This week’s episode of the New In Chess Podcast features a narration from “The Essential Sosonko”, a collection of chess portraits based on personal stories authored by chess grandmaster Genna Sosonko.

This episode is the first of a two-part story about Mikhail Botvinnik. He won the 1948 World Chess Championship tournament and thus became the sixth World Chess Champion, thereby succeeding Alekhine who had died two years prior. He lost and regained the title twice – to Smyslov and Tal respectively – before he was ultimately dethroned by Petrosian in 1963.

In that same year, Botvinnik founded his own chess school, which ensured that the Soviet Union dominated the world of chess for many years to come. The “Soviet School of Chess” has world champions such as Anatoly Karpov, Garry Kasparov and Vladimir Kramnik among its graduates, as well as many other Grandmasters.

Next to his chess career, Botvinnik was very interested in engineering. He sought to combine the two and became one of the pioneers in the world of computer chess. Thanks to his endeavours on computer chess, Botvinnik was awared an honorary degree in mathematics in 1991, at the age of 80.

In this episode, Sosonko talks of his personal contacts with Botvinnik. He then takes a step back and gives the stage to Botvinnik himself. “The Engineer” talks of his youth in St. Petersburg, his becoming acquainted with the game of chess, and the often difficult relationships with his rivals.

Enjoy this week’s episode of the New In Chess Podcast! Remember, you can find us on popular platforms like Spotify and Apple Podcasts, making it convenient for you to browse the chapters and listen to your favourite parts.

The hardcopy version of "The Essential Sosonko" is available for purchase in its entirety on the New In Chess website: 

https://www.newinchess.com/the-essential-sosonko  

Timestamps:

00:00 - Introduction

01:23 - Genna plays a game with Botvinnik for the Dutch national television

04:43 - “Misha” Botvinnik's visit to Amsterdam in 1989

07:28 - Genna meets with Botvinnik in Moscow in 1988

09:48 - Botvinnik talks about his family

15:25 - Botvinnik learns chess; having to deal with anti-Semitism

17:17 - AD BREAK

17:49 - A 9-year-old Misha becomes interested in Russian literature

20:23 - How Botvinnik met his wife thanks to music

23:13 - Botvinnik remarks on his connections with the Russian composers

26:36 - Botvinnik begins his chess journey

29:04 - Botvinnik's strained relationships with Bronstein, Levenfish, Romanovsky, Petrosian, Smyslov, and Euwe