Here is some good news. Many or some of the games we will pick are annotated on the ChessWebsite. And we have permission to use annotated games from the website.
For anyone interested this is a great website. In addition to famous games there is something for everybody, endgames, lessons, and he [Kevin] has explained the various ideas behind various openings and this includes gambits. He did a very fine job on the Ponziani Opening.
Ok, gals and guys lets have your favorites to include in the top 20
Here is my list
Morphy Opera game
Kasparov-Topalov 1999 [Kasparov Immortal]
13 year old Bobby Fischer vs Donald Byrne 1956?
Botvinnik vs Capablanca AVRO 1938
Bernstein-Mieses date? weak color complex
Only 15 more to go...
Ok, gals and guys lets have your favorites to include in the top 20
Excuse me if i don't understand well, but there have been suggestions already, do you want those posted again (as in twice)?
There have been suggestions but I want to arrive at the top 20 so I am asking those who are interested to give me their top 5 that they like best.
If some keep getting mentioned [as for example the Morphy Opera Game] then we can include it on our top 20 list.
I do not want to dictate myself want opinion of all those interested..
Also anyone want to include more games for consideration--that would help.
ponz111:
The truth is WAY more than 20 games are needed...
Ok, here are some more, on different themes. It's off the top of my head, so there are surely other classics too.
Restriction:
Schlecter-John, Barmen 1905
Maroczy-Suechting, Barmen 1905
Capablanca-Treybal, Karlsbad 1929
Fischer-Petrosian, Ct 1959
Outpost:
Smslov-Rudakovsky, 1945
Fischer-Gadia, 1960
Greco Sacrifice:
Yates-Marin, Hamburg OL 1930
Schlecter-Wolf, 1894
Double Bishop Sac:
Lasker-Bauer, 1889
Nimzowitsch-Tarrasch, St. Petersburg 1914
Opposite Side Attacks:
Rubinstein-Teichmann, 1908
Fine-Thorvaldsson, 1937
Movsesian-Kasparov, 2000
Carlsen-Ivanchuk, 2007
Van der Heijden-Zagrebelny, 2006* (not strictly a classic, but the final position is worth examining closely)
King in the center:
Steinitz-von Bareleben, Hastings 1895 (shame on me for forgetting this!)
Evergreen Game
Immortal Game
Topalov-Bareev, 1994
(and surely many others!)
Andre you are correct that 20 would not be enough. But we could tryand pick the very best 20 and then a second 20 and then also rans?
I suggest this now a mixture of instructive games with some really enjoyable games with historic value. An example of the later would
be 13 years old Bobby Fischer vs Byrne Game.
We could have each game marked as "king in the center" or Kasparov Immortal etc. with websites for each game and some games more than one website.
I think many players would find it interesting and enjoyable to have access to such a list with the websites right there.
It is said to play over master games to learn and here we would have the very best [I know it is somewhat subjective]
ponz111:
Historical value or entertainment value would be different lists entirely.
Good luck in your quest...
Many games have both. but thank you.
Hey Ponz and all,
Hope all is well.
Just wanted to share I found something pretty interesting...
Over in the "downloads" section for members, there was a huge file of annotated games added recently and many games of grandmasters to add to our choices. 
I like the ones you've chosen so far Ponz and Andre, that's a valuable contribution you shared.
Looks like we have all the resources we need to work with and choose from...now just to narrow down to the final list (or at least the ones we'll study first).
I am adding two games to my favorites list
Adolph Anderssen vs Lionel Kieseritski [The first "Immortal Game"]
1-0 date and place?
thanks learningthemoves!
Emanuel Lasker vs Jose Rul Capablanca St. Petersburg 1914 1-0
I agree completely with Andre, as I mentioned in a previous post.
In fact, it would be possible to create 20 great games on any of a range of subjects within chess. I had mentioned Anderssen-Dufresne and several others in a previous post on attacking the uncastled king, but that didn't see to register.
Yes. it would be possible to create 20 great games on any of a range of subjects.
And Anderson Dufresne did register, I just have not had time to look at it yet.
Do you think it is impossible to do a list of 20 of the best games of all time? [they all seem to be quite instructive]
and then a 2nd list with websites where one can views the games?
I am adding to my list of the 20 most famous, best, instructive, annotated games of all time
Mikhail Tal vs Vladamir Simagin 23rd USSR Championship date?
Adolph Anderssen vs Jean Dufresne 1521 "The Evergreen Game"
Kasparov vs Anand 1995 World Championship 1-0 Amazing Rook Sacrifice
Antatoly Karpov vs Garry Kasparpv World Championship round 9 1-0
1984 Good Knight vs Bad Bishop classic endgame
Ten games on my list so far...
11th game Friedrich Saemisch vs Aron Nimzowitcsh 0-1
Copenhagen 1923 "TheImmortal Zugzwang Game"
clevery annotated by Nimzowitsch
and here is a rival game
Aron Nimzowitsch vs Jose Raul Capablanca New York City 1927
0-1 "2nd Immortal Zugzwang Game" [this time Nimzovitch lost]
annotated
by kingcruscher
it s not a GM master game, it's a Fide Master only but it is amazing: http://youtu.be/ygdltIamTdY
People do not seem very interested in this. However I gave Kevin at thechesswebsite.com suggestions for annotating a few of the suggested games and he will do this. He already has annotated some of our best suggestions. This is a great and free website....
I am interested just haven't really seen enough games to make a good judgement.
Scottrf Yes, I did not word that very well. There are people interested but it is very hard to find the very best games. Because there are so many games. I think we are lucky that one of our chesscom members has devoted a good part of his life to chess and his free website is so very nice...
He is going to try and annotate some of the very best games I suggested to him.
He also explains openings very well. He did a nice job on the Ponziani Opening, for example.
Has this been suggested?
Polish Immortal: Glinksberg vs Miguel Najdorf Warsaw, 1928Attack!! Black attacks and checkmates White's castled King sacrifcing all 4 minor pieces
Here it says it's from 1929
http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1100774
This is an interesting find from chessgames.com,