Kasparov's Immortal

Kasparov's immortal is a chess game played by Garry Kasparov as White against Veselin Topalov as Black at the Hoogovens Wijk aan Zee Chess Tournament 1999 chess tournament.[1] This is one of Kasparov's most famous games; it is considered a masterpiece and Chess.com has listed it as the #1 chess game ever played.[2][3]

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Position after 35. … Kd1
White to play and win

The game

White: Kasparov   Black: Topalov   Opening: Pirc Defense (ECO B07)

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Position after 9. Qxh6

1. e4 d6

An unusual response by Topalov to Kasparov's 1. e4, resulting in a position Kasparov never saw before in classical play.[4]

2. d4 Nf6 3. Nc3 g6

This setup has similarities to the King's Indian Defence, but White's c pawn remains on the second rank.[5]

4. Be3 Bg7 5. Qd2 c6 6. f3 b5 7. Nge2 Nbd7 8. Bh6 Bxh6 9. Qxh6

This queen capture hinders Black's castling.[4]

9. … Bb7 10. a3 e5 11. O-O-O Qe7 12. Kb1 a6 13. Nc1 O-O-O 14. Nb3 exd4![5]

This opens Black's position.[5]

15. Rxd4 c5 16. Rd1 Nb6 17. g3 Kb8 18. Na5 Ba8 19. Bh3 d5 20. Qf4+ Ka7 21. Rhe1 d4 22. Nd5?![4]

If Black plays 22. … Nfxd5?, White responds with 23. exd5 Qd6 24. Qxf7+ which leads to White being up a piece, e.g. 24. … Kb8 25. Re6 Qc7 26. Re7 Nd7 27. Nc6 Bxc6 28. dxc6 Qxc6 29. Bxd7.[6]

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The position after 23. … Qd6

22. … Nbxd5 23. exd5 Qd6 24. Rxd4!![7]

Now the fireworks start.[5]

24. … cxd4

While Black would had been better off declining the rook sacrifice with Kb6!, the game would had been largely forgotten.[4][7][5]

Black can not reply with Nxd5 because White could had then played Qxf7+.[8]

25. Re7+ Kb6

If Qxe7??, then mate cannot be avoided: 26.Qxd4+ Kb8 27.Qb6+ Bb7 28.Nc6+ Ka8 29.Qa7#.[7]

26. Qxd4+ Kxa5 27. b4+ Ka4 28. Qc3?![9]

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Position after 27. … Ka4

Lubomir Kavalek, writing for The Washington Post, was the first one to observe that Ra7!! is a better attack for White in this position.[9][4]

28. … Qxd5

Bxd5? is refuted with 29. Kb2 followed by Qb3+ which leads to White delivering checkmate.[4][5]

29. Ra7 Bb7 30. Rxb7 Qc4![4]

Topalov, after the game, analyzed the position with his second Silvio Danailov for hours and told the press at the tournament that Black had drawing chances after 30. … Rhe8 31. Rb6 Ra8 32. Be6.[10] However, Black is in trouble if White instead plays 32. Bf1!!.[4]

31. Qxf6 Kxa3?![5]

Black had much better drawing chances with 31. … Rd1+! During the game, Kasparov visualizing this line saw White having a stronger endgame after 32. Kb2 Ra8 33. Qb6 Qd4+ 34. Qxd4 Rxd4 35. Rxf7 a5 36. Be6 axb4 37. Bb3+ Ka5 38. axb4+ Kb6 39. Rxh7 but realized, after the game was over, that Black could had fought for a draw with 39. … Rf8[4] Computer analysis shows no clear win for White after 39. … Rf8, but also shows White had better fighting chances after 35. Bd7 Rd6 36. g4 in a line very hard for humans to visualize.[5]

32. Qxa6+ Kxb4 33. c3+ Kxc3 34. Qa1+ Kd2 35. Qb2+ Kd1

This is the position in the diagram at the top.

36. Bf1!! Rd2[7]

If Black plays 36. … Qxf1? in this position, White can force mate: 37.Qc2+ Ke1 38.Re7+ Qe2 39.Qxe2#[7]

If 36. … Qd5, 37.Qc1 mates.[7]

37. Rd7 Rxd7 38. Bxc4 bxc4

If Black attempted to save his h8 rook, White would had won with Qc1#.[7]

39. Qxh8 Rd3 40. Qa8 c3 41. Qa4+ Ke1 42. f4 f5 43. Kc1 Rd2 44. Qa7 1-0

As the game ended, Kasparov remembers the audience in the hall applauding.[4]

References
  1. Kaehler, Arne. "Svitlana's Smart Moves - Kasparov's immortal". ChessBase. one of the greatest chess games ever played is the one between Garry Kasparov and Veselin Topalov from 1999 in Wijk aan Zee
  2. Alberto Colodro, Carlos. "Throwback Thursday: Kasparov's immortal". ChessBase. Garry Kasparov defeated Veselin Topalov in what is now known as his 'immortal game'
  3. "The Best Chess Games Of All Time". Chess.com. Kasparov has a long list of brilliancies to his credit, but this game is his virtually undisputed masterpiece.
  4. Kasparov, Garry (2014). Garry Kasparov on Garry Kasparov: Part III. Everyman Chess (Gloucester Publishers Limited).
  5. So, Wesley; Adams, Michael; Burgess, Graham; Nunn, John; Emms, John. The Mammoth Book of the World's Greatest Chess Games, 2021 edition. Robinson Publishing.
  6. Bryne, Robert. "CHESS; Kasparov Shows His Critics He Can Still Work Miracles". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 2022-03-09.
  7. Seirawan, Yasser (September 2003). "Yasser Annotates: Kasparov-Topalov Wijk aan Zee 1999 Hoogovens Tournament Round 4" (PDF). Inside Chess. Archived from the original on 2004-03-30.
  8. Soltis, Andrew. The 100 Best Chess Games of the 20th Century, Ranked. McFarland & Company.
  9. "Chess by Lubomir Kavalek". The Washington Post. 1999-02-01.
  10. "The Pearl of Wijk aan Zee". Archived from the original on 2005-02-05.
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