Garry Kasparov
Notable Games

Garry Kasparov

20 celebrated games · 1440 in the full archive
Player Index ◈ Biography 1440 CURATED GAMES

Notable Games

  • 1982.11.08 Kasparov, Garry vsNunn, John DM 1-0 Benoni Defense: Taimanov Variation 21 moves Olympiad-25 Lucerne Olympiad 1982: the nineteen-year-old crashes through in a 21-move Benoni, an f5 pawn storm and knight swarm leaving John Nunn's king exposed — one of his celebrated early miniatures.
  • 1983.08.27 Kasparov, Garry vsPortisch, Lajos 1-0 Queen's Indian Defense: Kasparov-Petrosian Variation, Petrosian Attack 35 moves Niksic International Niksić 1983: a Queen's Indian in which Kasparov unleashes a double bishop sacrifice, 19.Bxh7+ and 21.Bxg7, and hunts Portisch's king into the open — a classic of his early years.
  • 1985.10.15 Karpov, Anatoly vsKasparov, Garry 0-1 Sicilian Defense: Taimanov Variation, Gary Gambit 40 moves World-ch31-KK2 Kasparov-Karpov +5-3=16 The 'Octopus'. Game 16 of the 1985 title match: Kasparov's Black knight settles on d3 and paralyses Karpov's whole position — one of the most famous games of their rivalry.
  • 1985.11.09 Karpov, Anatoly vsKasparov, Garry 0-1 Sicilian Defense: Scheveningen Variation, Classical Variation 42 moves World-ch31-KK2 Kasparov-Karpov +5-3=16 The coronation. Winning the 24th and final game with Black, Kasparov took the match 13–11 to become, at 22, the youngest World Champion in history.
  • 1986.09.15 Kasparov, Garry vsKarpov, Anatoly 1-0 Ruy Lopez: Closed, Flohr System 41 moves World-ch32-KK3 Kasparov-Karpov +5-4=15 Game 16 of the 1986 rematch: a Ruy Lopez won with a sustained kingside attack as Kasparov held off Karpov and retained the crown 12½–11½.
  • 1990.12.15 Kasparov, Garry vsKarpov, Anatoly 1-0 Ruy Lopez: Closed, Flohr System 41 moves World-ch34-KK5 Kasparov-Karpov +4-3=17 Game 20 at Lyon, 1990: a Ruy Lopez in which Kasparov sacrifices two knights, 26.Nxh6 and 27.Nf5, to storm Karpov's king — the highlight of their fifth and last title match.
  • 1991 Kasparov, Garry vsAnand, Viswanathan 1-0 Sicilian Defense: Taimanov Variation, Bastrikov Variation, English Attack 29 moves Tilburg Tilburg 1991: a Sicilian Taimanov blown open by 12.e5 and the piece sacrifice 14.Bb5+, a 29-move attacking win over Viswanathan Anand.
  • 1993.02 Karpov, Anatoly vsKasparov, Garry 0-1 King's Indian Defense: Sämisch Variation 27 moves Linares 11th Linares 1993: a 27-move King's Indian demolition of Karpov with the Black pieces, among the most admired attacking wins of Kasparov's career.
  • 1994 Kasparov, Garry vsKramnik, Vladimir 1-0 Sicilian Defense: Lasker-Pelikan Variation, Sveshnikov Variation, Chelyabinsk Variation 35 moves Novgorod Novgorod 1994: a Sicilian finished by a whirlwind combination — 24.Ne6, 26.Rd6 and 29.Rxh7+ promoting a fresh queen — against his future successor Vladimir Kramnik.
  • 1994 Kasparov, Garry vsShirov, Alexei 1-0 Sicilian Defense: Lasker-Pelikan Variation, Sveshnikov Variation, Chelyabinsk Variation 38 moves Horgen CS Horgen 1994: a Sicilian in which Kasparov gives up the exchange with 17.Rxb7 for a lasting bind and grinds down Alexei Shirov.
  • 1995.09.26 Kasparov, Garry vsAnand, Viswanathan 1-0 Ruy Lopez: Open, Karpov Gambit 38 moves PCA-World-ch Kasparov-Anand +4-1=13 Game 10 of the 1995 PCA title match in New York: a Ruy Lopez Open where a prepared exchange sacrifice, 18.Bxe6, leaves Kasparov's bishops overrunning Anand's position.
  • 1999.01.20 Kasparov, Garry vsTopalov, Veselin 1-0 Pirc Defense 44 moves Hoogovens 'Kasparov's Immortal.' Wijk aan Zee 1999: the 24.Rxd4 rook sacrifice launches a king hunt that chases Topalov from a7 across the board — often called the finest game he ever played.
  • 1999.06.21 Kasparov, Garry vsThe World 1-0 Sicilian Defense: Moscow Variation, Sokolsky Variation 62 moves Kasparov-The World Kasparov versus the World, 1999: a four-month online game in which he faced a global consultation team voting its moves, prevailing after 62 moves of a Sicilian.
  • 2001.06.01 Kasparov, Garry vsKramnik, Vladimir 1-0 Ruy Lopez: Berlin Defense, l'Hermet Variation, Berlin Wall Defense 41 moves Astana Astana 2001: a Ruy Lopez ground out against Vladimir Kramnik — a rare classical win over the man who had taken his crown the year before.
  • 2005.03.08 Adams, Michael vsKasparov, Garry 0-1 Sicilian Defense: Najdorf Variation, English Attack 26 moves Linares 22nd Linares 2005: a 26-move Sicilian Najdorf win with Black over Michael Adams in Kasparov's final competitive tournament before retiring from chess.
  • 1989.08 Portisch, Lajos vsKasparov, Garry 0-1 Queen's Pawn Game: Symmetrical Variation 62 moves World Cup Skelleftea 1989 — a 62-move win with Black against Lajos Portisch. Selected in Garry Kasparov, My Great Predecessors, Part III, game 44 (PDF page 85).
  • 1995.05.30 Topalov, Veselin vsKasparov, Garry 0-1 Sicilian Defense: Taimanov Variation 40 moves Novgorod Novgorod 1995 — a 40-move win with Black against Veselin Topalov. Selected in Garry Kasparov on Garry Kasparov, Part III, game 17 (PDF page 97).
  • 1995 Kasparov, Garry vsAnand, Viswanathan 1-0 Italian Game: Evans Gambit, Anderssen Variation, Cordel Line 25 moves Riga Tal Memorial Riga 1995 — a 25-move win with White against Viswanathan Anand. Selected in Garry Kasparov on Garry Kasparov, Part III, game 15 (PDF page 86).
  • 2000.05.29 Movsesian, Sergei vsKasparov, Garry 0-1 Sicilian Defense: Scheveningen Variation, English Attack, with f3 32 moves Sarajevo Bosnia 30th Sarajevo 2000 — a 32-move win with Black against Sergei Movsesian. Selected in Garry Kasparov on Garry Kasparov, Part III, game 66 (PDF page 307).
  • 2004.11.21 Kasparov, Garry vsDreev, Alexey 1-0 Semi-Slav Defense: Anti-Moscow Gambit 59 moves RUS-ch 57th Moscow 2004 — a 59-move win with White against Alexey Dreev. Selected in Garry Kasparov on Garry Kasparov, Part III, game 96 (PDF page 436).
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