Following on from the Immortal Game, our puzzle this week is from a similar time. This position was reached in 1877; The player with the White pieces was Johannes Zukertort, can you see how he forced mate from this position?
Oh, I forgot to mention that Zukertort was playing this game blindfold!
White to play
As mentioned in an earlier post The Immortal Game was played in London 170 years ago – The venue was Simpson’s in the Strand, a few hundred yards from Trafalgar Square. The players were Adolf Anderssen and Lionel Kieseritzky and the game has been voted as the best chess game played in the past 1400 years!
Please just enjoy the moves and notice that having many more pieces on the board in no way guarantees victory
White: Anderssen, Adolf Black: Kieseritzky, Lionel
The Immortal Game ( London 1851 )
Sunday 18th July will see a free Chess Festival in London. Taking place in Trafalgar Square the event will celebrate the 15oth anniversary of Lewis Carroll’s ‘Alice in Wonderland’ as well as the 170th anniversary of the most famous game ever played. The ‘Immortal Game’ was actually played only a short walking distance from Trafalgar Square.
There will be many exciting things to do and see on the day
Free chess lessons for children and adults from professional chess teachers and top UK players
‘The Unofficial World Giant Chess Championship’ – 6 giant chess boards for people to play on
A human chess game based around Alice Through the Looking Glass performed by professional actors
100s of chess tables for children and chess fans to play with each other
Giant screens broadcasting online games between players in London, Liverpool, and St Petersburg, Russia
For more details please go to
Did you find the only way to save the game?
White to move
Even the very best players can sometimes miss defensive resources. Our position is from a game between GMs Efim Geller and Mark Taimanov, the White King is caught in a mating net and in fact Geller resigned here.
Can you find the only way to save the game?
White to Move