Samuel Reshevsky
Notable Games

Samuel Reshevsky

19 celebrated games · 596 in the full archive
Player Index ◈ Biography 596 CURATED GAMES

Notable Games

  • 1935.04.27 Reshevsky, Samuel Herman vsCapablanca, Jose Raul 1-0 Queen's Gambit Declined: Modern Variation, Knight Defense 56 moves Kent County CA-28 Premier Reshevsky's first win over a world champion: a 56-move Queen's Gambit Declined defeat of former titleholder José Raúl Capablanca at Margate 1935, the point that let the 23-year-old finish half a point ahead of him to win the tournament.
  • 1936.08.28 Reshevsky, Samuel Herman vsVidmar, Milan Sr 1-0 Queen's Gambit Accepted: Classical Defense, Main Line 26 moves Nottingham International Masters A 26-move Queen's Gambit Accepted win over the veteran grandmaster Milan Vidmar at the great Nottingham 1936 international, one of the strongest tournaments ever assembled.
  • 1939.01.16 Reshevsky, Samuel Herman vsSmyslov, Vasily V 1-0 Queen's Gambit Declined: Modern Variation, Knight Defense 70 moves Leningrad & Moscow A 70-move Queen's Gambit Declined win over the young Vasily Smyslov during Reshevsky's 1939 tour of Leningrad and Moscow, a victory over a future world champion long before his crown.
  • 1942 Reshevsky, Samuel Herman vsKashdan, Isaac 1-0 Nimzo-Indian Defense: Classical Variation, Noa Variation 63 moves USA-ch playoff-1pl A 63-move Nimzo-Indian win over Isaac Kashdan in the 1942 U.S. Championship playoff, part of the +6-2=3 match that clinched Reshevsky the national title after they had tied for first.
  • 1948.03.11 Reshevsky, Samuel Herman vsEuwe, Max 1-0 Semi-Slav Defense: Romih Variation 41 moves World-ch17 Tournament A 41-move Semi-Slav win over former world champion Max Euwe in the 1948 World Championship Tournament at The Hague, the five-master event that decided the vacant title.
  • 1952.08.21 Reshevsky, Samuel Herman vsNajdorf, Miguel 1-0 King's Indian Defense: Orthodox Variation 27 moves Olympiad-10 Final A A 27-move King's Indian win over Miguel Najdorf at the 1952 Helsinki Olympiad, decided under time pressure as Reshevsky anchored the American team on top board.
  • 1954.12.21 Reshevsky, Samuel Herman vsBisguier, Arthur Bernard 1-0 Indian Defense: Budapest Defense, Fajarowicz Variation 24 moves New York Rosenwald-01 1954/55 A 24-move win over Arthur Bisguier at the New York Rosenwald 1954/55, where Reshevsky's early 4.a3 so thoroughly refuted Bisguier's Budapest Gambit (Fajarowicz) that Bisguier abandoned the line afterward.
  • 1955.06.28 Reshevsky, Samuel Herman vsBotvinnik, Mikhail 1-0 Semi-Slav Defense: Meran Variation, Stahlberg Variation 41 moves Match/Nation URS-USA 25,0-7,0 A 41-move Semi-Slav Meran win over reigning world champion Mikhail Botvinnik on board one of the 1955 USSR–USA match in Moscow; Reshevsky took their four-game mini-match 2½–1½.
  • 1956.10.15 Reshevsky, Samuel Herman vsFischer, Robert James 1-0 King's Indian Defense: Fianchetto Variation, Panno Variation 31 moves New York Rosenwald-03 A 31-move King's Indian win over the 13-year-old Bobby Fischer at the 1956 New York Rosenwald tournament, the same event where Fischer produced his celebrated "Game of the Century" against Donald Byrne.
  • 1957 Reshevsky, Samuel Herman vsNajdorf, Miguel 1-0 Nimzo-Indian Defense: Rubinstein System, Rubinstein Variation 33 moves Dallas A 33-move Nimzo-Indian win over Miguel Najdorf at Dallas 1957, anthologized by Irving Chernev in The Most Instructive Games of Chess Ever Played as a model of "the shifting attack."
  • 1961.07.16 Reshevsky, Samuel Herman vsFischer, Robert James 1-0 King's Indian Defense: Orthodox Variation, Aronin-Taimanov Defense 60 moves New York/Los Angeles m A 60-move King's Indian win over Bobby Fischer in the opening game of their controversial 1961 match, an early lead in a contest left tied and unfinished.
  • 1967.10.24 Reshevsky, Samuel Herman vsGeller, Efim P 1-0 King's Indian Defense: Orthodox Variation, Gligoric-Taimanov System 73 moves Interzonal-07 A 73-move King's Indian win over the powerful Soviet grandmaster Efim Geller at the 1967 Sousse Interzonal, a late-career victory over a world-title contender.
  • 1970.04.02 Reshevsky, Samuel Herman vsSmyslov, Vasily V 1-0 Ruy Lopez: Closed, Chigorin Defense 54 moves Match/Team URS-World 20,5-19,5 A 54-move Closed Ruy Lopez win over former world champion Vasily Smyslov at the 1970 USSR vs. Rest of the World match in Belgrade, ground out of a pawn-up queen endgame despite repeated draw offers.
  • 1938.11.14 Euwe, Max vsReshevsky, Samuel Herman 0-1 Neo-Grünfeld Defense: Goglidze Attack 56 moves AVRO Netherlands 1938 — a 56-move win with Black against Max Euwe. Selected in Garry Kasparov, My Great Predecessors, Part IV, game 3 (PDF page 43).
  • 1948.04.18 Botvinnik, Mikhail vsReshevsky, Samuel Herman 0-1 Nimzo-Indian Defense: Sämisch Variation, Capablanca Variation 42 moves World-ch17 Tournament World Championship tournament 1948, round 14 — a 42-move win with Black against Mikhail Botvinnik. Selected in Garry Kasparov, My Great Predecessors, Part IV, game 10 (PDF page 122).
  • 1953.10.03 Reshevsky, Samuel Herman vsAverbakh, Yuri L 1-0 Nimzo-Indian Defense: Reshevsky Variation 44 moves Candidates Tournament Zuerich 1953, Candidates round 18 — a 44-move win with White against Yuri L Averbakh. Selected in Garry Kasparov, My Great Predecessors, Part IV, game 14 (PDF page 152).
  • 1970.12.06 Reshevsky, Samuel Herman vsPolugaevsky, Lev 1-0 English Opening: Symmetrical Variation, Anti-Benoni Variation, Spielmann Defense 33 moves Interzonal-08 Palma de Mallorca 1970, Interzonal — a 33-move win with White against Lev Polugaevsky. Selected in Garry Kasparov, My Great Predecessors, Part IV, game 20 (PDF page 202).
  • 1973.08.04 Reshevsky, Samuel Herman vsLjubojevic, Ljubomir 1-0 Modern Defense: Averbakh System 43 moves Interzonal-09b Petropolis 1973, Interzonal — a 43-move win with White against Ljubomir Ljubojevic. Selected in Garry Kasparov, My Great Predecessors, Part IV, game 22 (PDF page 216).
  • 1936.08.22 Lasker, Emanuel vsReshevsky, Samuel Herman 0-1 Queen's Gambit Accepted: Classical Defense 22 moves Nottingham International Masters Nottingham 1936 — a 22-move win with Black against Emanuel Lasker. Selected in Irving Chernev, 1000 Best Short Games of Chess, PDF page 486.
EXPLORE ALL 596 GAMES