The Hardest Wins

Members · Prefs · Laboratory · Collections · Openings · Endgames · Sacrifices · History · Search Kibitzing · Kibitzer's Café · Chessforums · Tournament Index · Players ·

Kibitzing

Chessgames premium membership fee will increase to $39 per year effective June 15, 2023. Enroll Now!

The Hardest Wins
Compiled by crwynn

Wins are judged by the opposition they faced. What opposition could be tougher than that faced in world championship matches?

Well, people always argue about the worthiness of failed contenders; when the eventual champion beats somebody who never gained the world title themselves, there is always the dismissive claim that he was just fighting some bum. And even when a defending champ fights a losing match, there are always claims that he was too old, too drunk, too (etc.) so that his loss was completely inevitable (in hindsight).

So it seems to me that the toughest wins of all are in championship matches where the loser of the game is the eventual winner of the match. Of course everyone has off days, but of all the wins you can disparage due to poor form or lack of talent in the loser, the losses of somebody in the process of winning the world championship must be at the bottom of the list as a rule. There are exceptions (Steinitz in particular did lose a number of championship games rather comically) but the whole point of this list is to base it on a single, simple criterion with no cherry-picking, so it all goes in the mix. In keeping with this spirit of inclusivity, I'm treating Anderssen - Morphy (1858) and Anderssen - Steinitz (1866) as canonical. Why not?

So here they are: the hardest wins in the history of chess.

Morphy vs Anderssen, 1858
(C52) Evans Gambit, 72 moves, 0-1
Anderssen vs Morphy, 1858
(A00) Uncommon Opening, 77 moves, 1-0
Anderssen vs Steinitz, 1866
(C51) Evans Gambit, 36 moves, 1-0
Steinitz vs Anderssen, 1866
(B20) Sicilian, 55 moves, 0-1
Anderssen vs Steinitz, 1866
(C51) Evans Gambit, 34 moves, 1-0
Steinitz vs Anderssen, 1866
(C37) King's Gambit Accepted, 24 moves, 0-1
Anderssen vs Steinitz, 1866
(C51) Evans Gambit, 42 moves, 1-0
Steinitz vs Anderssen, 1866
(B20) Sicilian, 61 moves, 0-1
Steinitz vs Zukertort, 1886
(C45) Scotch Game, 46 moves, 0-1
Zukertort vs Steinitz, 1886
(D10) Queen's Gambit Declined Slav, 47 moves, 1-0
Steinitz vs Zukertort, 1886
(C67) Ruy Lopez, 39 moves, 0-1
Zukertort vs Steinitz, 1886
(D10) Queen's Gambit Declined Slav, 32 moves, 1-0
Zukertort vs Steinitz, 1886
(D35) Queen's Gambit Declined, 86 moves, 1-0
Chigorin vs Steinitz, 1889
(C52) Evans Gambit, 58 moves, 1-0
Chigorin vs Steinitz, 1889
(C62) Ruy Lopez, Old Steinitz Defense, 83 moves, 1-0
Steinitz vs Chigorin, 1889
(D02) Queen's Pawn Game, 37 moves, 0-1
Chigorin vs Steinitz, 1889
(C52) Evans Gambit, 34 moves, 1-0
Chigorin vs Steinitz, 1889
(C52) Evans Gambit, 31 moves, 1-0
Chigorin vs Steinitz, 1889
(C52) Evans Gambit, 64 moves, 1-0
Gunsberg vs Steinitz, 1890
(C50) Giuoco Piano, 57 moves, 1-0
Steinitz vs Gunsberg, 1890
(D20) Queen's Gambit Accepted, 28 moves, 0-1
Gunsberg vs Steinitz, 1891
(C52) Evans Gambit, 24 moves, 1-0
Gunsberg vs Steinitz, 1891
(C52) Evans Gambit, 21 moves, 1-0
Chigorin vs Steinitz, 1892
(C52) Evans Gambit, 31 moves, 1-0
Chigorin vs Steinitz, 1892
(C52) Evans Gambit, 28 moves, 1-0
Steinitz vs Chigorin, 1892
(C58) Two Knights, 24 moves, 0-1
Steinitz vs Chigorin, 1892
(C58) Two Knights, 30 moves, 0-1
Steinitz vs Chigorin, 1892
(C59) Two Knights, 26 moves, 0-1
Chigorin vs Steinitz, 1892
(C52) Evans Gambit, 47 moves, 1-0
Chigorin vs Steinitz, 1892
(C52) Evans Gambit, 39 moves, 1-0
Chigorin vs Steinitz, 1892
(C45) Scotch Game, 32 moves, 1-0
Steinitz vs Lasker, 1894
(C65) Ruy Lopez, Berlin Defense, 42 moves, 1-0
Steinitz vs Lasker, 1894
(C53) Giuoco Piano, 60 moves, 1-0
Lasker vs Steinitz, 1894
(C68) Ruy Lopez, Exchange, 55 moves, 0-1
Steinitz vs Lasker, 1894
(D46) Queen's Gambit Declined Semi-Slav, 46 moves, 1-0
Lasker vs Steinitz, 1894
(C50) Giuoco Piano, 51 moves, 0-1
Lasker vs Steinitz, 1896
(C71) Ruy Lopez, 30 moves, 0-1
Steinitz vs Lasker, 1896
(D50) Queen's Gambit Declined, 40 moves, 1-0
Lasker vs Tarrasch, 1908
(C98) Ruy Lopez, Closed, Chigorin, 44 moves, 0-1
Tarrasch vs Lasker, 1908
(C67) Ruy Lopez, 32 moves, 1-0
Tarrasch vs Lasker, 1908
(C49) Four Knights, 65 moves, 1-0
Schlechter vs Lasker, 1910
(C66) Ruy Lopez, 58 moves, 1-0
Capablanca vs Alekhine, 1927
(A47) Queen's Indian, 42 moves, 1-0
Capablanca vs Alekhine, 1927
(D52) Queen's Gambit Declined, 36 moves, 1-0
Bogoljubov vs Alekhine, 1929
(E22) Nimzo-Indian, Spielmann Variation, 38 moves, 1-0
Bogoljubov vs Alekhine, 1929
(E22) Nimzo-Indian, Spielmann Variation, 48 moves, 1-0
Alekhine vs Bogoljubov, 1929
(D52) Queen's Gambit Declined, 34 moves, 0-1
Bogoljubov vs Alekhine, 1929
(D11) Queen's Gambit Declined Slav, 71 moves, 1-0
Bogoljubov vs Alekhine, 1929
(C11) French, 51 moves, 1-0
Alekhine vs Bogoljubov, 1934
(D52) Queen's Gambit Declined, 81 moves, 0-1
Bogoljubov vs Alekhine, 1934
(D23) Queen's Gambit Accepted, 58 moves, 1-0
Alekhine vs Bogoljubov, 1934
(D11) Queen's Gambit Declined Slav, 39 moves, 0-1
Alekhine vs Euwe, 1935
(D17) Queen's Gambit Declined Slav, 30 moves, 1-0
Alekhine vs Euwe, 1935
(C15) French, Winawer, 41 moves, 1-0
Euwe vs Alekhine, 1935
(D81) Grunfeld, Russian Variation, 44 moves, 0-1
Alekhine vs Euwe, 1935
(C15) French, Winawer, 41 moves, 1-0
Alekhine vs Euwe, 1935
(C15) French, Winawer, 41 moves, 1-0
Euwe vs Alekhine, 1935
(D12) Queen's Gambit Declined Slav, 65 moves, 0-1
Alekhine vs Euwe, 1935
(D16) Queen's Gambit Declined Slav, 57 moves, 1-0
Euwe vs Alekhine, 1937
(D17) Queen's Gambit Declined Slav, 50 moves, 1-0
Euwe vs Alekhine, 1937
(D28) Queen's Gambit Accepted, Classical, 41 moves, 1-0
Euwe vs Alekhine, 1937
(D18) Queen's Gambit Declined Slav, Dutch, 68 moves, 1-0
Euwe vs Alekhine, 1937
(D19) Queen's Gambit Declined Slav, Dutch, 41 moves, 1-0
Botvinnik vs Bronstein, 1951
(E47) Nimzo-Indian, 4.e3 O-O 5.Bd3, 39 moves, 0-1
Botvinnik vs Bronstein, 1951
(E17) Queen's Indian, 39 moves, 0-1
Botvinnik vs Bronstein, 1951
(E45) Nimzo-Indian, 4.e3, Bronstein (Byrne) Variation, 35 moves, 0-1
Botvinnik vs Bronstein, 1951
(E69) King's Indian, Fianchetto, Classical Main line, 64 moves, 0-1
Bronstein vs Botvinnik, 1951
(A91) Dutch Defense, 38 moves, 1-0
Smyslov vs Botvinnik, 1954
(C15) French, Winawer, 50 moves, 1-0
Smyslov vs Botvinnik, 1954
(C18) French, Winawer, 25 moves, 1-0
Botvinnik vs Smyslov, 1954
(D22) Queen's Gambit Accepted, 37 moves, 0-1
Smyslov vs Botvinnik, 1954
(C79) Ruy Lopez, Steinitz Defense Deferred, 41 moves, 1-0
Botvinnik vs Smyslov, 1954
(E67) King's Indian, Fianchetto, 33 moves, 0-1
Botvinnik vs Smyslov, 1954
(E60) King's Indian Defense, 72 moves, 0-1
Smyslov vs Botvinnik, 1954
(A07) King's Indian Attack, 28 moves, 1-0
Smyslov vs Botvinnik, 1957
(B62) Sicilian, Richter-Rauzer, 41 moves, 0-1
Botvinnik vs Smyslov, 1957
(A16) English, 54 moves, 1-0
Botvinnik vs Smyslov, 1957
(E45) Nimzo-Indian, 4.e3, Bronstein (Byrne) Variation, 41 moves, 1-0
Smyslov vs Botvinnik, 1958
(B58) Sicilian, 41 moves, 1-0
Smyslov vs Botvinnik, 1958
(D98) Grunfeld, Russian, 24 moves, 1-0
Smyslov vs Botvinnik, 1958
(B12) Caro-Kann Defense, 55 moves, 1-0
Smyslov vs Botvinnik, 1958
(B11) Caro-Kann, Two Knights, 3...Bg4, 35 moves, 1-0
Botvinnik vs Smyslov, 1958
(A95) Dutch, Stonewall, 38 moves, 0-1
Botvinnik vs Tal, 1960
(A70) Benoni, Classical with 7.Nf3, 41 moves, 1-0
Tal vs Botvinnik, 1960
(B18) Caro-Kann, Classical, 58 moves, 0-1
Tal vs Botvinnik, 1961
(B18) Caro-Kann, Classical, 45 moves, 1-0
Tal vs Botvinnik, 1961
(B12) Caro-Kann Defense, 29 moves, 1-0
Tal vs Botvinnik, 1961
(C18) French, Winawer, 41 moves, 1-0
Botvinnik vs Tal, 1961
(E80) King's Indian, Samisch Variation, 83 moves, 0-1
Botvinnik vs Tal, 1961
(E81) King's Indian, Samisch, 75 moves, 0-1
90 games

» View all game collections by crwynn
» Search entire game collection library
» Clone this game collection (copy it to your account)
» FAQ: Help with Game Collections