World Chess Championship 1957
 
Defending champion
Challenger
 
  Soviet Union Mikhail Botvinnik Soviet Union Vasily Smyslov
 
Scores12½
  Born 17 August 1911
45 years old
Born 24 March 1921
35/36 years old
  Winner of the 1954 World Chess Championship Winner of the 1956 Candidates Tournament

A World Chess Championship was played between Mikhail Botvinnik and Vasily Smyslov in Moscow from March 5 to April 27, 1957. Botvinnik had been World Champion since 1948, while Smyslov earned the right to challenge by winning the 1956 Candidates tournament. This was the second World Championship match between the pair, after the drawn 1954 match.

Smyslov won the match and became the seventh World Chess Champion. However he lost the title in the 1958 rematch.

1955 Interzonal tournament

An interzonal tournament was held in Göteborg, Sweden, in August and September 1955. The top nine finishers qualified for the Candidates Tournament.

1955 Interzonal Tournament
123456789101112131415161718192021TotalTie break
1 David Bronstein (Soviet Union)x11½1½½½½½½½½½111111115
2 Paul Keres (Soviet Union)0x1½½½½½1½111½1101½½113½
3 Oscar Panno (Argentina)00x½01½½1½111½½1½111½13
4 Tigran Petrosian (Soviet Union)½½½x½½½½½½½½1½½½1½11112½
5 Efim Geller (Soviet Union)0½1½x½½1½0½½½01½111½112111.75
6 László Szabó (Hungary)½½0½½x½½½½½0½½1½1111112108.50
7 Miroslav Filip (Czechoslovakia)½½½½½½x½0½½½1½01½½½1111104.00
8 Hermann Pilnik (Argentina)½½½½0½½x0½½½½11½½½½1111102.50
9 Boris Spassky (Soviet Union)½00½½½11x100½1½½1011½11102.50
10 Georgy Ilivitsky (Soviet Union)½½½½1½½½0x½00½½1½½1½110½100.50
11 Luděk Pachman (Czechoslovakia)½00½½½½½1½x½½½1½½½1½½10½99.25
12 Miguel Najdorf (Argentina)½00½½1½½11½x000½½1½1094.00
13 Carlos Guimard (Argentina)½000½½0½½1½½x½101½0½189.50
14 Braslav Rabar (Yugoslavia)½½½½1½½00½½1½x½½½0010993.50
15 Andrija Fuderer (Yugoslavia)00½½0010½½010½x11110½981.25
16 Wolfgang Unzicker (West Germany)000½½½0½½0½½1½0x½½½11
17 Gideon Ståhlberg (Sweden)01½000½½0½½½0½0½x1½½1874.00
18 Arthur Bisguier (United States)000½00½½1½½0½10½0x½11870.50
19 Antonio Medina (Spain)0½0000½½000½110½½½x0053.25
20 Jan Hein Donner (Netherlands)0½00½0000½½0½010½01x½49.25
21 Bogdan Śliwa (Poland)00½00000½0½101½0001½x48.50

Ilivitsky won a 6-game match against Pachman (1–0 with 5 draws) to qualify as first reserve for the Candidates.[1]

1956 Candidates tournament

The 1956 Candidates tournament, Amsterdam. Left to right: Filip, Smyslov, Keres, Pilnik, Bronstein, Geller, Spassky, Petrosian, Panno, Szabó.

The 1956 Candidates tournament was held in Amsterdam in the Netherlands in April and May. As the loser of the last championship match, Smyslov was seeded directly into the tournament and joined by the top nine from the Interzonal. Smyslov won, once again becoming the challenger in the 1957 championship match.

With two rounds remaining, the leaders were Smyslov 10, Keres 9½, Geller 9.[2] In the penultimate round, Keres lost in a winning position against Filip,[3] while Smyslov and Geller drew their games, giving Smyslov a full point lead. Smyslov also won his final game, against Pilnik, to ensure victory.[4]

1956 Candidates Tournament
12345678910Score
1 Vasily Smyslov (Soviet Union)xx= == =0 == == 11 1= 11 == 111½
2 Paul Keres (Soviet Union)= =xx= == == == 1= == 01 =1 =10
3-7 László Szabó (Hungary)= == =xx1 == == == 10 == =0 1
3-7 Boris Spassky (Soviet Union)1 == =0 =xx= == 10 == == == 1
3-7 Tigran Petrosian (Soviet Union)= == == == =xx0 =0 11 == =1 =
3-7 David Bronstein (Soviet Union)= 0= 0= == 01 =xx= 11 == == 1
3-7 Efim Geller (Soviet Union)0 0= == 01 =1 0= 0xx1 1= 11 =
8-9 Miroslav Filip (Czechoslovakia)= 0= 11 == =0 =0 =0 0xx1 0= 18
8-9 Oscar Panno (Argentina)0 =0 == == == == == 00 1xx1 =8
10 Hermann Pilnik (Argentina)= 00 =1 0= 00 == 00 == 00 =xx5

1957 Championship match

The match was played as best of 24 games. If it ended 12-12, Botvinnik, the holder, would retain the Championship. Smyslov won.

World Chess Championship Match 1957
12345678910111213141516171819202122Points
 Vasily Smyslov (Soviet Union) 1½½001½1½½½10½½½1½½1½½12½
 Mikhail Botvinnik (Soviet Union) 0½½110½0½½½01½½½0½½0½½

References

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