Fort Lauderdale News Fort Lauderdale, Florida Sunday, April 02, 1961
Let's Play Chess
As we go to press the latest flash on the world championship match is that M. Botvinnik is ahead of M. Tal by 2½-1½. Botvinnik won the first game, lost the second, won the third, drew the fourth and when the fifth game was adjourned he had what seemed to be a winning position. So the actual score by this time may be 3½-1½.
Botvinnik won the world title in 1948 and held it until 1957 when he lost it to V. Smyslov. Then he regained it in 1958 and held it until Tal beat him last year. Botvinnik must score 12½ points to regain the title, while the champion only has to score 12 to retain it.
It is too early to predict the outcome, but it is obvious that the 49-year-old challenger is playing far better chess now than last year. He seems to have solved the problem of the 24-year-old champion's swashbuckling tactics. We believe that Botvinnik will win back the crown and hold it until Bobby Fischer takes it away from him.
