On Dec 5, 4:10 am, " wrote:
SAIDY INTERVIEWS BRONSTEIN

From Chess Life, December 2007 (page 27)

[...]
SAIDY: The Soviet olympic team for Helsinki in 1952 was very curious
-- the world champion was omitted. Is it true that your other players
voted him off the team? So democratic!

BRONSTEIN: No. First, we voted for the team line-up, and we placed
Botvinnik second, after Keres. [Was it to signify that Keres was
forced to lose to Botvinnik in 1948 for the crown -- AS]

I don't think so. Botvinnik was not active in those years.

I was placed fourth. Botvinnik protested, and declined
to take part. Why didn't he protest that I was placed fourth?

Botvinnik was busy enough protesting his own
case :-)

It is strange that Bronstein didn't play a higher board
but not too strange. Despite his brilliant successes
in those years there was perhaps a tendency to lean
toward more solid and experienced players like
Keres and Smyslov, it was perhaps considered less
risky. Also, the honoring the elders had to play a role
too--Bronstein was a relative youngster at the time.
Possibly the fact that he was not able to finish off
Botvinnik was an argument against Bronstein; the others
(and Bronstein too??) didn't feel that Bronstein will
do well under the pressure.

All together, in conclusion, I think that they were
guided by a mixture of sport and respect considerations,
plus -- they felt rebelious against Botvinnik :-)

I feel strongly that even if possibly they had any negative
feelings about Botvinnik-Keres situation of 1948,
they didn't try to exact revenge on Botvinnik for that
earlier tournament. (What did Bronstein know about
1948 B-K in 1952?).

Best regards,

Wlod