ChessRules

Description: Alexander Alekhine versus Supico, Lisbon, 1941. Alekhine was playing a blindfolded simul and still found this astonishing move that follows in the footsteps of Frank Marshall. Absolutely remarkable!

Description: Maxime Vachier-Lagrave versus Ian Nepomniachtchi, Wijk aan Zee, 2011. Vachier-Lagrave places his rook on an empty square to be captured freely. However, if it is captured then it’s checkmate next move but if it’s not captured then it’s checkmate in two moves. Ooft!

Description: Hikaru Nakamura versus Vladimir Kramnik, Istanbul, 2012. Nakamura calculates that under-promoting gains him tempo to capture e2 scuppering Kramnik’s promotion. Nakamura goes onto win. Nakamura is immense.

Description: Gunnar Gundersen versus A. H. Faul, Melbourne, 1928. Gundersen’s move celebrates all things beautiful, checkmate with en passant.

Description: Richard Reti versus Savielly Tartakower. This incredible queen sacrifice by Reti leads to an undiscovered check and a forced checkmate in two moves. Brilliant!

Description: Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa versus Volodar Murzin, New York, 2024. The penultimate game in the 2024 World Rapid Championship sees Murzin’s king go marching up the board. Under immense time pressure Praggnanandhaa was flummoxed. Murzin had the nerve to place his king in the mouth of the lion knowing that his bishop will block the check and lead to an astonishing victory and ultimately becoming the second youngest player to win the tournament. Mindblowing!

Description: "I like the moment when I break a man's ego" is a classic quote by Bobby Fischer.

Description: Veselin Topalov versus Alexei Shirov, Linares, 1998. Shirov drops his bishop onto h3. He spotted that tempo was fundamental and sacrificed his bishop to create game winning tempo. Genius. Considered one of the greatest moves ever.

Description: Vera Menchik versus Sonja Graf-Stevensen, Semmering, 1937. Menchik’s sacrificial rook is used to distract black’s queen. If the rook is taken then it is checkmate in two. Astonishing vision.

Description: Bobby Fischer versus Pal Benko. Fischer places his sacrificial rook on an empty square to block a pawn defence. Ultimately this move leads to Benko’s resignation.

Description: Luis Paulo Supi versus Magnus Carlsen, www, 2020. Admittedly this is an online blitz game played for fun however, Qc6 is an astonishing move against the greatest chess player of all time. Carlsen’s reaction said it all, “Ooft! That is dirty! Wow! Wow! Wow! That is awesome!”

Description: Gunnar Gundersen versus A. H. Faul, Melbourne, 1928. Gundersen’s move celebrates all things beautiful, checkmate with en passant.

Description: Maxime Vachier-Lagrave versus Ian Nepomniachtchi, Wijk aan Zee, 2011. Vachier-Lagrave places his rook on an empty square to be captured freely. However, if it is captured then it’s checkmate next move but if it’s not captured then it’s checkmate in two moves. Ooft!

Description: Gata Kamsky versus Anatoly Karpov, Dortmund, 1993. Karpov places his king on what seems a completely absurd square. A few moves later though his pieces have been given space to attack.

Description: Mikhail Tal versus Hans-Joachim Hecht, Varna, 1962. The pawn is mightier than the queen! Tal ignores the threat to his queen and marches forth with his pawn and marches forth to victory. Incredible!

Description: Andrey Esipenko versus Magnus Carlsen, Wijk aan Zee, 2021. Esipenko’s g4 on move eight signalled his intent; the 18-year-old was not to be intimidated. Ncxb5 had Carlsen on the back foot for the rest of the game. Outstanding play from Esipenko.

Description: “If the shirt fits, I try to wear it” is a quote by Ian Nepomniachtchi made during an interview at the candidates tournament in Madrid, 2022. We at ChessRules have great respect for the humour and wisdom of Nepomniachtchi’s mind. This version is in Cyrillic in respect to Nepomniachtchi but there is an English alternative available.

Description: Bobby Fischer versus Pal Benko. Fischer places his sacrificial rook on an empty square to block a pawn defence. Ultimately this move leads to Benko’s resignation.

Description: Fabiano Caruana versus Ruslan Ponomariov. Re7 is a bonafide visionary move. Caruana forces Ponomariav to take his sacrificial rook and again Ponomariav is forced to take Caruana’s sacrificed bishop and then finally is forced to accept checkmate.

Description: Daniil Dubov versus Anish Giri, Moscow, 2019. Dubov's queenside castle is a totally unintuitive move as it left the king completely exposed to Giri's attack. Dubov's ballsy tactic paved the way to victory.

Description: Hou Yifan versus Babu Lalith, Gibraltar, 2017. Opening with g4 Hou Yifan makes a statement and takes a stand. Here at ChessRules we respect an individual who raises their head above the parapet. In our world Hou Yifan rocks.

Description: Bai Jinshi versus Ding Liren, Tianjin, 2017. After having sacrificed his queen Liren had to keep applying the pressure. Rd4 is sublime. Right this moment Ding Liren is World Champion. Bravo!

Description: Fabiano Caruana versus Ruslan Ponomariov. Re7 is a bonafide visionary move. Caruana forces Ponomariav to take his sacrificial rook and again Ponomariav is forced to take Caruana’s sacrificed bishop and then finally is forced to accept checkmate.

Description: Wiede versus Alphonse Goetz, Strasbourg, 1880. Under-promoting a pawn to a knight to checkmate his opponent was elegant and classy. Respect.

Description: Bai Jinshi versus Ding Liren, Tianjin, 2017. After having sacrificed his queen Liren had to keep applying the pressure. Rd4 is sublime. Right this moment Ding Liren is World Champion. Bravo!

Description: Martin Ortueta Esteban versus Jose Sanz Aguado, Madrid, 1933. Some could argue that the follow up moves c4 and a5 were better, but either way Aguado played a bunch of incredible moves.

Description: Viswanathan Anand versus Garry Kasparov, New York, 1995. Kasparov offers up both of his rooks but whichever one Anand takes it is game over. BOOM!

Description: Gilles Andruet versus Boris Spassky, Bundesliga, 1988. A queen sacrifice that is counterintuitive to the objective makes it impossible to see; except of course if you’re a genius - and who is to argue that Boris Spassky isn’t?

Description: Luis Paulo Supi versus Magnus Carlsen, www, 2020. Admittedly this is an online blitz game played for fun however, Qc6 is an astonishing move against the greatest chess player of all time. Carlsen’s reaction said it all, “Ooft! That is dirty! Wow! Wow! Wow! That is awesome!”

Description: Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa versus Volodar Murzin, New York, 2024. The penultimate game in the 2024 World Rapid Championship sees Murzin’s king go marching up the board. Under immense time pressure Praggnanandhaa was flummoxed. Murzin had the nerve to place his king in the mouth of the lion knowing that his bishop will block the check and lead to an astonishing victory and ultimately becoming the second youngest player to win the tournament. Mindblowing!

Description: Alisa Galliamova versus Alina Kashlinskaya, Moscow, 2020. Sacrificing the queen gives Kashlinskaya a forced checkmate in five moves. Nice, very nice.

Description: “If the shirt fits, I try to wear it” is a quote by Ian Nepomniachtchi made during an interview at the candidates tournament in Madrid, 2022. We at ChessRules have great respect for the humour and wisdom of Nepomniachtchi’s mind. There is also a version written in Cyrillic in respect to Nepomniachtchi.

Description: Viswanathan Anand versus Garry Kasparov, New York, 1995. Kasparov offers up both of his rooks but whichever one Anand takes it is game over. BOOM!

Description: Rashid Nezhmetdinov versus Oleg Chernikov, Rostov-on-Don, 1962. Nezhmetdinov’s queen sacrifice is astonishing; a zen-like understanding of his position. Simply outstanding.

Description: Donald Byrne versus Bobby Fischer, New York, 1956. Fischer's bishop move sacrifices his queen but the subsequent demolition job was absolutely incredible. At age 13 this move signalled the arrival of one of the greatest players to ever play chess.

Description: “If the shirt fits, I try to wear it” is a quote by Ian Nepomniachtchi made during an interview at the candidates tournament in Madrid, 2022. We at ChessRules have great respect for the humour and wisdom of Nepomniachtchi’s mind. There is also a version written in Cyrillic in respect to Nepomniachtchi.