Nakamura T-Shirts

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.

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!

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!

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.

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?

Levon Aronian versus Santosh Vidit, www, 2020. The game looked to be drawn but Vidit snapped up the pushed pawn b2-b4 at which point Aronian’s bishop stepped back to trap Vidit’s bishop. This was quickly followed by the rest of black’s pieces being trapped leaving Aronian’s a pawn, with a smile upon its face, to skip its way to the top of the board. An exceptional tactic by Aronian.

Gata Kamsky versus Anatoly Karpov, Dortmund, 1993. Karpov places his king on what seems a completely absurd square. A few moves later though his pieces have been given space to attack.

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.

"I like the moment when I break a man's ego" is a classic quote by Bobby Fischer.

Magnus Carlsen versus Sergey Karjakin, New York, 2016. Carlsen sacrifices his queen to become World Champion! Unbelievable. Absolute class. Unfortunately there were no such flamboyant moves in the recent world championship match between Carlsen and Nepomniachtchi but what Carlsen showed was that his mental stamina is just phenomenal. (We are aware here at ChessRules that Hikaru Nakamura played this exact same tactic in 2002!)

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.

Vladimir Kramnik versus Garry Kasparov, Moscow, 1994. Kramnik sacrifices his bishop and uses his f pawn to bust through Kasparov’s control of the centre. Fifteen moves later this pawn is pushed forward to the 7th rank and signals Kasparov’s resignation.

Edward Lasker versus Alexander Alekhine, London, 1913. It’s not often that one gets to write Qexb4#. Both Lasker and Alekhine had two queens on the board but it was Alekhine that got to checkmate first.

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

Edward Lasker versus Alexander Alekhine, London, 1913. It’s not often that one gets to write Qexb4#. Both Lasker and Alekhine had two queens on the board but it was Alekhine that got to checkmate first.

Gunnar Gundersen versus A. H. Faul, Melbourne, 1928. Gundersen’s move celebrates all things beautiful, checkmate with en passant.

Alexander Alekhine versus Supico, Lisbon, 1941. Alekhine was playing a blindfolded simul and still found this astonishing move that follows in the footsteps of Frank Marshall. Absolutely remarkable!

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.

Veselin Topalov versus Alexei Shirov, Linares, 1998. Shirov drops his bishop onto h3. He spotted that tempo was fundamental and sacrificed his bishop to create game winning tempo. Genius. Considered one of the greatest moves ever.

Veselin Topalov versus Alexei Shirov, Linares, 1998. Shirov drops his bishop onto h3. He spotted that tempo was fundamental and sacrificed his bishop to create game winning tempo. Genius. Considered one of the greatest moves ever.

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.

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.

Nigel Short versus Jan Timman, Tilburg, 1991. Short’s king marches up the board heading to the dizzy heights of h6 to assist the queen in checkmating. Exceptionally rare that a king finds himself at such a position during the middle game. Brilliant stuff.

Edward Lasker versus Alexander Alekhine, London, 1913. It’s not often that one gets to write Qexb4#. Both Lasker and Alekhine had two queens on the board but it was Alekhine that got to checkmate first.

Alexey Shirov versus Judit Polgar, Buenos Aires, 1994. Polgar’s knight move is an exceptionally imaginative move from one of the very best attackers to have ever played the game.

Alexander Alekhine versus Supico, Lisbon, 1941. Alekhine was playing a blindfolded simul and still found this astonishing move that follows in the footsteps of Frank Marshall. Absolutely remarkable!

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.

Alexey Shirov versus Judit Polgar, Buenos Aires, 1994. Polgar’s knight move is an exceptionally imaginative move from one of the very best attackers to have ever played the game.

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?

Tugboat!

N. Kosolapov versus Rashid Nezhmetdinov, Kazan, 1936. Nezhmetdinov's Qxh2* is an absolutely explosive queen sacrifice, a knockout blow, devastating, brutal.

Daniil Dubov versus Anish Giri, Moscow, 2019. Dubov's queenside castle is a totally unintuitive move as it left the king completely exposed to Giri's attack. Dubov's ballsy tactic paved the way to victory.

N. Kosolapov versus Rashid Nezhmetdinov, Kazan, 1936. Nezhmetdinov's Qxh2* is an absolutely explosive queen sacrifice, a knockout blow, devastating, brutal.

every game is somewhat influenced by animals, just like art...

“If the shirt fits, I try to wear it” is a quote by Ian Nepomniachtchi made during an interview at the candidates tournament in Madrid, 2022. We at ChessRules have great respect for the humour and wisdom of Nepomniachtchi’s mind. This version is in Cyrillic in respect to Nepomniachtchi but there is an English alternative available.