FIDE World Chess Championship 1948

The 6th Official World Chess Champion: Mikhail Botvinnik (born August 17, 1911, representing the Soviet Union).

The World Chess Championship 1948 was a quintuple round-robin tournament held in The Hague and Moscow to determine a new champion after Alexander Alekhine’s death in 1946. Mikhail Botvinnik won decisively, scoring 14/20 and becoming the sixth World Chess Champion, ushering in an era of Soviet dominance in chess. Vasily Smyslov finished second with 11 points, ahead of Paul Keres and Samuel Reshevsky, who tied for third, while former champion Max Euwe struggled and finished last. The tournament was not without controversy, as suspicions arose that Soviet authorities may have pressured players to favor Botvinnik. However, historical analysis has found no conclusive evidence of deliberate collusion, and Botvinnik’s performance was widely regarded as deserving of the title. This event also marked the first World Championship organized by FIDE, establishing a new structure for future competitions.

14,0 p Mikhail Botvinnik, USSR
11,0 p Vasily Smyslov, USSR
10,5 p Paul Keres, USSR
10,5 p Samuel Reshevsky, USA
04,0 p Max Euwe, NED

Due to having 5 players (an odd number), one player sat out in each round.

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Round 2

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Round 3

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Round 4

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Round 5

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Round 7

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Round 8

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Round 9

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Round 10

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Round 12

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Round 13

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Round 14

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Round 15

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Round 17

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Round 18

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Round 19

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Round 20

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Round 22

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Round 23

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Round 24

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Round 25

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World Chess Championship 1948