[Event "World Championship"] [Site "?"] [Round "9"] [White "Smyslov"] [Black "Botvinnik"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "C17"] [Opening "French: Winawer, 5.a3"] 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e5 c5 {The Winawer variation of the French Defense where Black tries to undermine the White center.} 5. a3 Ba5 {Black pres erves his bishop temporarily and retains pressure on the a5-e1 diagonal. 5... Bxc3+ 6.bxc3 Ne7 7.Qg4 Qc7 8.Qxg7 Rg8 9.Qxh7 cxd4 Leads to sharp play with chances for both sides.} 6. b4 {With this pawn advance White tries to punish Black's dark squared bishop for leaving the kingside.} 6... cxd4 { 6...cxb4 7.Nb5 Also leads to sharp play.} 7. Qg4 Ne7 {7...Kf8 8.bxa5 dxc3 9. Nf3 Ne7 10.Bd3 Nd7 11.Qb4 Qc7 12.O-O Nc5 13.Qxc3 would be better for White because of Black's awkward king position.} 8. bxa5 dxc3 9. Qxg7 Rg8 10. Qxh7 Nd7 {Played with the idea of bringing the knight to f8. However, the knight proves to be passive on the back rank. Better was 10...Nbc6.} 11. Nf3 Nf8 12. Qd3 Qxa5 13. h4 {White advances his passed pawn while holding the g5 square for his dark squared bishop.} 13... Bd7 14. Bg5 Rc8 15. Nd4 Nf5 16. Rb1 { White offers his a-pawn in exchange for the Black b-pawn.} 16... Rc4 { 16...Qxa3 17.Nxf5 exf5 18.Rxb7 when Black has too many weaknesses to cover.} 17. Nxf5 exf5 18. Rxb7 {White has a big advantage thanks to his passed h-pawn and dark squared bishop which restrict the options of the Black king.} 18... Re4+ 19. Qxe4 { A startling queen sacrifice which is a small investment for what follows.} 19... dxe4 20. Rb8+ Bc8 21. Bb5+ Qxb5 22. Rxb5 {White has won the exchange and for a player with Smyslov's technique the rest is easy.} 22... Ne6 23. Bf6 Rxg2 24. h5 Ba6 25. h6 { Black resigned because he can't stop White's passed h-pawn from promoting.} 1-0