Great Players of the Past: Mikhail Botvinnik, Lecture by GM Ben Finegold

[@Deucely]

Merry Christmas everyone! From the Botvinnik of my heart!

[@markhecht3732]

Thanks Ben. When I was young, going through Botvinnik's One Hundred Selected Games was a revelation to me. This was a great lecture and I share your respect for him. He was a great player, writer, and teacher.

[@KnightToRemember]

13:25 The truth hurts! Hanging queen

[@abelchess8430]

i came for this only

[@some19ice]

And after the king moved, Queen E6 checkmate. 😄😄

[@knightrider585]

Yeah I just had to go back to check if there was an extra defender hiding somewhere, but no.

[@knightrider585]

I guess he meant Qf3, not Qf5.

[@fatihnuger]

Yeah I immediately noticed that too and knew something was off.

[@SanyaJuutilainen]

It's the Christmas miracle!

[@NeoXSpirit]

it's the benmass finacle

[@FossTelevision]

@@SanyaJuutilainen fries

[@dsatorius7810]

Great video, Grandmaster Finegold! Love your content!

[@philipomeara2804]

Excellent lecture thank you!

[@douglaslarosa8782]

ASTOUNDING LECTURE! All of the games kept me hooked from beginning to end. Merry Christmas and thank you, Ben! (but stay merry)

[@81OH4Z4RD]

Hi. Thanks for the lecture. Hope your Winter holidays are warm and bright.

[@enigmaofhustlestrap3392]

Divine timing, Ben!

[@RobsMiscellania]

Big fan of Botvinnik, thanks for this. Happy holidays!!

[@MaxEronin]

Thank you, Ben!

[@mikemurray2027]

That was great. Thanks.

[@pschneider1968]

This lecture came like a Christmas gift. Thank you Ben, Merry Christmas! 🎅🎄

[@brett4756]

Thanks Ben! Merry Christmas 2024!

[@bogdanpancencu9709]

Thank You, Sir ! A happy new year !❤

[@alastairmoody798]

Thanks Ben!

[@EnglishroG]

A really good lecture - thank you, Ben.

[@MrSupernova111]

Beautiful games! Thanks Ben!

[@lukacalov1988]

That Botvinnik Bh3 move is even hard for stockfish to see For example on lower depths it cant see it....amazing

[@nuwandalton]

Arguably the most important player in history. Literally the inventor of modern chess

[@paulgoogol2652]

chill bro. it's just Ben.

[@nuwandalton]

@paulgoogol2652 Haha good one 😊

[@DC-zi6se]

That's Steinitz.

[@nuwandalton]

@@DC-zi6se Physical training, organized opening preparation. Was it Steinitz?

[@DC-zi6se]

@@nuwandalton physical training is 20th century sports mentality in general.

[@tobiaszeller4323]

1:53 Chigorin didn’t develop within the Soviet Union, he developed before they existed

[@trent797]

Great lecture, Ben 😊

[@StoshGalumpke]

Grandmaster chess lesson ! Thank you !

[@gregdavis1341]

Thank you for lecture🙏

[@rajessss]

Go Ben!! Rawr

[@kunalgulati3358]

Great video sir thank 🎉

[@vigilante8374]

1:50 Chigorin died like 9 years before the Soviet Union was even a thing.

[@RaineriHakkarainen]

Russia had big chess fever in 1914! Russians wanted to see Lasker Alekhine Capablanca! Soviet rulers did not started chess fever! Of course they supported chess because millions loved chess!

[@vigilante8374]

@@RaineriHakkarainen The article didn't say anything about Russia.

[@beeble2003]

@@RaineriHakkarainen Chigorin died like 6 years before 1914 was even a thing.

[@orenlivne8878]

There is a mistake at 13:24. On 21. Qf5?? Black plays 21... Kxf5 -+, not 21...Ke7. The correct move is 21. Qf3 with mate in 4 (21...Kg6 22. Qf7+ Kh6 23. g4!).

[@angusfrench6889]

and if 21... Ke7 then 22 Qf7+ and 23 Ne4#

[@BREAKocean]

Holy hell been waiting for botvinnik to get his .

[@pizzaenthusiast26]

Merry Christmas Ben

[@leorwolf]

my favorite shirt. u filmed this on my birthday!

[@nicolascristobalvidal4231]

Wow!Wonderful games of Botvinnik, thanks for the lecture !

[@_nemo171]

Mary Christmas, Ben!

[@emilpietras4428]

What a player!

[@abchernin]

Appreciate the selection of games, since Ive only ever looked at Botvinnik's world championship matches and got the idea that he's just as usually described: very slow, stategic, positional player, one of those guys whose metagame includes a lot of draws. Sorta boring. But now I look back at it and... vs Tal - who wouldn't look boring... vs Petrosian - nuff said vs Smyslov - "the Hand" must be respected So the games from the lecture really rounded out the picture 8n a good way. Thanks, Ben )

[@DC-zi6se]

"I'm a Jew by blood, Russian by culture and Soviet by upbringing" - Mikhail "The GUY" Botvinnik

[@jayhurlock282]

13:24 seems like he should have taken the queen, no? I had to check to see if I'd missed anything, but no, it was the Botez Gambit, declined.

[@klausfiedler64]

Correct! I also went, "what about... Kxf5"? So, instead of Qf5+??, Qf3+ leads to mate.

[@nuwandalton]

Please don't associate the Patriarch with these hysterical money grubbers

[@angusfrench6889]

Yes, saw that too.

[@angusfrench6889]

@@klausfiedler64 I think Qf3+ requires some explanation... Did Botvinnik analyse a win after ... Kf6 or judge that the position was winning?

[@angusfrench6889]

Actually, it's not too difficult after Qf3+ and, wherever the black kings goes, Qf7+

[@anthonydomoracki4850]

Thanks for sharing the games. Have a question on game 1. In the variation where black moves kf6 then white qf5 , you show why the king doesn't have retreating squares but why can't the king just capture the queen. Nothing is protecting f5.

[@baoboumusic]

You're right. It's a typo, he probably meant Qf3 which is winning. Qf5 just loses as you said correctly. Kudos for spotting that!

[@ChessStudentChannel]

I kept asking myself, no Capablanca - Botvinnik from AVRO 1938? But in the end that game is too famous to leave out!

[@beeble2003]

How did you go so long without making a lecture about Botvinnik, without anyone noticing?

[@ALucasH1363]

grreat video

[@brett4756]

Game 2, in critical position white plays Rook to B8! OMG what a move.

[@cgmasterman]

Why at 13:22 when the queen moved to F5 check the king just doesn’t take the Queen?

[@Aphixx]

13:24 doesn't Qf5+ lose a queen?

[@ayadii97]

13:22 isn't that Qf5+?? just a free Queen or am I missing a mate ?

[@dark_magician_sdy]

Christmas came early !

[@askthepizzaguy]

42:00 When you say every move wins, you're not kidding. There's a lot of winning happening and you have to make really stupid moves to not win.

[@jefftaylor1186]

Only guy in chess history that’s more important to the understanding and advancement of chess is Captain Evan Gambit. Inventor of the Evans Gambit.

[@beeble2003]

Pretty sure GM Attack was more important than Captain Gambit.

[@antimama.echt.antimama]

this year is yours

[@antimama.echt.antimama]

Best wishes for '25

[@thekooldewd]

14:01 Why not just go Qe6#? What is the dumb thing I'm missing?

[@goodtime2093]

Mikhail Botvinnik was a computer scientist too!!,. Later in his life the hidden scientific curiosity came into play finally , and we see he was thinking beyond chess, and involved technically in Computer chess and algorithms and AI !!!.

[@captainpause547]

This Botvinnik person was a very lucky player.

[@glebedigital4654]

First game Qf5# why not KxQ ?

[@Qhsjahajw]

No games against tal?

[@answeris4217]

True story... Capablanca accused Botvinnik of creating future chess engines and quit the tournament

[@asansfakeaccound5466]

a lecture about bro who literally had a "BOT" in his last name as a chess player

[@RonWolfHowl]

Doctor Robotvinik

[@kostatsanidis9984]

26:24 LMFAO 😂

[@kingkrshna]

Hey Mr. Finegold! Ohh sorry!! GrandMaster Finegold - can you do great players of the past series on Vishy Anand... Plz!!!!

[@krzysztofkolodziejczyk4335]

cool. not much is talked about guy who was world champion so many times. and arguably the first real one.

[@beeble2003]

Not much talked about? Ookay.

[@RW-Atl]

13:24 Am i tripping

[@strangelyrepulsive77]

35:10 noob missed Rxh2

[@BenjaminKühn-m9u]

Always take under the christmas tree.

[@SagarNepali-e5c]

I can't bet your Chess bote

[@ДенисЮденков-ь5ж]

Patriarch

[@jefftaylor1186]

Botvinniks English(1.c4 2.Nc3 3.g3 4.Bg2 5.e4 6.Nge2 7.O-O 8. d3) has been my main opening system for white ever since I learned it 25 years ago. If black allows this simple quiet setup that dominates the light squares. It’s an easy stress free win with 0 calculating needed(USUALLY)

[@staak7136]

This is nice...Ben ! Even though the barking Dog in Background 😂😂😂 Chesshistory is your topic and field...it fits your Personality... ! Move on...R.😎😎😎...

[@mistrzmateraca]

Ok i respect but odv terrible. Go Ben

[@user-ts2co4ov5h]

Once again, every single game you showed is SUPER WELL KNOWN. Already ANALYZED by Botvinnik himself. So these videos are good for people new to chess....ONLY.....Find lesser known games. Spend a little time researching. Is that too much to ask ?

[@josephmathes]

Could you try to stop making those wet noises with your mouth? I can't listen to your lectures any more

[@mmmu9638]

Could you try to stop making those stupid noises with your comments?

[@andress4780]

thats the best part