[chessmind] Dennis Monokroussos: Quotation Time #3: The Winner Is...

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Posted by Dennis Monokroussos:
Quotation Time #3: The Winner Is...
http://chessmind.powerblogs.com/posts/1206264255.shtml


   "Naisortep", who correctly guessed (or rather knew) that the following
   quote was from Mikhail Botvinnik:

     I took with me several hundred of Fischer's games and set off to
     the Black Sea for two weeks to prepare for the match. Fischer's
     games did not provide any surprises with their strategic ideas.
     These were known to any experienced player from old games (even
     before Fischer). But the American grandmaster's tactical
     resourcefulness, his energy in carrying out his plans, and his
     striving for activity at the very first opportunity were
     staggering.

   The plan was for Botvinnik to close his illustrious career in 1970
   with an 18-game match with Bobby Fischer in Leiden, Germany.
   Unfortunately, Fischer changed his mind and decided that he wouldn't
   play unless it was a match of unlimited duration, with the winner
   being the first player to win six games. Alas!

   The part of the comment that claims Fischer created no new strategic
   ideas sounds a bit harsh, but if Botvinnik is reporting on his late
   1969/early 1970 perspective, that evaluation may not be unreasonable.
   Fischer had only played one game in 1969, hadn't faced too many top
   class opponents since 1967, and he possessed an exceptionally limited
   opening repertoire at the time. It's at least possible that Botvinnik
   might have revised his opinion somewhat when speaking of the 1970-1972
   Fischer - though not guaranteed. At any rate, the rest of his comment
   about Fischer is quite positive, so it would be wrong to view the
   comment as dismissive or Soviet propaganda.