Retreats of genius
By Prof. Christian Hesse
Sometimes you have to move backward to get a step forward.
Amar Bose
We shall show some examples of retreats that are not only good, but even bordering on the brilliant. Moves with a paradoxical relationship between expression, function and effect. All in all, moves which run counter to the principle of ‘form follows function’. A classic prime example of this is:
1.e4 | 1,174,618 | 54% | 2421 | --- |
1.d4 | 952,919 | 55% | 2434 | --- |
1.Nf3 | 283,849 | 56% | 2440 | --- |
1.c4 | 183,334 | 56% | 2442 | --- |
1.g3 | 19,804 | 56% | 2427 | --- |
1.b3 | 14,464 | 54% | 2427 | --- |
1.f4 | 5,926 | 48% | 2377 | --- |
1.Nc3 | 3,855 | 50% | 2384 | --- |
1.b4 | 1,775 | 48% | 2379 | --- |
1.a3 | 1,239 | 54% | 2405 | --- |
1.e3 | 1,075 | 49% | 2409 | --- |
1.d3 | 961 | 50% | 2378 | --- |
1.g4 | 669 | 46% | 2361 | --- |
1.h4 | 465 | 54% | 2381 | --- |
1.c3 | 436 | 51% | 2426 | --- |
1.h3 | 284 | 56% | 2419 | --- |
1.a4 | 117 | 59% | 2462 | --- |
1.f3 | 100 | 47% | 2427 | --- |
1.Nh3 | 92 | 67% | 2511 | --- |
1.Na3 | 43 | 60% | 2477 | --- |
Please, wait...
1.c4 c5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Nc3 d5 4.cxd5 Nxd5 5.e4 Nb4 6.Bc4 e6 7.0-0 N8c6 8.d3 Nd4 9.Nxd4 cxd4 10.Ne2 a6 11.Ng3 Bd6 12.f4 0-0 13.Qf3 Kh8 14.Bd2 f5 15.Rae1 Nc6 16.Re2 Qc7 17.exf5 exf5 18.Nh1‼ 18.Rfe1 18...Bd7 19.Nf2 Rae8 20.Rfe1 Rxe2 21.Rxe2 Nd8 21...Re8 22.Rxe8+ Bxe8 23.Qd5 Ne7 24.Qxd4 22.Nh3 Bc6 22...Re8 23.Rxe8+ Bxe8 24.Qd5 Bf7 25.Qxf5 23.Qh5 g6 24.Qh4 Kg7 25.Qf2! Bc5 26.b4 Bb6 27.Qh4 27.Qe1! 27...Re8! 28.Re5 Nf7?! 29.Bxf7 Qxf7 30.Ng5 Qg8 31.Rxe8 Bxe8 32.Qe1! Bc6 32...Kh6 33.Ne6 32...Kf6 33.Qe5# 32...h6 33.Qe5+ Kf8 34.Qf6+ Bf7 35.b5 a5 36.Qd6+ Ke8 37.Qb8+ Ke7 38.Qxb7+ 32...Kf8 33.Qe5 Qxa2 34.Nxh7+ Kg8 35.Qe7 Bf7 36.Nf6+ Kg7 37.Nd7 Qe6 38.Qxe6 Bxe6 39.Nxb6 33.Qe7+ Kh8 34.b5 Qg7 34...axb5 35.Ne6 h5 36.Qf6+ Kh7 37.Bb4 35.Qxg7+ Kxg7 36.bxc6 bxc6 37.Nf3 c5 38.Ne5 Bc7 39.Nc4 Kf7 40.g3 Bd8 41.Ba5 Be7 42.Bc7 Ke6 43.Nb6 h6 44.h4 g5 45.h5 g4 46.Be5 1–0 - Start an analysis engine:
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Nimzowitsch,A | - | Rubinstein,A | - | 1–0 | 1926 | A34 | Dresden | 5 |
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There was an even more striking employment of our theme in the next game. At the time both players were just 13 years old. Yet, because of brilliant and extraordinary play, White turned their encounter into an absolute chess rarity. After 15 moves the two teenagers had worked themselves into this position:
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16.Nxc6 Bxf1 17.Bxf1! 17.Rxf1? a6! 17...bxc6 18.Bc1! Ba3 18...Rb8! 19.Rb1 Ba3 20.Nd1! 19.Nb1! 19.Nb1 Bc5 20.Bxb2 Rd8 21.Bc3 Ke7 22.Nd2 Bd4 23.Bxd4 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.
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Dzindzichashvili,R | - | Zakharov,A | - | 1–0 | 1957 | E00 | USSR Junior Championship | |
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A treat ment of the retreat motif in the form of a problem can be found in the following amazing problem:
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1.Rh1‼ Re5 1...Bxh7 2.Nd5# 1...Be7 2.e3# 1...Bf6 2.Qf5# 1...Bg5 2.Qh2# 1...Bh4 2.Rxh4# 1...Re4 2.fxe4# 1...Re3 2.Bh2# 1...Rxe2+ 2.Nxe2# 1...c3 2.Nd3# 2.Qg4#! 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.
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Taverner,T | - | Mate in two moves | - | 1–0 | 1889 | | | |
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An other example of the triumph of the strategy of retreat is offered in this problem:
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1.Ng2! hxg2 1...-- 2.Be3 2.Rg3! hxg3 3.Bg1! gxh2 4.Bxh2# 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.
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Ernst | - | Mate in four moves | - | 1–0 | 1935 | | | |
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As the high point of our chapter, we have a masterpiece of the problem composer’s art, which begins with a mysterious-looking, long and thus uncommonly fascinating sequence of backward moves as White retreats from the object of his desire, Black’s king.
1.Rh1‼ d4 2.Ra1‼ d3 3.Ra3! bxa3+ 4.Ka1 a2 5.Ba3! Kxf6 6.Bb2# 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.
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Giegold,F | - | Mate in six moves | - | 1–0 | 1976 | | | |
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A more than worthy way to finish the chapter.
Christian Hesse holds a Ph.D. from Harvard University and was on the faculty of the University of California at Berkeley until 1991. Since then he is Professor of Mathematics at the University of Stuttgart (Germany). Subsequently he has been a visiting researcher and invited lecturer at universities around the world, ranging from the Australian National University, Canberra, to the University of Concepcion, Chile. Recently he authored “Expeditionen in die Schachwelt” (Expeditions into the world of chess, ISBN 3-935748-14-0), a collection of about 100 essays that the Viennese newspaper Der Standard called “one of the most intellectually scintillating and recommendable books on chess ever written.”

Christian Hesseis married and has a fourteen-year-old daughter and a ten-year-old son. He lives in Mannheim and likes Voltaire's reply to the complaint: ”Life is hard” – “Compared to what?”.
The Joys of Chess is an unforgettable intellectual expedition to the remotest corners of the Royal Game. En route, intriguing thought experiments, strange insights and hilarious jokes will offer vistas you have never seen before.
The beauty, the struggle, the culture, the fun, the art and the heroism of chess – you will find them all in this sparkling book that will give you many hours of intense joy.
Christian Hesse is a Harvard-trained professor of Mathematics who has taught at the University of California, Berkeley (USA), and since 1991 at the University of Stuttgart. He has written a textbook called 'Angewandte Wahrscheinlichkeitstheorie'.
Chess and literature are his main hobbies, and he also likes fitness and boxing. His heroes are the ones who fall to the bottom and rise again, fall and rise again…
From the foreword by by Ex-World Champion Vishy Anand: "A rich compendium of spectacular highlights and defining moments from chess history: fantastic moves, beautiful combinations, historical blunders, captivating stories, and all this embedded into a plentitude of quick-witted ideas and contemplations as food for thought."