“Someone must have greatly intimidated Stalin for Zhdanov to insist like this. Bondarevsky? He was too insignificant. When the Soviet team swept the American team off the chessboards, Stalin was pleased. He sent a telegram saying, “Great job!” Why did he start doubting? In the depths of his soul, Botvinnik did not believe that it was only fear of defeat and the desire to secure victory. They wanted to prove something to Botvinnik. A terrible thought crossed his mind. They wanted him to understand that his skills were not as important as he imagined because even if he played worse and didn’t defeat Reshevsky, they had the power to make him the champion anyway. The goal was to diminish Botvinnik and show him that he was not a significant figure but just an ordinary pawn in a game that surpassed him.” ChessChess ChampionBotvinnik Book:Game of Chess Thrones: A Tale of Great Masters and the Greatest Game Invented by Humanity Source: Game of Chess Thrones: A Tale of Great Masters and the Greatest Game Invented by Humanity