Vote: Game of the Year

by ChessBase
12/27/2019 – Another eventful chess year is behind us, with great events and tournaments, impressive personalities and fantastic chess games. Help us choose the player of the year, the female player of the year, the game of the year, the combination of the year and the endgame of the year in our annual ChessBase reader poll. Now: Game of the Year...

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What was the game of the year?

For each poll, our editorial team has provided a list of nominees. Even with a panel involved, these are of course a bit subjective. And since we have limited ourselves to six games, undoubtedly some readers may miss their favoured choice. Our shortlist is one of many possible, we know!

The nominees

The order of the selections is arbitrary and you can vote below.

1) Karjakin vs Carlsen, Gashimov Memorial 2019

2019 was a very successful year for Magnus Carlsen and in the first half of the year he won every tournament in which he played. In the eigth round of the Vugar Gashimov Memorial in Shamkir, he outplayed his old rival Sergey Karjakin in a remarkable game with black.

 

Magnus Carlsen | Photo: Lennart Ootes

2) Ding vs Nepomniachtchi, Grand Chess Tour Zagreb 2019

Ding Liren also had a successful 2019. Among other things, he secured overall victory in the Grand Chess Tour in London in December. On the way to this victory he outclassed Ian Nepomniachtchi in an energetic game at the Grand Chess Tour tournament in Zagreb.

 

Ding Liren | Photo: Lennart Ootes

3) Dubov vs Giri, FIDE Grand Prix Moscow 2019

Daniil Dubov always impresses with surprising ideas and combinations. To wit, his game against Anish Giri at the FIDE Grand Prix in Moscow 2019.

 

Daniil Dubov | Photo: Amruta Mokal

4) Grischuk vs Vachier-Lagrave, FIDE Grand Prix Hamburg 2019

It doesn't always have to be mating attacks, combinations or tactical entanglements, tha grab the spotlight. In an important game for the qualification race to 2020 Candidates Tournament, Alexander Grischuk demonstrated good preparation, a wealth of ideas in the middle game and very good technique in the endgame against Maxime Vachier-Lagrave at the FIDE Grand Prix tournament in Hamburg.

 

Alexander Grischuk | Photo: Niki Riga

5) Firouzja vs Karthikeyan, Xingtai Open Asian Championship 2019

Queen sacrifices often have a very special charm. Especially if they are intuitive sacrifices like the one Karthikeyan Murali pulled off at the 2019 Open Asian Championships against young talent Alireza Firouzja from Iran (although perhaps for not much longer). And the Indian grandmaster may have succeeded in beating a future elite player here, because many experts and fans see Firouzja, who celebrated his 16th birthday on June 18, 2019, shortly before crossing the 2700 Elo mark.

 

Karthikeyan Murali | Photo: Amruta Mokal

6) Vachier-Lagrave vs Rapport, Saint Louis (Rapid) 2019

Maxime Vachier-Lagrave too managed a brilliant game with an intuitive queen sacrifice against Hungary's Richard Rapport at the rapid tournament in Saint Louis.

 

Maxime Vachier-Lagrave | Photo: Lennart Ootes

Poll

What is your pick for the "Game of the Year 2019"?

2019-game-of-the-year

Voting ends on 12/31/2019, at 22:00 UTC

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