Amazing Moves

Winning a game of chess usually involves slowly building up a good position where you can start an attack. Sometimes it involves taking a small advantage into an endgame. These types of games can be good, but today we are going to see the opposite - a quick knockout, involving an unexpected and amazing move.

Some of these moves involve doing something that seems impossible - like putting a queen or another big piece where it can be taken. Others are strange in other ways.

I will give you the chance to guess what moves the masters made. If you can't figure it out, just click "solution". But remember, these were great moves made by great players - if you don't get it right, don't worry!

The first one is from a game by Mikhail Tal, world champion from 1960 to 1961. He was only world champion for one year, but he is one of the most famous players ever. His attacking style is admired everywhere. Let's see it:

 

 

Now let's see a game by Alexander Alekhine, one of the most amazing and creative players ever. He was the fourth world champion and originally from Russia.

 

 

Pretty amazing, huh?  Did I forgot to mention that Alekhine played that game "blindfold"? His opponent was calling out his moves in notation and Alekhine had to imagine the position in his head!

The next one is something you definitely don't see every day. The winner was Grandmaster Nigel Short, challenger for the world championship in 1993.

 

 

Our last problem today is from a game by Hikaru Nakamura. Nakamura is now one of the best players in the world, but at this time he was just twelve years old. That didn't stop him from playing a really amazing move!

 

 

Well that's it for now. But you can find many amazing chess combinations in books. You can also play them yourself!