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P.S. Krogius also comments on final 1951 BB game
Instructive examples of correct psychological preconditioning are furnished by Botvinnik’s games. During his matches against Bronstein (1951) and Smyslov (1954) the score before the last round was 11 ½:11½ . A draw would secure the World Championship title for Botvinnik.
The decisive game [1951-DR] began. Bronstein with a smile of cunning on his face advanced his QP: 1 P-Q4. The hall was silent. People made guesses as to what opening Botvinnik would play? Somebody’s voice predicted “It will be the Orthodox Defence. True. Black has to defend for a long time, but the position is stable. Botvinnik needs a stable position today.”
But no! The first moves already refute the prognosis. We see the sharp and tense variation known to theory as the “Botvinnik Variation”. The champion bravely challenges his opponent. as if saying: “Although I would like a draw I am not going to beg for it myself!”
I would like to make clear to the reader that I do not wish to deprecate the Orthodox Defence, which was used by Lasker and Capablanca. The point is that Botvinnik hardly ever used to play this system of development. The champion chose the safest, most thoroughly analyzed and, perhaps, the most aggressive continuation in his repertoire. One can only guess what the feelings of his opponent were, but the movements of the white pieces suggest that he was assailed by doubt. One can see a sort of resignation in the action of the White army. Perhaps he was recalling the successful course of the battle in the preceding twenty-third game of the match, or perhaps his balance was upset by Black’s coolly executed, precise and relentless attack. The denouement was not long in coming: after gaining a won position The Champion offered a draw “just in case”. It was accepted.
The game against Smyslov developed on similar lines. This time the Champion had White so it was easier for him to make his opponent go in for a defensive game.
P.S. There are alternative accounts of who offered the draw which do not detract from the main point.