Akiba Rubinstein
Notable Games

Akiba Rubinstein

20 celebrated games · 437 in the full archive
Player Index ◈ Biography 437 CURATED GAMES

Notable Games

  • 1907.09.05 Rubinstein, Akiba vsTeichmann, Richard 1-0 Queen's Gambit Declined: Orthodox Defense, Rubinstein Variation 23 moves Karlsbad-01 International Masters A crisp 23-move Queen's Gambit Declined win at Karlsbad 1907 — the breakthrough tournament victory that established Rubinstein among the world's elite.
  • 1907.12.26 Rotlewi, Georg A vsRubinstein, Akiba 0-1 Tarrasch Defense: Symmetrical Variation 25 moves Lodz1 Rubinstein's Immortal. Against Georg Rotlewi at Łódź 1907 he answered 22.g3 with 22…Rxc3 and a cascading queen-and-rook sacrifice; Kasparov called it his "truly immortal" creation.
  • 1908.08 Rubinstein, Akiba vsSalwe, Georg 1-0 Tarrasch Defense: Prague Variation 38 moves Lodz Dreimeisterturnier 8R "The Backward Pawn," Łódź 1908 — a model positional squeeze in which Rubinstein seizes the c5-square in turn with bishop, knight, rook and queen. Annotated by Lasker and chosen for Chernev's Golden Dozen.
  • 1909.02.18 Rubinstein, Akiba vsLasker, Emanuel 1-0 Queen's Gambit Declined: Traditional Variation 40 moves St Petersburg Chigorin Memorial Beating the reigning World Champion. At St. Petersburg 1909, where the two tied for first, Rubinstein outplayed Emanuel Lasker in their individual game and won the rook ending.
  • 1909.02.28 Cohn, Erich vsRubinstein, Akiba 0-1 Queen's Gambit Accepted: Gunsberg Defense 38 moves St Petersburg Chigorin Memorial A celebrated king-and-pawn endgame from St. Petersburg 1909 — Rubinstein converts the barest structural edge against Erich Cohn, a favourite of endgame manuals ever since.
  • 1911.03.13 Rubinstein, Akiba vsCapablanca, Jose Raul 1-0 Tarrasch Defense: Rubinstein System 42 moves San Sebastian Int Masters-01 San Sebastián 1911 — Rubinstein inflicts the only defeat of Capablanca's sensational European debut, a Queen's Gambit Declined decided in the endgame.
  • 1911.09.21 Rubinstein, Akiba vsAlekhine, Alexander 1-0 Slav Defense: Süchting Variation 76 moves Karlsbad-02 International Masters Karlsbad 1911 — a 76-move masterclass in rook-endgame technique that grinds down the young Alexander Alekhine, a future World Champion.
  • 1912.03.07 Rubinstein, Akiba vsSchlechter, Carl 1-0 Queen's Gambit Declined: Semi-Tarrasch Defense, San Sebastian Variation 39 moves San Sebastian Int Masters-02 San Sebastián 1912 — Capablanca called this Semi-Tarrasch win over Carl Schlechter "a monument of magnificent precision." It came during the year Rubinstein won four major tournaments in a row.
  • 1912.09.10 Nimzowitsch, Aron vsRubinstein, Akiba 0-1 Four Knights Game: Scotch Variation Accepted, Main Line 29 moves All Russian Masters-02 Vilnius 1912 — a Scotch Game taken apart with Black against the great Aron Nimzowitsch at the All-Russian Masters that Rubinstein swept to win.
  • 1912.08.23 Alekhine, Alexander vsRubinstein, Akiba 0-1 Ruy Lopez: Open, Classical Defense 27 moves All Russian Masters-02 Vilnius 1912 — with Black in the Open Ruy Lopez, Rubinstein sacrifices the exchange with 19…Rxf3 to overrun future World Champion Alexander Alekhine in 27 moves.
  • 1920.08.18 Rubinstein, Akiba vsMaroczy, Geza 1-0 Queen's Gambit Declined: Orthodox Defense, Main Line 35 moves Goteborg SSK 40th Anniversary Group A Gothenburg 1920 — a model Queen's Gambit Declined win over Géza Maróczy, capped by a direct kingside pawn storm.
  • 1921.10.31 Euwe, Max vsRubinstein, Akiba 0-1 Sicilian Defense: Nimzowitsch Variation, Advance Variation 33 moves Den Haag International The Hague 1921 — Rubinstein beats future World Champion Max Euwe with Black in the Nimzowitsch–Rubinstein Sicilian that carries his name.
  • 1923.07.05 Rubinstein, Akiba vsHromadka, Karel 1-0 King's Gambit Declined: Classical Variation 29 moves Moravska Ostrava Masters Moravská Ostrava 1923 — a sharp King's Gambit Declined attack that crashes through against Karel Hromádka in 29 moves.
  • 1924.02.06 Gruenfeld, Ernst vsRubinstein, Akiba 0-1 Semi-Slav Defense: Meran Variation 36 moves Merano Meran 1924 — the Semi-Slav win over tournament-winner Ernst Grünfeld that popularized the Meran Variation.
  • 1928.10.15 Rubinstein, Akiba vsNimzowitsch, Aron 1-0 Nimzo-Indian Defense: Classical Variation 43 moves Berlin Tageblatt Berlin 1928 — a late-career gem: Rubinstein finishes Aron Nimzowitsch with a direct mating attack in a Nimzo-Indian.
  • 1929.09 Rubinstein, Akiba vsFlohr, Salo 1-0 Dutch Defense 38 moves Rogaska Slatina Rogaška Slatina 1929 — Rubinstein's final tournament triumph, at 48. A kingside assault beginning 18.Bxh7+ beats the young Salo Flohr, who took clear second on his international debut.
  • 1909.03.09 Spielmann, Rudolf vsRubinstein, Akiba 0-1 Ruy Lopez: Closed 75 moves St Petersburg Chigorin Memorial St Petersburg 1909 — a 75-move win with Black against Rudolf Spielmann. Selected in Garry Kasparov, My Great Predecessors, Part I, game 63 (PDF page 423).
  • 1922.10.13 Wolf, Heinrich vsRubinstein, Akiba 0-1 Four Knights Game: Spanish Variation, Symmetrical Variation 60 moves DSV in der CSR-ch01 Meisterklasse Teplitz Schoenau 1922 — a 60-move win with Black against Heinrich Wolf. Selected in Boris Gelfand, Positional Decision Making in Chess, page 144.
  • 1923.07.03 Tarrasch, Siegbert vsRubinstein, Akiba 0-1 Four Knights Game: Spanish Variation, Symmetrical Variation 39 moves Moravska Ostrava Masters Moravska Ostrava 1923 — a 39-move win with Black against Siegbert Tarrasch. Selected in Savielly Tartakower and Julius du Mont, 500 Master Games of Chess, game 140 (PDF page 107).
  • 1926.07.13 Rubinstein, Akiba vsTakacs, Sandor 1-0 Queen's Gambit Declined: Orthodox Defense, Rubinstein Attack 55 moves FIDE Congress-03 Masters Budapest 1926 — a 55-move win with White against Sandor Takacs. Selected in Boris Gelfand, Positional Decision Making in Chess, page 45.
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