Immortal game

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[Event "London"]
[Site "London ENG"]
[Date "1851.06.21"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Adolf Anderssen"]
[Black "Lionel Adalbert Bagration Felix Kieseritzky"]
[Result "1-0"]
[EventDate "?"]
[ECO "C33"]
[WhiteElo "?"]
[BlackElo "?"]
[PlyCount "45"]

1. e4 {In the romantic era of chess, e4 was almost the only move played.} 1...
e5 {Black responds in kind.} 2. f4 {The \"King's Gambit\" - the MOST aggressive
option at White's disposal. White sacrifices the f4-pawn to attempt to establish
a pawn duo with d4 and e4.} 2... exf4 {\"The best way to refute a gambit is to
accept it.\"} 3. Bc4 {The Bishop's Gambit. This slightly less popular option
invites Black to check on h4 and make White move the king.} (3. d4 $2 {This is too
hasty.} 3... Qh4+ 4. Ke2 d5 $1 $17) 3... Qh4+ $6 {As it turns out, this check
displaces the king, but it doesn't mind being on f1. Meanwhile, Black's queen is
a bit exposed, and Nf3 will gain time by attacking the queen.} (3... Nf6 {Just
developing and poking at e4 is very sensible.} 4. e5 $2 d5 $1 $17) 4. Kf1 {White can
no longer castle, but the king is safe and out of the way on f1.} 4... b5 $6
{This is the right idea, but the wrong execution. Black gives back a pawn and
may free the bishop on c8, but White's bishop on b5 is well-placed, and the
bishop on c8 doesn't actually gain a good diagonal.} (4... d5 $1 {This is a much
more sensible way to give back a pawn. Black will open lines to White's king and
give the bishop a good diagonal.}) 5. Bxb5 {Free pawns should be captured.} 5...
Nf6 {The knight attacks e4 AND considers hopping onto pleasant squares of h5 or
g4.} 6. Nf3 {White gains time by developing and attacking the queen.} 6... Qh6
{From this square, the queen defends the f4-pawn. In general, if White can win
it back, White will have a large advantage.} 7. d3 $6 {This is a bit
conservative. White defends the e4-pawn, but the pawn isn't in real danger.} (7.
d4 $1 {This is clearly stronger because the e4-pawn is poisoned.} 7... Nxe4 $2 8.
Qe2 {pinning the knight.} 8... f5 9. Nc3 Bb7 10. d5 $1 $16) 7... Nh5 {Black
threatens to win an exchange with ...Ng3+.} 8. Nh4 $2 {Anderssen wants to put the
knight on f5, but it will not be very good there.} (8. Rg1 $1 $16 {This move
(avoiding ...Ng3+) is actually very strong as White intends g4 $1 when the knight
on h5 has nowhere good to go.}) 8... Qg5 $1 {The knight AND the bishop on b5 are
attacked.} 9. Nf5 {This is the ONLY move to save both the knight on h4 and the
bishop on b5.} 9... c6 {This pushes the bishop back, and it controls d5, BUT it
takes away some of the fifth-rank pressure that was creating real issues for
White.} (9... g6 $1 10. h4 $1 Qf6 $17) 10. g4 $5 {A clever move $1 The knight on h5 and
the queen are in real trouble, and of course, the pawn cannot be captured en
passant because the queen on g5 will hang.} (10. Ba4 $1 $14) (10. Bc4 $2 d5 $1 $17) 10...
Nf6 {The knight retreats and attacks g4. White's bishop on b5 and pawn on g4 are
both hanging now.} (10... g6 $1 11. gxh5 gxf5 12. Rg1 $17) (10... fxg3 $4 11. Bxg5
$18) 11. Rg1 {The bishop on b5 is left hanging, BUT the threat of pawn to h4 is
too strong, and Black should not capture.} 11... cxb5 $2 {Black cracks under the
pressure. This capture gives White the time needed to go after the black queen.}
(11... h5 $1 $13) (11... d5 $5 $13) 12. h4 {Where is the queen to go $2} 12... Qg6 {This
is the only square not under immediate attack.} 13. h5 {The queen is hit again.}
13... Qg5 {Again, the queen has only one safe square.} 14. Qf3 {Now Anderssen
simply wishes to take the pawn on f4 with Bxf4 and trap the queen.} 14... Ng8
{The knight makes a sad retreat so that the queen can retreat along the d8-h4
diagonal.} 15. Bxf4 {The pawn is taken and the black queen attacked.} 15... Qf6
{The queen pulls back and attacks the b2-pawn. Note that Black HAS avoided
getting his queen trapped, and he has won the bishop on b5. However, White has a
winning advantage because of his extremely active pieces and many threats.} 16.
Nc3 {The final minor piece is developed, and the b2-pawn is no longer in danger.
The knight is immediately threatening to go to d5.} 16... Bc5 {Black starts the
process of developing his minor pieces all over again. The bishop hopes to gain
time by attacking the rook on g1.} 17. Nd5 $1 {A brilliant move. Anderssen
sacrifices the b2-pawn to swarm the black king with the minor pieces.} 17...
Qxb2 {There is now no better option than taking the pawn and threatening the
rook on a1.} 18. Bd6 $6 {This move - sacrificing both rooks - is incredibly
thrilling. Without this move, the game might not be famous at all. However, it
is not the best move. White did not have to sacrifice both rooks to attack.}
(18. Re1 {Simply saving this rook is enough to win with the active minor
pieces.} 18... Bxg1 19. Nd6+ Kf8 20. Be5 $18 {The queen and checkmate on f7 are
threatened.}) 18... Bxg1 $2 {Incredibly, this move loses. The key is to take one
rook, but not both.} (18... Qxa1+ $1 19. Ke2 Qb2 $1 $19) 19. e5 $5 {Like Bd6 $6, this
move is spectacular, but it is probably not best. The main point of this move is
to cut the black queen off from the defense of the g7-pawn. Nxg7+ is a
checkmating threat.} (19. Re1 $16 {Saving the rook still leaves White with a
tremendous attack despite the fact that he is down a rook and minor piece right
now.}) 19... Qxa1+ $1 {The second rook is captured.} (19... Bb7 $2 20. Nxg7+ Kd8 21.
Qxf7 $18) 20. Ke2 {The king is best tucked away here. Black cannot attack him.}
20... Na6 $2 {The fatal error. Black has just one incredibly hard to spot
defense.} (20... Ba6 $1 {This move, freeing the c8-square for the king, is simply
the only move that doesn't get brutally mated or lose all of Black's pieces.}
21. Nc7+ Kd8 22. Nxa6 (22. Nxa8 Kc8 $19) (22. Qxa8 Bc8 $3 23. Qxb8 Qc3 $1 $12) 22...
Qc3 (22... Qxa2 23. Bc7+ Kc8 (23... Ke8 24. Nb4 $18) 24. Nd6#) 23. Bc7+ Qxc7 24.
Nxc7 $18) 21. Nxg7+ {White wins a pawn and forces the king to d8. The dark
squares were already exposed, but now they are completely open for White's
attack.} 21... Kd8 {Forced.} 22. Qf6+ $3 {Fantastic $1 Anderssen spots one of the
prettiest and most unique checkmates in the history of the royal game.} (22.
Qxf7 {This mates slightly more slowly.}) 22... Nxf6 {The only (silly)
alternative is ...Ne7.} 23. Be7# {A finish clearly worthy of a masterpiece known
as \"THE Immortal Game.\" White has sacrificed one bishop, many pawns, both
rooks, and the queen for a stunning mate with the remaining minor pieces.} 1-0

I know that this is the immortal game but isn't a crazy like you should see the evaluations in the game go up and down.

Avatar of Ryantyler09

Yes thats a good game..   Krowd Darden

Avatar of adityasaxena4
Avatar of adityasaxena4
Avatar of badger_song

Anderssen is the chess master I admire the most. How you win matters just as much as if you win.