Top 10 Most Amazing Tactics Ever in World Championship History

Jonathan Schrantz counts down his favorite tactics from world championship matches. Take some time to think because they get progressively difficult.

2016.11.15
Magnus Carlsen vs Viswanathan Anand, Carlsen - Anand World Championship (2014)
Alexander Alekhine vs Max Euwe, Euwe - Alekhine World Championship Rematch (1937): D10 Queen's Gambit Declined Slav defence, Alekhine variation
Jose Raul Capablanca vs Emanuel Lasker, Lasker - Capablanca World Championship Match (1921)
Mikhail Botvinnik vs Mikhail Tal, Tal - Botvinnik World Championship Match (1960)
Tigran Vartanovich Petrosian vs Mikhail Botvinnik, Petrosian - Botvinnik World Championship Match (1963)
Vladimir Kramnik vs Peter Leko, Kramnik - Leko World Championship Match (2004)
Viswanathan Anand vs Veselin Topalov, Anand - Topalov World Chess Championship (2010): E04 Catalan, open, 5.Nf3
Veselin Topalov vs Viswanathan Anand, Anand - Topalov World Chess Championship (2010)
Boris Spassky vs Robert James Fischer, Fischer - Spassky World Championship Match (1972)
Garry Kasparov vs Anatoly Karpov, Karpov - Kasparov World Championship Match (1985)

[paulgoogol]

by 28:50 you mate with the rook rather than queen because it takes the least effort moving the rook the shorter distance. (a Finegold rule)

[nilsp]

6:25 "and he finally develops his knight, because it's move ten" fine reasoning! :D

[nycje]

Jonathan you've been blessed with the rare and always good to encounter "good teacher" gift - thank you for your videos.

[dgde]

17:28: the story to this position is as follows; kramnik later told, that he had this position in his home analysis on the board before the match; the computer was still calculating, but showing a clear advantage for white at this point, kramnik was satisfied and aborted the analysis after some seconds and moved on;
leko had this position in his home analysis, too, and he let the machine run a little bit longer and it found the brilliant continuation which almost got him the world championsship title, had he not lost the last game of the match

[Aizen]

Fischer is a monster, but Kasparov is the mythological beast with lasers. 😂
What a solution, what a player!

[MK-]

"Is the board being funny?"
"A bit"
"Not your kind of humor?"

[thepaddyfile]

I reckon Petrosian's Qh8!! in Game 10, 1966 vs spassky was pretty amazing

[evanreiser]

"It's not often in a world championship you get to sac your queen."

And a few days later...

[Josh-fdiw]

I just started watching the videos here. I love the Ben Finegold videos because of his humor but I like how Jonathan takes suggestions from the group and plays them out.

[levongezalian]

ITs not always you sack your queen during a world championship match lol Carlsen Qh6

[snakelegion]

There is far too much appreciation for the likes of Fischer, Kasparov, Karpov. But we rarely see Alekhine, Chigorin, or Bogoljubov get recognition.

[Pacalolo]

Minute 35:18: "If he takes with the Queen", you don't have to move the Rook yet. If he takes with the Queen, what happens is that you push the pawn to e5. He has to take it with the Queen (otherwise you keep pushing those pawns, and he's fried). So he takes the pawn on e5 with his Queen, and you move your Queen to g5. He's forced to go back with his Queen to f6, to try to trade queens (otherwise he's done). And then you make it happen: Rook c7 check! ... King e8 (only move). And then you have a couple of continuations to give mate in some 7 or 8 moves. Probably the quickest: White Queen takes Black Queen; Black Rook takes Queen. And then (and only then) you play Rook h3. Then, Blacks play Rook f8 (otherwise it's mate on h8). Whites replay with Rook h7. And with his two rooks on the 7th rank - and even his white bishop ready to join the party just in case-, it's mate (unstoppable) in a few moves. Cheers!

[ulrichschmidt]

Here is another candidate for the list. Some fireworks in a seemingly boring queenless middle game: the black King gets unexpectedly drawn into a mating net: Lasker - Steinitz, game #2, 1896

[BOMBOVA]

wonderful program you have, i so much enjoy

[arnavaggarwal]

In 4) Topalov V Anand, when black rook takes knight on d4 and white rook takes rook on d4, after this when white pawn is on f6 and queen on h6, the moves white played such as rook takes pawn on e6 give black the chance to get his queen on h7. Instead, what if rook takes on black's knight at a6 and challenges the queen where if queen takes rook, white queen to g7 is an easier mate than the complex tactic you need to play after queen comes at h7. Do you agree?

[dmasterify]

The game Vladimar Kramnik vs Peter Leko should probably come first place. Not only because of how spectacular it is. But because I heard Peter Leko beat Kramnik's home preparation with aid of a computer over the board.

[ldeans]

Thanks for the vid. Hope it helps with my tactics, but whether it does or not, its entertainment value alone is worth the price of admission...

[MSCS]

In your number 5 tactics, ( time 22: 03), ..., Nxc3 can be met with Ng1and this game can move forever but white will be slightly better. I analysed it on Stockfish ;)

[hasanfarooqahmad]

Hello. Would really like to know more about the Polish Opening. Would really appreciate it if you can do a video on it. Thank you.

[kelvinwong]

Now that the world championship is finished. Rc8 in Magnus' last rapid game vs. Karjakin has to be mentioned as a well calculated tactic after queen takes pawn.