Game of the Month!

Which is the best game from each month's updates? It is you who decides, just go to Game of the Month voting to participate in the decision.

These games are open to all, subscribers and guests.

January 2003, February 2003, March 2003

April 2003, May 2003, June 2003

July 2003, August 2003, September 2003

October 2003, November 2003, December 2003

Click here to go to Game of the Month 2004

January 2003

The theoretical Khalifman,A - Acs,P just edged the January voting. Here is how Ruslan described this game: "Here Alexander Khalifman was eliminated by Peter Acs of Hungary in excellent style. An interesting Black novelty led to a very complicated position, in which White underestimated Black's counterplay."

February 2003

No doubt about the February victor, a brilliant queen sac from our 'newest' writer: Rogozenko-Gallagher. This is what Joe had to say: "I have taken the opportunity to include a personal favourite, even though it is a few years old now."

March 2003

The powerful display of the World Champion in Kramnik-Radjabov was the clear winner in the March voting.

This is how Neil introduced it: "One of the best ways to revitalise your chess is to change your openings. The World's second 2800 player, Vladimir Kramnik, has in the last year or so changed from being a predominantly 1.d4 type of player to regularly opening 1.e4. I recall Anand doing something similar after his New York 1995 Match with Kasparov, except in reverse: he switched from only ever playing 1.e4 to throwing in the occasional 1.d4. It says something for the genius of these players that they became instant experts on lines that they had never played before.

Of course it helps if you know exactly what your opponent is going to play as Black. In the game selected here from Linares Kramnik is facing an opponent who virtually always plays the Classical French, and has clearly spent some time looking at a rather offbeat idea. Kasparov tried the same 'trick' against Radjabov in the game above but Kramnik is far more successful."

April 2003

In the closest race ever Judith Polgar just edged the April voting, beating the 'old lion' Victor Korchnoi, and a late challenge from Grischuk.

Here is how Neil described the game: "Gary Kasparov has just celebrated twenty years as the World's highest rated player, having taken over from Karpov back in 1983. The only record in modern times that can be compared to this is Judith Polgar's dominance of Women's chess: she is now 165 points above her nearest female rival!

In fact Polgar is playing some of her best chess ever as demonstrated by her famous victory against Kasparov in the Russia-Rest of the World Match.

She didn't quite succeed in winning the recent Super GM event in Budapest, despite an excellent start of three wins, but in the game selected here she came up with a fantastic opening novelty.

Have a look at the fine miniature game Polgar-Berkes."

May 2003

The May voting was handsomely won by the 'Thunderbolt from Baku', as one of the Forum's subscribers described it.

This is how Joe introduced it in his (late) April update: "We shall kick off with another Bareev-Radjabov Bayonet Attack where the youngster made a spectacular rook sacrifice but the World No. 7's defences just about held firm."

June 2003

The June games were of an excellent standard, and the voting was very close, but the winner was the brilliant victory of Todorovic in the French section. Neil introduced it thus:

"After the alternative 14.Qc2! a really fierce theoretical battle is raging. The verdict on some moves has been changing from '?' to '!' and then back again!

But the first word here goes to subscriber Antonio Noan from Brazil who sent me the following email entitled an 'excellent game!':

«While reading Malcolm Pein's column at arts.telegraph.co.uk, I came across with the following game. I really liked this game, after all it isn't every day that you see a player sacrifice an exchange, both bishops and the queen to mate the opponent! Would you please analyse this game and put it on your French Defense site?»

Well here is the game Antonio refers to. It is indeed a very attractive attacking game by White and what's more it appears to contain a lethal novelty which completely destroys a variation for Black. Enjoy Todorovic-Kraai."

July 2003

A wild tussle took the voters' eye in the July Game of the Month competition. Here is how Andrew described it:

"Meanwhile Movsesian-Luther is a very uncompromising battle- White's 10 d6!?

sets the tone."

August 2003

The August Game of the Month vote was unusual as all the games were either King's Indian Defences or French Defences! The clear winner (beating several beautiful queen sacrifices) was the brilliant game Morozevich - Pelletier. Here is how Neil introduced it:

"As stated above, Morozevich is now taking on the French mainline as White. As you would expect the result is a lot of fireworks and a game that is a pleasure to play through. Nevertheless, friends of the Winawer as Black can still sleep soundly as I think theoretically at least Black was more than OK. Enjoy Morozevich-Pelletier."

September 2003

The winner of the September Game of the Month vote collected as many votes as all the other games put together! Here is how Joe described it:

"We kick of this month with the fashionable 7...Na6 variation of the Classical and the superb Grooten-Motylev game where the young Russian wiped out some unhappy memories in this variation with the stunning 30...Rd3!!"

October 2003

In a close run contest Ivanchuk just edged the October Game of the Month vote with his superb queen sac against Bareev. John introduced it thus:

"In the super-GM encounter Bareev-Ivanchuk, Rethymnon 2003, Black varies with 1 d4 Nf6 2 c4 e6 3 Nc3 Bb4 4 Qc2 c5. After playing 'third fiddle' to 4...0-0 and 4...d5 for many years, this move is beginning to make a comeback at the very highest levels. The game continues 5 dxc5 0-0 6 a3 8 Bf4

Here 8...Nh5, kicking the bishop on f4, was discussed in Kasparov-Chuchelov, Rethymnon 2003 - see ChessPub (ECO code E39). In this game Black instead opts for straightforward development with 8...Bb7 and we are treated to an impressive exhibition of counterattacking play by Ivanchuk."

November 2003

It seems apt that ChessPublishing.com subscriber, and cricket fan, Peter Svidler should win the November Game of the Month vote, which featured by far the largest selection of candidate games so far. Andy wrote:

"In the first Game Shirov is trounced by Peter Svidler in the Advance Variation. I lay the blame fully at the door of 5...Nh6?!

Too decentralising!"

December 2003

Easy winner of the December competition was Barsov with his crisp kingside attack against the Benko. Here is Glenn's introduction:

"However, Game Two represents further bad news for the Benko, an opening that's really under the cosh due to 10 Rb1:

Barsov introduces a convincing new move and then orchestrates a crushing attack."

 

Click here to go to Game of the Month 2004