Notable Games
Efim Geller
17 celebrated games · 890 in the full archive
◈The games that made the legend
Geller – Sokolsky · 1950 · 1–0
18th Soviet Championship, Moscow 1950 — an early attacking win in the French Winawer as the 25-year-old from Odessa forced his way into the Soviet elite.
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Botvinnik – Geller · 1952 · 0–1
Budapest 1952 — Geller beats reigning World Champion Mikhail Botvinnik from the Black side of his trusted King's Indian Defence, one of the openings he did much to establish.
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Geller – Najdorf · 1953 · 1–0
Zurich Candidates 1953 — a win over Miguel Najdorf in the Najdorf Sicilian at one of history's greatest tournaments, using the quiet 6.Be2 system Geller trusted for a lifetime.
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Geller – Spassky · 1958 · 1–0
25th Soviet Championship, 1958 — a model Ruy Lopez (Breyer) win over the young Boris Spassky.
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Geller – Fischer · 1962 · 1–0
Curaçao Candidates 1962 — Geller defeats the rising Bobby Fischer with his trusted 6.Be2 against the Najdorf; he would keep a lifetime plus score against Fischer.
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Geller – Petrosian · 1963 · 1–0
A French Winawer win over Tigran Petrosian — one of four World Champions (with Botvinnik, Smyslov and Fischer) against whom Geller held a lifetime plus score.
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Geller – Smyslov · 1965 · 1–0
1965 Candidates quarter-final, Moscow — the celebrated tactical masterpiece: Geller left his queen en prise on g5 and crashed through Smyslov's kingside and back rank.
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Stein – Geller · 1966 · 0–1
USSR Team Championship 1966 — a 23-move King's Indian rout of Leonid Stein, a fellow King's Indian specialist.
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Geller – Portisch · 1967 · 1–0
Moscow 1967 — a 23-move Ruy Lopez attacking win over Lajos Portisch.
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Fischer – Geller · 1967 · 0–1
Monaco 1967 — Geller beats Fischer in the Najdorf Poisoned Pawn, the first of two wins over him that year while Fischer was demolishing nearly everyone else.
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Fischer – Geller · 1967 · 0–1
Skopje 1967 — a second win over Fischer within four months, a 23-move Sicilian.
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Geller – Bronstein · 1968 · 1–0
Kislovodsk 1968 — a sharp Sicilian win over David Bronstein.
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Geller – Velimirovic · 1971 · 1–0
Capablanca Memorial, Cuba 1971 — Geller outplays the renowned attacker Dragoljub Velimirovic from the White side of a King's Indian.
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Geller – Keres · 1973 · 1–0
41st Soviet Championship, 1973 — a 29-move Ruy Lopez win over Paul Keres, finished by a direct attack on the king.
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Geller – Tal · 1975 · 1–0
Moscow 1975 — in a wild clash of attackers, Geller marches his own king up the board to dodge Tal's checks and win.
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Geller – Karpov · 1976 · 1–0
44th Soviet Championship, Moscow 1976 — Geller sacrifices his queen (25.Qxe6) to beat reigning World Champion Anatoly Karpov, whom he was then helping prepare.
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Geller – Dreev · 1990 · 1–0
New York 1990 — at 65 Geller wins a 25-move French Tarrasch miniature, two years before he took the 1992 World Senior Championship.
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