Peruvian Immortal

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This article uses algebraic notation to describe chess moves.

The Peruvian Immortal is the name given to a spectacular chess game played by the Peruvian master (later grandmaster) Esteban Canal against an unknown amateur in a simultaneous exhibition he gave at Budapest in 1934.[1][2] In just 14 moves, Canal sacrificed both his rooks and his queen, finishing with Boden's mate.

Du Mont calls it, "A charming game."[3] Irving Chernev writes, "A man might play a million games of chess and never duplicate Canal's feat. Believe it or not, he sacrifices his queen and both rooks!"[4] Fred Reinfeld writes, "When Anderssen sacrificed two Rooks, the Queen etc. against Kieseritzky, the finished product was described as "the immortal game." It might be more accurate to call it "an immortal game, for since that time there have been many claimants to the title. Not the least deserving is [this] little gem, on which Canal may have lavished something less than five minutes. The game has the blazing quality of a Liszt improvisation."[5] Here is the game:

Image:chess zhor 26.png
Image:chess zver 26.png a8 b8 c8 kd d8 rd e8 f8 g8 nd h8 rd Image:chess zver 26.png
a7 pd b7 pd c7 d7 nd e7 f7 pd g7 pd h7 pd
a6 b6 c6 pd d6 e6 pd f6 g6 h6
a5 qd b5 c5 d5 e5 f5 g5 h5
a4 b4 bd c4 d4 pl e4 f4 bl g4 h4
a3 pl b3 c3 nl d3 e3 f3 ql g3 h3 pl
a2 b2 pl c2 pl d2 e2 bl f2 pl g2 pl h2
a1 rl b1 c1 d1 e1 kl f1 g1 h1 rl
Image:chess zhor 26.png
Position after 10...0-0-0??

Canal-N.N., Budapest 1934
Center Counter Game

1.e4 d5
2.exd5 Qxd5
3.Nc3 Qa5
4.d4 c6
5.Nf3 Bg4
6.Bf4 e6
7.h3 Bxf3
8.Qxf3 Bb4
9.Be2 Nd7
10.a3 O-O-O??

In another book, Reinfeld writes, "Black mistakenly thinks that [11.axb4] is out of the question. But White, seeing further ahead and relying on his excellent attacking position, has a stunning surprise continuation."[6] Iakov Neishtadt writes, "Black is convinced that his opponent cannot take the Bishop. This would indeed have been the case if he had played not 10...0-0-0, but 10...Ngf6."[7] Seirawan and Minev summarize, "Motto: Think twice before castling on the Queenside!" [8]

11.axb4!! Qxa1+
12.Kd2! Qxh1

Reinfeld writes (converting his descriptive notation to algebraic notation), "Microscopically preferable was 12...Ne5 13.Bxe5 Qxh1 14.Qxf7 Rd7 (amusing would be 14...Ne7 15.Qxe6+! Rd7 16.Bg4 Rhd8 17.Qd6! forcing mate) 15.Qe8+ Rd8 16.Qxe6+ Rd7 17.Qd8+ Rd8 18.Bg4#!"[9]

13.Qxc6+! bxc6
14.Ba6#

[edit] References

  1. ^ The Peruvian Immortal Game at GameKnot
  2. ^ Peruvian Immortal at Only Chess
  3. ^ J. du Mont, 200 Miniature Games of Chess, David McKay, 1965, p. 191.
  4. ^ Irving Chernev, The 1000 Best Short Games of Chess: A Treasury of Masterpieces in Miniature, Simon & Schuster, 1955, p. 96 (game 212).
  5. ^ Fred Reinfeld, Chess: Win in 20 Moves or Less, Barnes & Noble Books, 1973, p. 87. SBN 06-463358-2
  6. ^ Fred Reinfeld, How to Win Chess Games Quickly, 1957, Barnes & Noble, Inc., p. 64. SBN 389-00227-5
  7. ^ Iakov Neishtadt, Catastrophe in the Opening, Pergamon Press, 1980, p. 172. ISBN 0-08-024097-6
  8. ^ Yasser Seirawan and Nikolay Minev, Take My Rooks, International Chess Enterprises, 1991, p. 13. ISBN 1-879479-01-X
  9. ^ Chess: Win in 20 Moves or Less, p. 87.

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