Immortal Game


The Immortal Game was a chess game played in 1851 between Adolf Anderssen and Lionel Kieseritzky during the London 1851 chess tournament, an event in which both players participated. It was itself a game, however, not played as part of the tournament. Anderssen won the game by sacrificing all of his while developing a mating attack with his remaining. Despite losing the game, Kieseritzky was impressed with Anderssen's performance. Kieseritzky published the game shortly afterwards in La Régence, a French chess journal which he helped to edit. Ernst Falkbeer published an analysis of the game in 1855, describing it for the first time with its sobriquet "immortal".
The Immortal Game is among the most famous chess games ever played. As a game, it is frequently reproduced in chess literature to teach simple themes of gameplay. Although Kieseritzsky himself indicated that the game ended before checkmate, the Immortal Game is frequently reproduced with a brief involving a queen sacrifice—a further loss of material—leading to checkmate. This continuation is commonly presented as part of the complete game, as if the final moves were actually played as part of the real historical game. Some authors also permute certain moves, deviating from Kieseritzky's report, although such permutations typically transpose to distinct lines of play that eventually return to the moves and positions reported by Kieseritzky.
Although both players made moves that are regarded as by modern players, the game is appreciated as an example of the Romantic school of chess, a style of play that prized bold attacks and sacrifices over deep strategy. The game—especially its mating continuation—is also appreciated for its aesthetic value, as a plausible example of how a player with a significant material deficit but having an advantageous position can give mate. The continuation's mating position is a model mate, a strong form of pure mate. In 1996, Bill Hartston called the game an achievement "perhaps unparalleled in chess literature".

Overview

Anderssen was one of the strongest players of his time, and many consider him to have been the world's strongest player after his victory in the London 1851 chess tournament. Kieseritzky lived in France much of his life, where he gave chess lessons and played games for five francs an hour at the Café de la Régence in Paris. His strength was shown most favourably when giving substantial odds to weak players; against masters, he was less convincing.
The Immortal Game was an informal one, played during a break in a formal tournament in London; the exact venue is uncertain. Kieseritzky was very impressed with Anderssen's performance; after the game was over, Kieseritzky telegraphed the moves of the game to his Parisian chess club. The French chess magazine La Régence published the game in July 1851. The Austrian Ernst Falkbeer nicknamed it "The Immortal Game" in 1855.
This game is acclaimed as an exemplar of the 19th-century Romantic style of chess, where rapid and attack were considered the most effective way to win, many gambits and countergambits were offered, and was often held in contempt. These games, with their rapid attacks and counterattacks, are often entertaining to review, even if some of the moves are no longer considered optimal.
In this game, Anderssen won despite sacrificing a bishop, both rooks, and the queen to produce checkmate against Kieseritzky, who lost only three pawns. Anderssen later demonstrated the same kind of approach in the Evergreen Game.
Some published versions of the game have errors, as described in the annotations below.

Publication

Shortly after the game was played, Kieseritzky is believed to have telegraphed a report of the game to La Régence, a French chess journal which he helped to edit. The game was reported in an 1851 issue of the journal, with the piece attributed to Kieseritzky himself. La Régence used an "obscure" and prototypical form of algebraic notation to record chess games. Pawns were denoted using lowercase letters indicating their starting files, while pieces were denoted using uppercase letters based on the file the piece started on. Squares were described beginning with their rank, then file, e.g. the square "e4" was instead described as "45".
The game has been republished many times, often with inconsistencies about the order of moves.

Annotated game

White: Adolf Anderssen Black: Lionel Kieseritzky Opening: King's Gambit Accepted: Bishop's Gambit, Bryan Countergambit
1. e4 e5 2. f4
2... exf4 3. Bc4
3... Qh4+ 4. Kf1 b5
5. Bxb5 Nf6 6. Nf3
6... Qh6 7. d3
7... Nh5
8. Nh4 Qg5
9. Nf5 c6
10. g4 Nf6 11. Rg1
11... cxb5?
12. h4!
12... Qg6 13. h5 Qg5 14. Qf3
14... Ng8
15. Bxf4 Qf6 16. Nc3 Bc5
17. Nd5
17... Qxb2
18. Bd6!
18... Bxg1?
19. e5!
19... Qxa1+ 20. Ke2
20... Na6
21. Nxg7+ Kd8 22. Qf6+!
'''22... Nxf6 23. Be7 '''

In popular culture

  • In Maya Deren's 1944 short film At Land.
  • In Poul Anderson's 1954 short story of the same name, computer chess programs reproduce the Immortal Game's moves.
  • In the 1982 film Blade Runner, Sebastian checkmates Tyrell. The game is recognized as The Immortal Game.
  • The game is referenced in Season 2 Episode 5 of British spy thriller series Slow Horses, based on the Slough House series of novels by Mick Herron.
  • In the 2014 video game Dragon Age: Inquisition this game is played sans voir by Iron Bull and Solas during in-game banter.
  • In Lily King's 2020 novel Writers & Lovers.