Here you will get the top 10 Botvinnik Chess Games. Mikhail Botvinnik was a Russian chess player and chess world champion. Botvinnik remained world chess champion from 1948 to 1963.

Here are some of his best chess games according to chessonly.com. These 10 Botvinnik chess games will help you to understand deeper chess and you will uncover soviet’s mind on how to beat the world. As you know Soviet chess players dominated chess world.

If you are in short of time, you can watch 5 best games of Mikhail Botvinnik.

In these games, most of the games are for d4 players. Here is the list of openings that used in these games.

Openings used by Botvinnik

Caro Kann exchange variation Queen’s Gambit Declined Gruenfeld Defense The Nimzo Indian (Qb3) English Opening French Defense Gruenfeld Defense (Old Line) Nimzo Indian (Qc2) Kings Indian Defense Ruy Lopez

So these are the openings, If you play these openings then I highly recommend watch Botvinnik chess games. Let’s begin.

Botvinnik Chess Game 1:

In this game, Mikhail Botvinnik played caro kan exchange variation (Caro Kann Guide). And his opponent Spilemann got crushed in the opening. This is a good game of caro kann exchange variation.

[Event "Russia"] [Site "It, Moscow (1)"] [Date "1935.??.??"] [Round "?"] [White "Botvinnik Mikhail"] [Black "Spielmann R"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "B13"] [PlyCount "25"] 1. c4 c6 2. e4 d5 3. exd5 cxd5 4. d4 Nf6 5. Nc3 Nc6 6. Bg5 Qb6 7. cxd5 Qxb2 8. Rc1 Nb4 9. Na4 Qxa2 10. Bc4 Bg4 11. Nf3 Bxf3 12. gxf3 Qa3 13. Rc3 1-0 You must activate JavaScript to enhance chess game visualization.

Botvinnik Chess Game 2:

In this game, Botvinnik played Queen’s Gambit Declined (Guide for Queen’s Gambit Declined). This is a new or rare variation against queens gambit declined. Botvinnik castled long and destroyed his opponent. Its a good game for d4 players.

[Event "Leningrad"] [Site "Leningrad"] [Date "1934.??.??"] [Round "?"] [White "Botvinnik Mikhail"] [Black "Alatortsev V"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "D61"] [PlyCount "39"] 1. d4 e6 2. c4 d5 3. Nf3 Be7 4. Nc3 Nf6 5. Bg5 O-O 6. e3 a6 7. cxd5 exd5 8. Bd3 c6 9. Qc2 Nbd7 10. g4 Nxg4 11. Bxh7+ Kh8 12. Bf4 Ndf6 13. Bd3 Nh5 14. h3 Ngf6 15. Be5 Ng8 16. O-O-O Nh6 17. Rdg1 Be6 18. Qe2 Bf5 19. Bxf5 Nxf5 20. Nh4 1-0 You must activate JavaScript to enhance chess game visualization.

Botvinnik Chess Game 3:

This is a game against Gruenfeld Defense (Traps for Gruenfeld Defense). In this game you will learn a golden rule in chess, the rule is that when you have center and domination, don’t exchanges your pieces especially your queen. You will see in the game Botvinnik denied queen exchange offer.

[Event "Ch URS, Leningrad"] [Site "Ch URS, Leningrad"] [Date "1933.??.??"] [Round "?"] [White "Botvinnik Mikhail"] [Black "Yudovich M"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "D96"] [PlyCount "45"] 1. c4 Nf6 2. d4 g6 3. Nc3 d5 4. Nf3 Bg7 5. Qb3 c6 6. cxd5 Nxd5 7. Bd2 O-O 8. e4 Nb6 9. Rd1 N8d7 10. a4 a5 11. Be3 Qc7 12. Be2 Qd6 13. Na2 e6 14. O-O h6 15. Rc1 f5 16. Nc3 Kh7 17. Rfd1 fxe4 18. Nxe4 Qb4 19. Qc2 Qxa4 20. b3 Qa3 21. Nh4 Qe7 22. Nxg6 Kxg6 23. Bh5+ 1-0 You must activate JavaScript to enhance chess game visualization.

Botvinnik Chess Game 4:

The Nimzo Indian is one of the most solid chess opening against d4. But as you know that every chess opening has its advantage and disadvantage. So Botvinnik found a good treatment for Nimzo Indian defense (Nimzo Indian Traps). This is a good weapon for Nimzo players. Let’s have a look.

[Event "Leningrad ch-city"] [Site "Leningrad ch-city"] [Date "1932.??.??"] [Round "?"] [White "Botvinnik Mikhail"] [Black "Myasoyedov G"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "E23"] [PlyCount "53"] 1. d4 e6 2. c4 Nf6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. Qb3 c5 5. dxc5 Nc6 6. Bg5 Qa5 7. Bxf6 gxf6 8. Nf3 Qxc5 9. a3 Ba5 10. e3 a6 11. Be2 Rg8 12. O-O Bc7 13. Ne4 Qe7 14. Qc3 Rg6 15. c5 d5 16. cxd6 Bxd6 17. Rfd1 Bc7 18. Nc5 Kf8 19. Rac1 Be5 20. Nxe5 Nxe5 21. f4 Nc6 22. Bf3 e5 23. b4 Nd8 24. Qd3 Ke8 25. f5 Rg5 26. Ne4 Rg8 27. Nd6+ 1-0 You must activate JavaScript to enhance chess game visualization.

Botvinnik Chess Game 5:

English opening is a very good choice against amateurs. Because its less prepared and one who has good strategical thinking will win the game. It often converts in d4 opening. So in this game, you will see that instead of castling Botvinnik played Kf2. It’s a interesting game. check out also English Opening Traps: ( Flank Opening Traps ).

[Event "Russia"] [Site "Ch URS, Moscow (4)"] [Date "1940.??.??"] [Round "?"] [White "Botvinnik Mikhail"] [Black "Levenfish G"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "A28"] [PlyCount "53"] 1. c4 e5 2. Nc3 Nf6 3. Nf3 Nc6 4. d4 exd4 5. Nxd4 Bb4 6. Bg5 h6 7. Bh4 Bxc3+ 8. bxc3 Ne5 9. e3 Ng6 10. Bg3 Ne4 11. Qc2 Nxg3 12. hxg3 d6 13. f4 Qe7 14. Kf2 Nf8 15. c5 dxc5 16. Bb5+ Nd7 17. Nf5 Qf6 18. Rad1 g6 19. Nxh6 Rf8 20. g4 a6 21. g5 Qe6 22. Be2 Nb6 23. Ng4 Ke7 24. Nf6 Qc6 25. Rh7 Bf5 26. e4 Be6 27. f5 1-0 You must activate JavaScript to enhance chess game visualization.

Botvinnik Chess Game 6:

If you play e4 openings, then this is a way to play against French Defense. French Defense is a very solid opening but its a bit passive. If you are playing white then you must play aggressively against French Defense. This is a game played by Botvinnik against French Defense. (Helpful: French Defense Traps ).

[Event "Russia"] [Site "Tournament, Leningrad"] [Date "1927.??.??"] [Round "?"] [White "Botvinnik Mikhail"] [Black "Ragozin V"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "C16"] [PlyCount "67"] 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e5 f6 5. Nf3 c5 6. a3 Ba5 7. b4 cxb4 8. Nb5 Nc6 9. axb4 Bc7 10. c3 Nge7 11. exf6 gxf6 12. Bd3 O-O 13. O-O Bd7 14. Bh6 Rf7 15. Qd2 e5 16. dxe5 Nxe5 17. Nxe5 fxe5 18. Nxc7 Qxc7 19. Qg5+ Kh8 20. Qh5 Be6 21. Rae1 e4 22. c4 Rf5 23. Qe2 Qe5 24. Bc1 Qd6 25. cxd5 exd3 26. Bb2+ Kg8 27. Qg4+ Ng6 28. Rxe6 Qxd5 29. Rxg6+ hxg6 30. Qxg6+ Kf8 31. Qg7+ Ke8 32. Re1+ Kd8 33. Qe7+ Kc8 34. Rc1+ 1-0 You must activate JavaScript to enhance chess game visualization.

Botvinnik Chess Game 7:

This is one of the oldest lines in gruenfeld. Black gives up his bishop on f3. This line used in the past, White has clear advantage of bishop pair. Let’s see how Botvinnik deals with Gruenfeld.

[Event "Russia"] [Site "Match, Leningrad (3)"] [Date "1940.??.??"] [Round "?"] [White "Botvinnik Mikhail"] [Black "Ragozin V"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "D94"] [PlyCount "63"] 1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. e3 g6 5. Nf3 Bg7 6. Bd3 O-O 7. O-O Bg4 8. h3 Bxf3 9. Qxf3 dxc4 10. Bxc4 Nbd7 11. Rd1 e5 12. d5 c5 13. d6 Rb8 14. e4 Ne8 15. Be3 a6 16. a4 Rc8 17. Rd2 h6 18. Rad1 Nef6 19. Nd5 Nxd5 20. Bxd5 Rb8 21. Qe2 Kh7 22. Rc2 Qf6 23. Ba2 Rbc8 24. b4 cxb4 25. Rc7 Rxc7 26. dxc7 Nb6 27. Bxb6 Qxb6 28. Qc4 Rc8 29. Rd7 Qc6 30. Qxc6 bxc6 31. Rxf7 c5 32. Be6 1-0 You must activate JavaScript to enhance chess game visualization.

Botvinnik Chess Game 8:

If you play d4, then you must have prepared against Nimzo Indian Defense, There are six lines against Nimzo Indian, one of them is Qc2. This game shows us how to play against Nimzo Indian with Qc2.



[Event "URS"] [Site "URS"] [Date "1929.??.??"] [Round "?"] [White "Botvinnik Mikhail"] [Black "Silich B"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "E32"] [PlyCount "57"] 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 b6 3. Nc3 Bb7 4. Qc2 e6 5. e4 Bb4 6. Bd3 Bxc3+ 7. bxc3 d6 8. Ne2 c5 9. O-O Nc6 10. f4 Qe7 11. d5 Na5 12. Ng3 O-O-O 13. Qe2 h5 14. e5 Ne8 15. exd6 Nxd6 16. f5 e5 17. f6 gxf6 18. Nxh5 f5 19. Ng7 e4 20. Nxf5 Nxf5 21. Rxf5 Qd6 22. Qxe4 Qxh2+ 23. Kf2 Rde8 24. Qf4 Qh4+ 25. Qxh4 Rxh4 26. Bf4 Rf8 27. Bd6 Rg8 28. Rxf7 Kd8 29. Re1 1-0 You must activate JavaScript to enhance chess game visualization.

Botvinnik Chess Game 9:

Kings Indian Defense is very sharp and complicated opening just like Sicilian Defense. Here is one of the strongest and sharper line against Kings Indian Defense its called Samisch Variation. Let’s watch this game.



[Event "Moscow ch-SU"] [Site "Moscow ch-SU"] [Date "1931.??.??"] [Round "?"] [White "Botvinnik Mikhail"] [Black "Alatortsev V"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "E85"] [PlyCount "59"] 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. f3 Bg7 4. e4 d6 5. Nc3 O-O 6. Be3 e5 7. Nge2 Nc6 8. Qd2 Nd7 9. d5 Ne7 10. g3 f5 11. Bg2 fxe4 12. fxe4 Nf6 13. h3 b6 14. b3 Kh8 15. g4 Neg8 16. Ng3 Bd7 17. O-O-O h6 18. g5 hxg5 19. h4 Bg4 20. hxg5+ Nh5 21. Nce2 Ne7 22. Rh4 Qd7 23. Rdh1 Kg8 24. Rxg4 Qxg4 25. Bh3 Qf3 26. Rf1 Nxg3 27. Be6+ Kh8 28. Rxf3 Rxf3 29. Nxg3 Rxg3 30. Qh2+ 1-0 You must activate JavaScript to enhance chess game visualization.

Botvinnik Chess Game 10:

Ruy Lopez is one of the sound and old opening. It is very rich in theory, Lets watch a game and see how Botvinnik handles Ruy Lopez.