Mikhail Botvinnik letter to Luis Rentero Suarez

Mikhail Botvinnik letter to Luis Rentero Suarez

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Author: Botvinnik, Mikhail Moiseyevich (1911-1995) signed

Year: 1994

Publisher: Self Written

Place: Moscow

Description:

1 page (11 3/4" x 8 1/4") typed letter to Luis Rentero Suarez dated January 14, 1994 declining an invitation to the Linares tournament in Spain with a postscript belong to the nephew of Mikhail Botvinnik, Igor Botvinnik. Signed in Botvinnik's bold hand.

Mikhail Moiseyevich Botvinnik was a Soviet and Russian International Grandmaster and three-time World Chess Champion, widely considered one of the greatest chess players of all time. Working as an electrical engineer and computer scientist at the same time, he was one of the very few professional chess players who achieved distinction in another career while playing top-class competitive chess. He was also a pioneer of computer chess. Botvinnik was the first world-class player to develop within the Soviet Union, putting him under political pressure but also giving him considerable influence within Soviet chess. From time to time he was accused of using that influence to his own advantage. Botvinnik also played a major role in the organization of chess, making a significant contribution to the design of the World Chess Championship system after World War II and becoming a leading member of the coaching system that enabled the Soviet Union to dominate top-class chess during that time. His famous pupils include World Champions Anatoly Karpov, Garry Kasparov and Vladimir Kramnik.

The Linares International Chess Tournament was an annual chess tournament, usually played around the end of February, which takes its name from the city of Linares in the Jaén province of Andalusia, Spain, in which it is held. The event, sponsored by Spanish businessman Luis Rentero, was first held in 1978. It is sometimes described as the Wimbledon of chess, being one of the strongest annual tournaments held on the de facto chess tour, along with the "Tata Steel" Wijk aan Zee, Tal Memorial and Dortmund events. The 1994 tournament had an average Elo rating of 2685, the highest ever at that time, making it the first Category XVIII tournament ever held. The field, in eventual finishing order, consisted of Karpov, Kasparov, Shirov, Bareev, Kramnik, Lautier, Anand, Kamsky, Topalov, Ivanchuk, Gelfand, Illescas, Judit Polgár, and Beliavsky. Karpov won with an undefeated 11/13. Jeff Sonas considers Karpov's performance the best tournament result in history.

Condition:

Signed by Botvinnik in his bold hand with no crease since it was faxed to Rentero Suarez.

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