Mikhail Moiseevich Botvinnik (1911, Kuokkala now Repino Leningrad region – 1995, Moscow), world chess champion (1948-1957, 1958-1960, 1961-1963), Doctor of Technical Sciences (1951). In 16 years, made his debut in the USSR Championship in Moscow, following the rule of masters of sports. In the 1930′s has successfully made a number of major competitions in Moscow: USSR Championship (1931, 1 st place), the match with the Czechoslovak grandmaster C. Flora (1933, Moscow – Leningrad, by 6:6), international tournaments, 1935 and 1936 period (1-2-e and 2 nd place). Became the first Soviet grandmaster. Actively served in the Moscow chess press; by securities analysis in the theory and the debut of the endgame. A method of preparing for a competition, used by several generations of players. Since 1944, in Moscow. In 1948, the Hall of Columns was crowned with a laurel wreath of the world champion for the victory in the match-tournament, held in The Hague and Moscow. Participant 7 games in the World Championship (1951-63, all took place in Moscow). In 1956 he headed the team of the USSR – winner of the World Chess Olympiad in Moscow and won the Moscow International tournament in memory of A. Alekhine. After graduating in 1970, sports performance (match century USSR squad – team of the world), dealt with problems of artificial intelligence, working on a computer chess program “Pioneer”, supervised youth chess school sports society “Work”, which in different years were engaged in the future world champions AE Karpov and Kasparov, GK.
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Encyclopedia “Moscow”
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Mikhail Botvinnik Moiseevich [17 (30) August 1911, Kuokkala now Repino, Leningrad region. - May 5, 1995, Moscow], Russia’s chess. 6-th in the history of chess world champion (1948-1957, 1958-1960, 1961-1963). International Grandmaster (1950), Honored Master of Sports (1945). 7-time Champion of the USSR (1931-1952). Honored Worker of Culture of the RSFSR (1971). Doctor of Technical Sciences, Professor.

First successes.

He learned to play chess at 12 years and two years later had the first level. The victory over world champion Capablanca in a simultaneous game (1925, Leningrad) brought him first fame and gave confidence. At age 16 the youngest master of sport in the country has successfully debuted in the national championship, divided 5-6-th place among 21 participants. In 1928-1932 he studied at the Polytechnic Institute. In the early 1930′s became one of the strongest players of the country after victories at the USSR championships (1931, 1933) and Leningrad (1931-1932). In 1933, played a draw (3:3) match with S. Floro, a grandmaster from Czechoslovakia, later lived in the USSR. In 1935 he married Gayane Ananevoy – ballerina of the Mariinsky Theater, which became the faithful companion of life.

Practitioners and analysts.

In 1935-1936, after a successful performance in three major international tournaments, won the 1 st and 2 nd place in Moscow (1935) and Nottingham (1936) and 2 nd place in Moscow (1936), became one of the candidates soccer and reached an agreement to play a match with Alekhine, who noted the young rival, in addition to great talent necessary for success, courage, endurance, precise sense. Because of the outbreak of war, the match never took place. Botvinnik lot of time to work on chess analysis, developed and published (1939) a special method of preparing for a competition, which became a guide for several generations of local players. The style of his game has evolved from a combination of the universal. He has made a valuable contribution to the debut of the theory by introducing a new practice to continue in the early English, Slavic and Dutch Defense and several other debuts. The future world chess champion during the war he worked as an engineer in Perm as a specialist in high voltage insulation. In 1945, the head of the USSR national team in the historic radiomatche with the U.S. team, which defeated the Soviet chess 15,5:4,5 (Botvinnik won at the first board in the U.S. A. Denker champion with a score of 2:0). After the sudden death of Alekhine (1946) became the main contender for the title of world champion. Won major tournaments in Groningen (1946) and Moscow (1947). Won the match-tournament for the world championship (1948), became the sixth in the history of chess world champion, beating runner-ups at three points. In the years 1951-1963 played 7 games in the world championship – two draw 12:12 (with D. Bronstein, 1951 and V. Smyslov, 1954), three lost (V. Smyslov, 1957 – 9,5:12,5; Tal , 1960 – 8,5:12,5 and T. Petrosian, 1963 – 9,5:12,5) and won two rematch (with Smyslov, 1958 – 12,5:10,5 and Tal, 1961 – 13 : 8), became the only chess player, twice returned the title of champion. His words “one world championship match takes two years of life” is often repeated by the next champions.

Scientific and educational activities.

Botvinnik has successfully combined his chess activities with academic work in the field of electronics, becoming the author of several inventions that are patented in various countries. In 1951 he defended his doctoral thesis: “Regulation of excitation and static stability of synchronous machines. Since the early 1970′s worked on the creation of artificial chess master – the computer program “Pioneer”. For many years, led the youth chess school in which engaged in the future world champions Karpov and Kasparov, famous international grandmasters A. Sokolov, A. Yusupov, EA Ahmylovskaya-Donaldson, N. Ioseliani and other grandmasters and masters. About 30 years headed the Society of Friendship “CCCR – Netherlands. Total played in tournaments and matches of 1202 Party, which scored 610 victories and made 453 draws (scored 70% points).

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