London · 1851
The Immortal Game
Adolf Anderssen vs. Lionel Kieseritzky — Anderssen gives away a bishop, both rooks and his queen — and mates with three minor pieces.
LevelIntermediateElo900–1100ThemeSacrificesMoves23
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
♜
♞
♝
♛
♚
♝
♞
♜
♟
♟
♟
♟
♟
♟
♟
♟
♙
♙
♙
♙
♙
♙
♙
♙
♖
♘
♗
♕
♔
♗
♘
♖
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
Moves · tap to jump
0/450/45
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Starting position
Ready
Press Auto-play to watch the game, or step move by move.
Main lesson
Sacrifices work when your pieces are active and the opponent’s are not.
What your student should learn
- Material is only worth what it does.
- The King's Gambit trades a pawn for open lines.
- Undeveloped pieces cannot defend their king.
- Mate can be delivered by minor pieces alone.
Mini tournament checklist
- ✓ How many of my pieces are active versus theirs?
- ✓ Is their queen doing anything useful?
- ✓ Do my sacrifices come with checks or threats?
- ✓ Have I checked the mate to the very last move?
Run through this list before you start an attack in a real game. Mostly yes means look for tactics; otherwise improve one more piece first.
Full move list
The King’s Gambit
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Chasing the Queen
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
Giving Away Material
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
Both Rooks Sacrificed
18.
19.
20.
Mate With Three Pieces
21.
22.
23.
Note: Count the pieces White gives away, then count how many black pieces defend. That comparison is the whole lesson.