Anderssen vs Kieseritzky

Anderssen vs  Kieseritzky

1.e4

Known as the "Immortal Game" this magnificent example of Adolf Anderssen's combinative powers is still considered one of the best games of all time.

1...e5 2.f4 exf4 3.¥c4 £h4+ 4.¢f1 b5

The Bryan Counter-Gam bit where Black wishes to draw the bishop away from the a2-g8 diagonal.

5.¥xb5 ¤f6 6.¤f3 £h6

The Black queen proves to be out of play here. Better was 6...Qh5.

7.d3 ¤h5

7...g5 was a more natural way to defend the f-pawn.

8.¤h4

8.Kg1 would stop Black's threat of Ng3+ winning the exchange. However, White would now drop a piece instead.

8...£g5 9.¤f5 c6

9...g6 10.h4 Qf6 11.Nc3 gxf5 12.Qxh5 would give White the lead in development.

10.g4 ¤f6 11.¦g1

This piece sacrifice pursues White's agressive policy started with 8.Nh4. The important d5-square will now become available.

11...cxb5 12.h4 £g6

The queen is a useless bystander now.

13.h5 £g5 14.£f3

Threatens to trap the Black queen with 15.Bxf4.

14...¤g8

So Black is forced to retreat to the home square.

15.¥xf4 £f6 16.¤c3

Although White has only two pawns for a piece he has a winning position due to his large lead in development. Black's pieces, with the exception of the queen and the b-pawn, are all on their original squares.

16...¥c5 17.¤d5

This introduces a double rook sacrifice, where White will give up both of his rooks, even though he is already a piece down.

17...£xb2 18.¥d6

Thus begins the "Immortal Sacrifice".

18...£xa1+

18...Bxd6 19.Nxd6+ Kd8 20.Nxf7+ Ke8 when White would have a forced mate in two.

19.¢e2 ¥xg1

The best defense, as noted by Steinitz, was 19...Qb2, but fortunately for posterity Kieseritzky didn't figure that out. 19...Qxg1 would again allow White a forced mate.

20.e5

By blocking the queen off the protection of his g-pawn. White is threatening to mate in two with 21.Nxg7+ Kd8 22.Bc7 mate.

20...¤a6

Black covers the c7 square from White's dark squared bishop. However, just when you think Black might defend, Anderssen explodes the position with yet another brilliant line.

21.¤xg7+ ¢d8 22.£f6+

By sacrificing the queen White has mate next move.

22...¤xf6

The only move.

23.¥e7#

A forced mate by three minor pieces while Black still has most of his pieces on the board. Truly a magnificent game...The Immortal Game.

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