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Brilliant Chess Games

Chess, like other games when played at the highest level, are something more akin to art than recreation. The depth and beauty of the game have allowed it to endure for over 1,000 years. Since taking chess notation is common practice, it is easy to study top level play and share in some of the beauty and joy of top tier chess. There have been many brilliant chess games throughout history, including many notable and important games in our own time.

The Game of the Century 1956
- In 1956 U.S. Chess champion Donald Byrne faced 13-year-old Bobby Fischer at the Rosenwald Memorial Tournament in New York City. Byrne, playing white, loses momentum on the 11th turn after moving an already developed bishop. Fischer engaged in sacrificial play, losing his queen. Fischer comes out ahead in material, even without his queen and wins the match with a highly coordinated attack, forcing mate with a knight, both bishops and a rook.
Kasparov Versus Deep Blue 1996
- Garry Kasparov, a chess world champion, takes on an IBM super computer dubbed Deep Blue in 1996. Though Kasparov did win the overall match, he lost the initial game to Deep Blue, and drew the last two. Even though Deep Blue won only one game, it was a significant win. This was the first time in the world a computer defeated a current world champion under normal time constraints.
Kasparov Versus Deep Blue 1997
- Whether it was confidence or hubris that provoked Kasparov to accept a rematch from Deep Blue in 1997, we don't know, but it turned out to be a dark day for our species. The machine that Kasparov bested the year prior had been beefed up, though you might not know it in game one when Kasparov bested Deep Blue in 45 moves. Things looked good for the world champion until game two, when he lost to the machine. The next three games were a tie, leaving both man and machine vying for victory in the sixth game. Kasparov resigned on the 19th move. The machine triumphed.
Kasparov Versus the World
- What does the best chess player in the world do after losing to a super computer? He challenges the entire world to a chess match. In 1999, Garry Kasparov took on the world over the Internet. One move was to be played every 24 hours, with the "worlds" move being decided by vote. Anyone willing was able to cast a vote, and help decide the move against Kasparov. The game took 62 moves, and swung back and forth between favorites. In the end the world resigned, leaving Kasparov victorious.

Chess & Checkers