Even Champions Can Blunder

Submitted by RookHouse on Tue, 12/30/2008 at 4:59pm.

Stefano Roselli del Turco was a strong international chess player in the 1920’s and 1930’s. He won the Italian Chess Championship in 1920, 1923, and 1931. Even this strong chess master was not immune to bad games or blunders.

At the famous 1925 Baden-Baden tournament, he played a game against the legendary Efim Bogoljubow in which he was playing the black side of a Queen’s Gambit Declined. On the 17th move he inexplicably played 17… Rf4??? and quickly resigned one move later.

For more chess history, visit: www.rookhouse.com

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| 1779 reads | 15 comments |

2 votes:

Comments:

by staggerlee - 10 months ago
Clermont-Ferrand France

Member Since: Mar 2008
Member Points: 733

Ouch. Happens to everyone.

by Jpatrick - 10 months ago
Pennsylvania United States

Member Since: Jul 2008
Member Points: 201

I remind my opponents that I'm always threatening to blunder.

by checkmate351 - 10 months ago
Cleveland United States

Member Since: Mar 2008
Member Points: 135

blunders teach me to be more alert the next time

by RookHouse - 10 months ago
Ohio United States

Member Since: May 2008
Member Points: 180

Happy New Year fellow chess fans!!!

by uritbon - 10 months ago
tel aviv Israel

Member Since: Apr 2008
Member Points: 1000

reminds me of one of my games...

by wetpaste - 10 months ago
United States

Member Since: Aug 2007
Member Points: 112

The most shocking blunder ever: http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1440796

some other good ones:

http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1010204

http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1069122

heres one by karpov: http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1069116

This is why i thought it was funny that people refused to beleive that kasparov missed that mate (what a recent puzzle was about). There are so many better examples of masters and even champions making mistakes in big games. And in kasparovs case his solution wasn't that bad.

by kenytiger - 10 months ago
United States

Member Since: Aug 2007
Member Points: 1062

Blunders are an important part in the game of chess, they are the reason why people win and lose. If nobody blunders then every game would be a draw, thank God for blunders.

by salamillion - 10 months ago
United States

Member Since: Dec 2008
Member Points: 290

I agree with the comment about not quitting. Perhaps that is because I just don't know well enough that my situation is hopeless but if Chess is a passion and learning is a goal, why not sit it out and finish the game? Maybe some players would like that you quit and enjoy that.

Speaking of not knowing well enough, I actually don't. I am into the game for six days now. It's actually hopeless for me as soon as I face the computer but I set mini goals for myself and work to achieve those - such as developing all of my pieces, completing some opening I read about in one of my beginner books, capturing the computers knight, bishop etc. I may be a bit Quixotic in my pursuit but if I quit every time I would not get to see how the computer decides to finish me off.