The first undisputed World Champion in the history of chess was Wilhelm Steinitz, while the 16th and current World Champion is Magnus Carlsen. In this article and in the days to come ChessBase presents 16 games by the World Champions — one per World Champion. Without giving any information when, where and against whom these games were played, can you find out which World Champion played which game by just looking at the moves?
To simplify the task, the 16 World Champions were divided into four groups. In the first group were Wilhelm Steinitz, Emanuel Lasker, José Rául Capablanca and Alexander Alekhine, the second group consists of Max Euwe, Mikhail Botvinnik, Vassily Smyslov and Mihail Tal. The third group, presented here, includes Tigran Petrosian, Boris Spassky, Bobby Fischer and Anatoly Karpov.
The games were chosen with a random generator. But only tournament and matchgames were taken into account and only wins. Games between two World Champions were also ignored.
Game 1
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1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Bg5 Nbd7 7.Bc4 Qa5 8.Qd2 e6 9.0-0-0 b5 10.Bb3 Bb7 11.Rhe1 Be7 12.f4 Nc5 13.e5 dxe5 14.Bxf6 Bxf6 15.fxe5 Bh4 16.g3 Be7 17.Bxe6 0-0 18.Bb3 Rad8 19.Qf4 b4 20.Na4 h6 21.Nxc5 Qxc5 22.h4 Bd5 23.Nf5 Bxb3 24.axb3 Rxd1+ 25.Rxd1 Rc8 26.Qe4 Bf8 27.e6 fxe6 28.Qxe6+ Kh8 29.Qe4 Qc6 30.Qd3 Re8 31.h5 Be7 32.Nxe7 Rxe7 33.Qg6 Qe8 34.g4 Re1 35.Qxe8+ Rxe8 36.Rd4 a5 37.Kd2 Re5 38.c4 bxc3+ 39.bxc3 Rg5 40.c4 Kg8 41.Rf4 g6 1–0
- Start an analysis engine:
- Try maximizing the board:
- Use the four cursor keys to replay the game. Make moves to analyse yourself.
- Press Ctrl-B to rotate the board.
- Drag the split bars between window panes.
- Download&Clip PGN/GIF/FEN/QR Codes. Share the game.
- Games viewed here will automatically be stored in your cloud clipboard (if you are logged in). Use the cloud clipboard also in ChessBase.
- Create an account to access the games cloud.
Who smashed the Sicilian in this game?
Game 2
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1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 d6 4.Nc3 g6 5.e4 Bg7 6.Bg5 h6 7.Bf4 Qa5 8.Bd2 e5 9.Bd3 Nh5 10.Nge2 Nd7 11.g3 Nhf6 12.h4 h5 13.Qc1 Ng8 14.Nd1 Qd8 15.Qc2 Bh6 16.Ne3 Qf6 17.Rf1 Nb6 18.f3 Bh3 19.Rf2 0-0-0 20.0-0-0 Kb8 21.Rh1 Bc8 22.Kb1 Ne7 23.f4 Nd7 24.Bc3 Qg7 25.a3 f6 26.b4 Rdf8 27.Nc1 g5 28.hxg5 fxg5 29.f5 g4 30.Ng2 Bg5 31.Nb3 b6 32.Ka2 Bb7 33.bxc5 Nxc5 34.Nxc5 bxc5 35.Nf4 Bxf4 36.gxf4 g3 37.Rg2 Nc8 38.fxe5 dxe5 39.Qb2 Re8 40.f6 Qg5 41.f7 Re7 42.Rh3 h4 43.Rgxg3 1–0
- Start an analysis engine:
- Try maximizing the board:
- Use the four cursor keys to replay the game. Make moves to analyse yourself.
- Press Ctrl-B to rotate the board.
- Drag the split bars between window panes.
- Download&Clip PGN/GIF/FEN/QR Codes. Share the game.
- Games viewed here will automatically be stored in your cloud clipboard (if you are logged in). Use the cloud clipboard also in ChessBase.
- Create an account to access the games cloud.
And who maneuvered patiently in this game?
Game 3
| Replay and check the LiveBook here |
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1.e4 c5 2.c3 e6 3.d4 d5 4.exd5 exd5 5.Nf3 Nc6 6.Bb5 c4 7.Ne5 Qb6 8.Bxc6+ bxc6 9.0-0 Bd6 10.b3 cxb3 11.axb3 Ne7 12.Ba3 Bxe5 13.dxe5 Be6 14.Qd4 Nf5 15.Qc5 h5 16.Nd2 f6 17.exf6 gxf6 18.Bb4 Kf7 19.Ra4 Qxc5 20.Bxc5 a6 21.f3 h4 22.Rfa1 Bc8 23.Kf2 Rb8 24.b4 Re8 25.Nb3 Bb7 26.Na5 Ba8 27.R4a2 Re6 28.Ba7 Rb5 29.Nb3 Bb7 30.g4 hxg3+ 31.hxg3 Re8 32.g4 Nd6 33.Nd4 1–0
- Start an analysis engine:
- Try maximizing the board:
- Use the four cursor keys to replay the game. Make moves to analyse yourself.
- Press Ctrl-B to rotate the board.
- Drag the split bars between window panes.
- Download&Clip PGN/GIF/FEN/QR Codes. Share the game.
- Games viewed here will automatically be stored in your cloud clipboard (if you are logged in). Use the cloud clipboard also in ChessBase.
- Create an account to access the games cloud.
Who played this game - unassumingly in the opening but strong in the middlegame?
Game 4
| Replay and check the LiveBook here |
Please, wait...
1.e4 c6 2.Nc3 d5 3.Nf3 dxe4 4.Nxe4 Nd7 5.Bc4 Ngf6 6.Neg5 Nd5 7.d4 h6 8.Ne4 N7b6 9.Bb3 Bf5 10.Ng3 Bh7 11.0-0 e6 12.Ne5 Nd7 13.c4 N5f6 14.Bf4 Nxe5 15.Bxe5 Bd6 16.Qe2 0-0 17.Rad1 Qe7 18.Bxd6 Qxd6 19.f4 c5 20.Qe5 Qxe5 21.dxe5 Ne4 22.Rd7 Nxg3 23.hxg3 Be4 24.Ba4 Rad8 25.Rfd1 Rxd7 26.Rxd7 g5 27.Bd1 Bc6 28.Rd6 Rc8 29.Kf2 Kf8 30.Bf3 Bxf3 31.gxf3 gxf4 32.gxf4 Ke7 33.f5 exf5 34.Rxh6 Rd8 35.Ke2 Rg8 36.Kf2 Rd8 37.Ke3 Rd1 38.b3 Re1+ 39.Kf4 Re2 40.Kxf5 Rxa2 41.f4 Re2 42.Rh3 Re1 43.Rd3 Rb1 44.Re3 Rb2 45.e6 a6 46.exf7+ Kxf7 47.Ke5 Rd2 48.Rc3 b6 49.f5 Rd1 50.Rh3 b5 51.Rh7+ Kg8 52.Rb7 bxc4 53.bxc4 Rd4 54.Ke6 Re4+ 55.Kd5 Rf4 56.Kxc5 Rxf5+ 57.Kd6 Rf6+ 58.Ke5 Rf7 59.Rb6 Rc7 60.Kd5 Kf7 61.Rxa6 Ke7 62.Re6+ Kd8 63.Rd6+ Ke7 64.c5 Rc8 65.c6 Rc7 66.Rh6 Kd8 67.Rh8+ Ke7 68.Ra8 1–0
- Start an analysis engine:
- Try maximizing the board:
- Use the four cursor keys to replay the game. Make moves to analyse yourself.
- Press Ctrl-B to rotate the board.
- Drag the split bars between window panes.
- Download&Clip PGN/GIF/FEN/QR Codes. Share the game.
- Games viewed here will automatically be stored in your cloud clipboard (if you are logged in). Use the cloud clipboard also in ChessBase.
- Create an account to access the games cloud.
Who showed his endgame skills in this game?
If you want to you can explain your choice the in comments. It is, of course, easy to find out who played which game if you search for the games in the ChessBase Megabase. But this would spoil the fun, so if you do, please keep it to yourself! Moreover, we'll reveal who played which game soon. And part four of the "Exercises in Style" series will follow soon.
See also
