Polish Immortal

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Position after 13.Kg2

This article uses algebraic notation to describe chess moves.

The Polish Immortal is the name given to a famous chess game between Glinksberg and Miguel Najdorf played in Warsaw. Some sources give its date as 1930 or 1935^[1], and give the name of the player of the white pieces as "Glucksberg." Garry Kasparov gives the date of the game as 1928, and the name of Najdorf's opponent as "Glinksberg," attributing these facts to Najdorf and his daughter^[2]. In this game Black sacrificed all four of his minor pieces.

1.	d4	f5
2.	c4	Nf6
3.	Nc3		(Dutch Defense with 2.c4 & 3.Nc3, A85)
		e6
4.	Nf3	d5
5.	e3	c6
6.	Bd3	Bd6
7.	0-0	0-0
8.	Ne2	Nbd7
9.	Ng5?		This move looks like an elementary blunder, losing a pawn, but in fact the position is more complicated than that.
		Bxh2+!
10.	Kh1!?		After 10. Kxh2 Ng4+ 11. Kh1 Qxg5 Black is up a pawn for nothing. After 10. Kh1, White threatens both Nxe6, winning material, or to trap Black's bishop with g3 or f4.
		Ng4!
11.	f4		Defending White's knight on g5 and cutting off the escape route of Black's bishop; not 11. Nxe6? Qh4!
		Qe8
12.	g3	Qh5
13.	Kg2		White has surrounded Black's bishop and threatens to win it with Rh1, Nf3, and Nxh2 (see diagram).
		Bg1!!	Sacrificing the bishop in order to continue the attack on White's king.
14.	Nxg1		Not 14.Kxg1? Qh2#, or 14.Rxg1? Qh2+ and 15...Qf2#
		Qh2+
15.	Kf3	e5!
16.	dxe5	Ndxe5+
17.	fxe5	Nxe5+
18.	Kf4	Ng6+
19.	Kf3	f4!!
20.	exf4		If 20.Bxg6 Bg4+ 21.Kxg4 Qxg3+ 22.Kh5 hxg6+ 23.Kxg6 Rf6+ 24.Kh5 Rh6#
		Bg4+!!
21.	Kxg4	Ne5+!
22.	fxe5	h5#