On Feb 15, 4:51 pm, wrote:
On Feb 15, 10:50 am, RookHouse wrote:

On Feb 15, 4:16 am, Offramp wrote:

Bronstein wrote that Boleslavsky REALLY didn't want to play Botvinnik,
whereas Bronstein fancied his own chances. Boleslavsky therefore
allowed Bronstein to catch up during the Candidates tournament.

I have a difficult time believing that someone as talented and
dedicated as Boleslavsky would fight to get all the way to this point
and then suddenly become "afraid" and "tank" his chances at the crown.

Nobody will ever convince me of those supposed "facts".

You should read Bronstein's "The Sorcerer's Apprentice." What
Offramp refers to is discussed on page 107: "Boleslavsky was leading
in the Candidates Tournament, but after a talk with Boris Vainstein he
decided to slow down to allow me to tie for first place with him."
The idea of Vainstein, then head of the Soviet chess federation, was
to propose a three-way match-tournament between Botvinnik,
Boleslavsky, and Bronstein, to decide the title. That is why
Boleslavsky slowed down. He had a dreadful record against Botvinnik,
+0 -7 =4 at the time, and knew he stood little chance in a one-on-one
match. When Botvinnik would have none of the 3-way idea, the playoff
match was arranged.

I suppose the motivation for Boleslavsky (I nearly wrote Stanislavsky)
in the play-off was to show at least that he could beat Bronstein, and
then hope for the best in the WC match v Botvinnik.
In any case what I was trying to show is how Bronstein fared in that
WC cycle - he tied, drew and drew in the events.