Notable Games
Alexander Tolush
16 celebrated games · 264 in the full archive
◈The games that made the legend
Tolush – Capablanca · 1935 · 1–0
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.
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Smyslov – Tolush · 1939 · 0–1
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.
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Tolush – Botvinnik · 1944 · 1–0
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.
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Tolush – Boleslavsky · 1944 · 1–0
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.
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Tolush – Bronstein · 1945 · 1–0
A Trompowsky Attack win over David Bronstein at the 1945 Soviet Championship, six years before Bronstein drew the World Championship match with Botvinnik.
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Tolush – Kotov · 1945 · 1–0
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.
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Tolush – Furman · 1946 · 1–0
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.
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Tolush – Ragozin · 1947 · 1–0
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+.
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Tolush – Alatortsev · 1948 · 1–0
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+.
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Tolush – Mikenas · 1950 · 1–0
A Neo-Grünfeld Defense win over the veteran Lithuanian attacker Vladas Mikenas at the 1950 Soviet Championship, Tolush's pieces overrunning the black king.
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Tolush – Smyslov · 1952 · 1–0
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.
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Tolush – Stoltz · 1953 · 1–0
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.
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Tolush – Aronin · 1957 · 1–0
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.
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Kortschnoj – Tolush · 1958 · 0–1
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.
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Tolush – Mititelu · 1961 · 1–0
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.
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Tolush – Barcza · 1962 · 1–0
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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