10 Most Famous Chess Games In History
Have you ever watched a chess match that instantly grabs your attention from the first move? They draw you in with bold moves, surprising sacrifices, and perfect strategies that showcase the genius of the players. We’ve curated a list of some of the most famous chess games that capture that very essence.
So, let's jump right in and explore ten games that defined chess history, showing us why they’re still talked about today.
10 Most Famous Chess Games
Below is our list of the 10 most famous chess games ever witnessed throughout history.
1. Magnus Carlsen vs Sergey Dolmatov
At only 13, Magnus Carlsen played one of the most famous chess games against the Grandmaster Sergey Dolmatov.
From the very first move, it became clear that it won't be your ordinary game.
Despite his young age, Magnus Carlsen had an impressive rating of 2484 when he faced the Grandmaster and former World Junior Chess Champion.
Sergey went straight for the aggressive Dutch Defense, clearly ready for a fight; however, Magnus played calmly. While Sergey pushed his pawns early to create an attack, Magnus didn’t fall into the trap.
He didn’t rush. Instead, he found the perfect moment to strike back. He started opening up the center and gaining key squares, leaving Sergey without a clear target.
This clearly showed just how talented Magnus Carlsen already was. Magnus put pressure on his opponent’s king by quickly developing his pieces and castling queenside.
It was amazing to witness how quickly and calmly Magnus turned the tables on Sergey with his calm, precise moves. Pretty soon, the game reached a breaking point when Magnus launched a double attack with his queen, leaving Sergey with no way out.
In the end, Sergey Dolmatov had to resign, and the match became one of the most famous chess games that people still discuss. We love how even people like Garry Kasparov’s former trainer were blown away, calling it the game of a genius.
2. The Immortal Game - Adolf Anderssen and Lionel Kieseritzky
The match between Adolf Anderssen and Lionel Kieseritzky, also known as The Immortal Game, is easily one of the wildest and most famous chess games ever played.
Do you know what’s so memorable about this game?
Both Anderssen and Kieseritzky sat down for a casual game during a break at the London chess tournament and immediately stole the spotlight.
The game wasn’t part of the main event.
The wildest part is that Anderssen didn’t play safe. He threw caution to the wind and sacrificed almost every piece on the board — the rooks, his queen, and a bishop.
Yet, he still won!
He casually pulled off a checkmate using just his knights while Kieseritzky sat there wondering what just happened. Kieseritzky, easily overwhelmed by Anderssen’s relentless assault, couldn’t stop the intense attack, even when he had only lost a few pawns.
The game was so impressive that it got published in a French chess journal, and a few years later, it was dubbed “The Immortal Game.”
3. The Opera Game - Chess Prodigy vs The Royals
We can imagine being in Paris in 1858, where the air is full of excitement as a big crowd gathers at the opera house for the latest show. Only, there is another performance happening in one of the private boxes.
In that box sits the Duke Karl of Brunswick, Count Isouard, and the American chess prodigy Paul Morphy.
Instead of just enjoying the Opera performance, the Duke and the Count challenged the chess prodigy to a game. It was a two-on-one game where the royals played as a team, consulting each other.
It was clear from the start that Morphy took control as he developed his pieces quickly, putting them in power positions.
While the Duke and the Count made critical mistakes by moving their queen and bishop too early, Morphy didn’t hesitate to take advantage of this. As the royals slowed down their development, Morphy built up an aggressive attack, putting their pieces under pressure without any chance of defense.
He ended the game in 15 moves – a true masterclass in chess!
Though he sacrificed his bishop and even his queen, it was all a part of his plan. He forced a checkmate with a brilliant combination of his remaining pieces.
You can easily picture the royals dumbfounded as Morphy delivered the final blow, checkmating their king in the middle of the board.
The game became so legendary that even to this day, players still study The Opera Game.
4. The Historic Loss - Deep Blue vs Garry Kasparov
World Champion Garry Kasparov sat across from an unlikely opponent in 1996 — Deep Blue, a supercomputer designed by IBM.
The match was a showdown between human genius and machine intelligence.
One question lingered in every chess lover and tech enthusiast’s mind: Could a computer really outthink a chess world champion?
Kasparov opened with the Sicilian Defense, an opening he played many times before and knew well. However, Deep Blue didn’t follow its usual script. After only a few moves, the game veered into unfamiliar territory as Deep Blue started calculating its next moves beyond the programmer’s inputs.
It was quickly evident to everyone that Kasparov, used to battling humans, is up against a machine that knows no fatigue and has endless calculating power.
Kasparov tried to fight back, but the turning point came when Deep Blue attacked, and Kasparov became exposed. As the computer pounced, Kasparov had no good moves left — he resigned.
The game was a big wake-up call; a computer had just beaten one of the greatest chess world champions in the world.
5. Bobby Fischer vs Donald Byrne – The Game of the Century
Do you know what happened in October 1956? The chess world witnessed one of the most famous chess games in history.
Bobby Fisher, a 13-year-old, shocked the world by beating chess master Donald Bryne in a game that is now called “The Game of the Century.”
Bryne opened with a flexible Reti System, and Fischer responded with the Grünfeld Indian Defense — and things got exciting really fast.
Fischer developed his pieces quickly and controlled the center of the board, putting pressure on Bryne. However, spectators held their breath as Fischer sacrificed his queen.
But, in reality, Fischer just laid a trap. That “mistake” was a carefully calculated strike, and Fischer unleashed a flurry of attacks that overwhelmed Bryne.
In just 41 moves, Fischer checkmated Bryne, leaving the crows stunned. The win was a declaration – Bobby Fischer had arrived, and the chess world would never be the same again.
6. Emanuel Lasker vs José Raúl Capablanca
We have one more famous chess game for you – this one is a big deal because it ended a World Champion’s 27-year reign.
Chess enthusiasts everywhere awaited the clash between the two giants - Emanuel Lasker, the reigning world champion since 1894, and José Raúl Capablanca, the Cuban chess prodigy.
You see, the battle was a long time coming, and their rivalry began long before this match. Capablanca challenged Lasker for the world title in 1911.
Lasker, after careful thinking, rejected the traditional match conditions and proposed terms that favored the defending champion.
These conditions caused a rift between the two, and negotiations broke down.
As you can imagine, years passed, and with World War One postponing matches, Capablanca continued to play and rise in prominence.
But something unexpected and surprising happened – Lasker resigned the title, naming Capablanca as his successor.
But, to no one’s surprise, Capablanca refused to take the title without a fight, insisting they meet for an official match.
The match finally began in March 1921, and Capablanca showed why he was considered one of the greatest. Lasker, now older and less sharp than in his prime, couldn’t keep up with Capablanca’s dominating, relentless style.
His victory marked the end of Lasker’s 27-year-long winning reign and established him as the new World Champion.
7. Gersz Rotlewi vs Akiba Rubinstein
Akiba Rubinstein faced Gersz Rotlewi in Poland and created one of the most famous chess games.
Rubinstein went on the attack and never let up; he gained control of the board and launched a series of bold sacrifices.
He kicked things off with a bang – he sacrificed his queen, and that move stunned everyone. He quickly followed it up with another sacrifice and tore open Rotlewi’s defense. Rotlewi, with no choice left, tried to fight back, but Rubinstein wasn’t done.
Rubinstein kept advancing his pieces, and soon Rotlewi’s king, as you can imagine, was trapped.
The win was just phenomenal — Rubinstein created a game that players admire to this day.
8. Mikhail Tal vs Bent Larsen
Can you imagine a chess match that feels more like a chess war?
Imagine the tension!
So, it’s 1965, and two chess titans – Mikhail Tal and Bent Larsen – are locked in a fierce match. Former world champion Tal and “Great Dane” Larsen are both determined, and both are stubborn.
How do you break someone like Larsen?
How do you stop a fighter like Tal?
The game was a complete back-and-forth, with neither player giving the other opponent an inch. The match feels like a rollercoaster, and no one knows who’s going to come out on top. There is draw after draw, but then Larsen scores in game five. Tal wins game six.
With only a few games left, as you can guess, every move counts. Then comes game ten, and Tal takes a risk. He sacrifices his knight, but it comes with a twist.
Tal had a plan all along.
The sacrifice opens up Larsen’s defense, and Tal’s chess pieces flood the board, and it’s over for Larsen.
9. Aron Nimzowitsch vs Semion Alapin
Let’s talk about another one of the most famous chess games out there – two big names in chess – Aron Nimzowitsch and Semion Alapin.
The tension runs high in the game, but what follows turns out to be a one-sided display of strategic genius.
While Alapin falters from the start, Nimzowitsch, known for My System, brings his ideas to life.
As Nimzowitsch develops his pieces aggressively, focusing on positioning, Alapin makes one mistake after another. He chases pieces and ignores development, leaving his king exposed.
And Nimzowitsch doesn’t hesitate to launch the perfect attack.
But, what happens next stuns everyone – Nimzowitsch sacrifices his queen (But he knows what he is doing).
You see, this sacrifice basically unlocks his full attack, and Alapin finds himself absolutely helpless. In just a few more moves, Nimzowitsch ends the game with a brilliant finish.
It was easily his finest game, as he taught a lesson on why development and coordination are key in chess.
10. Edward Lasker vs George Alan Thomas – The Brilliant King Hunt
For our final most famous chess game, we have to talk about the perfect game by Edward Lasker and George Alan Thomas.
Unfortunately for Lasker, he didn’t start the game feeling his best, as he just crossed the rough channel crossing.
On top of that, he felt out of place in the London Chess Club, as his English was not the best, but he knew chess would connect him to the others. He sat down, unaware that his opponent was actually Sir George Thomas, the club’s champion.
As the game began, Lasker realized that he was in control. He set his sights on Thomas’s king, launching one of the most famous king hunts in chess history. He drove the king across the board, forcing him into increasingly dangerous positions.
As the chase intensified, Lasker continued to deliver checks.
Pretty soon, Lasker delivered the final blow, the perfect checkmate that left Thomas cornered. It became iconic for its brilliant king hunt and Lasker’s genius.
Final Thoughts
Well, as you can see, each game shows off incredible moves and captures the excitement and the beauty of chess. We hope you enjoyed reading about these chess games and why they’re so fascinating.
The games listed here aren’t just for learning; they are worlds of art that stand the test of time. Chess remains one of the most popular games, and if you’re interested in getting a set, check out our collection!