The history of the World Chess Championship continues in this volume with the epic struggles between Botvinnik, Bronstein, Smyslov, Tal and Petrosian, via the brief but spectacular advent of Bobby Fischer, and on to the modern superstars Karpov and Kasparov. All games from the matches are annotated and this book with its companion volume, World Chess Championship: Steinitz to Alekhine, forms a valuable addition to the library of any chess enthusiast who wishes to possess a complete collection of games played at the very highest level.

From 1948 until 1963 Mikhail Botvinnik, the iron man of soviet chess and chess board devotee of Josef Stalin, had maintained his grip on the supreme title. Tigran Petrosian was a super subtle strategist.