Greatest Chess Games

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TactandTactics

I have looked at a lot of famous chess games and in this forum, I would like to discuss the greatest chess games or what you all in the chess community think is the greatest chess game ever played. In my opinion, the best chess game ever played was in the 1974 Candidates Final between Anatoly Karpov and Victor Korchnoi. The game I am referring to is game 2 of the match where Karpov was white and the game played was a Sicilian dragon where Karpov played the yugoslav attack(the sharpest line) which was unlike karpov because he would always play slow and positional chess where as korchnoi liked to play aggressive chess and this choice by karpov seemed to play into korchnoi's hands. Anyways, this game followed 18 moves of theory and then Karpov played a novelty 19. Rd3!. The following move by korchnoi ...19 R4c5? to protect against the idea of g4-g5 loses to the move, funnily enough, g4-g5!. Karpov went on to when this sharp sicilian dragon game and went on to win the match after korchnoi had only made the one mistake on his move 19, after karpov's move 19 novelty. What did you guys think about the game? Do you consider it as one of the greatest? If not, what do you guys think is the greatest game? I would just like to know your personal opinions and I'd like some more games to study.

FBloggs

I don't know if it's currently considered one of the greatest but one of my favorites is still Alekhine's brilliant Dutch Defense against Bogoljubov at Hastings in 1922.

FunBloodyTactic
My favourite has always been Edward Lasker vs Thomas.
FBloggs
FunBloodyTactic wrote:
My favourite has always been Edward Lasker vs Thomas.

The  immortal king walk!  I forgot about that one.  Great game!  Short vs Timmon (1991) is another great king walk but in that game the king marches down the board in the middle game to assist in the mate.

fabelhaft

If Korchnoi got a lost position in the first move that wasn't theory I wouldn't rank it as the greatest game ever... Impossible to pick one greatest game but that Kasparov vs Topalov game isn't a bad candidate.

 

Strangemover

Polugaevsky - Torre, Moscow 1981. 

kindaspongey

How about Steinitz against Curt von Bardeleben?
http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1132699

fabelhaft

It's a nice combination by the 59-year-old Steinitz, but not the greatest game ever to me.

jambyvedar

greatest games does not have to be attacking theme. it could be also brilliant strategic or endgame play. here are some positional master piece.

 

Karpov vs Unzicker(karpov parking his bishop on a7)

http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1067846

 

Capablanca vs Winter(This game help clarify the understanding about a bad bishop)

http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1055995

 

Capablanca vs Tartakower(famous rook endgame)

http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1102104

 

Short vs Gelfand(The battle of 8 passed pawns)

http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1048111

 

 

 

TactandTactics
fabelhaft wrote:

If Korchnoi got a lost position in the first move that wasn't theory I wouldn't rank it as the greatest game ever... Impossible to pick one greatest game but that Kasparov vs Topalov game isn't a bad candidate.

 

Korchnoi got a lost position after the first move that wasn't theory because karpov played a novelty and korchnoi wasn't accurate enough although the move did look accurate it basically lost by force which i thought was very cool.

pennyswise
My favorite game though I believe there were inaccuracies,I still found it amazing how many pieces Vaganian has hanging but still got the #10

http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1087157
jambyvedar

Here is a brilliant game by GM Serper. Not many know this. He sacrificed all his pieces except for the queen.

 

http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1289099