Chess Poll: The Most Famous Chess Matches of All Time

What, in your humble opinion, are the most famous chess matches of all time?

I'd like to hear any insight on why the match is considered great, as well! 

In my opinion, the most important match in the history of the game  was Bourdonnais vs. M'Donnell in 1834.

Bourdonnais was a Frenchman and probably the strongest player in the world during his time. M'Donnell was an Irishman, playing for England, who was nearly as strong.

It was actually 6 matches played back to back for a total of 85 high class games. 

The match was arranged by George Walker and the moves were recorded by William Greenwood Walker (no relation to George), the Secretary of the Westminster Chess Club in London where the matches were held. Bourdonnais won 45, over half. M'Donnell won 27. There were 13 draws. But not only were the moves recorded, but the were published in newspapers and periodicals so that the public could follow, which it did with great excitement and anticipation.

The games were also included in W. Greenwood Walker's posthumously published book, "A selection of games at chess, actually played in London, by the late Alexander M’Donnell" in 1836.

Bourdonnais won the match decisively though the final match had to be suspended when Bourdonnais need to return to France to take care of some business in Paris and M'Donnell took sick. M'Donnell died before the match could be resumed. He was buried at Kensal Green in London where Bourdonnais would join him in five short years. William Greenwood Walker, the recorder, also died at the conclusion of the match.

Why was it so important?

This match was important on several levels. First, no previous match had been this involved nor this revealing of the two opponents skills and weaknesses. No other match had ever been so well recorded, nor so promptly published. No other match up to this time had ever been so thoroughly studied and annotated. No other match had ever been so praised and admired by adherents to both parties. Most importantly, no other match had ever generated the level of interest as did this one. It served as a catalyst to inspire an unheard of wave of popularity for the game.

The opponents were equal in talent - the main and telling difference being Bourdonnais' knowledge of opening theory. M'Donnell's mentor was William Lewis who disdained the study of openings. The games are surprisingly modern and often positional.

Some Annotated games (many by Paul Morphy himself)

Well, if famous is the pivotal point, the fischer-spassky takes the cake. i was a kid growing up in asia at the time, and one of the millions who followed every game. i have no doubt that this was the case in many other countries.

you have to understand that the match also had political significance. it was the soviets vs. the usa, and people who normally were not into chess got interested. heck, even the governments of both countries got involved when fischer seemed unwilling to take the plane to iceland.

you can ask a non-chessplayer to name a chess match, and they would most likely know about fischer-spassky. And, of course, adding to its fame or infamy, you've got the famous first game played between the two where the famous Bh2 capture took place. It shocked the world at how fischer could commit such an elementary blunder. But, we all know now that he was trying to complicate a drawn game cuz he wanted to win at all cost.

Fame skyrocketed, of course, after the american beat the soviet, and the whole world celebrated the victory. fischer-spassky, no doubt, is the most famous. geeez, even now, more than 30 years after the match, someone ( fischer's bodyguard ) is still trying to make money out the match!

Famewise it was Fischer-Spassky(1972) no doubt,

But Technically and Methodically (interms of game) wise It was Kasparov-Karpov all matches From 1984 ~ 87.

  : )

Match of the century (1972) between Fischer and Spassky takes first rank in my opinion... Read more about this interesting battle on:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Chess_Championship_1972

Kasparov-Karpov matches were great too...

For me, it is either Fischer-Spassky - the 1972 for reasons that everybody has explained, or Kasparov-Karpov, for the length of the match, for the behind the scenes politics, for the history that was made, and for the player that was created from it.

I liked Batgirl's contribution. Stuff I didn't know, but makes sense to consider the match one of the most famous chess matches of all time. 

Kasparov-Karpov 1990

This is a good answer.  I wasn't alive in 1972, so I can't judge how Fischer-Spassky compared to it, but the two Kasparov-Deep Blue matches were definitely the time during my lifetime when the mainstream press was most abuzz about chess.