Mikhail Botvinnik

Mikhail Moiseevich Botvinnik, Russian chess grandmaster, world champion 1948–57, 1958–60 and 1961–63.

left today. He had come here to attend an international chess tournament in Hastings. He spent about a fortnight in England, played nine games and finished fifth. He was somewhat disappointed with the result, but he took it fairly well. All things considered, the result was not bad at all. Botvinnik is still very young – just 23. He’s been playing for 11 years. In Hastings, Botvinnik had to compete with the great champions of the world, such as Capablanca, Euwe, Flohr and others. What’s more, English food proved a terrible trial for him, and he had to play at an unfamiliar time – in the mornings. Add to that the inescapable effect of the climate. Given all these conditions, which must influence the state of any player, it should be said that Botvinnik coped with his task if not brilliantly, then at least perfectly well. His time is sure to come. But it is important that our top players should start arriving at international tournaments not at the last moment, but at least a week in advance, in order to get used to their surroundings. Lasker,

Emanuel Lasker, prominent German chess player, world champion, 1894–1920.

whom Botvinnik met in London, is of the same opinion. I have written about this to N.V. Krylenko.

Nikolai Vasilevich Krylenko, people’s commissar for justice of the Russian Federation, 1931–36, and of the USSR, 1936–38, during the height of the repression campaign. He fell victim to the purges in 1938, when he was sentenced to death by a kangaroo court in just 20 minutes.