Who was the greatest of them all?

Searching for the greatest in chess is perennially fascinating. In 1987 an eminent Canadian professor of mathematics, the late Nathan Divinsky, and I carried out a massive statistical survey in our book:  Warriors of the Mind . Recently the  chess.com  site undertook a similar exercise.

It is interesting to compare the two lists of the respective top tens:

After a gap of almost four decades, Garry Kasparov continues to head both evaluations, while Bobby Fischer comes in consistently at Bronze. In terms of overall comparison, six of the world champions appear in both lists.

Three of the champions remained undefeated. Alekhine died in possession of the title; Carlsen, like the Roman Emperor Diocletian, abdicated from the purple, while still actively competing in non-championship competitions; while Bobby Fischer forfeited the laurels by refusing to defend them. A modern Achilles, sulking in his tent, Fischer then went into hibernation for twenty years, only to re-emerge after a drought of two decades. For a three million dollar purse Fischer consented to reengage with his old foe Boris Spassky in an awkwardly geriatric rematch in 1992.

The nagging thought remains, that if Fischer had not squandered the fruits of his unique genius for chess and sacrificed his potentially best years after becoming champion in 1972, he might have become an unassailable GOAT, the Greatest of All Time. As it was, that accolade belongs to Garry Kasparov, whose position atop the Everest of chess remains pristine after the passage of so many years of further statistical evaluation.

This week I have selected a spectacular game link for every one of the listed top ten from both lists , while for the Capricorn of the chess universe, I have provided detailed notes to a wonderful sacrificial win against Anatoly Karpov, which I had the privilege to witness first hand in Leningrad .

But before we take a promenade around a submerged ring-of-fire, some delicacies to digest along our supreme whistle-stop tour of one hundred years of aesthetic and tactical nuance.

Emanuel Lasker vs. José Raúl Capablanca  (1914)

José Raúl Capablanca vs. Emanuel Lasker  (1921)

Alexander Alekhine vs. Emanuel Lasker  (1934)

Mikhail Botvinnik vs. José Raúl Capablanca   (1938)

Often seen as the greatest game of chess ever played: two elite champions, clash of ideas, supreme artistry, symbolic passing of the generational baton…

Mikhail Botvinnik vs. Maikhail Tal  (1960)

Robert J. Fischer vs. Mikhail Tal  (1961)

Tigran Petrosian vs. Vasily Smyslov  (1961)

Robert J. Fischer vs. Viktor Korchnoi  (1962)

Tigran Petrosian vs. Boris Spassky  (1966)

Boris Spassky vs. Robert J. Fischer  (1970)

Another great game which I had the privilege of watching first hand. 

Anatoly Karpov vs. Garry Kasparov  (1984) 

Karpov’s Ng2 is perhaps the most brilliant endgame move ever played.

Vladimir Kramnik vs. Garry Kasparov  (2001)

Vladimir Kramnik vs. Magnus Carlsen  (2024) 

Carlsen shows supreme confidence in risking a highly unorthodox opening.

Neurons fired up? Then get ready for the daddy of tactical daredevilry in our feature game, before which I will set the scene for the encounter: a battle Royal of Champions.

There were amazing scenes at the Hotel Leningrad as Kasparov demolished the former champion in a brilliant and hair-raising time scramble.

After a wildly complicated Ruy Lopez, some onlookers pronounced Kasparov’s position dead as Karpov’s rook penetrated the queenside to win the trapped white knight.

After playing his 32nd move Kasparov shifted nervously in his seat, alternately looking out into the audience and up at the lights above him.. When he thought, he hunched his body down over the board with both legs shaking.

Finally Karpov realised the dangerous potential of White’s forces gathered on the kingside, spending 29 minutes over his reply. As the players flashed out their moves Karpov’s defences appeared to be holding. But then Kasparov unleashed a terrible pawn thrust, winning the black queen. As Kasparov’s body visibly relaxed observers were stunned by what they saw as a total turnaround in the game’s fortunes.

As Karpov left himself with only one minute, the spectators became noisy, and after Kasparov snapped off the queen, Karpov’s tall blond girlfriend Natasha hurried out of the hall. Kasparov played his 41st move and began to make his way off stage.

The audience stood and applauded, as the Chief Arbiter Lothar Schmid stepped forward to demand silence by waving his hands in the air. After Kasparov had left the stage, Karpov signed his scoresheet, signalling resignation, and left the hotel. There was no handshake.

Garry Kasparov vs. Anatoly Karpov

Game 16, World Championship match, London-Leningrad, 1986  

1.e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Be7 6. Re1 b5 7. Bb3 d6 8. c3 O-O 9. h3 Bb7 10. d4 Re8 11. Nbd2 Bf8 12. a4 h6 13. Bc2 exd4 14. cxd4 Nb4 15. Bb1 c5 16. d5 Nd7 17. Ra3 c4 18. Nd4

So Kasparov is the first to diverge from their 14th game ( 18. axb5 ). But Karpov’s camp have done their homework and he comes up with an important novelty.

18… Qf6

Deviating from  18… Ne5 , Sokolov-Psakhis, ½-½, Volgograd, 1985.

19.N2f3

To keep up the pressure against b5.  19. Nf5 g6 20. Ng3 Kh7 , leaves the knight misplaced.

19… Nc5 20. axb5 axb5 21. Nxb5

This time Kasparov decides to swipe off the b-pawn – a very confident decision given that Karpov still seems to be in a prepared line.

21… Rxa3 22. Nxa3 Ba6 23. Re3 Rb8 24. e5

Also strong is the solid  24. Ne1 , answering  24… g6 with 25. Bd2 Qxb2? 26. Bc3 Qxa3 27. Qd4 . In the press room, however, the grandmasters had already suggested the thrusting  24. e5 as far more in keeping with Kasparov’s style.

24… dxe5 25. Nxe5 Nbd3

As Kasparov rested backstage Karpov pondered for 62 minutes. In spite of the dangerous-looking knights and his control of d3, Black doesn’t seem to have enough for the pawn. Karpov must have spent a long time checking that the ending after  26. Bxd3 Nxd3 27. Rxd3 cxd3 28. Nd7 Qd8 29. Nxb8 Qxb8 30. Qa4  was just about holding, which it does. But …

26.Ng4

Kasparov once again pulls out all the stops on the kingside. But after the game Khalifman and members of Kasparov’s camp suggested that  26. Qc2  here, would be crushing. The idea is simple – to defend f2, attack c4 and pile up on the b1-h7 diagonal. The most testing line is  26… Rb4 27 Nc6 Rb6  when   the position after both  28. Ne5  and  Na5 remain in equilibrium. 

26… Qb6

Remarkable, because the small advantage after  26… Qf5!?,  is missed by the great exponent of small advantages. For example,  27. Bxd3 cxd3 28. Nb1 Bd6 29. Nc3 h5 30. Nh2 Nb3 , and Black’s superior coordination and activity offer generous compensation for the sacrificed pawn.

27.Rg3 g6

Perhaps it was time for the wild complications following from,  27… Ne4!? 28. Nxh6+ Kh7 . After Karpov’s choice Black seems to be about to crash through on the queenside. However, our silicon assistant, the perennial Pancho, views the text and variation with equanimity, and after,  28… Kh7 29. Be3 Qxb2 30. Nxf7 , we have arrived at a position where Black is unable to consolidate his superior position due his king’s vulnerability to perpetual checks.

28.Bxh6

No better is  28. Bxd3 . After  28… cxd3 29. Nb1 Nb3 30. Bf4 Rb7 31. Nc3 Nd4 32. Rxd3 Bxd3 33. Qxd3 Bg7 34. Bxh6 Bxh6 35. Nxh6+ Kg7 , the position is complex, with Black enjoying an exchange for two pawns; White compensated by piece activity and a vulnerable king target.

28… Qxb2

Neither do  28… Ne4  nor  …Nxf2,  fare any better; both with eventual equality in main lines.

29.Qf3 Nd7

Black must defend f6 and there is no time for  29… Qxa3 30. Bxd3 Nxd3 31. Nf6+ Kh8 32. Qh5!  with a massive, but insufficient attack, Pancho suggests:

30.a)  29… Qxa3 30. Bxd3 (30. Nf6+ Kh8 31. Qh5 Rxb1+ 32. Bc1+ Kg7 33. Ne8+ Kg8 34. Rxg6+ fxg6 35. Qxg6+ Kh8 36. Qh5+ Kg8 37. Qg6+ etc.)  30… cxd3 31. Nf6+ Kh8 32. Bxf8 (32. Qh5!? Qa1+ { 32… gxh5?? 33. Rg8 checkmate} 33. Bc1+ Kg7 34. Qh7+ Kxf6 35. Rf3+ Ke7 36. Qxf7+ Kd6 37. Rf6+ drawing)  32… Rxf8 33. Qf4 Qa1+ 34. Kh2 Kg7 35. Nh5+ Kg8 36. Nf6+

30.b)  29… Bd6 30. Be3 Kf8 31. Bh6+; or

30.c)  29… Rb6 30 Kh2 Ne5 31. Nxe5 Qxe5 32. Bxf8 Kxf8 33. Ba2 Rb2 34. Bxc4 Ne4 35. Bxa6 Rxf2 36. Nc4 Rxf3 37. Nxe5 ; drawing in each variation.

 30. Bxf8 Kxf8

30… Rxf8  is also risky –  31. Bxd3 cxd3 32. Nh6+  and now,  32… Kg7 33. Nf5+ Kh7 34. Qf4 Qa1+ 35. Kh2 Qe5 36. Qh6+ Kg8 37. Nh4  is dangerous.  

The correct way to contest  30… Rxf8  is by,  31. Nh6+  (After, 31. Bxd3? cxd3 32. Nh6+ Kh7! White is in trouble)  31… Kg7 32. Nf5+ Kh8 33. Qe3 Qxf2+ 34. Qxf2 Nxf2 35. Kxf2 gxf5 36. Rf3 Kg7 37. Rxf5 Rb8 38. Bc2 Nf6 , when despite the pawn down, Black should hold the draw.

 31. Kh2!

Only viable move! Brilliantly hiding the king away in preparation for the final attack.

31… Rb3?!

Given an explanation mark by some Soviet commentators, but maybe  31… Qd4  is the only try?  31… Qxa3?  again fails to  32. Nh6 N7e5  (32… Qe7 33. Rxg6 Ke8 34. d6)  33. Qf6 Qb2 34. Rxg6 Ke8 , with advantage to White, but also possible is,  31… N7e5 32. Nxe5 Qxe5 33. Nxc4 Bxc4 34. Bxd3 Bxd3 35. Qxd3 Rd8 36. Qc3 Qxc3 37. Rxc3 Rxd5 ; both improving on the text.

 32. Bxd3

32… cxd3

By now Karpov’s supporters had become nervous. Why had their man taken so long? Surely White’s three-piece attack could be stopped?

  In fact the text is a serious mistake. Confused by a plethora of captures Karpov misses  32… Rxa3! 33. Qf4  (33. Qe2 Qxe2 34. Bxe2 Rxg3 35. Kxg3 c3! should hold for Black)  33… Rxd3 34. Qd6+ Kg7 35. Qxd7 Rxg3 36. Kxg3 c3 37. Ne5 Qb7, which holds the draw. But in the ending after,  32… Rxd3 33. Qf4 Qxa3 34. Nh6 , when both  34… Ke7  or  …Ke8 are  sufficient for the draw, 34… Qe7? 35. Rxg6 Qe5 36. Qxe5 Nxe5 37. Rxa6 Rxd5,  is probably winning for White.

 33. Qf4 Qxa3??

A cataclysmic blunder. If  33… d2,  IM Nikolai Popov gives  34. Nh6 Nf6 35. Qd6+ Ke8 36. Qxa6 (36. Qc6+ Kf8 37. Qd6+ Ke8 38. Qxa6 Qxa3 39. Qe2+ Kf8 40. Rxb3 Qxb3 41. Qxd2 Nxd5 42. Qd4 f6 43. Ng4 Kf7 when Black can draw)  36… d1=Q 37. Qc8+ Ke7 38. Qc5+ followed by Nc4 , claiming a White win. Pancho agrees that, in fact,  33… d2!  is best, but disagrees with Popov’s conclusion, as  36… d1=Q?  is not as strong as,  36… Qxa3!: 37. Qe2+ Kf8 38. Rxb3 Qxb3 39. Qxd2 Nxd5 40. Qd4 f6 41. Ng4 Kf7 42. g3 Qb7 , when Black can fight for a draw.

34.Nh6 Qe7 35. Rxg6 Qe5 36. Rg8+ Ke7 37. d6+!

Obviously, if  37… Qxd6?? 38. Nf5+ Kf6 39. Qxd6+ Kxf5 40. g4+ Ke4 41. Re8+ Ne5 42. Rxe5+ Kf3 43. Qf6  checkmate or  37… Kxd6 38. Nxf7+.

Until this point the hall and the GM room had been waiting for a Karpov victory as the moves were flashed out in the time scramble. But this devastating shot blows the Black defence away. However, in the cold light of day, we can reflect that Karpov had, in reality, been dead and buried since after his 33rd move.

37… Ke6

Playing on through inertia.

 38. Re8+ Kd5 39. Rxe5+ Nxe5 40. d7 Rb8 41. Nxf7  Black resigns 1-0

Ray’s 206th book, “  Chess in the Year of the King  ”, written in collaboration with Adam Black, and his 207th, “  Napoleon and Goethe: The Touchstone of Genius  ” (which discusses their relationship with chess) are available from Amazon and Blackwells. 

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