The Ultimate Underdog? - The Underdog

by Arne Kaehler
3/10/2025 – What is the Ultimate Underdog chess game, ever played? This is obviously a very difficult question to answer, and moreover, very subjective. Nonetheless, one game would probably be set in the top 10 list - Adams vs. Torre from 1920. In this game, which is suspiciously beautiful, Adams tries really hard to sacrifice his queen several times, against the Mexican super talent Torre. Apparently, Adams was unknown, and not that strong of a chess player after all. Even if it was simply a brilliant analysis, it remains brilliant, and worthy to appear on this show.
Mastering these tactical motifs is essential to deepen your understanding of the game and become a better player. After all, you neither want to overlook the given chances by your opponent, nor blunder yourself!

The Underdog!

with IM Robert Ris

We all love stories where a vastly underrated player surprises everyone by beating a much stronger player. Fortunately, we are all human.

But how do these things happen? What are the moves that lead to success? And what can we learn from these examples for the times when we face a stronger opponent?

Dutch IM Robert Ris presents us with real-life examples of such encounters from the past month. Together with his co-host Arne Kaehler, they look at the tactics and strategies that led to the upset victory.

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Die Partie ist ähnlich berühmt wie die "Unsterbliche" oder Botvinnik-Capablanca, AVRO 1938. Dabei ist ihre Quellenlage sehr umstritten und als wahrscheinlich gilt, dass die Partie anders endete und der Verlierer, der damals 15-jährige und hochbegabte Carlos Torre, die feinen Varianten zum Schluss nach Beendigung der Partie gezeigt hat. 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 exd4 4.Qxd4 Nc6 5.Bb5 Bd7 6.Bxc6 Bxc6 7.Nc3 Nf6 8.0-0 Be7 9.Nd5 Bxd5 10.exd5 0-0 11.Bg5 c6 12.c4 cxd5 13.cxd5 Re8 14.Rfe1 a5 15.Re2 Rc8? Nach diesem Fehler nutzt Weiß die Chance zum klassischen Spiel gegen die geschwächte Grundlinie schlechthin. 15...h6 16.Rae1 Qd7 17.Bxf6 Bxf6 17...gxf6 Der Zug verwandelt die schwarze Bauernstellung in eine strategische Ruine, ist aber gleichwohl besser, da er nicht zwangsläufig verliert. Fritz spielt so, wenn man ihn lange genug rechnen läßt. Außerdem stellt der Zug eine Falle: 18.Rxe7? (18...e7 19.e7 e7 20.4+) 18.b3 f5 19.Qf4± 18...Qxe7! Pikant ist, daß nun Weiß an der Grundlinienschwäche zugrunde geht. 19.Rxe7 Rc1+-+ 18.Qg4! Qb5 18...Qxg4 19.Rxe8+ 18...Qd8 19.Qxc8! 19.Qc4‼ Qd7 20.Qc7‼ Qb5 20...Qa4 21.Re4 h6 21...Qb5 22.Qxb7 Hauptvariante 22.Qxc8! Qxe4 23.Qxe8++- 21.a4! Die Dame wird gnadenlos gehetzt. 21.Qxb7? Qxe2 22.Rxe2 Rc1+-+ 21...Qxa4 22.Re4! Qb5 22...Qxe4 23.Rxe4+- 23.Qxb7! 1–0
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Adams,E-Torre Repetto,C-1–01920C62New Orleans

Robert Ris has authored plenty of FritzTrainers for ChessBase — these are his newest, and perfect for every "Underdog"

Mastering these tactical motifs is essential to deepen your understanding of the game and become a better player. After all, you neither want to overlook the given chances by your opponent, nor blunder yourself!

Mastering these tactical motifs is essential to deepen your understanding of the game and become a better player. After all, you neither want to overlook the given chances by your opponent, nor blunder yourself!

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Arne Kaehler, a creative mind who is passionate about board games in general, was born in Hamburg and learned to play chess at a young age. By teaching chess to youth teams and creating chess-related videos on YouTube, Arne was able to expand this passion and has even created an online course for anyone who wants to learn how to play chess. Arne writes for the English and German news sites, but focuses mainly on content for the ChessBase media channels.
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