Alexander Tolush
Notable Games

Alexander Tolush

16 celebrated games · 265 in the full archive
Player Index ◈ Biography 265 CURATED GAMES

Notable Games

  • 1935.03.24 Tolush, Alexander V vsCapablanca, Jose Raul 1-0 Vienna Game: Stanley Variation 35 moves Capablanca sim Tolush's breakout at 24: a Vienna Game win over the legendary José Raúl Capablanca in a Leningrad clock simul, the first flash of the attacking flair that made his reputation.
  • 1939.01.17 Smyslov, Vasily V vsTolush, Alexander V 0-1 French Defense: Winawer Variation, Advance Variation 24 moves Leningrad & Moscow A crisp 24-move win with the black pieces over the future World Champion Vasily Smyslov, a French Defense Winawer at the 1939 Leningrad–Moscow training tournament.
  • 1944.06.11 Tolush, Alexander V vsBotvinnik, Mikhail 1-0 Center Game: Paulsen Attack Variation 56 moves URS-ch13 Final Tolush's most famous game — a Center Game at the 13th Soviet Championship that ends 56.Qxf7#, the mate he announced with the words 'It's mate, Mikhail Moiseyevich!', a taunt the future World Champion Botvinnik never forgave.
  • 1944 Tolush, Alexander V vsBoleslavsky, Isaak 1-0 Grünfeld Defense: Exchange Variation, Spassky Variation 28 moves Kiev A 28-move attacking win at Kiev 1944 over Isaak Boleslavsky — soon a 1950 Candidates co-winner — breaking through with 23.Nxe6 and finishing with the quiet 28.Bh6 in a Grünfeld Exchange.
  • 1945 Tolush, Alexander V vsBronstein, David Ionovich 1-0 Trompowsky Attack 32 moves URS-ch14 Final A Trompowsky Attack win over David Bronstein at the 1945 Soviet Championship, six years before Bronstein drew the World Championship match with Botvinnik.
  • 1945 Tolush, Alexander V vsKotov, Alexander 1-0 Sicilian Defense: Scheveningen Variation, Fianchetto Variation 41 moves URS-ch14 Final A sustained king hunt in a Sicilian Scheveningen at the 1945 Soviet Championship: the knight sacrifice 22.Nxg7 tears open Alexander Kotov's king, which is chased across the board before resigning on move 41.
  • 1946.10 Tolush, Alexander V vsFurman, Semen Abramovich 1-0 King's Gambit Declined: Classical Variation 25 moves URS-ch15 Semifinal A 25-move King's Gambit brilliancy over Semyon Furman — later Anatoly Karpov's trainer — at a 1946 Soviet Championship semifinal, decided by 24.Rxf6 and the deflection 25.Qxe5.
  • 1947.03.02 Tolush, Alexander V vsRagozin, Viacheslav 1-0 Nimzo-Indian Defense: Normal Variation, Classical Defense 34 moves URS-ch15 Final A Nimzo-Indian at the 1947 Soviet Championship against Viacheslav Ragozin — Botvinnik's long-time second and a World Correspondence Champion — won by pushing connected passed pawns and the rook combination 33.Rd8+.
  • 1948.11.22 Tolush, Alexander V vsAlatortsev, Vladimir 1-0 King's Gambit Declined: Falkbeer Countergambit Accepted 17 moves URS-ch16 Final Tolush striking like lightning: a 17-move miniature at the 1948 Soviet Championship, a King's Gambit against Vladimir Alatortsev's Falkbeer punished by a swift mating attack, 16.Rhe1+ and 17.Qa3+.
  • 1950.11.30 Tolush, Alexander V vsMikenas, Vladas Ivanovich 1-0 Neo-Grünfeld Defense: with Nf3 42 moves URS-ch18 Final A Neo-Grünfeld Defense win over the veteran Lithuanian attacker Vladas Mikenas at the 1950 Soviet Championship, Tolush's pieces overrunning the black king.
  • 1952.12.16 Tolush, Alexander V vsSmyslov, Vasily V 1-0 Slav Defense: Czech Variation, Dutch Variation 39 moves URS-ch20 Final A second win over Vasily Smyslov, now with White at the 1952 Soviet Championship: a Slav in which the central break e6 sets up the threat Ng6# and forces the future World Champion to resign.
  • 1953.01 Tolush, Alexander V vsStoltz, Gosta 1-0 Tarrasch Defense: Swedish Variation 42 moves Bucharest Int 03rd From Tolush's greatest triumph — clear first at Bucharest 1953 ahead of Petrosian, Smyslov and his pupil Spassky — a Tarrasch Defense finished by the king hunt 41.Ng6+ and 42.Rxh7+ against Gösta Stoltz.
  • 1957.02.11 Tolush, Alexander V vsAronin, Lev Solomonovich 1-0 Sicilian Defense: Najdorf Variation, Main Line 33 moves URS-ch24 Final A sharp Najdorf Sicilian at the 1957 Soviet Championship, Tolush sacrificing a knight with 29.Nxe6+ and winning the queen with 30.Qxc6 to beat Lev Aronin.
  • 1958.02.11 Korchnoi, Viktor Lvovich vsTolush, Alexander V 0-1 Sicilian Defense: Najdorf Variation, Poisoned Pawn Accepted 39 moves URS-ch25 Final A win with the black pieces over Viktor Korchnoi — the future World Championship challenger — in a razor-sharp Najdorf Poisoned Pawn at the 1958 Soviet Championship.
  • 1961 Tolush, Alexander V vsMititelu, Gheorghe 1-0 Nimzo-Indian Defense: Leningrad Variation 21 moves Warsaw A 21-move Nimzo-Indian miniature at Warsaw 1961: Tolush gives up the queen with 20.Qxf6 and, after 20...gxf6, the knight fork 21.Nge4+ wins back the material with a crushing attack against Gheorghe Mititelu.
  • 1962.04.29 Tolush, Alexander V vsBarcza, Gedeon 1-0 French Defense: Rubinstein Variation, Blackburne Defense 35 moves Match/City Leningrad-Budapest A late-career gem at 51: a French Defense Rubinstein in the 1962 Leningrad–Budapest city match, won with the exchange sacrifice 20.Rxd5 and a mating attack (34.Qg7+) against Gedeon Barcza.
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