Alexander Morozevich

Miles – Morozevich · 1994 · 0–1

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+).

→

Topalov – Morozevich · 1999 · 0–1

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.

→

Polgar – Morozevich · 2000 · 0–1

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.

→

Van Wely – Morozevich · 2001 · 0–1

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.

→

Anand – Morozevich · 2001 · 0–1

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.

→

Morozevich – Van Wely · 2002 · 1–0

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#.

→

Morozevich – Bologan · 2004 · 1–0

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.

→

Morozevich – Alekseev · 2004 · 1–0

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.

→

Sokolov – Morozevich · 2005 · 0–1

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.

→

Morozevich – Anand · 2005 · 1–0

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.

→

Morozevich – Topalov · 2007 · 1–0

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.

→

Morozevich – Kramnik · 2007 · 1–0

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.

→

Morozevich – Karpov · 2008 · 1–0

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.

→

Morozevich – Kramnik · 2008 · 1–0

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.

→

Morozevich – Ponomariov · 2008 · 1–0

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.

→

Morozevich – Leko · 2012 · 1–0

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+.

→