Famous Chess Moves Archives - Chessentials https://chessentials.com/tag/famous-chess-moves/ Chess blog about chess tactics, chess games and chess books Tue, 29 Jan 2019 22:28:54 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.0 https://chessentials.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/cropped-vjeks2-2-1-32x32.png Famous Chess Moves Archives - Chessentials https://chessentials.com/tag/famous-chess-moves/ 32 32 Greatest chess swindles https://chessentials.com/greatest-chess-swindles-of-all-time/ https://chessentials.com/greatest-chess-swindles-of-all-time/#respond Thu, 19 Jan 2017 22:01:02 +0000 https://chessentials.com/?p=1092 THE ART OF RESURRECTION One of the most popular chess “eternal truths” states that the hardest thing in chess is winning a won game. Every chess player that played more than 10 tournament games can probably relate...

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]]> THE ART OF RESURRECTION

One of the most popular chess “eternal truths” states that the hardest thing in chess is winning a won game.

Every chess player that played more than 10 tournament games can probably relate to that saying. I have surely played at least a dozen of games where I have been playing excellently and crushing my opponent only to become overconfident and cocky and blow the game away in a flash.

One such instance was described in a previous post.

The good news is, that I have also been on the opposite side of the story even more often.

And although I could write here that I felt ashamed and sorry for my opponent i will not…Because to tell you the truth…turning the lost game around feels damn good..

I still remember games where I screwed up somewhere in the beginning and was left with a horrible position for the remainder of the game. Pretty often there was a long lasting surge of anxiety and depression associated with the piece movement and often I wondered whether it would be easier simply to resign to end the misery.

AND THAN IT HAPPENS.

A superficial move by the opponent that gives you a hidden opportunity. An opportunity, which once taken advantage of is followed by a huge adrenaline rush.

Because that’s what happens when you come back to life, right?

Okay, except if you are a Pink Floyd fan.

ressurection
This guy knows a thing or two about coming back to life

BLUNDER VERSUS SWINDLE?

Most chessplayers say that they have swindled their opponent when referring to the situation above.

There might be some confusion about the terminology. Isn’t a swindle just another way of saying that your opponent has blundered? And if that is the case, how is it appropriate to take any credit in that situation?

I will try to answer these questions by expressing my opinion. To a certain extent, there is no major difference between a swindle and a blunder; in order to swindle an opponent, it is necessary that he makes a mistake or two for you to exploit.

However, I think that there is major difference in the fact that swindle is usually much more hidden and much more unexpected. Whereas most of the players realize almost instantly that they have overlooked a full piece or mate in couple of moves, a swindle is usually carried out through a more complex tactical combination that often comes as a bolt from the blue for the stronger side.

Let us look at the definition of the world swindle, as written on wikipedia:

“In chess, a swindle is a ruse by which a player in a losing position tricks his opponent, and thereby achieves a win or draw instead of the expected lose. It may also refer more generally to obtaining a win or draw from a clearly losing position.” 

I think that the psychological aspect of the game comes to the fore here. Because a plain blunder is most often a result of the lack of concentration or serious time trouble. Whereas swindles happen very often in positions where the weaker side has defended tenaciously and where the stronger side has been annoyed by the fact that the game lasts so long. Typically, after a couple of hours, just before the jaws of the victory, a player relaxes prematurely and does something incautious and usually gets punished severely.

Probably everything I said above will be slightly more clear after we look at concrete examples from the tournament play. Hopefully, a difference with the biggest blunders will become apparent.

GREATEST CHESS SWINDLES

HIKARU NAKAMURA – MAGNUS CARLSEN, ZÜRICH, 2014

Probably one of the most famous tournament games from the third millenium. Prior to this game, Carlsen was leading 7-0 in their head to head clashes and Naka was thirsty of victory. He managed to outplay Magnus completely and was clearly winning. However, Magnus was defending tenaciously and just wouldn’t go away. However, Naka was tightening the screw and reached completely winning position:

 

ANATOLY KARPOV – ISTVAN CSOM, BAD LAUTEBERG 1977

Anatoly Karpov isn’t regarded as one of the tricking greats in the history of chess. I think it might have to do something with the fact that back in the day he was crushing the opposition and winning the tournaments one after another.

However, to every great rule there is an exception. In the following game against Istvan Csom, he suffered against the hedgehog and was left with a position where he was a piece down:

 

PIERRE CHARLES FOURNIER DE SAINT AMANT – HOWARD STAUNTON, MATCH, 1844

A game from one of those historic 19th century matches where there was no time control, and games lasted forever (I think this one lasted 8 hours, out of which White spent 6).

And also a textbook example that could be used as a definition of the word swindle.

In the following position:

 

JOHANNES ZUKERTORT – WILHELM STEINITZ, LONDON 1883.

Another one from the 19th century, this time with even more famous players involved. Zukertort has managed to outplay his formidable opponent and reach a position where the evaluation should be somewhere between “White is better” and “White is winning”:

 

LARRY MELVYN EVANS – SAMUEL RESHEVSKY, US CHAMPIONSHIP, 1964.

Probably the most famous swindle game on this list. It has been christened as The immortal swindle game. But judge for yourself:

 

FRANK JAMES MARSHALL – GEORG MARCO, MONTE CARLO 1904.

Frank James Marshall was a player famous for his chess traps. And whereas those traps mostly didn’t work against the strong likes of Alekhine, Lasker or Capablanca, they worked against weaker oppositions, providing us with some of the gems of the chess history.

In the game from the title, Marshall managed to extricate himself from the terrible endgame:

 

ALEXANDER BELIAVSKY – LARRY MARK CHRISTIANSEN, REGGIO EMILIA 1987.

A very similar theme to the Evans- Reshevsky game mentioned above, but probably executed even more subtly.

 

JIRI FICHTL – FRANTISEK BLATNY, 1956

A game of the two relatively unknowns players witnessed a fabulous swindle:

 

WILLIAM FULLER – LEONID BASIN, MICHIGAN OPEN, 1992

Another one from the depths of the www.chessgames.com,   and one that a tournament player can more easily relate to.

 

NICK DE FIRMIAN – KARMAN SHIRAZI, US CHAMPIONSHIP, 1987.

A grave mistake from a very experienced grandmaster Nick de Firmian proves that sometimes it is better not to be too smart. For your own good.

 

FREDERICK RHINE – SEAN NAGLE, CHICAGO OPEN 1997

We will end with a very nice swindle that occurred on the master level.

 

This concludes our overview of some of the most picturesque chess swindles that I am aware of. If you have an example of even better swindle, or want to share one from your own games, you are welcomed to do so, either via email, or in the comment section below.

Happy swindlin’ 🙂

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]]> https://chessentials.com/greatest-chess-swindles-of-all-time/feed/ 0 Best chess moves of all time https://chessentials.com/best-chess-moves/ https://chessentials.com/best-chess-moves/#respond Sun, 15 Jan 2017 21:46:00 +0000 https://chessentials.com/?p=1073 … OR ACCORDING TO MY OPINION After makings ourselves feel better in the latest post, where we have revisited great blunders made by world class players, it is time for a reality check. Because in...

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]]> … OR ACCORDING TO MY OPINION

After makings ourselves feel better in the latest post, where we have revisited great blunders made by world class players, it is time for a reality check.

Because in this post we will take a look at the most brilliant chess moves throughout the history of chess. Which will merely remind us how great players we could have been if we weren’t distracted by sex, drugs and rock and roll throughout our youth.

In all sincerity,  that last sentence actually makes me wonder why I am not at least 2600 rated by now, but maybe it is better not to pose some difficult questions..

sex_drugs_rock
We have all needed a “Rocker starter kit” at one point during our life.. Only red Converse All Stars are missing

Anyway, selecting the best chess moves proved to be a harder task than I initially imagined. Because compiling every single brilliant move in the history would take a couple of months and probably fill more than one book.

Therefore I have tried to include some of the moves that made indelible impression on me. I have tried focusing on some lesser known brilliancies, but I still think that the list includes enough mainstream gems.

Naturally, the final list is highly subjective (you might notice the name of Rashid Gibiatovich Nezhmetdinov quite often). But any discussion on the “best of all time” theme has to include some degree of the subjectivity.

By now it is probably time to stop beating about the bush and present the list of the best chess moves according to a modest Candidate Master.

1. MIKHAIL TAL – HANS HOACHIM HECHT, VARNA OLYMPIAD, 1962.

I thought that starting with the most famous attacker ever can hardly be wrong. In the aforementioned game Tal, who was still in the recovery after the kidney operation, played on the lower board of the Varna Olympiad. (I am not certain about the exact number of the board).

Anyway, in the game, the following position was reached:

2. MIKHAIL TAL – SVIRIDOV, STUTTGART SIMUL, 1969

We continue with the mr. Mikhail, this time with a relatively lesser known game from a simultaneous exhibition (!!):

3. STEFAN LEVITZKY – FRANK JAMES MARSHALL, DSB KONGRESS, 1912

The move that even Kasparov referred to as “the most brilliant move in the chess history”.

In the following position:

4. VESELIN TOPALOV – ALEXEY SHIROV, LINARES 1998

One of the more famous examples from the list, and the brilliancy from the modern era.

In the following position, Black played the last move an average player would think of:

5. POLUGAEVSKY – NEZHMEDTINOV, SOCHI, 1958.

The first instance that the name of Rashid Giabatovich Nezhmetdinov pops up on this list. He was one of the greatest natural talents and one of the most brilliant attackers in the chess history. Unfortunately, he didn’t have solid opening repertoire to battle consistently with the Soviet greats, but still he played a number of attractive and brilliant games.

Very indicative is that he was the second of none other but Mikhail Tal, during his matches against Botvinnik.

One of his most famous creations is the following brilliancy against the Polugaevsky:

6. RASHID GIBIATOVICH NEZHMETDINOV – OLEG L CHERNIKOV, ROSTOV, 1962.

The Nezhmetdinov fan is on the loose and now there is no going back. Consider another brilliancy by the Soviet virtuoso:

7. TIGRAN VARTANOVICH PETROSIAN – LUDEK PACHMAN, BLED, 1961

The 9th world champion, Tigran Vartanovich Petrosian, is  famous for his defensive skill and positional style. However, most people underestimate his tactical prowess. Consider for instance the following famous encounter:

8. TIGRAN VARTANOVICH PETROSIAN – BORIS SPASSKY, WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP 1966.

One of the definitely more “mainstream” games on this list. It was played in a world championship match and is therefore rather significant.

In the following position, having sacrificed exchange twice earlier, our “romantic” Petrosian found the winning queen deflection:

9. M HEWITT – WILHELM STEINITZ, LONDON 1866

Everything said for the Petrosian is valid for Steinitz. Many people forget that before laying the foundation  for the birth of the modern chess school, 1st world champion played very attractive, attacking chess. One striking example is surely Steinitz – Bardeleben, but the following example is also very attractive:

10. VLADAS MIKENAS – DAVID BRONSTEIN, USSR CHAMPIONSHIP, 1965

We are jumping back to the “Soviet school of chess” period and mention another brilliant and “almost a World Champion”, player, David Bronstein.

This one is slightly more famous, and quite rightly so:

11. STEFAN BRZOZKA – DAVID BRONSTEIN, USSR, 1963.

I have to admit, I haven’t seen this one before. But it is never to late to get acquainted with the “cunning Devik’s heritage” (Bronstein’s nickname).

12. HENRY L TERRIE – EMORY TATE, US OPEN, 2001

This one really caught my attention because it is an endgame trick. It is kinda obvious, but still very beautiful.

13. F. ALEXANDER HOFFMAN – ALEXANDER PETROV

Every e4 player has cursed the name of Alexander Petrov  sooner or later throughout his career. The author of this lines is definitely not excluded.

However, in the following game, it was not only “Symmetry to death”:

14 DAVID NAVARA – ANNA DERGATSCHOVA-DAUS

In the post about blunders I already lamented how difficult it is to play against women. Czech GM David Navara doesn’t seem to have problems with that. Not only he wins, but he does so stylishly. Check the end to the following game:

15. DIMITAR I DONCHEV – SASHO NIKOLOV, BULGARIA, 1987

Too be honest, I don’t know much about these two players. Apart from the fact that chess community should be thankful to mr. Donchev for providing us with the following brilliancy.

In the position from the game, it was White to move:

16. MIKHAIL KRASENKOW – HIKARU NAKAMURA, BARCELONA, 2007

We remain in the modern era. There is a scarcity of the modern games in this collection, partly due to the author’s ignorance, and partly due to the fact that level of defence is much higher nowadays, and top players would be risking too much by trying to go for the brilliancies all the time.

However, one that definitely has to be mentioned is Hikaru Nakamura’s visiting card:

17. SAM LOYD – SAMUEL ROSENTHAL

Back to the 19th century. Sam Loyd is most famous as a chess composer, but sometimes he managed to create “problem like” wins in his over-the-board-games.

Consider the following position:

18. YURI AVERBAKH – ALEXANDER KOTOV, ZURICH CANDIDATES, 1953

Alexander Kotov is most famous for writing the great chess book Think like a grandmaster.

Unfortunately, after discussing in length the thinking process of a grandmaster, he gives the following famous example, which makes the reader to consider curling as an alternative career/hobby choice.

19. EFIM BOGOLJUBOW – ALEXANDER ALEKHINE, HASTINGS, 1922

We will conclude this list with the two games of the world champions. First example is my favourite Alekhine game, a grandiose canvas in which little b-pawn belittled the effort of the rampage rook.

20. VISWANATHAN ANAND – GARRY KASPAROV, WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP, 1995

The last, but not the least, a brilliancy by the greatest player ever. Although everything in the game was home preparation, it is still majestic nevertheless:

CONCLUSION

Phew, these exclamation marks really started to going on my nerves!!!

Finally we have reached an end of this post and this list.

It is arguable whether the choice is correct, as there are many famous games missing (Andersen’s Immortal and Evergreen games, Fischer’s Game of the Century, among others).  Even the choice of only one Kasparov game seems unjust; perhaps most people would rather choose his immortal game against Topalov instead.

However, as already mentioned, choosing between “gold and golder” can be very hard, and I have tried to mix a couple of rather famous games, with some that I feel deserve more recognition.

Anyway, I welcome all the readers to comment/email with their suggestions about the brilliant games worldwide, in order to replenish my knowledge and this list as well.

Now if you will excuse me, I am going to check all that blunders once again.

And do some drugs while listening to some good old rock’n’roll.

Naturally, I am only kidding here.

I don’t listen to rock’n’roll.

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]]> https://chessentials.com/best-chess-moves/feed/ 0 Greatest chess blunders in the history of chess https://chessentials.com/greatest-chess-blunders-history-chess/ https://chessentials.com/greatest-chess-blunders-history-chess/#respond Sat, 07 Jan 2017 15:22:05 +0000 https://chessentials.com/?p=1037 ERRARE HUMANUM EST… The last tournament game I played was a Croatian league match. I was playing White and played a very good game, untill the following position was reached: Considering that my opponent was...

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]]> ERRARE HUMANUM EST…

The last tournament game I played was a Croatian league match. I was playing White and played a very good game, untill the following position was reached:

Considering that my opponent was female, it was somewhat expected, since I score terribly against women.

And they also often beat me in chess.

…BUT EVEN GRANDMASTERS ARE HUMANS

After that “dramatic” finish to the game, I was so shocked that all I could do was laugh. However, later, after computer showed me that my advantage was worth 13 pawns, I seriously started doubting the ancient “laughter is the best medicine” saying.

In order to make myself feel better, I got the motivation to write this article.

Because something malicious in our subconsciousness makes us enjoy seeing our idols failing miserably.

Or as they say, “There are two types of luck, my luck and misery of others.”

Therefore, without further ado, I bring the compilation of the biggest blunders made by top grandmasters in the history of chess.

1. PETROSIAN BLUNDERS HIS QUEEN

Probably one of the most famous blunders in the history is following blunder by the 9th chess champion Tigran Vartanovich Petrosian.

In his game against David Bronstein in Amsterdam Candidates tournament in 1956, the following position was reached:

2. BACROT BLUNDERS HIS QUEEN

Petrosian is not the only one that commited a one move blunder. Etienne Bacrot, a very strong  Grandmaster and seven times French Champion can also join that club.

In his game against Ernesto Inarkiev in the Baku Grand Prix 2008 , the following positions was reached:

3.  KARJAKIN BLUNDERS HIS ROOK

Not only World Champions, but also World Champion Candidates are prone to blundering their heavy pieces once in a while. In the game Peter Heine Nielsen – Sergey Karjakin, Corus Chess Tournament 2005, the following position was reached:

4. KRAMNIK BLUNDERS MATE IN ONE

Another shocking example is the blunder of the 14th World Champion Vladimir Kramnik. In his game against the computer Deep Fritz from the year 2006 a following position was reached:

5. CHIGORIN BLUNDERS MATE IN TWO

Another famous, and probably the most shocking blunder on this list, is the blunder by the Russian Grandmaster Chigorin in the 23rd match game in his 1892 World Championship Match against the champion Wilhelm Steinitz.

The importance of this blunder can best be evaluated if we consider that the score in the match was standing at 9-8 in Steinitz’s favour. The match was played in the best of 10 format, and the following position in the 23rd game was reached:

6. KORCHNOI BLUNDERS MATE IN THREE

Viktor Korchnoi is widely considered as the best chess player ever never to become a World Champion. The closest he ever came to winning the title was the 1978 Baguio city World Championship match against Anatoly Karpov. I remind the reader that at one point the score in the match was 5-5, and Karpov managed to prevail by the closes possible margin by winning the 32nd game and thus the match.

However, everything might have ended differently if 17th game of that match went differently.

In that game, the following position was reached:

7. FISCHER BLUNDERS HIS BISHOP

 

The Fischer – Spassky “MATCH OF THE CENTURY” is probably most famous chess event of all times. However, it would be a big blunder not to include the events that occurred in the game one of that match in this list.

In the following position, Fischer as black decided to grab a pawn:

8. BOGOLJUBOW BLUNDERS IN A DRAWN ENDGAME

 

For the next blunder we go back to year 1929 and Alekhine – Bogoljubov match. In the game 19, the following endgame occurred on the board:

 

9. BRONSTEIN BLUNDERS IN A DRAWN ENDGAME

 

The long list of blunder in the World Championship matches continues with amazing Bronstein blunder in the 6th game of the Botvinnik – Bronstein World Championship match from the year 1951.

In the following position, Bronstein’s brain tilted:

The blunder is even more significant if you bear in mind that the match ended with the 12-12 score, which allowed Botvinnik to retain his title, according to the match regulations.

10. ANAND NAIVELY BLUNDERS TWO PAWNS

 

The last, but not the least on this list, is the Indian superstar and World Champion Vishwanathan Anand’s blunder in the 11th game of his 1995 World Championship match against Garry Kasparov.

It has to be said that up to this point it has been a very close match. Both players have scored one win, and Kasparov was unable to break through Anand’s deep opening preparation.

In the 11th game he decided to play the Sicilian Dragon for the first time in his life, and the following position was reached:

CONCLUSION

To conclude, this list could probably continue further. These are some of the most vivid examples of the grandmaster blunders in the history of chess. If you have your favourite, or your own thoughts about the theme of this article, feel free to comment below 🙂

Therefore, next time you overlook your queen, don’t give up your hope of becoming a GM.

After my atrocious Nxg6, I certainly haven’t. But as my favourite band Architects sing in their song, “HOPE IS A PRISON.”

 

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