That sounds unlikely, but I like the idea of making a list of instructive games and studying them.
Below are ten such classic games. Games of several world champions and masters are missing, eg: Lasker, Capablanca, Alekhine; these will appear in a second list. Suggestions are welcome in comments.
The list, with links to you-tube videos; the games can be replayed in a pgn-viewer further down the page.
1. Paulsen vs Morphy, 1857. Video
2. Morphy vs Count/Duke, 1858. The most well-known chess game. Video
Analysis by Fischer: Video
3. Steinitz vs Mongredien, 1863. Video
4. Rotlewi vs Rubinstein, 1907. Rubinstein’s Immortal
5. Rubinstein vs Salwe, 1908.
Both games here: Video The second one is instructive on how to play against the backward c-pawn.
6. Smyslov vs Rudakovsky, 1945. Short game, but explained in detail here: Video
7. Tal vs Simagin, 1956. Knights don’t retreat! Video
8. R.Byrne vs Fischer, 1963. My favorite Fischer game. Video
9. Larsen vs Spassky, 1970. Spassky’s immortal. Video
10. Fischer vs Petrosian, 1971. Video And: Analysis In French
[Event "USA-01.Congress"]
[Site "New York"]
[Date "1857.??.??"]
[Round "6"]
[White "Paulsen, Louis"]
[Black "Morphy, Paul"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "C48"]
[EventDate "1857.??.??"]
[PlyCount "56"]
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bb5 Bc5 5.O-O O-O 6.Nxe5 Re8 7.Nxc6 dxc6 8.Bc4 b5 9.Be2 Nxe4 10.Nxe4 Rxe4 11.Bf3 Re6 12.c3 Qd3 13.b4 Bb6 14.a4 bxa4 15.Qxa4 Bd7 16.Ra2 Rae8 17.Qa6 Qxf3 18.gxf3 Rg6+ 19.Kh1 Bh3 20.Rd1 Bg2+ 21.Kg1 Bxf3+ 22.Kf1 Bg2+ 23.Kg1 Bh3+ 24.Kh1 Bxf2 25.Qf1 Bxf1 26.Rxf1 Re2 27.Ra1 Rh6 28.d4 Be3 0-1
[Event "Paris"]
[Site "Paris FRA"]
[Date "1858.??.??"]
[EventDate "?"]
[Round "?"]
[Result "1-0"]
[White "Paul Morphy"]
[Black "Duke Karl / Count Isouard"]
[ECO "C41"]
[PlyCount "33"]
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 Bg4 {This is a weak move
already.--Fischer} 4.dxe5 Bxf3 5.Qxf3 dxe5 6.Bc4 Nf6 7.Qb3 Qe7
8.Nc3 c6 9.Bg5 {Black is in what's like a zugzwang position
here. He can't develop the [Queen's] knight because the pawn
is hanging, the bishop is blocked because of the
Queen.--Fischer} b5 10.Nxb5 cxb5 11.Bxb5+ Nbd7 12.O-O-O Rd8
13.Rxd7 Rxd7 14.Rd1 Qe6 15.Bxd7+ Nxd7 16.Qb8+ Nxb8 17.Rd8# 1-0
[Event "London (England)"]
[Site "London (England)"]
[Date "1863.??.??"]
[EventDate "?"]
[Round "?"]
[Result "1-0"]
[White "Wilhelm Steinitz"]
[Black "Augustus Mongredien"]
[ECO "B06"]
[WhiteElo "?"]
[BlackElo "?"]
[PlyCount "43"]
1. e4 g6 2. d4 Bg7 3. c3 b6 4. Be3 Bb7 5. Nd2 d6 6. Ngf3 e5
7. dxe5 dxe5 8. Bc4 Ne7 9. Qe2 O-O 10. h4 Nd7 11. h5 Nf6
12. hxg6 Nxg6 13. O-O-O c5 14. Ng5 a6 15. Nxh7 Nxh7 16. Rxh7
Kxh7 17. Qh5+ Kg8 18. Rh1 Re8 19. Qxg6 Qf6 20. Bxf7+ Qxf7
21. Rh8+ Kxh8 22. Qxf7 1-0
[Event "Lodz"]
[Site "Lodz RUE"]
[Date "1907.12.26"]
[EventDate "?"]
[Round "6"]
[Result "0-1"]
[White "Georg Rotlewi"]
[Black "Akiba Rubinstein"]
[ECO "D32"]
[WhiteElo "?"]
[BlackElo "?"]
[PlyCount "50"]
1.d4 {Notes by Carl Schlechter and Dr. Savielly Tartakower.}
d5 2.Nf3 e6 3.e3 c5 4.c4 Nc6 5.Nc3 Nf6 6.dxc5 {Tartakower:
Less consistent than 6.a3 or 6.Bd3, maintaining as long as
possible the tension in the center.} Bxc5 7.a3 a6 8.b4 Bd6
9.Bb2 O-O 10.Qd2 {? Schlechter: A very bad place for the
queen. The best continuation is 10.cxd5 exd5 11.Be2, followed
by O-O. *** Tartakower: Loss of time. The queen will soon have
to seek a better square (14.Qe2). The most useful move is
10.Qc2.} Qe7 {! Schlechter: A fine sacrifice of a pawn. If
11.cxd5 exd5 12.Nxd5? Nxd5 13.Qxd5 Rd8! and Black has a strong
attack.} 11.Bd3 {Schlechter: Better was 11.cxd5 exd5 12.Be2.}
dxc4 12.Bxc4 b5 13.Bd3 Rd8 14.Qe2 Bb7 15.O-O Ne5 {!
Schlechter: Introduced by Marshall and Schlechter in a similar
position with opposite colors, but here with the extra move
Rd8.} 16.Nxe5 Bxe5 {Tartakower: Threatening to win a pawn by
17...Bxh2+ 18.Kxh2 Qd6+. White's next move provides against
this, but loosens the kingside defenses.} 17.f4 Bc7 18.e4 Rac8
19.e5 Bb6+ 20.Kh1 Ng4 {!} 21.Be4 {Schlechter: There is no
defense; e.g., 21.Bxh7+ Kxh7 22.Qxg4 Rd2 etc.; or 21.h3 Qh4
22.Qxg4 Qxg4 23.hxg4 Rxd3, threatening ...Rh3 mate and
...Rxc3; or 21.Qxg4 Rxd3 22.Ne2 Rc2 23.Bc1 g6! threatening
...h5; or 21.Ne4 Qh4 22.h3 (if 22.g3 Qxh2+ 23.Qxh2 Nxh2 and
wins.) 22....Rxd3 23.Qxd3 Bxe4 24.Qxe4 Qg3 25.hxg4 Qh4+ mate.}
Qh4 22.g3 {Schlechter: Or 22.h3 Rxc3! 23.Bxc3 Bxe4 24.Qxg4
Qxg4 25.hxg4 Rd3 wins. *** Tartakower: The alternative 22.h3,
parrying the mate, would lead to the following brilliant lines
of play: 22...Rxc3! (an eliminating sacrifice, getting rid of
the knight, which overprotects the bishop on e4) 23.Bxc3 (or
23.Qxg4 Rxh3+ 24.Qxh3 Qxh3+ 25.gxh3 Bxe4+ 26.Kh2 Rd2+ 27.Kg3
Rg2+ 28.Kh4 Bd8+ 29.Kh5 Bg6+ mate) 23...Bxe4+ 24.Qxg4 (if
24.Qxe4 Qg3 25.hxg4 Qh4+ mate) 24...Qxg4 25.hxg4 Rd3 with the
double threat of 26...Rh3+ mate and 26....Rxc3, and Black
wins. Beautiful as are these variations, the continuation in
the text is still more splendid.} Rxc3 {!!} 23.gxh4 Rd2 {!!}
24.Qxd2 Bxe4+ 25.Qg2 Rh3 {!} 0-1
[Event "Lodz"]
[Site "Lodz RUE"]
[Date "1908.10.??"]
[EventDate "1908.10.??"]
[Round "3"]
[Result "1-0"]
[White "Akiba Rubinstein"]
[Black "Georg Salwe"]
[ECO "D33"]
[WhiteElo "?"]
[BlackElo "?"]
[PlyCount "75"]
1.d4 {Notes by Lasker} d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 c5 4.cxd5 exd5 5.Nf3
Nf6 6.g3 Nc6 7.Bg2 {Already this mode of developing the Bishop
is determined by the weakness of Black on d5.} cxd4 8.Nxd4 Qb6
9.Nxc6 bxc6 10.O-O Be7 11.Na4 {White concentrates on c5 and
c6.} Qb5 12.Be3 O-O 13.Rc1 Bg4 {Black should rather
strenghthen c6 by Bd7.} 14.f3 Be6 15.Bc5 Rfe8 16.Rf2 Nd7
17.Bxe7 Rxe7 18.Qd4 Ree8 19.Bf1 Rec8 20.e3 Qb7 21.Nc5 Nxc5
22.Rxc5 {Now c5 is gained and the Pawn at c6 fixed; that Pawn
therefore becomes the target.} Rc7 23.Rfc2 Qb6 24.b4 {White
threatens b5. Black has no time for 24...Bd7. The sequence is
25.b5 Rac8 26.Qc3 and Black cannot liberate himself. Again if
24...Bd7 25.b5 Rcc8 26.bxc6 Bxc6 27.Qc3.} a6 25.Ra5 Rb8 26.a3
Ra7 {Black cannot guard all of his weak spots.} 27.Rxc6 Qxc6
28.Qxa7 Ra8 29.Qc5 Qb7 30.Kf2 {The intent is to guard his own
weaknesses, particularly on the second and third ranks.} h5
31.Be2 g6 32.Qd6 {The c-file is important because open.} Qc8
33.Rc5 Qb7 34.h4 a5 {A desperate attempt at a counter-attack.}
35.Rc7 Qb8 36.b5 a4 37.b6 Ra5 38.b7 {This game illustrates how
much greater weight the effect of the pieces on weaknesses has
in comparison to their effect on other points.} 1-0
[Event "USSR Championship"]
[Site "Moscow URS"]
[Date "1945.06.??"]
[EventDate "1945.??.??"]
[Round "2"]
[Result "1-0"]
[White "Vasily Smyslov"]
[Black "Iosif Rudakovsky"]
[ECO "B83"]
[WhiteElo "?"]
[BlackElo "?"]
[PlyCount "57"]
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 d6 6. Be2 Be7
7. O-O O-O 8. Be3 Nc6 9. f4 Qc7 10. Qe1 Nxd4 11. Bxd4 e5
12. Be3 Be6 13. f5 Bc4 14. Bxc4 Qxc4 15. Bg5 Rfe8 16. Bxf6
Bxf6 17. Nd5 Bd8 18. c3 b5 19. b3 Qc5+ 20. Kh1 Rc8 21. Rf3 Kh8
22. f6 gxf6 23. Qh4 Rg8 24. Nxf6 Rg7 25. Rg3 Bxf6 26. Qxf6
Rcg8 27. Rd1 d5 28. Rxg7 Rxg7 29. Rxd5 1-0
[Event "USSR Championship"]
[Site "Leningrad (RUS)"]
[Date "1956.01.14"]
[EventDate "1956.??.??"]
[Round "3"]
[Result "1-0"]
[White "Mikhail Tal"]
[Black "Vladimir Simagin"]
[ECO "B06"]
[WhiteElo "?"]
[BlackElo "?"]
[PlyCount "89"]
1.e4 c6 2.d4 d6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.f4 Qb6 5.Nf3 Bg4 6.Be2 Nbd7 7.e5
Nd5 8.O-O Nxc3 9.bxc3 e6 10.Ng5 Bxe2 11.Qxe2 h6 12.Nxf7 Kxf7
13.f5 dxe5 14.fxe6+ Kxe6 15.Rb1 Qxb1 16.Qc4+ Kd6 17.Ba3+ Kc7
18.Rxb1 Bxa3 19.Qb3 Be7 20.Qxb7+ Kd6 21.dxe5+ Nxe5 22.Rd1+ Ke6
23.Qb3+ Kf5 24.Rf1+ Ke4 25.Re1+ Kf5 26.g4+ Kf6 27.Rf1+ Kg6
28.Qe6+ Kh7 29.Qxe5 Rhe8 30.Rf7 Bf8 31.Qf5+ Kg8 32.Kf2 Bc5+
33.Kg3 Re3+ 34.Kh4 Rae8 35.Rxg7+ Kxg7 36.Qxc5 R8e6 37.Qxa7+
Kg6 38.Qa8 Kf6 39.a4 Ke5 40.a5 Kd5 41.Qd8+ Ke4 42.a6 Kf3 43.a7
Re2 44.Qd3+ R6e3 45.Qxe3+ 1-0
[Event "US Championship 1963/64"]
[Site "New York, NY USA"]
[Date "1963.12.18"]
[EventDate "1963.??.??"]
[Round "3"]
[Result "0-1"]
[White "Robert Eugene Byrne"]
[Black "Robert James Fischer"]
[ECO "E60"]
[WhiteElo "?"]
[BlackElo "?"]
[PlyCount "42"]
1. d4 {Notes from various sources.} Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. g3 c6
4. Bg2 d5 5. cxd5 {5.Qb3 maintains more tension. -- Fischer}
cxd5 6. Nc3 Bg7 7. e3 O-O 8. Nge2 Nc6 9. O-O b6 10. b3 {It's
hard for either side to introduce an imbalance into this
essentially symmetrical variation. Deadeye equality also
ensues afer 10.Nf4 e6 11.b3 Ba6 12.Re1 Rc8 13.Ba3 Re8 14.Rc1
(Stahlberg-Flohr, Kemeri 1937) -- Fischer} Ba6 11. Ba3 {After
White's 11th move I should adjudicate his position as slightly
superior, and at worst completely safe. To turn this into a
mating position in eleven more moves is more witchcraft than
chess! Quite honestly, I do not see the man who can stop Bobby
at this time. -- K.F. Kirby, South African Chess Quarterly}
Re8 12. Qd2 e5 {! I was a bit worried about weakening my QP,
but felt that the tremendous activity obtained by my minor
pieces would permit White no time to exploit it. 12...e6 would
probably lead to a draw. -- Fischer} 13. dxe5 Nxe5 14. Rfd1
{"Add another to those melancholy case histories entitled: The
Wrong Rook." -- Fischer ~ "This is very much a case of 'the
wrong rook'. One can understand Byrne's desire to break the
pin on the e2-knight, but this turns out to be less important
than other considerations. Fischer spends a lot of time and
energy analysing the superior 14. Rad1!, but still comes to
the conclusion that Black can keep the advantage." -- John
Nunn} Nd3 {Now it's all systems go for the Fischer rocket. --
Robert Wade} 15. Qc2 {There is hardly any other defense to the
threat of ...Ne4. -- Fischer} Nxf2 {! The key to Black's
previous play. The complete justification for this sac does
not become apparent until White resigns! -- Fischer} 16. Kxf2
Ng4+ 17. Kg1 Nxe3 18. Qd2 {Byrne: As I sat pondering why
Fischer would choose such a line, because it was so obviously
lost for Black, there suddenly comes...} Nxg2 {!! This
dazzling move came as the shocker... the culminating
combination is of such depth that, even at the very moment at
which I resigned, both grandmasters who were commenting on the
play for the spectators in a separate room believed I had a
won game! -- Robert Byrne} 19. Kxg2 d4 {!} 20. Nxd4 Bb7+ {The
King is at Black's mercy. -- Fischer} 21. Kf1 {In a room set
aside for commentaries on the games in progress, two
grandmasters were stating, for the benefit of the spectators,
that Byrne had a won game. Byrne's reply to Fischer's next
move must have been jaw dropping! -- Wade} Qd7 {And White
resigns. Fischer writes: "A bitter disappointment. I'd hoped
for 22.Qf2 Qh3+ 23.Kg1 Re1+!! 24.Rxe1 Bxd4 with mate to follow
shortly."} 0-1
[Event "USSR vs. Rest of the World"]
[Site "Belgrade SRB"]
[Date "1970.03.31"]
[EventDate "1970.03.29"]
[Round "2.1"]
[Result "0-1"]
[White "Bent Larsen"]
[Black "Boris Spassky"]
[ECO "A01"]
[WhiteElo "?"]
[BlackElo "?"]
[PlyCount "34"]
1. b3 e5 2. Bb2 Nc6 3. c4 Nf6 4. Nf3 e4 5. Nd4 Bc5 6. Nxc6
dxc6 7. e3 Bf5 8. Qc2 Qe7 9. Be2 O-O-O 10. f4 Ng4 11. g3 h5
12. h3 h4 13. hxg4 hxg3 14. Rg1 Rh1 15. Rxh1 g2 16. Rf1 Qh4+
17. Kd1 gxf1=Q+ 0-1
[Event "Fischer - Petrosian Candidates Final"]
[Site "Buenos Aires ARG"]
[Date "1971.10.19"]
[EventDate "1971.09.30"]
[Round "7"]
[Result "1-0"]
[White "Robert James Fischer"]
[Black "Tigran Vartanovich Petrosian"]
[ECO "B42"]
[WhiteElo "?"]
[BlackElo "?"]
[PlyCount "67"]
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 a6 5. Bd3 Nc6 6. Nxc6
bxc6 7. O-O d5 8. c4 Nf6 9. cxd5 cxd5 10. exd5 exd5 11. Nc3
Be7 12. Qa4+ Qd7 13. Re1 Qxa4 14. Nxa4 Be6 15. Be3 O-O 16. Bc5
Rfe8 17. Bxe7 Rxe7 18. b4 Kf8 19. Nc5 Bc8 20. f3 Rea7 21. Re5
Bd7 22. Nxd7+ Rxd7 23. Rc1 Rd6 24. Rc7 Nd7 25. Re2 g6 26. Kf2
h5 27. f4 h4 28. Kf3 f5 29. Ke3 d4+ 30. Kd2 Nb6 31. Ree7 Nd5
32. Rf7+ Ke8 33. Rb7 Nxf4 34. Bc4 1-0
No comments:
Post a Comment