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Caro-Kann: Carls Variation
(1) Tal,M - Botvinnik,M [B12]
World Championship (8), 1961
[Eric Schiller]
1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.e5 c5. Tal doesn't always get enough respect for his contributions to opening theory. There are plenty of variations named after other World Champions but Tal's contributions are usually refinements of existing theory.
Here, however, he takes Botvinnik's 3...c5, then still considered respectable, and buries it. Botvinnik switched to 3...Bf5 in the next game! 4.dxc5 Generated with ChessBase 8.0
The Carls variation was considered playable for Black until this game, and then fell into disfavor, until 1993, when former American Champion Yasser Seirawan wrote a monograph on the Advance Variation in which he evaluated the move as leading to an equal game. Few authorities agree with him, however. 4...e6. One thing is certain: if this line is playable for Black, it must be with the development of the knight to c6, not this move. [ 4...Nc6 5.Bb5 ( 5.Nf3 is a reasonable alternative for White.) 5...e6 6.Be3 Nge7 7.Nf3 Nf5 8.Bd4 Nfxd4 9.Qxd4 Qa5+ 10.Nc3 Qxb5 11.Nxb5 Nxd4 is Seirawan's
preferred line. After 12.Nbxd4 Bxc5 Black stood better in Westerinen-Arkell, London (Watson Farley Williams) 1988.] 5.Qg4 Nc6? This is the obvious square for the knight, but it
is the wrong one now, though correct on the previous move. In fact, in the sixth game of the match Botvinnik had equalized with
5...Nd7 6.Nf3 Ne7 7.Bg5 h6 8.Bxe7 Qxe7 9.Nc3 Qxc5 10.0-0-0 a6 11.Kb1 Nb6 and the game held chances for both sides. Nevertheless, Botvinnik did not return to it in the next game, instead abandoning 3...c5
altogether. 6.Nf3 Qc7 7.Bb5 Bd7 8.Bxc6 Qxc6 8...Bxc6 9.0-0 and Black won't
get the pawn back. 9.Be3 Nh6 When a World Champion has to play a move like this, you know that something has gone very wrong. As every beginner knows, placing a knight at h6 just invites White to capture it with the bishop and inflict massive damage on the Black pawn structure. Botvinnik must have figured that he wasn't going to castle in that direction anyway. 10.Bxh6 gxh6 11.Nbd2 Qxc5 12.c4! 
The lines to the enemy king won't stay closed for long, so Black must hustle his king to the queenside. 12...0-0-0 13.0-0 Kb8 14.Rfd1 Qb6 15.Qh4 
It is clear that White has the advantage, because Black's bishops are ineffective and their are just too many holes in the position. 15...a5 Black wants to play...Bc5 and ...Rg8 to create an attack on the enemy king. 16.Rac1 Rg8 17.Nb3 a4. 17...Rc8 18.cxd5 Rxc1 19.Nxc1 exd5 20.Rxd5 would give White a dominating
position. 18.c5 Qc7 19.Nbd4 White's knights are worth more than the enemy bishops. Black does not dare to go pawn grabbing. 19...Rc8 19...Bxc5 20.b4! axb3 21.Nxb3 b6 22.a4 h5 (intending...Rg4) 23.a5 Rg4 24.Qxh5 Rdg8 25.axb6 Rxg2+ 26.Kh1 and White wins a
piece. 20.b4 axb3 21.axb3 Qd8 22.Qxd8 Rxd8 The queens are gone, but White is effectively a pawn up, since the h-pawns are weak and doubled. 23.b4 Rg4 24.b5 Rc8 25.c6! The pawns fly forward and crack open the enemy position. White is now winning. 25...Be8 25...bxc6 26.bxc6 Be8 27.Rb1+ Kc7 28.Rb7+ Kd8 29.Rc1 Rc7 30.Nb5 Rxb7 31.cxb7 and the pawn
promotes. 26.Rc2 Bg7 27.Ra1 Bxe5 28.Nxe5 Rxd4 
29.Nd7+! Botvinnik resigned, because of
29...Bxd7 [ 29...Kc7 30.b6+ Kd8 31.cxb7] 30.cxd7 Rd8 31.Rc8+! Rxc8 32.Ra8+!! 1-0
This
game in PGN here
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