Which is the best game of 2017?

by André Schulz
12/29/2017 – In 2017 many fantastic games were played. We have selected ten of the best. What's your pick for game of the year? Vote for your favourite!

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Game of the year, 2017

Chess is booming! This can be seen in the number of great games that were played again in 2017. The best tournaments of the year are presented every two months in the ChessBase Magazine where the best games of the year are annotated in detail. Of course, the games of the world's best players are regularly featured, but also players from the "second tier" deliver notable highlights and even unique works of art.

From the best games of the year, the editors of CBM have met with editor-in-chief GM Rainer Knaak to bring you a selection of ten game nominations for readers to vote upon. What was your pick for best game of the year? Vote for your favourite below!


Enjoy the best moments of recent top tournaments (World Cup, Isle of Man Open) with analysis of top players. In addition you'll get lots of training material. For example 10 new suggestions for your opening repertoire.


The nominations

 
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To vote, please log in with your ChessBase account if you are not already registered. The final result of the vote will be announced soon.

bestgame2017


At the airport, in the hotel or at home on your couch: with the new ChessBase you always have access to the whole ChessBase world: the new ChessBase video library, tactics server, opening training App, the live database with eight million games, Let’s Check and web access to playchess.com


Links


André Schulz started working for ChessBase in 1991 and is an editor of ChessBase News.

Discuss

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BruceM BruceM 1/10/2018 08:54
Minus Alpha Zero's Bg5! and imprisoning Stockfish's queen on h8 which was nothing short of genius on a galactic scale, my vote must go with Ding Liren. What an inspiring game!
czempieon czempieon 1/2/2018 08:59
Wojtaszek - Mamedyarov https://en.chessbase.com/post/gashimov-memorial-2017-i-wish-i-could-annotate-them-all
mehmet17 mehmet17 12/31/2017 11:43
I guess some people are voting automatically with their nationalist motivs.
Classique Classique 12/31/2017 03:27
I think Kramnik's Lasker-like defense ("it shook the board") and Anand's assured world-class dismantling of Caruana are the most impressive. Bai-Ding is cool because the queen is sacrificed early for a rook and the White king is subsequently hunted down without using a queen, but I can't help feeling Ding just decided to gamble and was able to pull it off, whereas Kramnik and Anand feature deep conceptions.
ebit ebit 12/30/2017 07:23
A nomination without games by alpha zero makes no sense. I like the game, where alpha zero played Bg5!!!
geraldsky geraldsky 12/30/2017 05:16
Ding Liren is my choice as the best game in 2017
petteriv petteriv 12/30/2017 12:42
Shirov, Alexei - Kulaots, Kaido
Helsinki 11.1.2017 D85

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.cxd5 Nxd5 5.Bd2 Bg7 6.e4 Nxc3 7.Bxc3 0-0 8.Qd2 Nc6 9.Nf3 Bg4 10.d5 Bxf3 11.Bxg7 Kxg7 12.gxf3Ne5 13.0-0-0 f6 14.f4 Nf7 15.Bh3 c6 16.Rhe1 cxd5 17.exd5 a5 18.Qe3 Re8 19.Be6 Ra6 20.h4 Nd6 21.h5 Rb6 22.Re2 Rb4 23.hxg6Re4 24.gxh7 Rxe3 25.Rg1+ Kh8 26.fxe3 Nf5 27.Rg8+ Kxh7 28.Rh2+ Nh6 29.Rg1 1-0
cloudmann cloudmann 12/30/2017 07:19
One of my faves:
[Event "CBM-172 June-2016"]
[Site "My Burgh"]
[Date "2016.08.13"]
[Round "3.4"]
[White "Stockfish 120616 64"]
[Black "Komodo 10 64-bit"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "A80"]
[WhiteElo "3222"]
[BlackElo "3230"]
[Annotator "Moskalenko"]
[PlyCount "133"]
[EventDate "2016.08.13"]
[EventCountry "CAN"]
[TimeControl "40/16200+30:20/8100+30:8100+30"]

{Intel(R) Core(TM)2 Quad CPU Q8200 @ 2.33GHz 2332 MHz W=33.6 plies; 2,
938kN/s B=32.4 plies; 2,739kN/s} 1. d4 f5 2. Nc3 d5 3. Bg5 c6 4. Qd2 Nf6 {
Both last book move} 5. Nh3 {0.05/32 1355} e6 {(Bc8-e6) -0.14/30 778} 6. f3 {
0.25/30 522} b5 {(Nb8-d7) 0.00/30 1077} 7. Nf4 {(e2-e4) 0.28/30 733} Bd6 {
(Bf8-e7) 0.00/30 1014} 8. e4 {(Nf4-h5) 0.30/30 277} dxe4 {(f5xe4) -0.07/31 541}
9. Nh5 {0.45/29 287} exf3 {(Bd6-e7) 0.07/31 634} 10. Bxf6 {(Nh5xg7+) 0.58/30
172} gxf6 {0.00/30 394} 11. gxf3 {(0-0-0) 0.51/30 96} Kf7 {(Qd8-e7) 0.09/31 972
} 12. O-O-O {0.73/28 229} Bf8 {0.16/31 673} 13. Rg1 {0.48/32 1390} Nd7 {
(Rh8-g8) 0.14/30 259} 14. Kb1 {(Bf1-d3) 0.60/30 571} Nb6 {0.00/32 273} 15. Qf2
{(Qd2-f4) 0.50/33 785} Bh6 {0.15/33 1226} 16. f4 {0.76/32 277} Rg8 {0.24/30 404
} 17. Rxg8 {0.56/35 754} Qxg8 {0.36/31 472} 18. Be2 {(Nc3-e2) 0.62/34 1054} Qh8
{0.23/31 776} 19. Bf3 {(d4-d5) 0.64/32 706} Bd7 {0.00/33 158} 20. a3 {(Rd1-e1)
0.70/31 455} Rd8 {(Bh6-f8) 0.09/29 367} 21. Re1 {(Nc3-a2) 0.79/31 306} Bf8 {0.
30/32 864} 22. Rg1 {0.81/31 645} Bh6 {0.32/29 291} 23. Ng3 {0.84/32 488} Rc8 {
(Qh8-f8) 0.45/29 256} 24. Qe1 {(Ng3-e2) 0.99/30 179} Qd8 {(Rc8-g8) 0.44/26 259}
25. Rg2 {1.20/29 154} Bg7 {(Kf7-f8) 0.53/30 520} 26. Na2 {0.81/34 652} Nd5 {0.
67/31 330} 27. Bxd5 {(Ng3-h5) 0.87/33 177} cxd5 {0.59/30 270} 28. Nb4 {(Na2-c1)
0.86/33 79} Qf8 {0.61/33 382} 29. Na6 {0.82/34 460} Re8 {(Qf8-d6) 0.61/33 144}
30. Nc5 {0.98/35 190} Bc8 {0.83/35 402} 31. Qa5 {0.98/36 66} Bh6 {0.77/33 237}
32. Nh5 {0.98/39 1803} a6 {0.85/35 286} 33. Qc3 {(Qa5-e1) 0.98/42 205} Qh8 {0.
68/37 301} 34. Nd3 {(Qc3-e1) 0.98/42 46} Rd8 {(Re8-e7) 0.71/37 158} 35. Qa5 {
(Rg2-g1) 1.07/38 382} Rd7 {(Rd8-d6) 0.71/39 244} 36. Nc5 {1.22/38 371} Ra7 {
(Qh8-d8) 0.71/37 249} 37. Qb6 {(Rg2-g1) 1.53/36 260} Re7 {0.71/38 198} 38. b3 {
(Rg2-g1) 1.71/36 341} Qf8 {(Qh8-e8) 1.03/34 494} 39. c4 {(a3-a4) 2.22/33 194}
dxc4 {(b5xc4) 1.57/31 545} 40. bxc4 {2.53/35 451} bxc4 {1.66/31 556} 41. d5 {
2.55/33 212} Qe8 {1.67/33 1041} 42. a4 {2.86/33 269} c3 {(a6-a5) 1.90/31 169}
43. Rg3 {3.14/34 425} Bd7 {2.00/32 462} 44. d6 {3.06/35 79} Bxa4 {2.00/32 256}
45. dxe7 {3.21/37 230} Qb5+ {2.04/36 705} 46. Qxb5 {3.18/35 108} c2+ {2.08/36
302} 47. Kc1 {(Kb1-b2) 3.62/38 873} Bxb5 {2.03/35 131} 48. Re3 {(Kc1xc2) 3.94/
34 533} e5 {2.29/28 113} 49. Kxc2 {4.16/34 551} Kxe7 {2.56/31 330} 50. Rh3 {
(Re3-e1) 4.10/31 95} Bf8 {2.38/31 410} 51. Ng3 {4.24/31 288} exf4 {2.60/34 638}
52. Nxf5+ {4.41/31 323} Kf7 {2.83/35 366} 53. Nd3 {4.28/31 86} Kg6 {2.92/34 463
} 54. Nh4+ {(Nf5-d4) 4.47/33 430} Kf7 {2.76/32 262} 55. Ng2 {(Nh4-f3) 4.52/32
141} f3 {2.89/28 317} 56. Rxf3 {4.71/31 391} Be7 {(Bf8-d6) 3.05/32 477} 57. Ne3
{(Ng2-f4) 5.17/30 385} Bd6 {(Be7-f8) 3.29/30 556} 58. Nd5 {(Rf3-f2) 5.74/38
1182} Ke6 {3.99/32 678} 59. Nxf6 {5.74/40 176} Bc6 {(Bd6xh2) 4.17/34 537} 60.
Rf2 {7.10/34 988} h6 {4.46/34 725} 61. Kc3 {7.51/33 266} a5 {(Bd6-e7) 5.00/33
843} 62. Kd4 {8.98/33 258} Be7 {6.80/39 1150} 63. Ng8 {(Nf6-e4) 10.03/34 244}
Bh4 {6.42/32 385} 64. Re2+ {10.73/32 87} Kd6 {6.73/32 151} 65. Nxh6 {13.22/33
199} Bf6+ {(Kd6-c7) 7.21/34 382} 66. Kc4 {16.40/35 276} Kc7 {(Bc6-d5+) 7.04/36
717} 67. Re6 {(Nd3-c5) 50.13/49 467} 1-0
rgorn rgorn 12/30/2017 05:24
I want to nominate:

https://www.chessbomb.com/arena/2017-tcec-s10-blitz/44-Stockfish-Komodo_
BeachBum2 BeachBum2 12/30/2017 03:26
Maybe should call it "best games by human players" or include some from A0?
dengtianle dengtianle 12/30/2017 01:59
I think Bai-Ding is a bit normal for a world-class player, so I prefer Rapport-Wei Yi.
Depsipeptide Depsipeptide 12/30/2017 12:43
For sheer exuberance, it is difficult to compete with the beauty of Bai-Ding. On a creative level, my favorites are by the old-timers: kramnik-Harikrishna and Anand-Caruana. In both cases, they came up with non-standard plans and outcalculated strong opponents young enough to be their sons.
I remember watching Anand-Caruana live and being particularly impressed that he spent less than 10 minutes on 20 Bxc6! Giving up the Bishop for the Knight only makes sense if you see the concrete follow-up fxe5. And fxe5 only makes sense if there is a reply to ...f6 when exf6 allows Rxe2 invading. Anand had to see all this and the ensuing pretty combination before entering the whole line.
There's another great Bishop for Knight trade by Anand against Peter Leko in the World Rapid. Suddenly after Bxg6 Black is falling apart on the dark squares on the Kingside.
garyklien garyklien 12/29/2017 11:19
black is forced to gift all pieces on the 5th rank to the rook, and THEN get mated in a rather funny way haha
garyklien garyklien 12/29/2017 11:19
I found what I believe to be a very comical ending to this game :) 22. Qg5+ Kd7 23. Bh3+ Kd6 24. Qxd5+ Ke7 25. Qg5+ Kf8 26. Qh6+ Ke7 27. Nxg6+ Kd6 28. Ne5+ f6 29. Nf7+ Kd5 30. e4+ Kc4 31. Qd2 Rxe4+ 32. fxe4 Kb5 33. Bf1+ Ka5 34. Rh5+ f5 35. Rxf5+ Ne5 36. Rxe5+ Qd5 (36... c5 37. Rxc5+ b5 38. Rxb5+ Ka6 39. Qh6+ Qb6 40. Rxb6+ Ka5 41. Ra6# )37. Rxd5+ c5 38. Rxc5+ b5 39. Rxb5+ Ka6 40. Qh6# 1-0
SambalOelek SambalOelek 12/29/2017 10:08
the best game of 2017 was the HIDDEN game in the desert that was banned on TV by Saudia Arabia...during the world championship speed chess l: the clash between the 2016 Woman Wolrd Champion and the Prinsess of of Arabia, the Emir's wife .
dhochee dhochee 12/29/2017 09:39
I skipped over Bai vs Ding because it was unfamiliar and there was no commentary. Then I got to the bottom and saw it had the most votes and went back to check it out. Oh man. What a crazy game! Definitely going to have to take some time to analyze that one.
SambalOelek SambalOelek 12/29/2017 09:31
the game between Fischer and AlphaZero
TommyCB TommyCB 12/29/2017 05:43
A bit surprised that Game 3 or Game 10 of AlphaZero - Stockfish didn't make the list.
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