Gata Kamsky
Notable Games

Gata Kamsky

20 celebrated games · 3584 in the full archive
Player Index ◈ Biography 3584 CURATED GAMES

Notable Games

  • 1993 Kamsky, Gata vsLautier, Joel 1-0 Sicilian Defense: Chekhover Variation 26 moves Dortmund Dortmund 1993 — a 26-move Sicilian brilliancy from the young Kamsky. He tore open Joël Lautier's kingside with the bishop sacrifice 16.Bxh6, then crashed through with 23.Rxh7+ Kxh7 24.Qh5+ into a forced mating attack, one of his cleanest early miniatures.
  • 1994.06 Kamsky, Gata vsKramnik, Vladimir 1-0 Semi-Slav Defense: Botvinnik Variation 41 moves PCA-Wch Candidates m4 PCA World Championship Candidates quarterfinal, New York 1994 — from the match in which the 20-year-old Kamsky eliminated a young Vladimir Kramnik 4½–1½, six years before Kramnik dethroned Kasparov. A razor-sharp Botvinnik Semi-Slav: Kamsky sacrificed a knight with 9.Nxg5 and hunted down the king, mating in 41 moves.
  • 1994 Kramnik, Vladimir vsKamsky, Gata 0-1 English Opening: Anglo-Indian Defense, Nimzo-English 38 moves PCA-Wch Candidates m4 PCA World Championship Candidates quarterfinal, New York 1994 — the game from the Kramnik match that Wikipedia singles out. Playing Black, Kamsky exploited Kramnik's shattered queenside pawns, pushed a passed d-pawn, and finished with the queen sacrifice 32...Qxf4+ and a back-rank mating net.
  • 1994 Kamsky, Gata vsShort, Nigel D 1-0 Nimzo-Indian Defense: Rubinstein System 26 moves PCA-Wch Candidates sf1 PCA World Championship Candidates semifinal, Linares 1994 — from Kamsky's 5½–1½ rout of Nigel Short. A model Nimzo-Indian squeeze: Kamsky built up on the kingside with 14.Bh6 and 20.Nh5, then broke through with 23.d5 to win a crisp 26-move miniature.
  • 1994 Kamsky, Gata vsAnand, Viswanathan 1-0 Sicilian Defense: Accelerated Dragon, Modern Bc4 Variation 45 moves Candidates FIDE sf1 FIDE World Championship Candidates semifinal, 1994 — a win over Viswanathan Anand in the FIDE cycle Kamsky took 6–4 to advance. Against Anand's Accelerated Dragon he answered the ...d5 break with 17.f5, cracked open the position with 24.Rxd6, and converted the extra material into a won ending.
  • 1995 Kamsky, Gata vsSalov, Valery 1-0 Queen's Gambit Declined 35 moves Candidates FIDE f2 FIDE World Championship Candidates final, 1995 — from Kamsky's 5½–1½ demolition of Valery Salov that earned him the 1996 world-title match with Karpov. A patient Queen's Gambit Declined in which his central play and piece activity left Salov's position collapsing.
  • 1996.06.08 Kamsky, Gata vsKarpov, Anatoly 1-0 Caro-Kann Defense: Panov Attack, Main Line 65 moves FIDE-Wch FIDE World Championship match (game 2), Elista 1996 — Kamsky's most celebrated game, a win over reigning FIDE World Champion Anatoly Karpov. In the Caro-Kann Panov he opened the center with 18.d5 and unleashed the Greek-gift sacrifice 20.Bxh7+ Kxh7; emerging with queen against rook and knight, he ground Karpov down over 65 moves. Karpov retained the title 10½–7½, but this remains Kamsky's signature attacking masterpiece.
  • 2006.05.12 Kamsky, Gata vsBacrot, Etienne 1-0 Ruy Lopez: Closed 103 moves Sofia MTel Masters 2nd M-Tel Masters, Sofia 2006 — a 103-move Ruy Lopez marathon showcasing Kamsky's legendary endgame stamina on his return to the elite. He squeezed Étienne Bacrot in a long rook ending and, even after Bacrot underpromoted to a knight with 74...e1=N+, patiently won the rook-versus-knight endgame.
  • 2006.05.13 Anand, Viswanathan vsKamsky, Gata 0-1 Ruy Lopez: Closed 57 moves Sofia MTel Masters 2nd M-Tel Masters, Sofia 2006 — a classical win over Viswanathan Anand, a year before Anand won the undisputed world title. Defending a Ruy Lopez with Black, Kamsky neutralized Anand's initiative, won a pawn, and converted the rook-and-pawn endgame in 57 moves.
  • 2007.12.10 Kamsky, Gata vsCarlsen, Magnus 1-0 Petrov's Defense: Modern Attack, Center Variation 43 moves FIDE World Cup FIDE World Cup semifinal, Khanty-Mansiysk 2007 — Kamsky's win over the 17-year-old Magnus Carlsen, six years before Carlsen became World Champion. In a quiet Petrov Defense he outmaneuvered the young prodigy, took over the h-file, and won in 43 moves to take the semifinal 1½–½ and reach the final.
  • 2007.12.14 Kamsky, Gata vsShirov, Alexei 1-0 Sicilian Defense: Closed, Anti-Sveshnikov Variation, Kharlov-Kramnik Line 37 moves FIDE World Cup FIDE World Cup final, Khanty-Mansiysk 2007 — the win over Alexei Shirov from the final Kamsky took 2½–1½ to capture the 2007 World Cup and qualify for the world-title Candidates. In a sharp Sicilian his offbeat 7.Qh5 unbalanced the game, and he finished with the fork 37.Ngf7+.
  • 2011.05.06 Topalov, Veselin vsKamsky, Gata 0-1 English Opening: Anglo-Indian Defense, Anglo-Grünfeld Variation 31 moves Candidates Tournament FIDE Candidates, Kazan 2011 — the only decisive game of Kamsky's quarterfinal against former World Champion Veselin Topalov, whom he eliminated 2½–1½. Playing Black, Kamsky punished a bad day from Topalov and won in 31 moves once White's position collapsed, avenging his 2009 match loss to Topalov.
  • 2012.05.17 Kamsky, Gata vsSeirawan, Yasser 1-0 Caro-Kann Defense: Classical Variation, Lobron System 35 moves USA-ch U.S. Championship 2012 — a sharp attacking win over Yasser Seirawan from Kamsky's reign as a five-time U.S. champion. In a Caro-Kann he sacrificed with 22.Bxh6 and struck with 23.Rd7, winning Black's queen (23...Qxd7 24.Nxd7) and converting in 35 moves.
  • 2013.08.20 Kamsky, Gata vsMamedyarov, Shakhriyar 1-0 Sicilian Defense: Taimanov Variation, Bastrikov Variation 30 moves FIDE World Cup FIDE World Cup, Tromsø 2013 — a 30-move demolition that knocked Shakhriyar Mamedyarov out in the round of 16. Against the Sicilian Taimanov, Kamsky ripped open the center with 17.e5 and 18.f5, sacrificed his way through, and finished with 30.Rxh5+.
  • 1990 Kamsky, Gata vsTal, Mikhail 1-0 King's Indian Defense: Orthodox Variation, Gligoric-Taimanov System 45 moves New York op New York 1990 — a 45-move win with White against Mikhail Tal. Selected in Gata Kamsky, Chess Gamer, Volume 1: Awakening, 1989–1996, game 2 (PDF page 38).
  • 1991 Karpov, Anatoly vsKamsky, Gata 0-1 Grünfeld Defense: Exchange Variation 72 moves Tilburg Tilburg 1991 — a 72-move win with Black against Anatoly Karpov. Selected in Gata Kamsky, Chess Gamer, Volume 1: Awakening, 1989–1996, game 4 (PDF page 98).
  • 1992 Kamsky, Gata vsKasparov, Garry 1-0 King's Indian Defense: Orthodox Variation, Modern System 38 moves Dortmund Dortmund 1992 — a 38-move win with White against Garry Kasparov. Selected in Gata Kamsky, Chess Gamer, Volume 1: Awakening, 1989–1996, game 10 (PDF page 255).
  • 2004.12.03 Kamsky, Gata vsDe Firmian, Nick E 1-0 Sicilian Defense: Chekhover Variation 52 moves USA-ch San Diego 2004 — a 52-move win with White against Nick E De Firmian. Selected in Gata Kamsky, Chess Gamer, Volume 2: Return, 2004–2013, game 1 (PDF page 8).
  • 2012.09.06 Grischuk, Alexander vsKamsky, Gata 0-1 Alekhine Defense: Modern Variation, Larsen Variation 64 moves Olympiad-40 Istanbul 2012, Olympiad — a 64-move win with Black against Alexander Grischuk. Selected in Gata Kamsky, Chess Gamer, Volume 2: Return, 2004–2013, game 19 (PDF page 684).
  • 2013.05.30 Kamsky, Gata vsNakamura, Hikaru 1-0 French Defense: Tarrasch Variation, Morozevich Variation 50 moves Thessaloniki FIDE GP Thessaloniki 2013 — a 50-move win with White against Hikaru Nakamura. Selected in Gata Kamsky, Chess Gamer, Volume 2: Return, 2004–2013, game 21 (PDF page 763).
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