Botvinnik only won two serious matches in his life (1958, 1961)

1933 Salo Flohr, Tied +2−2=8

1937 Grigory Levenfish, Tied +5−5=3

(1940 Vyacheslav Ragozin, Won +5 -0 =7, Exhibition Match)

1951 David Bronstein, Tied +5−5=14, WC Match

1954 Vasily Smyslov, Tied +7−7=10, WC Match

1957 Vasily Smyslov, Lost +3−6=13, WC Match

1958 Vasily Smyslov, Won +7−5=11, WC Match

1960 Mikhail Tal, Lost +2−6=13, WC Match

1961 Mikhail Tal, Won +10−5=6, WC Match

1963 Tigran Petrosian, Lost +2−5=14, WC Match