For Beginners

PLAYERS AND GAMES TO STUDY FIRST

This guide is for players who know how the pieces move and want to know where to start. Get to know the players below, then play through the 19 games in order, from development and attack to strategy, defense and endgames.

Players to study first

  1. Paul Morphy Open games, rapid development, and punishment of wasted time.
  2. Adolf Anderssen Bold sacrifices and direct attacks on an exposed king.
  3. Jose Raul Capablanca Clean technique and simple, instructive endgames.
  4. Akiba Rubinstein Pawn structures, piece coordination, and rook endings.
  5. Alexander Alekhine How positional pressure becomes a concrete attack.
  6. Paul Keres Classical openings, active pieces, and clear attacking plans.
  7. Rashid Nezhmetdinov Direct attacking patterns and fearless king hunts.

Games in study order

Play through each game with its study focus in mind.

Step Players & Study Focus Result Moves Opening Event
STAGE 1 Development & attack
1 Morphy, Paul vs Duke of Brunswick, Count Study focus: Morphy’s Opera Game: develop with tempo, open lines before attacking, and punish a king left in the center. 1-0 17 Philidor Defense Opera House: Morphy-Duke of Brunswick
2 Reti, Richard vs Tartakower, Saviely Study focus: Réti–Tartakower: use rapid development and a queen sacrifice to draw the king onto an open file, then coordinate rook and bishop with a double check and mate in eleven moves. 1-0 11 Caro-Kann Defense Wien
3 Lichtenhein, Theodor vs Morphy, Paul Study focus: Scotch Gambit: 8.Nxc6? trades White’s best-placed piece for nothing and opens the b-file for Black. Morphy gives the knight back for 10...Qh4 and rapid development, then ends the game with the quiet 19...Ke7 — every White check runs out and mate on f1 cannot be stopped. 0-1 19 Italian Game: Scotch Gambit, Max Lange Attack USA-01 Congress Grand Tournament
4 Anderssen, Adolf vs Kieseritzky, Lionel Adalbert BF Study focus: Initiative, forcing moves, and mating material can matter more than material count. 1-0 23 King's Gambit Accepted: Bishop's Gambit, Bryan Countergambit London 'Immortal game'
5 Anderssen, Adolf vs Dufresne, Jean Study focus: The Evergreen Game: bring every piece into the attack and use line-opening sacrifices to reach the king. 1-0 24 Italian Game: Evans Gambit, Dufresne Defense Berlin 'Evergreen'
6 Fischer, Robert James vs Fine, Reuben Study focus: Fischer–Reuben Fine: rapid development and a direct king attack in a clear seventeen-move Evans Gambit miniature. 1-0 17 Italian Game: Evans Gambit, Compromised Defense New York
7 Lasker, Emanuel vs Bauer, Johann Hermann Study focus: Recognize the classic double-bishop sacrifice and calculate the follow-up before giving material. 1-0 38 Bird Opening: Dutch Variation Amsterdam VAS Int-01 Masters
8 Paulsen, Louis vs Morphy, Paul Study focus: Pins, removal of defenders, and piece coordination behind Morphy’s celebrated queen sacrifice. 0-1 28 Four Knights Game: Spanish Variation, Classical Variation USA-01 Congress Grand Tournament
9 Lasker, Edward vs Thomas, George Alan Study focus: Lasker–Thomas: sacrifice the queen to draw the king into the open, then coordinate the remaining pieces through a forced king hunt. 1-0 18 Horwitz Defense London blitz
10 Rotlewi, Georg A vs Rubinstein, Akiba Study focus: Rubinstein–Rotlewi: overloaded defenders and perfectly coordinated queen-and-rook sacrifices. 0-1 25 Tarrasch Defense: Symmetrical Variation Lodz1
11 Knorre, Victor vs Chigorin, Mikhail Ivanovich Study focus: A pinned knight can still join a forcing attack: use a pawn storm to open lines, then sacrifice the queen to build a mating net. 0-1 14 Italian Game: Giuoco Piano St Petersburg
12 Esserman, Marc vs Simpson, Ronald Study focus: Calculate an exchange sacrifice that removes defenders, exposes the king, and keeps the initiative through forcing moves. 1-0 22 Ruy Lopez: Morphy Defense USA tt
13 Esserman, Marc vs Sarkar, Justin Study focus: Turn a Smith–Morra Gambit pawn into rapid development, open lines, and a decisive attack on a king caught in the center. 1-0 16 Sicilian Defense: Smith-Morra Gambit Accepted, Kan Formation Miami op
14 Esserman, Marc vs Martirosov, Vadim Study focus: Turn a kingside pawn storm into a dangerous passed pawn, then use forcing sacrifices to carry it through to promotion. 1-0 25 Sicilian Defense: Smith-Morra Gambit Accepted, Kan Formation Harvard op
STAGE 2 Strategy & defense
15 Rubinstein, Akiba vs Salwe, Georg Study focus: Attack a backward pawn, occupy the square in front of it, and improve every piece before breaking through. 1-0 38 Tarrasch Defense: Prague Variation Lodz Dreimeisterturnier 8R
16 Saemisch, Friedrich vs Nimzowitsch, Aron Study focus: Restriction, prophylaxis, and the Immortal Zugzwang: winning by taking useful moves away. 0-1 25 Queen's Indian Defense: Classical Variation, Traditional Variation, Nimzowitsch Line Copenhagen International 6 Masters
STAGE 3 Endgames & synthesis
17 Cohn, Erich vs Rubinstein, Akiba Study focus: Activate the king and convert a tiny structural edge in a classic king-and-pawn ending. 0-1 38 Queen's Gambit Accepted: Gunsberg Defense St Petersburg Chigorin Memorial
18 Capablanca, Jose Raul vs Tartakower, Saviely Study focus: Rook-endgame fundamentals: king activity, purposeful pawn sacrifices, and a supported passed pawn. 1-0 52 Horwitz Defense New York International Masters-01
19 Byrne, Donald vs Fischer, Robert James Study focus: The Game of the Century as a capstone: connect development, king safety, tactical motifs, and long calculation. 0-1 41 English Opening: Anglo-Indian Defense, King's Indian Formation New York Rosenwald-03