Chess lessons › Famous chess games
The Immortal Game
Anderssen gives up almost everything and mates with three minor pieces.
The idea
Anderssen gives up a bishop, both rooks and his queen, and wins.
- A knight takes with check, and the king has only one square.
- Next the queen gives check where a knight can take her.
- If Black takes her, the bishop mates, helped by both knights.
In a game: When your pieces are near the enemy king, ask if an attack is worth more than material.
The lesson
Adolf Anderssen played this against Lionel Kieseritzky in London in 1851, a friendly game during a break in the first international tournament. It was named the Immortal Game, because White wins after giving up a bishop, both rooks and the queen.
Material is not everything. In this game, what mattered was how fast White’s pieces could attack the king.
This is the King’s Gambit, the most fashionable opening of its day. White offers the pawn on f4 for a strong centre and an open f-file. Black’s queen checks at once, and White’s king loses the right to castle. Black then offers a second pawn with 4...b5.
- 1. e4 e5 2. f4 The King’s Gambit: a pawn is offered to open the f-file.
- 2... exf4 Black takes the pawn.
- 3. Bc4 Qh4+ The queen checks.
- 4. Kf1 White’s king moves and can no longer castle.
- 4... b5 Black offers a pawn to pull the bishop away.
White takes the pawn with the bishop and brings his pieces out, one threat after another: 6.Nf3 attacks the queen, and 8.Nh4 aims at f5. Black’s queen runs from square to square and ends up on g5, where it attacks the knight on h4.
- 5. Bxb5 The bishop takes a pawn.
- 5... Nf6 6. Nf3 The knight attacks the queen.
- 6... Qh6 7. d3 Nh5 8. Nh4 The knight goes to h4.
- 8... Qg5 The queen attacks the knight on h4.
Find the move
Black’s queen has just attacked your knight on h4. Find the knight move that saves it and attacks the pawn on g7.
A hint
The knight on h4 jumps to f5.
Show the answer
9. Nf5
Nf5 saves the knight and attacks the pawn on g7. White is happy to leave the bishop on b5, because the attack matters more than the material.
The knight escapes to f5, and Black attacks the bishop on b5 with ...c6. White ignores that: 10.g4 pushes the g-pawn forward, and 11.Rg1 supports it. Black takes the bishop on b5, but that costs time.
- 9. Nf5 The knight goes to f5, a strong square.
- 9... c6 Black attacks the bishop on b5.
- 10. g4 The g-pawn goes forward to attack the knight.
- 10... Nf6 11. Rg1 The rook supports the pawn on g4.
- 11... cxb5 Black takes the bishop.
White keeps attacking. The h-pawn drives Black’s queen back, 14.Qf3 brings the queen to the attack, and after 15.Bxf4 White has regained the pawn. A knight comes to d5, and Black’s queen takes the pawn on b2. White is behind in material, but every piece is attacking.
- 12. h4 The h-pawn attacks the queen.
- 12... Qg6 13. h5 Again.
- 13... Qg5 14. Qf3 The queen joins the attack.
- 14... Ng8 15. Bxf4 White takes back the pawn on f4.
- 15... Qf6 16. Nc3 Bc5 17. Nd5 The knight lands on d5, a strong square.
- 17... Qxb2 Black grabs another pawn and attacks the rook on a1.
Anderssen now offers both rooks. 18.Bd6!! takes e7 and f8 away from Black’s king. Black takes a rook, White pushes the e-pawn to block the queen’s long diagonal, and Black takes the second rook with check. The king steps aside, and Black brings out a knight.
- 18. Bd6 The bishop covers e7 and f8, two squares near Black’s king.
- 18... Bxg1 Black takes a rook.
- 19. e5 The pawn blocks the queen’s long diagonal.
- 19... Qxa1+ Black takes the other rook, with check.
- 20. Ke2 The king steps aside.
- 20... Na6 Black brings out a knight.
Find the move
White has given up two rooks and a bishop. It is White’s move, and there is a forced checkmate in three. It starts with a knight check. Find it.
A hint
The knight on f5 can take a pawn with check.
Show the answer
21. Nxg7+ Kd8 22. Qf6+ Nxf6 23. Be7#
Nxg7+ forces the king to d8. Then Qf6+!! gives up the queen: if Black takes it, Be7 is checkmate. The knight on d5 protects the bishop and covers c7, the knight on g7 covers e8, and Black’s own bishop and pawn fill c8 and d7. If Black blocks with the knight on e7 instead, Bxe7 is mate at once. White wins with three minor pieces.
A question
What is the lesson of the Immortal Game?
Show the answer
Pieces that attack the king can be worth more than material.
Right. White was behind in material, but every piece attacked and the black king had nowhere to hide.