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The Immortal Game

July 9, 2019 NHaselton Chess Lectures

♛

The most famous sacrifice-fest in chess history

London, 21 June 1851. Adolf Anderssen gives away a bishop, both rooks and his queen, then checkmates with the pieces he has left. More than 170 years later, "The Immortal Game" is still the gold standard for attacking chess.

The story

Anderssen and Lionel Kieseritzky played this as a casual game during a break in the first international chess tournament. Austrian master Ernst Falkbeer later gave it its famous name. It's the defining game of chess's Romantic era, when players offered sacrifices freely and opponents usually grabbed them.

The finish

After a King's Gambit, Anderssen leaves his rooks hanging and plays for mate:

18...Bxg1 19.e5! Qxa1+ 20.Ke2 Na6 21.Nxg7+ Kd8 22.Qf6+!! Nxf6 23.Be7# 1-0

Quick answers

Who played the Immortal Game?: Adolf Anderssen (White) and Lionel Kieseritzky, in London in 1851.
Why is it called the Immortal Game?: Ernst Falkbeer named it for its spectacular series of sacrifices.
What opening was played?: The King's Gambit Accepted (Bishop's Gambit).

Watch agadmator's take too: The Original Immortal Game.

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The game
The Immortal Game is a chess game played by Adolf Anderssen and Lionel Kieseritzky on 21 June 1851 in London, during a break of the first international tournament. Dubbed “The Immortal Game” by the Austrian player Ernst Falkbeer, this game is a bright example of the Romantic Era of chess in which sacrifices are offered in plenty and most were greedily accepted!
In King’s gambit Anderssen manages to create nice attacking chances by sacrificing his bishop! Soon more sacrifices appear on the board, Anderssen also sacrifices both rooks, then the queen, and mates his opponent with the three remaining minor pieces. It goes without saying that Black was punished in this game for his lack of respect for development.
The players
German chess master Anderssen was undoubtedly one of the strongest players of his era! A teacher of mathematics by profession he began to take chess much more seriously after winning London Chess Tournament in 1851. Up to 1858 when he lost in a match to Paul Morphy he is considered to be the strongest player.
Lionel Kieseritzky was a Baltic German chess master who despite his many achievements is famous primarily for a game he lost against Adolf Anderssen. His main strength was his ability to win by giving great odds to weaker players. Also he was an opening theoretician who invented a well known line in the King’s gambit which is now known as Kieseritsky Gambit!
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Adolf Anderssen vs Lionel Kieseritzky
London (1851), London ENG, Jun-21
King’s Gambit: Accepted. Bishop’s Gambit Bryan Countergambit (C33)
1.e4 e5 2.f4 exf4 3.Bc4 Qh4+ 4.Kf1 b5 5.Bxb5 Nf6 6.Nf3 Qh6
7.d3 Nh5 8.Nh4 Qg5 9.Nf5 c6 10.g4 Nf6 11.Rg1 cxb5 12.h4 Qg6
13.h5 Qg5 14.Qf3 Ng8 15.Bxf4 Qf6 16.Nc3 Bc5 17.Nd5 Qxb2 18.Bd6 Bxg1 19. e5 Qxa1+ 20. Ke2 Na6 21.Nxg7+ Kd8 22.Qf6+ Nxf6 23.Be7#
1-0

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