ChessRules

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: 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: 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 attackers to ever play chess.

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: Ding Liren versus Ian Nepomniachtchi, Astana, 2023. Nobody could see it. Nobody could see the significance of d5. Nobody except Liren. He blocked an escape route for his opponent’s king. Three moves later Nepomniachtchi resigns. Unbelievable calculation from Liren making him Chess World Champion.

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: Ian Nepomniachtchi versus Sergei Rublevsky, Moscow, 2006. Nepomniachtchi’s knight went walkabout and jumped straight into the lion’s mouth where it could be taken by three pieces. This is play full of swagger from a young lad who went onto win. Here at ChessRules we’re big fans of Ian Nepomniachtchi.

Description: Vladimir Kramnik versus Garry Kasparov, Moscow, 1994. Kramnik sacrifices his bishop and uses his f pawn to bust through Kasparov’s control of the centre. Fifteen moves later this pawn is pushed forward to the 7th rank and signals Kasparov’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: Anish Giri versus Alexander Morozevich, Beijing, 2012. At a time in the game when Giri might have considered re-grouping he carried on attacking. Bf6* is a stunning game-winning move.

Description: Ian Nepomniachtchi versus Sergei Rublevsky, Moscow, 2006. Nepomniachtchi’s knight went walkabout and jumped straight into the lion’s mouth where it could be taken by three pieces. This is play full of swagger from a young lad who went onto win. Here at ChessRules we’re big fans of Ian Nepomniachtchi.

Description: Shakhriyar Mamedyarov versus Daniil Dubov, www, 2021. Down two pawns in the endgame Dubov found a stunning idea, Rf1 initiated the trap, Mamedyarov thought he had snapped up a bishop, but Dubov walloped him with stalemate! Absolutely brilliant.

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: 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: Mikhail Botvinnik versus Lajos Portisch, Monte Carlo, 1968. Botvinnik had seen the trap and had an answer for it: R1xc6 paves the way to victory. Boom!

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: 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: Prince Andria Dadiani of Mingrelia versus M. Bitcham, Zugdidi, 1892. The prince busts open his opponent’s defence by sacrificing his knight and then his queen and then mates with his remaining knight. Boom!

Description: Laurent Fressinet versus Alexandra Kosteniuk, Villandry, 2007. Endurance should also be celebrated in chess. Kosteniuk’s Rh2 was her 251st move that finally brought the game to an end. Epic!

Description: Judit Polgar versus Nona Gaprindashvili, Novi Sad, 1990. The brutal rook sacrifice by Gaprindashvili resulted in an instant resignation from Polgar. Both of these players are genuinely inspirational.

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: Nigel Short versus Jan Timman, Tilburg, 1991. Short’s king marches up the board heading to the dizzy heights of h6 to assist the queen in checkmating. Exceptionally rare that a king finds himself at such a position during the middle game. Brilliant stuff.

Description: Magnus Carlsen versus Sergey Karjakin, New York, 2016. Carlsen sacrifices his queen to become World Champion! Unbelievable. Absolute class. Unfortunately there were no such flamboyant moves in the recent world championship match between Carlsen and Nepomniachtchi but what Carlsen showed was that his mental stamina is just phenomenal. (We are aware here at ChessRules that Hikaru Nakamura played this exact same tactic in 2002!)

Description: Alexey Shirov versus Judit Polgar, Buenos Aires, 1994. Polgar’s knight move is an exceptionally imaginative move from one of the very best attackers to have ever played the game.

Description: Bai Jinshi versus Ding Liren, Tianjin, 2017. After having sacrificed his queen Liren had to keep applying the pressure. Rd4 is sublime.

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

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: Levon Aronian versus Santosh Vidit, www, 2020. The game looked to be drawn but Vidit snapped up the pushed pawn b2-b4 at which point Aronian’s bishop stepped back to trap Vidit’s bishop. This was quickly followed by the rest of black’s pieces being trapped leaving Aronian’s a pawn, with a smile upon its face, to skip its way to the top of the board. An exceptional tactic by Aronian.

Description: Tigran Petrosian versus Ara Minasian, Yerevan, 2006. Petrosian’s queen sacrifice is arguably the move of the game but the pleasure of delivering checkmate with a pawn is also to be celebrated.

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

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: 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: Edward Lasker versus Alexander Alekhine, London, 1913. It’s not often that one gets to write Qexb4#. Both Lasker and Alekhine had two queens on the board but it was Alekhine that got to checkmate first.

Description: Edward Lasker versus George Thomas, London, 1912. Lasker had sacrificed his queen earlier to send Thomas’s king fleeing to the other end of the board. Rarely does a king get the opportunity to give checkmate. Exceptionally cool.

Description: Michal Krasenkow versus Hikaru Nakamura, Barcelona, 2007. Krasenkow plays Bxf6 thinking that he’s captured a free piece as the move reveals his rook to attack Nakamura’s queen. Unfortunately for Krasenkow his opponent spotted an exceptional tactic: Qxf2* sacrificing the queen. This sucked out the king to middle of the board whereupon seven moves later Krasenkow resigned.

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.