Alexander Morozevich
Notable Games

Alexander Morozevich

16 celebrated games · 1216 in the full archive
Player Index ◈ Biography 1216 CURATED GAMES

Notable Games

  • 1994 Miles, Anthony John vsMorozevich, Alexander 0-1 Queen's Pawn Game: Chigorin Variation 44 moves Lloyds Bank op 18th Lloyds Bank Masters 1994, the London open the teenage Morozevich dominated with 9½/10: a Chigorin Defence — his signature 2…Nc6 — against the English star Tony Miles, patiently maneuvered until a kingside break (…f5-f4) becomes a direct mating attack (41…Qf2+, 43…Re1+, 44…g3+).
  • 1999.05.26 Topalov, Veselin vsMorozevich, Alexander 0-1 French Defense: Steinitz Variation, Boleslavsky Variation 31 moves Sarajevo Bosnia 29th Sarajevo 1999, Morozevich's breakthrough at his first elite super-tournament: a French Defence (Steinitz) against future FIDE World Champion Veselin Topalov, in which Black's queenside pawn avalanche (…b4, …a4-a3) and rook lift (…Rc3) overrun the white king.
  • 2000.01.18 Polgar, Judit vsMorozevich, Alexander 0-1 French Defense: Classical Variation, Burn Variation, Morozevich Line 36 moves Corus Corus 2000: a win over Judit Polgár in the very Burn French line that carries his name (5…Be7 6.Bxf6 gxf6, the 'Morozevich Line'), where Black turns the doubled f-pawns and the half-open g-file into a kingside hunt (…Rg4, …f5-f4) of the white king.
  • 2001.01.16 Van Wely, Loek vsMorozevich, Alexander 0-1 Slav Defense: Alapin Variation 21 moves Corus Corus 2001, a 21-move Slav miniature: Morozevich castles long and hurls in the rook with 14…Rxg2, then 16…Nd3+ and 17…Rxf2+ shred Loek van Wely's king — 21…Rg8+ forces resignation.
  • 2001.07.18 Anand, Viswanathan vsMorozevich, Alexander 0-1 Slav Defense: Quiet Variation 28 moves Dortmund SuperGM Dortmund 2001: a Slav Defence win over Viswanathan Anand, then the reigning FIDE World Champion — Morozevich weathers Anand's 15.Bxh7 thrust and unravels, his knights (…Nc4, …Nxb2) harvesting the queenside until Anand resigns down material.
  • 2002.01.26 Morozevich, Alexander vsVan Wely, Loek 1-0 French Defense: Rubinstein Variation, Blackburne Defense 19 moves Corus Corus 2002, a 19-move French Rubinstein miniature: after Van Wely's queen goes pawn-grabbing (11…Qxg2, 12…Qxf2), Morozevich sacrifices 14.Bxh7+! and mates by force — 15.Qh5+, 18.Rg3 and 19.Qh6 leave no defence to Qg7#.
  • 2004.04.21 Morozevich, Alexander vsBologan, Viktor 1-0 Caro-Kann Defense: Maróczy Variation 28 moves RUS-chT 11th The top game on his chessgames notable list: a Caro-Kann (3.f3, the Maróczy) at the 2004 Russian Team Championship that erupts into an opposite-wings brawl — Morozevich's h-file storm (22.h6, 27.gxh6) and 24.Rxd4 break through first, 28.Qh8+ forcing mate.
  • 2004.04.23 Morozevich, Alexander vsAlekseev, Evgeny V 1-0 Sicilian Defense: Classical Variation 32 moves RUS-chT 11th Two days later at the same Russian Team Championship: a Classical Sicilian with opposite-side castling, finished by a model pawn-storm mating attack and the sacrifices 28.Rxh5! and 29.Bxb5! — 32.Qg8+ delivers mate.
  • 2005.01.25 Sokolov, Ivan vsMorozevich, Alexander 0-1 Queen's Gambit Declined: Albin Countergambit, Modern Line 34 moves Corus Corus 2005 in his beloved Albin Counter-Gambit (2…e5), the offbeat opening Morozevich did more than anyone to revive: Black's initiative (…Nb3, …Qc2, …d3) climaxes in the queen sacrifice 33…Qxf2+!, after which the far-advanced passed d-pawn decides against Ivan Sokolov.
  • 2005.10.05 Morozevich, Alexander vsAnand, Viswanathan 1-0 Caro-Kann Defense: Advance Variation, Short Variation 50 moves FIDE-Wch The San Luis 2005 FIDE World Championship, where Morozevich finished fourth: a hugely complex Advance Caro-Kann against Viswanathan Anand, full of mutual sacrifices (22.Rxg2, 28.Bxe4), that Morozevich steers into a winning bishop-and-pawns endgame.
  • 2007.03.09 Morozevich, Alexander vsTopalov, Veselin 1-0 Sicilian Defense: Delayed Alapin Variation, with d6 80 moves Morelia/Linares 24th An 80-move marathon over former FIDE World Champion Veselin Topalov at Morelia/Linares 2007, where Morozevich shared second with the young Carlsen behind Anand: a slow Delayed-Alapin Sicilian squeeze that grinds into a knight ending and a final queening race, 80.g8=Q.
  • 2007.09.23 Morozevich, Alexander vsKramnik, Vladimir 1-0 Pterodactyl Defense: Queen Pterodactyl, Quiet Line 48 moves World-ch Tournament The round-9 win that handed reigning World Champion Vladimir Kramnik his only loss of 2007 — at the Mexico City World Championship tournament. Morozevich answers Kramnik's offbeat …g6/…c5 ('Pterodactyl') setup with a Benoni space clamp (5.d5) and a kingside pawn storm (13.g4, 15.g5, 16.f4), a passed pawn deciding.
  • 2008.04.06 Morozevich, Alexander vsKarpov, Anatoly 1-0 Scotch Game: Mieses Variation 111 moves RUS-chT A 111-move Scotch marathon against former World Champion Anatoly Karpov at the 2008 Russian Team Championship — Morozevich out-grinds one of history's greatest endgame technicians in a bishop-versus-rook ending that stretches well past move 100.
  • 2008.08.20 Morozevich, Alexander vsKramnik, Vladimir 1-0 Semi-Slav Defense: Stoltz Variation, Shabalov Attack 31 moves Moscow Tal Memorial 3rd The 2008 Tal Memorial, played at the height of his career (he had just reached world No. 2): a Semi-Slav in which Morozevich unleashes the Shabalov gambit 7.g4!, and after 8…Nxh2 9.Nxh2 Bxh2 10.Rxg7 the ripped-open g-file and central pawns (12.e4) overwhelm Vladimir Kramnik in 31 moves.
  • 2008.08.24 Morozevich, Alexander vsPonomariov, Ruslan 1-0 Nimzo-Indian Defense: Classical Variation 37 moves Moscow Tal Memorial 3rd Also from the 2008 Tal Memorial: a Nimzo-Indian win over former FIDE World Champion Ruslan Ponomariov, where 12.g4! and 15.gxf6 rip open the position and Morozevich's initiative rolls on into a won endgame.
  • 2012.12.03 Morozevich, Alexander vsLeko, Peter 1-0 English Opening: Symmetrical Variation, Anti-Benoni Variation, Geller Variation 42 moves Tashkent FIDE GP 2nd Tashkent FIDE Grand Prix 2012: Morozevich cracks open the famously solid Peter Leko with 25.f5 and the sacrifice 26.Bxh6!, and a wild race of promotions (38.e8=Q, 40.c7) settles it — 42.g5+.
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