Notable Games
Alexander Kotov
15 celebrated games · 327 in the full archive
◈The games that made the legend
Kotov – Yudovich · 1939 · 1–0
The 1939 Soviet Championship, where the unheralded Kotov finished a sensational second behind Botvinnik to announce himself. A Ragozin Queen's Gambit Declined crowned by the rook sacrifice 25.Rf5 and a king hunt that drags Black's king all the way to e3.
→
Kotov – Bronstein · 1944 · 1–0
A King's Indian at the 1944 Soviet Championship: Kotov cracks open the kingside with 17.f4 and 18.Nxf5 to beat the young David Bronstein, the future 1951 World Championship challenger.
→
Botvinnik – Kotov · 1946 · 0–1
Groningen 1946, the great post-war Staunton Memorial tournament: a 24-move demolition with the black pieces of Mikhail Botvinnik — soon to be World Champion — in the Sämisch Nimzo-Indian, 22...Rxe3 and 23...Qxg3+ forcing resignation.
→
Kotov – Euwe · 1946 · 1–0
At Groningen 1946 Kotov felled both leaders: after crushing Botvinnik he beat former World Champion Max Euwe in the final round, grinding a Queen's Gambit Declined Exchange into a won endgame and leaving Euwe half a point behind Botvinnik for first.
→
Kotov – Tartakower · 1948 · 1–0
A wild, hard-fought win over the veteran Savielly Tartakower at the 1948 Saltsjöbaden Interzonal, the event that carried Kotov into his first World Championship Candidates cycle.
→
Kotov – Petrosian · 1949 · 1–0
A celebrated 13-move miniature from the 1949 Soviet Championship: the future World Champion Tigran Petrosian walks into a Queen's Gambit Declined Exchange trap (9.Nxd5!) and resigns a piece down.
→
Kotov – Keres · 1950 · 1–0
The 1950 Budapest Candidates Tournament, with Kotov near the peak of his form: a Sämisch Nimzo-Indian in which the knight march 16.Nf4–g6–h8 and 19.Qh7+ shreds Paul Keres's king.
→
Kotov – Unzicker · 1952 · 1–0
From Kotov's overwhelming 16½/20 triumph at the 1952 Saltsjöbaden Interzonal — three points clear and unbeaten — a Nimzo-Indian kingside assault against Wolfgang Unzicker sealed by 27.Nxg7 and 28.Bxh6+.
→
Kotov – Barcza · 1952 · 1–0
Also from the dominant 1952 Interzonal: a King's Indian in which Kotov sacrifices a knight with 21.Ndf5 to blow open Gedeon Barcza's castled king.
→
Averbakh – Kotov · 1953 · 0–1
Kotov's Immortal and a brilliancy prize of the legendary 1953 Zurich Candidates Tournament: the astonishing queen sacrifice 30...Qxh3+!! launches a forced king hunt to mate in the Old Indian, played with the black pieces.
→
Kotov – Smyslov · 1953 · 1–0
At the same Zurich Candidates, Kotov was the only player to defeat the tournament's winner — future World Champion Vasily Smyslov — squeezing home an English Opening with the exchange sacrifice 20.Rxd5.
→
Kotov – Reshevsky · 1953 · 1–0
A patient Queen's Indian win over Samuel Reshevsky, one of the West's strongest grandmasters, at the 1953 Zurich Candidates Tournament.
→
Kotov – Taimanov · 1953 · 1–0
An English Opening win over Mark Taimanov from the 1953 Zurich Candidates, the tournament that stands as the high-water mark of Kotov's playing career.
→
Kotov – Spassky · 1958 · 1–0
A Sämisch King's Indian kingside storm (8.g4, 13.h5, 26.Qh7+) that beats the 21-year-old Boris Spassky — a future World Champion — at the 1958 Soviet Championship.
→
Kotov – Kholmov · 1971 · 1–0
A late-career win at 58 over the formidable Ratmir Kholmov: a Queen's Indian in which Kotov's bishop pair takes over a sharp middlegame and decides the endgame.
→