 0 ½ 0 0 0 0 0 0 ½ 0 ½ 0 ½ 0 1 0 1 ½ x ½ 0 5
20 0 0 0 0 0 ½ ½ 0 0 0 ½ ½ 0 ½ 0 ½ 0 1 ½ x 0 4½ 39.25
21 0 0 ½ ½ ½ 0 0 0 0 0 0 ½ 0 0 ½ 0 0 0 1 1 x 4½ 38.00

Only the top five were supposed to have qualified for a 12-player Candidates Tournament, but four players were tied for fifth place, and since the Sonneborn-Berger tie-break margins were so small, all four were included.[1] The tournament was surrounded by some controversy as the five Soviet players took the top five spots – having drawn every single game amongst themselves, several of them after suspiciously few moves.[1] Originally, the 1952 Interzonal was supposed to have featured 22 players, but Julio Bolbochán of Argentina suffered a hemorrhage and had to withdraw after a first-round adjournment.

1953 Candidates tournament

The Candidates tournament was held in Zürich, Switzerland, from August to October 1953, with the winner qualifying for the championship match against Botvinnik.

The field consisted of 15 players: The top eight from the 1952 Interzonal, the top five from the previous Candidates Tournament (Bronstein, Boleslavsky, Smyslov, Keres, and Najdorf), and the last two players from the 1948 championships not already qualified (Reshevsky and Euwe).

After 22 rounds, Smyslov and Reshevsky were tied for the lead on 13.5 points out of 21, followed by Bronstein on 12.5 and Keres on 12. Smyslov took a decisive lead in the next few rounds:

So in those three rounds, Smyslov scored 2/2 while Reshevsky scored ½/3. After round 25 the leaders were: Smyslov 15.5 with a game in hand, Reshevsky 14, Bronstein 13.5, Keres 13 with a game in hand. Smyslov drew his five remaining games, beginning with Bronstein in round 26.

Smyslov qualified as challenger by winning the tournament.[2]

Player 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 Total
1 align=left xx ½½ 11 ½1 ½½ 11 ½½ ½0 ½½½½½½½½1½111½18
2-4align=left ½½ xx 1½ 11 ½½ ½0 ½½ ½½ 1½½½½½011½½½½½16
2-4 align=left 000½xx ½½ ½1 ½1 ½½ ½½ ½½0½111½½1½½1116
2-4 align=left ½0 00 ½½ xx ½½ ½½ ½½ 10½½½1½11½½1111½16
5 align=left ½½ ½½ ½0 ½½ xx ½½ 0½ ½½ 00½½½½11½11½1115
6-7 align=left 00½1½0½½ ½½xx 11½001½½011½½101½½14½
6-7 align=left ½½½½½½½½1½00xx 1½1½½0½½½½½½0½1114½
8-9align=left ½1½½½½01½½½10½xx 101½00101½0½0114
8-9 align=left ½½0½½½½½11100½01xx 10½½½½½00½1114
10-11 align=left ½½½½1½0½½½½½1½0½01 xx ½½ ½½ 0½ 11 0013½
10-11 align=left ½½½½00½0½½10½½11½½ ½½ xx ½0 ½½ ½1 ½½13½
12 align=left ½½100½0½000½½½01½½ ½½ ½1 xx 1½ ½½ 1½ 13
13 align=left 0½0½½0½0½0½0½½0½½1 1½ ½½ 0½ xx ½1 11 12½
14 align=left 00½½½½000½101½1½1½ 00 ½0 ½½ ½0 xx 1½ 11½
15 align=left 0½½½000½00½½0010 0011 ½½ 0½ 00 0½ xx 8

Allegations of Soviet collusion

There have been allegations of Soviet collusion in the Candidates tournament. Most sensationally, writing in the early 2000s, David Bronstein alleged that certain players were pressured to ensure Smyslov would win ahead of Reshevsky. He alleged that Keres was pressured to make a quick draw with white in his round 24 game against Smyslov, but that Keres resisted this, but the pressure made him in no fit state to play (and he lost).[3] He also alleged that he (Bronstein) was pressured to make a draw with white against Smyslov in round 26, and he complied by playing the unaggressive Ruy Lopez exchange variation.[4]

Soon after the article emerged, Smyslov replied, criticising the allegations, though Andy Soltis read that as meaning he didn't deny them. Yuri Averbakh said that Bronstein "cannot be 100% objective" on his world championship attempts.[5]

Books

The tournament is famous for the strength of the players, the high quality of the games, and books on the tournament by participants David Bronstein and Miguel Najdorf that are regarded as among the best tournament books ever written.

1954 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

World Chess Championship Match 1954
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 1 1 ½ 1 ½ ½ 0 ½ 0 0 0 1 1 0 1 1 ½ ½ ½ 0 ½ ½ 0 ½ 12
align=left 0 0 ½ 0 ½ ½ 1 ½ 1 1 1 0 0 1 0 0 ½ ½ ½ 1 ½ ½ 1 ½ 12

Botvinnik retained the Championship.[6]

Notes and References

  1. http://www.mark-weeks.com/chess/5254$iix.htm 1952 Saltsjobaden Interzonal Tournament
  2. http://www.mark-weeks.com/chess/5254$cix.htm 1953 Zurich Candidates Tournament
  3. Web site: Treachery in Zurich, part 1 . 5 April 2018 . Chess Cafe. Andy Soltis. 2002 . https://web.archive.org/web/20060613223750/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/skittles171.pdf. 13 June 2006.
  4. Web site: Treachery in Zurich, part 2 . 5 April 2018 . Chess Cafe. Andy Soltis. 2002 . https://web.archive.org/web/20060613223819/http://www.chesscafe.com:80/text/skittles173.pdf. 13 June 2006.
  5. Web site: Yuri Averbakh, An Interview with History, Part 1 . 5 April 2018 . Chess Cafe. Taylor Kingston. 2002 . https://web.archive.org/web/20060613224036/http://www.chesscafe.com:80/text/skittles181.pdf. 13 June 2006.
  6. http://www.mark-weeks.com/chess/5254$wix.htm 1954 Botvinnik - Smyslov Title Match

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "World Chess Championship 1954".

Except where otherwise indicated, Everything.Explained.Today is © Copyright 2009-2024, A B Cryer, All Rights Reserved. Cookie policy.