Wijk aan Zee · 1999
Kasparov’s Immortal
Garry Kasparov vs. Veselin Topalov — A rook sacrifice sends Topalov's king on an extraordinary journey across the board.
Moves · tap to jump
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Starting position
Ready
Press Auto-play to watch the game, or step move by move.
Main lesson
Calculate forcing moves deeply, then recognize the quiet move that turns a king hunt into a winning position.
Lesson notes
Moves 1–13 — both kings castle long
- The Pirc structure leads to a tense position with both kings on the queenside.
Moves 14–23 — prepare the breakthrough
- White centralizes the rooks and coordinates queen, knight and bishop before sacrificing.
Moves 24–35 — force the king forward
- 24.Rxd4 and 25.Re7+ start a long sequence of checks.
- Pawn checks on b4 and c3 are essential attacking moves, not decorative sacrifices.
Moves 36–44 — find the quiet resource
- 36.Bf1 prepares to capture the queen on c4.
- The attack transitions into a winning queen-versus-rook position.
What your student should learn
- Calculate the strongest defence to a sacrifice.
- Use pawn checks to keep a king exposed.
- Find quiet moves inside forcing combinations.
- Convert an attack into a material advantage when mate is not necessary.
Rules to remember
- Rule 1Calculate before committing material.
- Rule 2A forcing check must improve the position.
- Rule 3Look for quiet resources as well as checks.
Mini tournament checklist
- ✓ Have I checked the best defensive reply?
- ✓ Can the king escape my checks?
- ✓ Can a pawn check extend the attack?
- ✓ Is there a quiet move stronger than another check?
Coach's challenge
Stop after 23...Qd6. Find 24.Rxd4 and follow the king's path, then pause at move 36 to find Bf1.
Full move list
The Pirc Defence
Preparing the Breakthrough
The King Hunt
Converting the Attack
Note: 24.Rxd4 is the celebrated sacrifice. Defensive alternatives belong to analysis; this replay follows the actual game to 44.Qa7.