The games of Mikhail Botvinnik, world chess champion from 1948-1963, have been studied by players around the world for decades. But little has been written about Botvinnik himself. This book explores his unusual dual career-as a highly regarded scientist as well as the first truly professional chess player-as well as his complex relations with Soviet leaders, including Josef Stalin, his bitter rivalries, and his doomed effort to create the perfect chess-playing computer program.