Burgess Graham K. - The Mammoth Book of the Worlds Greatest Chess Games

Graham Burgess, John Nunn and John Emms

Foreword by World Champion Vishy Anand

by World Champion Vishy Anand

McDonnell Labourdonnais, 1834

Anderssen Kieseritzky, 1851

Anderssen Dufresne, 1852

Zukertort Blackburne, 1883

Steinitz Chigorin, 1892

Steinitz von Bardeleben, 1895

Pillsbury Em. Lasker, 1895/6

Steinitz Em. Lasker, 1895/6

Pillsbury Em. Lasker, 1896

Em. Lasker Napier, 1904

Rotlewi Rubinstein, 1907/8

Rubinstein Em. Lasker, 1909

O. Bernstein Capablanca, 1914

Nimzowitsch Tarrasch, 1914

Capablanca Marshall, 1918

E. Adams C. Torre, 1920

Em. Lasker Capablanca, 1921

Maroczy Tartakower, 1922

Smisch Nimzowitsch, 1923

Grnfeld Alekhine, 1923

Capablanca Tartakower, 1924

Rti Bogoljubow, 1924

Rti Alekhine, 1925

Rubinstein Alekhine, 1926

P. Johner Nimzowitsch, 1926

Capablanca Spielmann, 1927

Alekhine Maroczy, 1931

Rauzer Botvinnik, 1933

Botvinnik Capablanca, 1938

Euwe Keres, 1939/40

Geller Euwe, 1953

Euwe Najdorf, 1953

Averbakh Kotov, 1953

Keres Smyslov, 1953

Botvinnik Smyslov, 1954

Keres Szabo, 1955

Bronstein Keres, 1955

D. Byrne Fischer, 1956

Tal Koblencs, 1957

Polugaevsky Nezhmetdinov, 1958

Tal Fischer, 1959

Spassky Bronstein, 1960

Botvinnik Tal, 1960

Krogius Stein, 1960

Fischer Tal, 1960

Rubezov Borisenko, 19603

Gufeld Kavalek, 1962

Tal Hecht, 1962

Korchnoi Tal, 1962

R. Byrne Fischer, 1963/4

Smyslov Tal, 1964

Kholmov Bronstein, 1964/5

Geller Smyslov, 1965

Tal Larsen, 1965

Estrin Berliner, 19658

Petrosian Spassky, 1966

Botvinnik Portisch, 1968

Polugaevsky Tal, 1969

Larsen Spassky, 1970

Fischer Panno, 1970

Fischer Larsen, 1971

Fischer Petrosian, 1971

Velimirovi Ljubojevi, 1972

Fischer Spassky, 1972

Spassky Tal, 1973

Bagirov Gufeld, 1973

Karpov Korchnoi, 1974

Mini Planinc, 1975

Ljubojevi Andersson, 1976

Reshevsky Vaganian, 1976

Lputian Kasparov, 1976

Karpov Dorfman, 1976

Timman Karpov, 1979

Polugaevsky E. Torre, 1981

Kopylov S. Koroliov, 19813

Kasparov Portisch, 1983

Karpov Kasparov, 1984/5

Beliavsky Nunn, 1985

Karpov Kasparov, 1985

Kasparov Karpov, 1986

Miles Beliavsky, 1986

Tal Hjartarson, 1987

Piket Kasparov, 1989

Smirin Beliavsky, 1989

Ivanchuk Yusupov, 1991

Short Timman, 1991

Fischer Spassky, 1992

Gelfand Anand, 1993

Kamsky Shirov, 1993

Karpov Topalov, 1994

Shirov J. Polgar, 1994

Cifuentes Zviagintsev, 1995

Kasparov Anand, 1995

Topalov Kramnik, 1995

Ivanchuk Shirov, 1996

Deep Blue Kasparov, 1996

Ivanchuk Kramnik, 1996

Topalov Kramnik, 1996

Anand Karpov, 1996

Anand Lautier, 1997

Atalik Sax, 1997

Gelfand Shirov, 1998

Veingold Fridman, 1998

Nunn Nataf, 1998/9

Kasparov Topalov, 1999

Topalov Anand, 1999

Topalov Ivanchuk, 1999

Svidler Adams, 2000

I. Sokolov Dreev, 2001

Gelfand Kantsler, 2001

Kramnik Anand, 2001

Sutovsky Smirin, 2002

J. Polgar Berkes, 2003

Anand Bologan, 2003

Kasimdzhanov Kasparov, 2005

Topalov Anand, 2005

Anand Adams, 2005

Topalov Aronian, 2006

Anand Carlsen, 2007

Sandipan Tiviakov, 2007

Topalov Kramnik, 2008

Ivanchuk Kariakin, 2008

Kramnik Anand, 2008

Carlsen Kramnik, 2009

Anand Topalov, 2010

In virtually every sport, there is a debate about who was the greatest of all time, and which was the best contest. Comparisons made over long periods of time are far from simple; comparing the tennis players of the past with those of today must take into account advances such as carbon-fibre rackets and scientifically designed training programs. A further difficulty is that for events pre-dating television, one often has to rely on written descriptions rather than video records. Chess is in a uniquely fortunate position in this respect; chess notation means that the great games of the past can be played over just as easily as those played last week.

This book aims to present the 125 greatest games of all time. Obviously not everyone will agree with the choice, but there is no doubt that these are all outstanding games. There are many old favourites, but also some less well-known encounters which will be new to most readers. Readers will meet not only the familiar names of world champions, but those of less familiar masters and grandmasters, correspondence players, etc.

At the moment, one decade into a new millennium, chess is looking to the future. The Internet is having an increasing impact for both disseminating chess information and providing a playing forum. The game will undoubtedly change in the years to come, but it will only be another evolutionary step in the long and rich heritage of chess. This book contains selected highlights from over 160 years of chess history; we can all learn from the experience of the past, and anyone who studies these games cannot fail to gain a greater understanding of chess.

As for the questions posed at the start of the foreword, was Mikhail Tal, who has more games in this book than any other player, really the most brilliant of all time? Were Botvinnik Capablanca, AVRO tournament, Rotterdam 1938, Karpov Kasparov, World Championship match (game 16), Moscow 1985, and Kasparov Topalov, Wijk aan Zee 1999 really the greatest games in chess history? After playing over the 125 masterpieces in this book, you may form your own opinion; whether you agree or disagree, these games can hardly fail to give pleasure, instruction and entertainment.