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The 1,000 Best of the Best
Part Two

Zdenko Krnic

This month we present five games from the 100 Golden Games that are serious candidates for the ten best games ever published in Chess Informant. A criterion for selection was that each game is less than twenty-five moves.

The first volume of Chess Informant was printed in 1966 and promoted at the Olympiad in La Habana, and the best game of Informant #2 was played at that Olympiad. Grandmaster Portisch, a player of subtle positional style, brought a valuable point to his team by way of effective sacrifices.

1. L.Portisch – S.Johannessen
La Habana (ol) 1966 – 2/526 [D47]

1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.e3 e6 5.Nf3 Nbd7 6.Bd3 dc4 7.Bc4 b5 8.Bd3 b4 9.Ne4 Bb7 10.Nf6! Nf6 11.Qa4 Be7 12.Bd2 a5 13.e4! (and White is superior) 0-0 14.e5 Nd7 15.Qc2 h6 16.h4! c5 17.Rh3 Bf3

18.Bh6!! Bh4 [18...gh6 19.Rg3 Kh8 20.Qd2 Bg5 21.hg5 and White is winning; 18...Bg4 19.Rg3 f5 20.Rg4! fg4 21.Bh7 Kh8 22.Bg7!! Kg7 23.Qg6 Kh8 24.Bg8! and White is superior] 19.gf3 gh6 20.Ke2! Ne5 21.de5 Qd4 22.Rh4! (and White is winning) Qh4 23.Rg1 Kh8 24.Qc1! f6 25.Rg6! 1-0 [V.Sokolov]

Tigran Petrosian was one of the best defensive players; he had a gift for sensing the hidden dangers in a position, and he was nearly invincible in defending difficult positions. He lost just one or two games per year. Yet it was only an imprecise opening move that enabled Spassky to create an irresistible attack in the nineteenth game of their 1969 match.

2. B.Spassky – T.Petrosian
Moscow (m/19) 1969 – 7/428 [B94]

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cd4 4.Nd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Bg5 Nbd7 7.Bc4 Qa5 8.Qd2 h6?! 9.Bf6! Nf6 10.0-0-0 e6 [and White is superior; 10...e5!? 11.Nf5 Bf5 12.ef5 Be7 13.Kb1 Rc8 14.Bb3 Rc3! 15.Qc3 Qc3 16.bc3 Ne4 with compensation] 11.Rhe1 Be7 12.f4 0-0 13.Bb3 Re8 14.Kb1 Bf8

15.g4!! Ng4 [15...Nd7 16.h4 Nc5 17.g5 and White is superior] 16.Qg2 Nf6 17.Rg1! Bd7 18.f5 Kh8 19.Rdf1 Qd8? [19...e5 20.Ne6! fe6 21.fe6 Be6 22.Rf6 and White is winning; 19...Qe5!? and White is superior] 20.fe6 fe6 [20...Be6 21.Ne6 fe6 22.e5 de5 23.Ne4! and White is winning] 21.e5! de5 22.Ne4 Nh5 23.Qg6 ed4 [23...Nf4 24.Rf4 ef4 25.Nf3 Qb6 26.Rg5!! Bc6 27.Nf6 and White is winning] 24.Ng5 [24...hg5 25.Qh5 Kg8 26.Qf7 Kh7 27.Rf3 and White is winning] 1-0 [E.Geller]

In 1970 the best players of the world gathered in Belgrade to challenge the USSR team. Larsen, believing he had the best results at the time, demanded to play first-board ahead of Fischer, and Fischer agreed! Perhaps it was because of this responsibility that Larsen lost as white in a miniature against the official world champion.

3. Be.Larsen – B.Spassky
World – USSR 1970 – 9/25 [A01]

1.b3 e5 2.Bb2 Nc6 3.c4 Nf6 4.Nf3 e4 5.Nd4 Bc5 6.Nc6 dc6 7.e3 Bf5 8.Qc2 Qe7 9.Be2 0-0-0 10.f4? [and White is superior, with the idea 11.Bf6 Qf6 12.Nc3] Ng4! 11.g3 h5 [11...Rd2 12.Nd2 Ne3 13.Qc3 Rd8 unclear] 12.h3 [12.Nc3 Rd2! and Black is winning]

12...h4! 13.hg4 [13.Bg4 Bg4 14.hg4 hg3 15.Rg1 Rh1! 16.Rh1 g2 17.Rg1 Qh4 18.Ke2 Qg4 19.Ke1 Qg3 20.Kd1 (20.Ke2 Qf3 21.Ke1 Be7 and Black is winning) Qf2 21.Qe4 Qg1 22.Kc2 Qf2 and Black is winning] hg3 14.Rg1 Rh1 15.Rh1 g2 16.Rf1 [16.Rg1 Qh4 17.Kd1 Qh1 18.Qc3 Qg1 19.Kc2 Qf2 20.gf5 Qe2 21.Na3 Qd3 (21...Bb4 and Black is winning) 22.Qd3 ed3 23.Kc3 Be3 (23...a5 24.Nc2!) 24.de3 d2 25.Rd1 Rh8 and Black is winning] Qh4 17.Kd1 gf1Q [18.Bf1 Bg4] 0-1 [B.Spassky]

Emil Sutovsky brings about a tactical conflict in a position whenever it is possible. In the following game, he demonstrates his combinatory talent by exploiting the constantly weak square f5.

4. E.Sutovsky 2657 – I.Smirin 2683
Israel (ch) 2002 – 86/119 [B30]

1.e4 c5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.Nf3 e5 4.Bc4 d6 5.d3 Be7 6.0-0 Nf6 7.Ng5 0-0 8.f4 ef4 9.Bf4 h6 10.Nf3 Be6 11.Nd5 Bd5 12.ed5 Na5 13.Nh4! b5 [13...Nd5 14.Bd5 Bh4 15.Qh5 Bf6 16.Rae1 with the idea 16...Bb2 17.Bh6 gh6 18.Qg6 Bg7 19.Rf7 Rf7 20.Bf7; 13...g5 14.Nf5 gf4 a) 15.Re1 Re8 16.Bb5 Bf8 17.Be8 Ne8 and Black is slightly better; b) 15.Qe1 Nc4 16.dc4 (16.Ne7 Kh7 17.dc4 Re8) Re8 17.Nh6 Kg7 18.Nf5 Kg6 19.Qh4 (19.Rf4 Nh5 20.Rg4 Bg5 21.Qh4 Re4! 22.Rf1 Rf4!) Nh5 20.Qg4 Bg5 equal, with the idea Nh4-f5; c) 15.Nh6! Kh7 (15...Kh8 16.Rf4) 16.Nf5 Rg8 c1) 17.Qe1 Rg5! 18.Ne7 (18.Rf4 Nh5 with the idea 19.Ne7 Nf4 20.Qh4 Rh5 21.Qf6 Qf8; 18.Qe7 Rf5 19.Qf7 Kh6 20.Rf3 Qf8 21.Rh3 Kg5) Re5 19.Qh4 Kg7 20.Rf4 Qe7 21.Raf1 Nh5 22.Qg4 Qg5 23.Rf7 Kh6 (unclear) 24.Qd7 Qe3 25.R1f2 (25.Kh1?? Ng3!) Qe1 26.Rf1 Qe3 equal; c2) 17.Rf4 Rg6 18.Qf3 Nc4 19.dc4 Bf8 20.Rf1 (20.Re1) Bg7 21.Qh3 Kg8 22.Qh4; 21.Re1!]

14.Nf5!! [14.Bb5 Nd5 15.Nf5 Nf4 16.Rf4 (16.Ne7 Qe7 17.Rf4 Qe3 18.Rf2 Rfb8! 19.a4 a6) Bg5 17.Rf1 g6 18.Ng3 Qb6 19.c4 a6 20.Bd7 Qb2 21.Ne4 Qd4 22.Kh1 Nc4!? (22...Rad8) 23.Ng5 Ne3 24.Nf3 Qb2! 25.Qd2 Qd2 26.Nd2 Nf1 27.Rf1 Rab8 and White is superior] bc4 15.Bh6! gh6 [15...Ne8 a) 16.Qg4 Bf6 17.Rae1 a1) 17...cd3 18.Re8 Qe8 (18...Re8 19.Bg7 and White is winning, with the idea 19...Re4 20.Qe4 Bg7 21.Ne7 Kf8 22.Rf7! Kf7 23.Qe6 Kf8 24.Ng6 mate) 19.Bg7 Qe2 20.Nh6 Kh7 21.Qf5 Kg7 22.Qf6 Kh7 23.Nf5 Qe5 24.Qh4 Kg8 25.Rf3 and White is winning; a2) 17...g6! 18.Bf8 Kf8 19.Ne3 cd3 20.cd3 Rb8 and Black is slightly better; b) 16.Qe1! b1) 16...Bh4 17.Nh4 gh6 18.Ng6! cd3 (18...fg6 19.Qe6 Kg7 20.Rf8 Kf8 21.Rf1) 19.Ne7 Kh8 20.Qe3 Kh7 21.Qe4 Kh8 22.Rf5!! dc2 (22...d2 23.Rh5 Kg7 24.Nf5) 23.Rh5 Kg7 24.Qg4 Kh7 25.Qg5 and White is winning; b2) 16...Bf6 17.Bd2!! Nb7 18.Bc3! (with the idea Bf6, Ne7) b21) 18...Rb8!? 19.Qg3 (19.Bf6 Nf6 20.Ne7 Qe7! 21.Qe7 Rfe8 22.Qc7 Rec8) Bg5 (19...Bc3 20.bc3 g6 21.Rae1) 20.Rae1 (20.h4 Bf6!) cd3 (20...g6 21.Qh3) 21.h4! g6 22.hg5 gf5 23.Bf6 and White is winning; b22) 18...Bg5 19.h4! Bf6 20.Bf6 Nf6 21.Ne7 Kh7 22.Rf6! gf6 23.Qe2 and White is winning] 16.Nh6 Kh7 [16...Kh8 17.Rf6! Bf6 18.Qh5 a) 18...Kg7 19.Nf5 Kg8 20.Rf1! Re8 (20...Qe8 21.Qg4 Kh7 22.Qh3 Kg8 23.Qg3! Kh7 24.Rf4 Bg5 25.Qg5 Qe1 26.Rf1 Qe5 27.Qh4! Kg8 28.Rf3) 21.Rf4 Re1 (21...Bg5 22.Rg4 Qf6 23.Rg5 Kf8 24.Qh4) 22.Kf2 Re5 23.Rg4 Kf8 24.Qh6 Bg7! 25.Qg7 Ke8 26.Qg8 Kd7 27.Qf7 Re7 28.Ne7 Qe7 29.Rg7! Qf7 30.Rf7 Kc8 (30...Ke8 31.Rh7 Rc8 32.Ra7) 31.Rf8 Kb7 32.Ra8 Ka8 33.g4 and White is winning; b) 18...Bd4 19.Kh1 Qe8 20.Nf5 Kg8 21.Qg4 Kh7 22.Qh4 Kg8 23.Re1 (23.Rf1 Qe2 only move 24.Re1 Qd2 25.Qg4 Kh7 26.Rd1 Qd1 27.Qd1 Rae8 28.Nd6 Rd8 29.Qh5 Kg8 30.Qg4 Kh7 31.Qh3 Kg8 32.Qg3 Kh7 33.c3 Bg7 34.dc4 and White is superior) cd3 (23...Qe1 24.Qe1 Rae8 25.Qg3 Kh7 26.Nd6) 24.cd3 Qe1 (24...Bb2 25.Ne7 Qe7 26.Qe7 Be5 27.Qc7 Bc3 28.Re4 Rae8 29.Rg4 Kh7 30.g3) 25.Qe1 Nb7 26.Qg3 Kh7 27.Qh4 Kg6 28.Qg4 Kf6 29.h4! Rg8 30.Qf3! Kg6 31.Qf4 and White is winning] 17.Nf5!! [17.Rf6? Bf6 18.Qh5 Rh8! 19.Rf1 Qe8! and Black is winning] cd3?! [17...Re8 18.Rf3 Bf8 (18...Kg8 19.Rh3) 19.Rh3 Kg8 20.Qf3 Bg7 21.Qg3 Ng4 22.Qg4 Qf6 23.Rg3 and White is winning; 17...Rg8 18.Qe1! Bf8 (18...Nd5 19.Qe4 Rg6 20.Qd5 Re6 21.Ne7 Re7 22.Rf6! Kg7 23.Raf1 Qg8 24.Qh5 Kf8 25.Rg6) 19.Qh4 Kg6 20.Rae1! a) 20...Nh7 21.Qe4 Nf6 22.Qf4 Nh7 (22...Nd5 23.Nh4) 23.Ne7 Be7 24.Qf7 Kh6 25.Re7 Rg2 26.Kg2 Qg8 27.Kh1 Qf7 28.Rff7 Ng5 29.Rf6 Kh5 30.Rg7 and White is winning; b) 20...Nd5 21.Re7!! Qe7 22.Ne7 Be7 23.Qe4 Kg7 24.Qd5 Bf6 (24...Raf8 25.Rf3 f5 26.dc4) 25.Qd6 Bd4 26.Kh1 cd3 27.c3 and White is winning] 18.Qd3 [18.Rf3 and White is winning] Kh8 19.Rae1 Qb6 [19...Re8 20.Qc3] 20.Qh3 [20.Qg3 Rg8 21.Qh3 Nh7 22.Re7 and White is winning] Nh7 21.Re7 c4 22.Kh1 Qb2 23.Re4! Rg8 [23...Qf6 24.Rh4 Qg6 25.Rg4! (25.Qc3 f6 26.Qa5 Rae8) Qf6 (25...Rae8 26.Rg6 fg6 27.Qc3) 26.Rg7 Qg7 27.Ng7 Kg7 28.Qc3 and White is winning] 24.Qh7! [24...Kh7 25.Rh4 Kg6 26.Rh6 Kg5 27.h4 Kg4 28.Ne3 Kg3 29.Rf3 mate] 1-0 [E.Sutovsky]

Women's World Champions Vera Menchik, Nona Gaprindashvili and Maya Chiburdanidze each left their mark in chess history. But Judit Polgar's achievements will not be overcome for a long time.

5. Ju.Polgar 2715 – F.Berkes 2578
Budapest 2003 – 87/278 [C13]

1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bg5 de4 5.Ne4 Be7 6.Bf6 Bf6 7.Nf3 Nd7 8.Qd2 0-0 9.0-0-0 Be7 10.Bd3 b6 11.Neg5 h6 12.Bh7!? Kh8 13.Be4 hg5? [13...Rb8 14.h4 Nf6 15.Bd3 Bb7 16.Ne5 Kg8 17.Qe2 with attack; 13...Bg5! 14.Ng5 Rb8 15.Nf3 (15.h4 Nf6) Nf6 16.Bd3 Bb7 equal]

14.g4!! [14.Ba8? g4 15.Ne5? Bg5 and Black is winning] Rb8 [14...Ba6 15.h4 a) 15...f5 16.hg5 Kg8 17.gf5 Rf5 18.Bf5 ef5 19.Qc3! (19.Qe3 Bc4) Bg5 20.Ng5 Qg5 21.Kb1 Rf8 (21...c5 22.Qb3 c4 23.Qa4 and White is winning; 21...Kf7 22.Qb3 Kf6 23.Qd5 Rd8 24.Rde1 and White is winning) 22.Qb3 Rf7 23.Rh8 Kh8 24.Qf7 and White is winning; b) 15...g6 16.hg5 Kg7 17.Qf4 Rh8 (17...Bd6 18.Ne5 Be7 19.Nf7 Bd6 20.Qf3 Qe7 21.Rh7 Kh7 22.Qh3 Kg8 23.Rh1 Kf7 24.Bg6 Kg6 25.Qh5 Kg7 26.Qh7 mate) 18.Rh8 Qh8 19.Ne5 Ne5 20.Qe5 Kg8 21.Qh8 Kh8 22.Rh1 Kg7 23.Ba8 and White is winning; c) 15...Kg8 16.hg5 Re8 17.Bh7 Kf8 18.Bd3 and White is winning; d) 15...gh4 16.g5 Kg8 17.Qf4 f5 18.Qh4 fe4 19.Qh7 Kf7 20.Qh5 g6 (20...Kg8 21.g6 and White is winning) 21.Qh7 Ke8 22.Qg6 Rf7 23.Rh7 Bg5 24.Ng5 Qg5 25.Qg5 Rh7 26.Qg6 Rf7 27.Qe6! Re7 (27...Kf8 28.Rh1 Nf6 29.Rh8 Ng8 30.Qe4 Rb8 31.Qg4 Rg7 32.Qf3 Ke8 33.Qb3! Kf8 34.Qa3 and White is winning) 28.Qg6 Kd8 29.Rh1 Re8 30.Rh7 Nf8 31.Qf6 Kc8 32.Qc6 Nh7 33.Qe8 Kb7 34.Qe4 and White is winning; 14...c6 15.h4 gh4 (15...g6 16.hg5 Kg7 17.Qf4 with attack) 16.g5 a) 16...Kg8 17.Qf4 f5 (17...h3 18.Rh3 and White is winning) a1) 18.Qh4?! Qc7! (18...fe4 19.Qh7 Kf7 20.Qh5 g6 21.Qh7 Ke8 22.Qg6 Rf7 23.Rh7 Bg5 24.Ng5 Qg5 25.Qg5 Rh7 26.Qg6 Rf7 27.Qe6 Re7 28.Qc6 and White is winning) 19.Bd3 Kf7 20.Qh5 g6 21.Qh7 Ke8 22.Qg6 Kd8; a2) 18.Bc6! Rb8 19.Qh4 Bd6 20.Ne5 Be5 21.de5 Kf7 22.Rd6 and White is winning; b) 16...f6 17.Nh4 Kg8 (17...fg5 18.Ng6 Kg8 19.Bc6 Rb8 20.d5 and White is winning) 18.Ng6 and White is superior] 15.h4 g6 [15...f5 16.hg5 Kg8 17.gf5 Rf5 18.Bf5 ef5 19.Qe3 Nf8 (19...Kf7 20.g6 Ke8 21.Rh8 Nf8 22.Rf8 Kf8 23.Rh1 and White is winning) 20.Ne5 Qd5 21.Qh3 Bg5 22.Kb1 Bh6 23.Rdg1 Kh8 24.Qg3 and White is winning; 15...gh4 16.g5 f5 (16...Kg8 17.Qf4) 17.Qf4 fe4 18.Qh4 Kg8 19.Qh7 Kf7 20.Qh5 g6 21.Qh7 Ke8 22.Qg6 Rf7 23.Rh7 Bg5 24.Ng5 Qg5 25.Qg5 Rh7 26.Qg6 Rf7 27.Qe6 Re7 28.Qg6 Rf7 29.Qe4 and White is superior; 15...Kg8 16.hg5 Re8 17.Qf4 Nf8 18.Rh3 and White is superior; 15...Bb7 16.hg5 Kg8 17.Bb7 Rb7 18.Qf4 Rb8 (18...Re8 19.Kb1! Bd6 20.Rh8 Kh8 21.Qf7 Nf8 22.Rh1 Nh7 23.g6 and White is winning) 19.Kb1! Bd6 20.Ne5 Be5 21.de5 Re8 22.Rd3 and White is superior] 16.hg5 Kg7 17.Qf4 Bb7 [17...Bd6 18.Ne5 Be5 19.de5 Rh8 20.Rh8 Qh8 21.Bc6 Qd8 22.Kb1! a5 23.a4 Kf8 24.Rh1 and White is winning; 17...Rg8 18.Rh7 Kh7 19.Qf7 and White is winning; 17...Rh8 18.Rh8 Qh8 (18...Kh8 19.Qf7) 19.Ne5 a) 19...Ne5 20.Qe5 Kg8 21.Qc7 Bg5 22.Kb1 and White is winning; b) 19...Qe8 20.Rh1 and White is winning; c) 19...f6 20.gf6 Bf6 21.Rh1 Be5 (21...g5 22.Qf3 Qg8 23.Nd7 Bd7 24.Rh7 and White is winning) 22.de5 Qg8 23.Rh6 Nf8 24.Rh3 and White is winning; d) 19...Qg8 20.Rh1 Bd6 21.Rh7!! Qh7 (21...Kh7 22.Qh2 Kg7 23.Qh6 mate; 21...Kf8 22.Rh8 Qh8 23.Qf7 mate) 22.Qf7 Kh8 23.Ng6 Qg6 24.Bg6 Nf8 25.Qf6 Kg8 26.Bf7 Kh7 27.g6 and White is winning] 18.Rh7! Kh7 19.Qh2 Kg8 [19...Kg7 20.Qh6 Kg8 21.Bg6 (21.Rh1? Bg5! 22.Ng5 Qg5 23.Qg5 Be4) Bg5 22.Ng5 Qg5 23.Qg5 fg6 24.Qg6 Kh8 25.f3! Bf3 26.Rd2 and White is winning] 20.Rh1 Bg5 21.Ng5 Qg5 [21...Kg7 22.Ne6! Kf6 (22...fe6 23.Qh7 Kf6 24.g5! Kg5 25.Qh4 mate) 23.Nd8 Be4 24.Qf4 and White is winning] 22.f4 Qf4 [22...Qh5 23.gh5 Be4 24.hg6 Kg7 25.Qh6 Kf6 26.Qg5 Kg7 27.Rh7 Kg8 28.Qh6 and White is winning] 23.Qf4 Be4 24.Qe4 1-0 [Ju.Polgar]

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