Immortal Game

The Immortal Game in chess was played during its romantic period, on June 21, 1851 in London, during a break in the first international tournament. Adolf Anderssen defeated Lionel Kieseritzky by sacrificing both rooks, a bishop, and ultimately his queen in order gain positional advantage that facilitated checkmate.

The bold style used in this game was characteristic of that period in chess, and something many today reminisce for a return to. A chess computer program named Houdini adopts the romantic style of bold attacks rather than more defensive play for long-run advantage.

The accounts of this game are among the finest in literature about chess.