The 1951 World Chess Championship was played between Mikhail Botvinnik and David Bronstein in Moscow from March 15 to May 11, 1951.

The match ended in a 12–12 tie (5 wins each, and 14 draws), meaning Botvinnik retained the title of World Champion.

The four players tied for sixth place were to have played off for three spots in the Candidates tournament, but Bondarevsky had to withdraw due to illness, so the other three qualified automatically.

In the event of another tie, the first decisive game would determine Botvinnik's challenger for the title.

Going into the final round of the Candidates tournament, Boleslavsky had a half point lead over Bronstein.