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Positional and Strategic Brilliancies
Compiled by addiction to chess
--*--

These are the seldomly appreciated brilliancies played with tremendous accuracy and skill. Endgame skill and great Positional play are what make these games brilliant. I give you a collection of these "hidden" gems. (Under Construction)

Karpov's Nimzo like chokehold
Karpov vs Unzicker, 1974 
(C98) Ruy Lopez, Closed, Chigorin, 44 moves, 1-0

Nimzo outplays White, ties up the Kside then attacks the Qside!
N Mannheimer vs Nimzowitsch, 1930  
(C01) French, Exchange, 44 moves, 0-1

Pawn Avalanche!
Polgar vs Bacrot, 1999 
(C78) Ruy Lopez, 75 moves, 0-1

Rubenstein's masterpiece
Rubinstein vs Schlechter, 1912 
(D41) Queen's Gambit Declined, Semi-Tarrasch, 39 moves, 1-0

Who said positional games had to be boring!
Maroczy vs Tartakower, 1922 
(A84) Dutch, 35 moves, 0-1

Notes from Capablanca!
Nimzowitsch vs Capablanca, 1913 
(C50) Giuoco Piano, 64 moves, 0-1

A positional win, by Bronstein??
Bronstein vs Tartakower, 1948 
(B10) Caro-Kann, 43 moves, 1-0

A positional sac, by Tal!
Tal vs Larsen, 1965  
(B82) Sicilian, Scheveningen, 37 moves, 1-0

A positional King's gambit game by Capa (w/ tactics, of course)
Capablanca vs Ruiz / Molina, 1914 
(C30) King's Gambit Declined, 39 moves, 1-0

Karpov beats his favorite defence starting w/ an exchange sac
Karpov vs Hort, 1978 
(B17) Caro-Kann, Steinitz Variation, 25 moves, 1-0

Another positional sac
Kasparov vs R Akesson, 1980 
(E12) Queen's Indian, 36 moves, 1-0

Suffocation
Polugaevsky vs Petrosian, 1961 
(E55) Nimzo-Indian, 4.e3, Gligoric System, Bronstein Variation, 47 moves, 0-1

Fischer outmaneuvers Petrosian!
Petrosian vs Fischer, 1971 
(A04) Reti Opening, 66 moves, 0-1

Nezh makes a positional queen sac and starts an attack on black
R Nezhmetdinov vs O Chernikov, 1962 
(B32) Sicilian, 33 moves, 1-0

Strategic Build-up
Kasparov vs Najdorf, 1982  
(E12) Queen's Indian, 25 moves, 1-0

Fischer tied down and slowly squeezed
Petrosian vs Fischer, 1959 
(E40) Nimzo-Indian, 4.e3, 31 moves, 1-0

Petrosian never had a chance
Fischer vs Petrosian, 1971 
(B42) Sicilian, Kan, 34 moves, 1-0

Rubinstein's amazing trademark endgame technique
Rubinstein vs Gajdos, 1905 
(D40) Queen's Gambit Declined, Semi-Tarrasch, 50 moves, 1-0

Fantastic Endgame
Alapin vs Rubinstein, 1908 
(C20) King's Pawn Game, 78 moves, 0-1

Rubinstein's brilliant positional mastery
Rubinstein vs J Perlis, 1906  
(D00) Queen's Pawn Game, 22 moves, 1-0

Another positional masterpiece by Rubinstein
Salwe vs Rubinstein, 1908 
(C49) Four Knights, 67 moves, 0-1

Marcozy Binds his opponent
Maroczy vs H Suechting, 1905  
(D61) Queen's Gambit Declined, Orthodox, Rubinstein Attack, 48 moves, 1-0

A great execution of the positional brilliancy
Portisch vs Kramnik, 1993 
(D13) Queen's Gambit Declined Slav, Exchange Variation, 42 moves, 0-1

How to Breakt hrough a closed position
Kasparov vs E Torre, 1980 
(A43) Old Benoni, 57 moves, 1-0

Petrosian just squeezes his opponent till he pops!
Petrosian vs A Pirtskhalava, 1947  
(A90) Dutch, 36 moves, 1-0

Queen mate
Bobotsov vs Petrosian, 1968 
(D35) Queen's Gambit Declined, 41 moves, 0-1

Petrosian underdevelopes, and wins!
Petrosian vs Aronin, 1961  
(A04) Reti Opening, 40 moves, 1-0

White wins with the might of his knight.
Sutovsky vs L Pantsulaia, 2008 
(B18) Caro-Kann, Classical, 50 moves, 1-0

Who said opposite colored bishop endings were un-exciting!
Topalov vs Shirov, 1998 
(D85) Grunfeld, 53 moves, 0-1

Brilliant endgame by Karpov
Karpov vs Hort, 1973 
(C05) French, Tarrasch, 45 moves, 1-0

A great opposite colored bishop ending
Nimzowitsch vs Tarrasch, 1928 
(A00) Uncommon Opening, 66 moves, 1-0

The extremely bad bishop.
Capablanca vs K Treybal, 1929 
(D11) Queen's Gambit Declined Slav, 58 moves, 1-0

Even Tal played positionaly (until the tactics started flowing)
Tal vs V Soloviev, 1955 
(E86) King's Indian, Samisch, Orthodox, 7.Nge2 c6, 53 moves, 1-0

Wait, how did my king get over there!
D Howell vs J Levitt, 2005 
(C07) French, Tarrasch, 47 moves, 0-1

"Who said bishops were always better in OPEN positions?"
Nimzowitsch vs Levenfish, 1911  
(C02) French, Advance, 37 moves, 1-0

"When it's too tight for the king in one side, go to the other"
Diez del Corral vs Petrosian, 1969 
(C18) French, Winawer, 54 moves, 0-1

A brilliant endgame by Petrosian ( w/ king walk)
Petrosian vs Botvinnik, 1963 
(D94) Grunfeld, 48 moves, 1-0

A knight on the rim is great !?! (Kaspy wins with one)
Kasparov vs Karpov, 1986 
(D55) Queen's Gambit Declined, 46 moves, 1-0

Steinitz sacrifices king safety for the center against Zuker!
Zukertort vs Steinitz, 1886  
(D50) Queen's Gambit Declined, 29 moves, 0-1

Material is even but White is virtually a piece up!
Reshevsky vs G N Treysman, 1938 
(E00) Queen's Pawn Game, 42 moves, 1-0

Schlechter vs W John, 1905 
(D31) Queen's Gambit Declined, 50 moves, 1-0

Zugzwang!
K Spraggett vs G Glen, 1975 
(C02) French, Advance, 45 moves, 1-0

Not a single capture or check. 0-1
A Medina Garcia vs Gligoric, 1968 
(C93) Ruy Lopez, Closed, Smyslov Defense, 29 moves, 0-1

Overprotection
Nimzowitsch vs A Hakansson, 1922  
(C02) French, Advance, 27 moves, 1-0

Check is met by checkmate?! ( I couldn't believe it either!)
Alekhine vs A Popovic, 1930 
(D31) Queen's Gambit Declined, 43 moves, 1-0

Coordination and harmony of White's pieces creates a symphony
Shirov vs Jakovenko, 2008 
(E15) Queen's Indian, 46 moves, 1-0

Botvinnik vs Alekhine, 1938 
(D41) Queen's Gambit Declined, Semi-Tarrasch, 51 moves, 1-0

The Immortal Zugzwang Game (White has run out of good moves)
Saemisch vs Nimzowitsch, 1923  
(E18) Queen's Indian, Old Main line, 7.Nc3, 25 moves, 0-1

The "Zugzwanger" is Zugwanged!
Alekhine vs Nimzowitsch, 1930 
(C17) French, Winawer, Advance, 30 moves, 1-0

Kramnik vs Kasparov, 2000 
(D85) Grunfeld, 40 moves, 1-0

An excellent game where Kaspy's defensive skills flourish
Kramnik vs Kasparov, 2000 
(D27) Queen's Gambit Accepted, Classical, 74 moves, 1/2-1/2

The Brilliance of Petrosian's plan
A Kalantar vs Petrosian, 1948  
(E11) Bogo-Indian Defense, 48 moves, 0-1

52 games

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