Notable Games
Akiba Rubinstein
16 celebrated games · 426 in the full archive
◈The games that made the legend
Rubinstein – Teichmann · 1907 · 1–0
A crisp 23-move Queen's Gambit Declined win at Karlsbad 1907 — the breakthrough tournament victory that established Rubinstein among the world's elite.
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Rotlewi – Rubinstein · 1907 · 0–1
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.
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Rubinstein – Salwe · 1908 · 1–0
"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.
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Rubinstein – Lasker · 1909 · 1–0
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.
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Cohn – Rubinstein · 1909 · 0–1
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.
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Rubinstein – Capablanca · 1911 · 1–0
San Sebastián 1911 — Rubinstein inflicts the only defeat of Capablanca's sensational European debut, a Queen's Gambit Declined decided in the endgame.
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Rubinstein – Alekhine · 1911 · 1–0
Karlsbad 1911 — a 76-move masterclass in rook-endgame technique that grinds down the young Alexander Alekhine, a future World Champion.
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Rubinstein – Schlechter · 1912 · 1–0
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.
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Nimzowitsch – Rubinstein · 1912 · 0–1
Vilnius 1912 — a Scotch Game taken apart with Black against the great Aron Nimzowitsch at the All-Russian Masters that Rubinstein swept to win.
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Alekhine – Rubinstein · 1912 · 0–1
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.
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Rubinstein – Maroczy · 1920 · 1–0
Gothenburg 1920 — a model Queen's Gambit Declined win over Géza Maróczy, capped by a direct kingside pawn storm.
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Euwe – Rubinstein · 1921 · 0–1
The Hague 1921 — Rubinstein beats future World Champion Max Euwe with Black in the Nimzowitsch–Rubinstein Sicilian that carries his name.
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Rubinstein – Hromadka · 1923 · 1–0
Moravská Ostrava 1923 — a sharp King's Gambit Declined attack that crashes through against Karel Hromádka in 29 moves.
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Gruenfeld – Rubinstein · 1924 · 0–1
Meran 1924 — the Semi-Slav win over tournament-winner Ernst Grünfeld that popularized the Meran Variation.
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Rubinstein – Nimzowitsch · 1928 · 1–0
Berlin 1928 — a late-career gem: Rubinstein finishes Aron Nimzowitsch with a direct mating attack in a Nimzo-Indian.
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Rubinstein – Flohr · 1929 · 1–0
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.
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