The writings of Mikhail Moiseevich
Botvinnik (1911 1995) are legendary. And Botvinnik?s legacy is deeply
imprinted in the DNA of every grandmaster today, says Andy Soltis in his
foreword tot this book. ?The Patriarch? took professionalism in chess to
a new level and was the first to emphasize preparation: what a player
does before a game plays an enormous, if not decisive, role in what
happens during a game.
In this book, Botvinnik writes the story
of the three clashes with his compatriot Vasily Smyslov, matches full of
tension between two virtually equal opponents, and his match with Tigran
Petrosian, which marks the end of an era: the mighty Botvinnik lost his
world title fifteen years after he conquered the highest crown for the
first time.
The first part of this book gives Botvinnik?s view of
three World Championship matches and how he prepared for them. The
matches were as great a clash of personalities as in any world
championship, as much as Karpov versus Kasparov. While Botvinnik played
the role of a stern father, Smyslov was like the smiling, easy-going
uncle. Botvinnik was proud of what he called his ?hard character?.
Smyslov seemed to get along with everyone. His attitude was to try to do
his best and let fate decide.
The last part of the book is the
gripping account of a heroic battle. The ageing Botvinnik desperately
tries to bounce back after his Armenian opponent Tigran Petrosian has
taken an early lead but ultimately The Patriarch fails.
Mikhail Botvinnik,
one of the greatest chess players of all time, analyses many of the
games, reveals his match strategy and comments on the strategic choices
of his opponent. This important historical document also features
annotations and writings by Smyslov, Petrosian and other top
grandmasters, the games of a secret training match by Botvinnik and
Botvinnik?s legendary notebooks, including the final one containing his
preparation for a match with Bobby Fischer in 1969 a match that was
never to be.