Fischer vs Benko
At the Candidates Tournament in Curacao in 1962, which resulted in a victory for Tigran Petrosian, there was no rivalry as intense as the competition between America's pretty boy Bobby Fischer and the Hungarian Grandmaster ...
Greed Doesn't Pay (Part II)
This classic swindle involving greed, notorious for the blunders from both sides, occurred in an offhand game played at St. Petersburg in 1900. Master of attack Mikhail Tchigorin, commonly known as the first Russian Grandmaster, is playing Wh...
The Polish Immortal
What is a brilliancy? a spectacular Queen sacrifice? a game full of masterly maneuvers? That's the question. Many Brilliancy Awards of the past are known to be full of arguments, errors and disagreements. The "standards" for a b...
An American Legend
Jude Acers (April 1944-) is a U.S. senior Chess Master who has set several simultaneous exhibition world records. Acers broke Capablanca's record in 1966 at the Louisiana State Fair, when he played 114 opponents simultaneously and wo...
The Art of Swindling
"By all the rules, laws, principles, and ethics of Chess, swindles ought to fail. Yet, they work, not always, to be sure, but often enough, and quite effectively, too. We all share the wistful belief that Chess is a matter of abstract justice...
Greed Doesn't Pay
This position ilustrates what greed can do to a chess player. White has an easy win with a Knight and a Pawn ahead; instead of resigning, Black tries a clever swindle, he just played ...f4xe3. White should simply play f2xe3 and...
The Hunted Hunter
Miroslav Filip (October 1928-) from Prague, Czech Republic, was Czechoslovak Champion in 1950, 1952 and 1954. He earned the International Master title in 1953 and became Grandmaster in 1955. He played the following game in 1961 against Klaus Vikto...
Herman Helms of Brooklyn
Herman Helms (January 1870-January 1963) was recognized by the US Chess Federation as the "Dean of American Chess" in 1943. His personal and over-the-board experiences began with World Champion Wilhelm Steinitz. He encountered, at times ...
Adams vs Torre
If a dozen different masters were asked what was the greatest combination they have ever witnessed, there would be at least a dozen different replies. None, however, would deny the following game its share of immortality. This is one of the most b...
Lucky Discovered Mate
I played this game a while ago against a very good player and a good friend of mine (I will not reveal his name to protect his privacy). We usually beat each other back and forward, I happened to beat him this time. Often we see a game where ...
This is a Funny Game
This game was played in 1923, it only lasted nine moves. Black resigned as soon as he realized that his Queen was trapped. The quiet and amazing way in which White trapped the Black Queen is pure genious. Enjoy...
A First-Round Knockout
This game was played in 1936, don't know exactly where but I wanted to share it with you all. It features a 12-move checkmate. White never had a chance in this game, he could well have resigned before the mate was delivered. I don't t...
An Elegant-Royal Combination
Chess is often referred to as the "Royal Game" for, way back in the old days, the game used to be played among Kings and important people. The winner of the following game was Prince Andrey Dadian of Mingrelia (1850-1910),...
Attack and Defense
David Janowski (May 1868-January 1927) was born in Wolkowysk, Russia, he settled in Paris around 1890 and went professional as a Chess player in 1894. He won tournaments in Monte Carlo 1901, Hanover 1902, and tied for first at Vienna 1902 and Barm...
Carlos Bielicki of Argentina
The World's Junior Championship tournament of 1959 was held in Munchestein, Switzerland, the event is limited to players under 21 years of age. The winner at the time was 19-year old Carlos Bielicki (May 1940-), with this remarkable ...
The most Beautiful Move ever made
Frank James Marshall (August 1877-November 1944) was the United States Chess Champion from 1909 to 1936. He was considered one of the world's strongest players in the early part of the 20th century. In the game below, played in 1912 at the Bre...
Triangulation
This is another tricky endgame from the book "All About Chess" by Israel A. Horowitz, White is to play and win. The task looks pretty simple, all White has to do is to Queen his h-pawn, followed by Kd7 or e7 and checkmate. Well...
Sacrificial Kinghunt
I came across this game and I wanted to share it for your enjoyment. It was played in East Germany in 1963; the game features a nice Kinghunt. Black gives pieces away to get the White King out of his comfort zone, then he ...
A Pawn's road to Glory
Chess is a game that you love and hate at the same time, one of those things in life that nobody can explain. It is easier to achieve a winning game than to win it. One bad move nullifies forty good ones, and precision technique is of the ess...
Tal's Poisoned Queen
Mikhail Tal (Riga, Latvia 1936-1992) defeated Mikhail Botvinnik in 1960 to become World Champion, he was 23 at the time, the youngest player ever to win the title (his record was broken in 1985, when Garry Kasparov won the World Title at the ...
Embarrasment of Power
I came across this endgame exercise, I don't know who maded it up but I think it's pretty cool and sweet. Underpromotion is defined as "Promoting a pawn when it reaches the eight rank to less than a Queen." This is a little used ...
Mind over Matter
The diagram below is a setting for an endgame composed by Armenian Grandmaster Genrikh Kasparyan (1910-1995). White to play and win. Though White is two pieces ahead, Black threatens 1...f3xg2 mate as well as queening his e-pawn. It appears that B...
All is not what it seems
This exercise will blow your mind (From the book "All About Chess" by three times US Open Champion Israel A. Horowitz). White is to play and win. This seems an impossible task, White is ahead two bishops for a pawn, but since both b...
Fine's Ultimate Memory Test
Reuben Fine (New York City, 1914-1993) was one of the best Chess players in the world from the mid 1930's through the early 1940's. He was an International Grandmaster, Author of several Chess books and psychologist. Fine won four gol...