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Great Games of Chess History

Four short lessons on what famous old games teach: getting your pieces out, opening lines, a sacrifice that pays, and calm in the endgame — with games to replay.

Spark & Whetstone · sparkwhetstone.org/learn/great-games-of-chess-history · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0. Answers are at the end, so you can try each question first.

Lesson 1. Get your pieces out

In 1858, at the Paris Opera, Paul Morphy played a duke and a count who were consulting together. He won in seventeen moves, and the game is still shown to beginners today.

The lesson is not a trick. Morphy simply brought his pieces into play quickly while his opponents spent moves grabbing material and moving the same pieces twice. When the attack came, almost all of his army was ready and almost none of theirs was.

A sound habit for any game: in the opening, bring a new piece into play with most moves, and leave pawn-grabbing for later.

Question. What mostly decided Morphy's famous Opera game?

  1. A rare opening trap.
  2. Having far more pieces ready to play than his opponents.
  3. His opponents running out of time.

Say it back. In your own words: what opening habit does the Opera game teach, and why does it work?

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Lesson 2. The power of open lines

Long-range pieces — rooks, bishops and the queen — are only as strong as the lines they can travel along. A rook behind its own pawns is a spectator. A rook on an open file can reach the far side of the board in one move.

Many famous attacks begin with a player opening a line towards the enemy king, sometimes giving up material to do it. Once the line is open, the long-range pieces pour through.

When you are unsure what to do, ask: which of my pieces has nowhere to go, and how could I give it a line?

Question. Why is a rook on an open file usually stronger than one behind its own pawns?

  1. It is worth more points there.
  2. It can actually move along the line and reach the other side.
  3. It is protected by the king.

Say it back. Say it back: why do long-range pieces need open lines, and what question can you ask when you are stuck?

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Lesson 3. A sacrifice that pays

In 1852, in Berlin, Adolf Anderssen let his opponent take a knight, then gave up a rook and his queen — and checkmated three moves later. The game became known as the Evergreen Game; you can replay it on the Great Games page.

A real sacrifice is not a gamble. Anderssen gave material because what he got in return was worth more: time, open lines, and a king with no defenders nearby. He was counting, just counting something other than points.

The test of any sacrifice is the same: what do I get for it, and can my opponent refuse it? If the answer is "nothing much" or "yes, easily", keep the piece.

Question. What makes a sacrifice sound rather than a gamble?

  1. It is surprising.
  2. What you gain in return is worth more than what you give.
  3. It gives up the most valuable piece.

Say it back. In your own words: what two questions test whether a sacrifice is worth making?

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Lesson 4. Calm in the endgame

When most pieces are gone, the game changes character. The king, which hid all game, becomes a fighting piece and should walk towards the centre.

Endgames reward patience more than brilliance. Small things matter: a pawn one square further forward, a king one step closer. Many games that look drawn are won by the player who calmly improves their position one move at a time.

Replay an old endgame slowly and notice how often the winning side makes a quiet move rather than a capture.

Question. In the endgame, what should usually happen to your king?

  1. Keep it hidden in the corner.
  2. Bring it towards the centre as an active piece.
  3. Trade it for a rook.

Say it back. Say it back: how does the king's job change in the endgame, and why?

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At the table: The replay table

Players: 2, any ages. You'll need: A chessboard, or the Great Games page on one device.

  1. Open a Great Game (the Opera game is a good start) and set up the board.
  2. Play through it slowly, one move at a time. Before each move, both guess what comes next.
  3. At the end, each person names the one move they would remember.
  4. Play a game of your own and try to use that idea once.

Answers

  1. Having far more pieces ready to play than his opponents. — Morphy developed quickly while his opponents did not, so his attack met an army that was mostly still at home.
  2. It can actually move along the line and reach the other side. — A rook's power is its range. On an open file it can travel the length of the board; behind its own pawns it cannot move at all.
  3. What you gain in return is worth more than what you give. — A sound sacrifice trades material for something worth more — time, open lines, a defenceless king — that the opponent cannot easily turn down.
  4. Bring it towards the centre as an active piece. — With most pieces gone, the king is safe enough to become a strong attacker and defender, so it walks towards the middle of the board.