Hikaru Pins and Buttons

Bobby Fischer versus Pal Benko. Fischer places his sacrificial rook on an empty square to block a pawn defence. Ultimately this move leads to Benko’s resignation.

Viswanathan Anand versus Garry Kasparov, New York, 1995. Kasparov offers up both of his rooks but whichever one Anand takes it is game over. BOOM!

Ossip Bernstein versus José Raúl Capablanca. When you find the perfect square and the game ends instantly; Capablanca throws and hits the bullseye!

Fabiano Caruana versus Ruslan Ponomariov. Re7 is a bonafide visionary move. Caruana forces Ponomariav to take his sacrificial rook and again Ponomariav is forced to take Caruana’s sacrificed bishop and then finally is forced to accept checkmate.

Fabiano Caruana versus Ruslan Ponomariov. Re7 is a bonafide visionary move. Caruana forces Ponomariav to take his sacrificial rook and again Ponomariav is forced to take Caruana’s sacrificed bishop and then finally is forced to accept checkmate.

Bai Jinshi versus Ding Liren, Tianjin, 2017. After having sacrificed his queen Liren had to keep applying the pressure. Rd4 is sublime. Right this moment Ding Liren is World Champion. Bravo!

Mikhail Tal versus Hans-Joachim Hecht, Varna, 1962. The pawn is mightier than the queen! Tal ignores the threat to his queen and marches forth with his pawn and marches forth to victory. Incredible!

Alisa Galliamova versus Alina Kashlinskaya, Moscow, 2020. Sacrificing the queen gives Kashlinskaya a forced checkmate in five moves. Nice, very nice.

Richard Reti versus Savielly Tartakower. This incredible queen sacrifice by Reti leads to an undiscovered check and a forced checkmate in two moves. Brilliant!

Ian Nepomniachtchi versus Sergei Rublevsky, Moscow, 2006. Nepomniachtchi’s knight went walkabout and jumped straight into the lion’s mouth where it could be taken by three pieces. This is play full of swagger from a young lad who went onto win. Here at ChessRules we’re big fans of Ian Nepomniachtchi.

Martin Ortueta Esteban versus Jose Sanz Aguado, Madrid, 1933. Some could argue that the follow up moves c4 and a5 were better, but either way Aguado played a bunch of incredible moves.

Martin Ortueta Esteban versus Jose Sanz Aguado, Madrid, 1933. Some could argue that the follow up moves c4 and a5 were better, but either way Aguado played a bunch of incredible moves.

Richard Reti versus Savielly Tartakower. This incredible queen sacrifice by Reti leads to an undiscovered check and a forced checkmate in two moves. Brilliant!

Laurent Fressinet versus Alexandra Kosteniuk, Villandry, 2007. Endurance should also be celebrated in chess. Kosteniuk’s Rh2 was her 251st move that finally brought the game to an end. Epic!

Rashid Nezhmetdinov versus Oleg Chernikov, Rostov-on-Don, 1962. Nezhmetdinov’s queen sacrifice is astonishing; a zen-like understanding of his position. Simply outstanding.

Bai Jinshi versus Ding Liren, Tianjin, 2017. After having sacrificed his queen Liren had to keep applying the pressure. Rd4 is sublime. Right this moment Ding Liren is World Champion. Bravo!

Maxime Vachier-Lagrave versus Ian Nepomniachtchi, Wijk aan Zee, 2011. Vachier-Lagrave places his rook on an empty square to be captured freely. However, if it is captured then it’s checkmate next move but if it’s not captured then it’s checkmate in two moves. Ooft!

Martin Ortueta Esteban versus Jose Sanz Aguado, Madrid, 1933. Some could argue that the follow up moves c4 and a5 were better, but either way Aguado played a bunch of incredible moves.

Shakhriyar Mamedyarov versus Daniil Dubov, www, 2021. Down two pawns in the endgame Dubov found a stunning idea, Rf1 initiated the trap, Mamedyarov thought he had snapped up a bishop, but Dubov walloped him with stalemate! Absolutely brilliant.

Alisa Galliamova versus Alina Kashlinskaya, Moscow, 2020. Sacrificing the queen gives Kashlinskaya a forced checkmate in five moves. Nice, very nice.

Stefan Levitsky versus Frank Marshall, Breslau, 1912. Marshall moves queen to g3 threatening checkmate next move. It's a stunning play because the queen can be taken by three different pieces but regardless of the sacrifice each move will lead to Levitsky being checkmated. Astonishing!

Anish Giri versus Alexander Morozevich, Beijing, 2012. At a time in the game when Giri might have considered re-grouping he carried on attacking. Bf6* is a stunning game-winning move.

Wiede versus Alphonse Goetz, Strasbourg, 1880. Under-promoting a pawn to a knight to checkmate his opponent was elegant and classy. Respect.

Tigran Petrosian versus Ara Minasian, Yerevan, 2006. Petrosian’s queen sacrifice is arguably the move of the game but the pleasure of delivering checkmate with a pawn is also to be celebrated.

Viswanathan Anand versus Kiril Ninov, Baguio, 1987. Anand’s innocuous g6* signals the end of Ninov's defence.

Mikhail Botvinnik versus Lajos Portisch, Monte Carlo, 1968. Botvinnik had seen the trap and had an answer for it: R1xc6 paves the way to victory. Boom!

Gilles Andruet versus Boris Spassky, Bundesliga, 1988. A queen sacrifice that is counterintuitive to the objective makes it impossible to see; except of course if you’re a genius - and who is to argue that Boris Spassky isn’t?

Mikhail Botvinnik versus Lajos Portisch, Monte Carlo, 1968. Botvinnik had seen the trap and had an answer for it: R1xc6 paves the way to victory. Boom!

Garry Kasparov versus Viswanathan Anand, New York, 1995. Kasparov sacrifices his bishop to bust wide open Anand’s defence. Ultimately a devastating move.

Andrey Esipenko versus Magnus Carlsen, Wijk aan Zee, 2021. Esipenko’s g4 on move eight signalled his intent; the 18-year-old was not to be intimidated. Ncxb5 had Carlsen on the back foot for the rest of the game. Outstanding play from Esipenko.

Stefan Levitsky versus Frank Marshall, Breslau, 1912. Marshall moves queen to g3 threatening checkmate next move. It's a stunning play because the queen can be taken by three different pieces but regardless of the sacrifice each move will lead to Levitsky being checkmated. Astonishing!

Garry Kasparov versus Viswanathan Anand, New York, 1995. Kasparov sacrifices his bishop to bust wide open Anand’s defence. Ultimately a devastating move.

Hou Yifan versus Babu Lalith, Gibraltar, 2017. Opening with g4 Hou Yifan makes a statement and takes a stand. Here at ChessRules we respect an individual who raises their head above the parapet. In our world Hou Yifan rocks.

Vera Menchik versus Sonja Graf-Stevensen, Semmering, 1937. Menchik’s sacrificial rook is used to distract black’s queen. If the rook is taken then it is checkmate in two. Astonishing vision.

Boris Spassky versus Bobby Fischer, Reykjavik, 1972. The pressure on these two players at that time is hard to comprehend. The eyes and ears of the spies of the world were watching! So to be able to still play incredible moves is testament to the brilliance of both Spassky and Fischer, but on this occasion Fischer’s Bxa4 was the winner.

Edward Lasker versus George Thomas, London, 1912. Lasker had sacrificed his queen earlier to send Thomas’s king fleeing to the other end of the board. Rarely does a king get the opportunity to give checkmate. Exceptionally cool.