Ivan Sokolov
Notable Games

Ivan Sokolov

20 celebrated games · 1364 in the full archive
Player Index ◈ Biography 1364 CURATED GAMES

Notable Games

  • 1991.01 Adams, Michael vsSokolov, Ivan 0-1 Ruy Lopez: Marshall Attack 40 moves Hoogovens Hoogovens, Wijk aan Zee 1991, round three, against Michael Adams in the Marshall Attack of the Ruy Lopez. 13...Qh4 14.g3 Qh3 brings the queen to White's king, 23...Rxf2 24.Kxf2 Rf8+ gives up a rook, and 40...Qf4+ ends the game in 40 moves. Sokolov included it in *Sokolov's Best Games* and *Sacrifice and Initiative in Chess*.
  • 1993 Sokolov, Ivan vsSmyslov, Vasily V 1-0 Queen's Gambit Declined: Ragozin Defense 49 moves Interzonal-16 Interzonal Tournament, Biel 1993, round nine, against the former World Champion Vasily Smyslov in the Ragozin Defense of the Queen's Gambit Declined. 22.Bxf5 Bxf5 23.Rxf5 Rxf5 24.Qxf5 trades a pair of rooks, 33.Qxc6 wins a pawn, 48.Qxf8+ Kxf8 trades queens into a pawn ending, and 49.Kf2 ends the game in 49 moves.
  • 1993 Khalifman, Alexander vsSokolov, Ivan 0-1 Slav Defense: Three Knights Variation 61 moves Groningen PCA PCA Qualifier, Groningen 1993, round nine, against Alexander Khalifman, FIDE World Champion in 1999, in the Three Knights Variation of the Slav. 29...Rxb3 and 34...Bxe5 win pawns, 35...Rxe5 leaves a rook ending, and 60...a2 61.Ra3 Rb2 ends the game in 61 moves. Sokolov included it in *Sokolov's Best Games*.
  • 1994 Sokolov, Ivan vsVaganian, Rafael A 1-0 Queen's Gambit Declined: Queen's Knight Variation 24 moves Tilburg Tilburg 1994, round three, against Rafael Vaganian in the Queen's Knight Variation of the Queen's Gambit Declined. 15.Bxg6 hxg6 and 18.h5 gxh5 19.Qxh5 open the h-file, 23.Rh5 brings the rook to it, and 24.Rh7 ends the game in 24 moves. Sokolov included it in *Sokolov's Best Games*.
  • 1994.11.20 Anand, Viswanathan vsSokolov, Ivan 0-1 Ruy Lopez: Open 53 moves EU-Cup 10th final European Club Cup final, Lyon 1994, round three, against Viswanathan Anand, later World Champion, in the Open Variation of the Ruy Lopez. 32.Rxd8 Nxd8 leaves a knight against a bishop, 34...Ke4 brings Black's king forward, 40...f4 and 41...f3+ push the f-pawn, and 53...a5 ends the game in 53 moves. Sokolov included it in *Sokolov's Best Games*.
  • 1995.01 Almasi, Zoltan vsSokolov, Ivan 0-1 Ruy Lopez: Open 26 moves Hoogovens op Hoogovens Open, Wijk aan Zee 1995, round 10, against Zoltan Almasi in the Open Variation of the Ruy Lopez. 17...Rxf3 18.Nxf3 Nce5 gives up the exchange, 21...Ncxe3 22.fxe3 Rxf1+ 23.Kxf1 Qxh2 reaches White's king, and 26...Bg4 ends the game in 26 moves. Sokolov included it in *Sokolov's Best Games*.
  • 1995.06.14 Sokolov, Ivan vsVan Wely, Loek 1-0 King's Indian Defense: Orthodox Variation, Bayonet Attack, Sokolov's Line 33 moves NED-ch50 Dutch Championship, Amsterdam 1995, round five, against Loek van Wely in the Bayonet Attack of the King's Indian, in the line with 9.b4 Nh5 10.Re1 that carries Sokolov's name. Black's kingside pawns reach h2 with 25...gxh2+, 29.Rc7+ brings White's rook to the seventh rank, and 33.Nf5 ends the game in 33 moves. Sokolov won the championship with 9½/11.
  • 1996.01.17 Sokolov, Ivan vsTopalov, Veselin 1-0 Benoni Defense: Taimanov Variation 29 moves Hoogovens Hoogovens, Wijk aan Zee 1996, round four, against Veselin Topalov, FIDE World Champion in 2005, in the Taimanov Variation of the Benoni. 11.e6 Qh4+ 12.g3 Nxg3 13.hxg3 Qxh1 gives up the rook on h1, 17.Bxd7+ Kxd7 leaves Black's king in the center, and 29.Qa4+ ends the game in 29 moves. Sokolov included it in *Sokolov's Best Games*.
  • 1996.01.18 Anand, Viswanathan vsSokolov, Ivan 0-1 Ruy Lopez: Closed 48 moves Hoogovens Hoogovens, Wijk aan Zee 1996, round five, against Viswanathan Anand in the Closed Ruy Lopez. 21.Qxg4 hxg4 22.Rxf6 gives Anand a knight and a bishop for his queen, 40...Rxf2+ 41.Nxf2 leaves Black's queen against two knights, and 48...a4 ends the game in 48 moves. Sokolov named it among his best games in a 2015 ChessBase interview and included it in *Sokolov's Best Games*.
  • 1996.11.11 Timman, Jan H vsSokolov, Ivan 0-1 Slav Defense: Three Knights Variation 33 moves NED-ch51 playoff Playoff for the Dutch Championship, Amsterdam 1996, game one, against Jan Timman in the Three Knights Variation of the Slav. 14...c5 15.dxc5 Qc7 gives up a pawn, 18...Rd3 and 20...Qxc5+ bring the rook and queen in, 28...Qxa3 wins a pawn, and 33...e5 ends the game in 33 moves. Sokolov included it in *Sokolov's Best Games* and *Sacrifice and Initiative in Chess*.
  • 1999.01.26 Sokolov, Ivan vsKasparov, Garry 1-0 Nimzo-Indian Defense: Normal Variation, Bernstein Defense 28 moves Hoogovens Hoogovens, Wijk aan Zee 1999, round nine, against the reigning World Champion Garry Kasparov in the Bernstein Defense of the Nimzo-Indian. 15.e5 Bxf3 16.exf6 Nxd4 17.Bxh7+ Kh8 18.fxg7+ opens Black's king, 22.Rg1+ and 24.Rag1 double rooks on the g-file, and 28.Qg2 ends the game in 28 moves. It was Kasparov's only loss of the tournament.
  • 1999.01.28 Van Wely, Loek vsSokolov, Ivan 0-1 English Opening: Anglo-Indian Defense, Hedgehog System 34 moves Hoogovens Hoogovens, Wijk aan Zee 1999, round 10, against Loek van Wely in the English Opening. After the queens come off on move 10, 10...Nc2+ 11.Kd1 Nxa1 and 12...Nxf2+ 13.Ke1 Nxh1 send both of Black's knights after White's rooks, 20...Ne3+ 21.Bxe3 Nxg3+ brings the second one out, and 34...g6 ends the game in 34 moves. Sokolov included it in *Sacrifice and Initiative in Chess*.
  • 2003.10.17 Sokolov, Ivan vsPolgar, Judit 1-0 Queen's Indian Defense 42 moves Hoogeveen Essent Crown Essent Crown, Hoogeveen 2003, round five, against Judit Polgar in the Queen's Indian Defense. 22.d5 exd5 23.Nd4 gives up a pawn, 26.Bxg5 Bxg5 27.Qh5 gives up the bishop, 32.Rxe5 Rxe5 33.Ne7 gives up the exchange, and 42.Qc3 ends the game in 42 moves. ChessBase's report called it "a fantastic sacrificial game", and Sokolov included it in *Winning Chess Middlegames* and *Sacrifice and Initiative in Chess*.
  • 2004.01.24 Sokolov, Ivan vsKramnik, Vladimir 1-0 Queen's Indian Defense 41 moves Corus Corus, Wijk aan Zee 2004, round 12, against the reigning Classical World Champion Vladimir Kramnik in the Queen's Indian Defense. 11.d5 exd5 12.Rd1 opens the d-file, 33.Rxc7 Qxc7 34.Rxf6 Rxf6 35.Qxf6 gives up both rooks for a rook, a bishop and a pawn, 37.d6 pushes the passed pawn, and 41.Ba4 ends the game in 41 moves.
  • 2004.05.21 Sokolov, Ivan vsBologan, Viktor 1-0 Nimzo-Indian Defense: Classical Variation 41 moves Sarajevo Bosnia 34th Bosnia tournament, Sarajevo 2004, round four, against Viktor Bologan in the Classical Variation of the Nimzo-Indian. 13.c5 Bxd3 14.Rxd3 bxc5 15.dxe5 gives up a pawn, 29.Nh6+ Kg7 30.f5 Kxh6 31.f6 gives up the knight to bring the f-pawn forward, and 41.Be5 ends the game in 41 moves. Sokolov included it in *Winning Chess Middlegames* and *Sacrifice and Initiative in Chess*.
  • 2004.10.18 Sokolov, Ivan vsCarlsen, Magnus 1-0 Queen's Gambit Declined: Three Knights Variation 51 moves Hoogeveen Essent Crown Essent Crown, Hoogeveen 2004, round two, against the 13-year-old Magnus Carlsen, World Champion from 2013, in the Three Knights Variation of the Queen's Gambit Declined. 7.c5 closes the queenside, 33.Nxc6 Rxc6 34.Rb8 wins the bishop on d8, and 51.c8=Q ends the game in 51 moves.
  • 2005.05.28 Sokolov, Ivan vsShirov, Alexei 1-0 Semi-Slav Defense Accepted 41 moves Sarajevo Bosnia 35th Bosnia tournament, Sarajevo 2005, round nine, against Alexei Shirov in the Semi-Slav. 14.Nxb5 axb5 15.Bxb5+ Kd8 16.Rxa8 gives up a knight, 21.Ke2 Qxh1 gives up the rook on h1, 23.Nxf7+ and 24.Nxh8 take a rook back, and 41.Ne6 ends the game in 41 moves.
  • 2006.08.18 Sokolov, Ivan vsHowell, David 1-0 Grünfeld Defense: Exchange Variation 44 moves Staunton Memorial 4th Staunton Memorial, London 2006, round five, against David Howell in the Exchange Variation of the Grünfeld. 18.d5 exd5 19.e5 Bxe5 gives up two pawns, 25.Qh8+ Kf7 26.Qg7+ starts a king hunt that ends with Black's king on f4, and 44.Rd4+ ends the game in 44 moves. Sokolov included it in *Winning Chess Middlegames*.
  • 2010.03.12 Sokolov, Ivan vsCaruana, Fabiano 1-0 Semi-Slav Defense 66 moves EU-ch 11th European Championship, Rijeka 2010, round seven, against Fabiano Caruana in the Semi-Slav. 15.d6 plants a pawn on d6, 23.Nxf7 Kxf7 24.fxe6+ gives up a knight, 32.d8=Q+ promotes the pawn, 35.Rxh6+ gives up a rook, and 66.Kh3 ends the game in 66 moves. Sokolov included it in *Sacrifice and Initiative in Chess*.
  • 2012.02.07 Sokolov, Ivan vsPap, Gyula 1-0 Queen's Gambit Declined: Janowski Variation 24 moves Moscow Aeroflot op-A 11th Aeroflot Open, Moscow 2012, round one, against Gyula Pap in the Janowski Variation of the Queen's Gambit Declined. 20.Bxg6 hxg6 21.Qxg6 gives up a bishop, 22.f5 fxe5 23.f6 brings the f-pawn to the king, and 24.Bxg7 ends the game in 24 moves. Sokolov included it in *Sacrifice and Initiative in Chess*.
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