From Russia with love | 2 April 2015

In the James Bond film From Russia with Love there is an evil mastermind named Kronsteen. The character is in some ways based on the Russian chess genius David Bronstein, and the chess game ‘from the Venice International Tournament’ that forms the backdrop to the opening sequence is taken from a game between Bronstein and Boris Spassky. A new book by Steve Giddins, Bronstein Move by Move (Everyman Chess), gives a superb insight into the creative processes of the chessboard colossus through a series of deeply annotated games. This week’s game and notes are based on those in this highly rewarding and entertaining book.

Botvinnik-Bronstein; World Championship Moscow (Game 17) 1951; Nimzo-Indian Defence

1 d4 Nf6 2 c4 e6 3 Nc3 Bb4 4 e3 b6 5 Nge2 Ba6 6 a3 Be7 7 Ng3 d5 8 cxd5 Bxf1 9 Nxf1 exd5 10 Ng3 Qd7 Black has emerged from the opening with a good game. He has solved all his development problems, and the exchange of light-squared bishops has left White with weaknesses on the light squares, as well as a rather poor bishop. 11 Qf3 Nc6 12 0-0 g6 13 Bd2 0-0 14 Nce2 h5 Seizing the initiative, and threatening to drive back the knight from g3, thus further undermining White’s hopes of achieving e4. 15 Rfc1 h4 16 Nf1 Ne4 17 Nf4 a5 18 Rc2 Bd8 19 Be1 Ne7 20 Qe2 Nd6 (see diagram 1) 21 f3 The advance e4 is White’s only real hope of serious counterplay, so he feels obliged to attempt it, but there is always the risk that, if he fails to get in e4 in favourable circumstances, f3 will just prove to be a weakening, as in fact happens. 21 … g5 22 Nd3 Qe6 23 a4 Ng6 24 h3 f5 25 Bc3 Bronstein writes that Botvinnik clearly feared … Rf7, … Bf6 and … f4, so he overprotects d4.