This week, we are looking at another short game from Pillsbury - this time a blindfold game of his. This game is quite the example of quickly a blindfold game can unravel if you lose the position. 

Not much is known about Zangger as this is the only game in the database for him. 

I like this game because it also demonstrates that you can be a legendary player and still screw up games...badly. That is how we get better. We are able to pick ourselves up and keep moving forward. 

https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1666584
http://cassidynoble.com/

Alireza Firouzja is a chess prodigy. At age 19, he is the youngest competitor in the 2022 Candidates tournament to play against the World Champion. He was the youngest player to break the 2800 rating barrier, is currently ranked number 3 in the world, was as high as number 2 in the world, and Magnus Carlsen has stated that he only wants to play the World Championship if Alireza is in it. 

Iranian-born, but now playing under the French flag, Firouzja is starting to make monumental waves in the highest level of chess. 

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 b5 4.cxb5 a6 5.bxa6 g6 6.Nc3 Bg7 7.e4 O-O 8.Nf3 Qa5 9.a7 Nxe4 10.axb8=Q Rxb8 11.Bd3 Nxc3 12.Qd2 Ra8 13.O-O Nxd5 14.Qg5 e6 15.Rd1 Bb7 16.Qg3 Qa4 17.Re1 Nb4 18.Bb1 Bxf3 19.Qxf3 Nc2 20.Re4 Nd4 21.Qd3 d5 22.Rg4 c4 23.Qf1 Nc2 0-1

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alireza_Firouzja

https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=2054872

http://cassidynoble.com/

Today, we are looking at Rubinstein's Immortal - a beautiful game involving sacrifices that left his opponent spellbound. A top of the world player who was scheduled to take on Lasker for the World Championship in 1914, but was put on hold due to WWI. Later in his life, he developed a fear of humans and schizophrenia.

 1. d4 d5 2. Nf3 e6 3. e3 c5 4. c4 Nc6 5. Nc3 Nf6 6. dxc5 Bxc5 7. a3 a6 8. b4 Bd6 9. Bb2 O-O 10. Qd2 Qe7 11. Bd3 dxc4 12. Bxc4 b5 13. Bd3 Rd8 14. Qe2 Bb7 15. O-O Ne5 16. Nxe5 Bxe5 17. f4 Bc7 18. e4 Rac8 19. e5 Bb6+ 20. Kh1 Ng4 21. Be4 Qh4 22. g3 Rxc3 23. gxh4 Rd2 24. Qxd2 Bxe4+ 25. Qg2 Rh3 0-1


https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1119679

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Akiba_Rubinstein

http://cassidynoble.com/

Today, we are looking at a game involving Harry Pillsbury. Pillsbury was a very strong American player, a strong blindfold player and the winner of the Hastings Tournament of 1895. Unfortunately, illness then death at the age of 33 prevented him from competing for the World Championship. 

1.f4 e6 2.Nf3 b6 3.e3 Be7 4.Be2 Nf6 5.b3 O-O 6.O-O Bb7 7.Bb2 d5 8.c4 c5 9.Nc3 Nc6 10.a3 Qd7 11.Qc2 Rac8 12.Rad1 Rfd8 13.Ne5 Nxe5 14.fxe5 Ne8 15.Rxf7 Kxf7 16.Qxh7 Nf6 17.Rf1 Rg8 18.Bh5+ Kf8 19.exf6 Bxf6 20.Rxf6+1-0

https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1743396

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harry_Nelson_Pillsbury

http://cassidynoble.com/

Today, we are looking at a game between Viktor Korchnoi and Anatoly Karpov from 1974 in their Candidates Final (game 21). This was won by Korchnoi in 19 moves. Korchnoi is argued to be one of the strongest players in the world that never won the World Championship title. 

1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 e6 3.g3 b6 4.Bg2 Bb7 5.c4 Be7 6.Nc3 O-O 7.Qc2 c5 8.d5 exd5 9.Ng5 Nc6 10.Nxd5 g6 11.Qd2 Nxd5 12.Bxd5 Rb8 13.Nxh7 Re8 14.Qh6 Ne5 15.Ng5 Bxg5 16.Bxg5 Qxg5 17.Qxg5 Bxd5 18.O-O Bxc4 19.f4 1-0

https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1067831

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Viktor_Korchnoi

http://cassidynoble.com/

This week, we are looking at the longest reigning women's world number 1 player - Vera Menchik. 

Vera Menchik v George Thomas (1932)

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.f3 O-O 6.Be3 e5 7.Nge2 b6 8.Qd2 Nc6 9.d5 Ne7 10.g4 Nd7 11.Rg1 a5 12.O-O-O  Nc5 13.Ng3 Bd7 14.h4 a4 15.h5 Qb8 16.Bh6 Qa7 17.Bxg7 Kxg7 18.Nf5+ Nxf5 19.gxf5 a3 20.f6+ Kh8 21.Qh6 axb2+ 22.Kb1 Rg8 23.hxg6 fxg6 24.Qxh7+ 1-0

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vera_Menchik

https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1224235

http://cassidynoble.com/