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Title matches

Botvinnik v Tal 1961

Moscow · Mar 1961

Botvinnik 13–8 Tal

Botvinnik won 13–8.

Momentum

The score gap, game by game: up is Botvinnik.

Tal +5levelBotvinnik +5startgame 21

The coach's numbers

Mikhail Botvinnik91.7 · 2 blunders, 22 mistakes
Mikhail Tal91.0 · 3 blunders, 16 mistakes

The costliest move

The move that cost the match's loser the most, in a game they lost.

Botvinnik v Tal 1961, Game 18

Tal v Botvinnik · 0–1

38. Bf5 by Tal: chances 51% → 31%

The coach: Rg1 instead (the arrow) — with it, it was about level.

Replay it: Study › Follow a live game › World Championship 1961: Botvinnik v Tal › Game 18

Every game

Each line is White's chances move by move, as the coach saw them; above the middle, White is better. The mark is the costliest move.

Game 1: Botvinnik v Tal 1–0

41 moves · c4 Nf6 Nc3 e6 · accuracy Botvinnik 93.1, Tal 93.0

Costliest move: 9. Nb5 (Botvinnik, 58% → 46%)

Game 2: Tal v Botvinnik 1–0

45 moves · e4 c6 d4 d5 · accuracy Tal 95.4, Botvinnik 92.8

Costliest move: 44... b3 (Botvinnik, 30% → 17%)

Game 3: Botvinnik v Tal 1–0

43 moves · c4 Nf6 Nc3 e6 · accuracy Botvinnik 91.3, Tal 88.5

Costliest move: 37... d3 (Tal, 36% → 24%)

Game 4: Tal v Botvinnik ½–½

41 moves · e4 c6 d4 d5 · accuracy Tal 87.8, Botvinnik 87.6

Costliest move: 16. Na4 (Tal, 60% → 38%)

Game 5: Botvinnik v Tal ½–½

73 moves · c4 Nf6 Nc3 e6 · accuracy Botvinnik 92.6, Tal 90.8

No move cost more than 12%.

Game 6: Tal v Botvinnik ½–½

25 moves · e4 c6 d4 d5 · accuracy Tal 91.8, Botvinnik 91.6

No move cost more than 12%.

Game 7: Botvinnik v Tal 1–0

33 moves · c4 Nf6 Nc3 e6 · accuracy Botvinnik 93.2, Tal 89.4

Costliest move: 23... Qe7 (Tal, 29% → 13%)

Game 8: Tal v Botvinnik 1–0

29 moves · e4 c6 d4 d5 · accuracy Tal 95.5, Botvinnik 90.2

Costliest move: 27... Bxe5 (Botvinnik, 28% → 3%)

Game 9: Botvinnik v Tal 1–0

73 moves · c4 Nf6 Nc3 e5 · accuracy Botvinnik 94.1, Tal 92.9

Costliest move: 9... a4 (Tal, 54% → 40%)

Game 10: Tal v Botvinnik 0–1

42 moves · e4 c6 d4 d5 · accuracy Tal 85.9, Botvinnik 89.8

Costliest move: 29. g5 (Tal, 33% → 18%)

Game 11: Botvinnik v Tal 1–0

42 moves · d4 Nf6 c4 c6 · accuracy Botvinnik 94.3, Tal 91.3

No move cost more than 12%.

Game 12: Tal v Botvinnik 1–0

41 moves · e4 e6 d4 d5 · accuracy Tal 91.2, Botvinnik 89.5

Costliest move: 28... Bxh5 (Botvinnik, 35% → 18%)

Game 13: Botvinnik v Tal 1–0

41 moves · d4 Nf6 c4 g6 · accuracy Botvinnik 92.9, Tal 90.8

Costliest move: 30... Bxa4+ (Tal, 41% → 24%)

Game 14: Tal v Botvinnik ½–½

33 moves · e4 c6 d4 d5 · accuracy Tal 92.2, Botvinnik 92.9

Costliest move: 11. Qf3 (Tal, 63% → 49%)

Game 15: Botvinnik v Tal 1–0

63 moves · d4 Nf6 c4 g6 · accuracy Botvinnik 91.7, Tal 89.6

Costliest move: 39... Ke8 (Tal, 26% → 5%)

Game 16: Tal v Botvinnik ½–½

90 moves · e4 c6 d4 d5 · accuracy Tal 91.8, Botvinnik 92.2

Costliest move: 82... Qxb4 (Botvinnik, 50% → 30%)

Game 17: Botvinnik v Tal 0–1

83 moves · d4 g6 e4 Bg7 · accuracy Botvinnik 91.5, Tal 93.0

Costliest move: 38. Bf3 (Botvinnik, 62% → 44%)

Game 18: Tal v Botvinnik 0–1

41 moves · e4 c6 d4 d5 · accuracy Tal 89.9, Botvinnik 91.7

Costliest move: 38. Bf5 (Tal, 51% → 31%)

Game 19: Botvinnik v Tal 0–1

75 moves · d4 Nf6 c4 d6 · accuracy Botvinnik 92.1, Tal 93.5

Costliest move: 71. Rd8+ (Botvinnik, 22% → 3%)

Game 20: Tal v Botvinnik ½–½

121 moves · e4 c6 d4 d5 · accuracy Tal 93.1, Botvinnik 91.7

Costliest move: 115... Kb7 (Botvinnik, 29% → 10%)

Game 21: Botvinnik v Tal 1–0

33 moves · d4 Nf6 c4 g6 · accuracy Botvinnik 89.1, Tal 83.7

Costliest move: 10... a6 (Tal, 53% → 34%)

Study Botvinnik v Tal with the coach

Every game of this match is in ChessFlex. Replay it move by move with the coach's three best moves, guess each of Botvinnik's moves before you see them, ask the coach why, or take the seat at any moment and play it out against the bots.

In the app: Study › Follow a live game › World Championship 1961: Botvinnik v Tal › Game 1

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