Immortal Game: Georg Rotlewi vs Akiba Rubenstein (1907)

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Akiba Rubinstein was a Polish chess grandmaster known as one of the strongest players who never had to become World Champion. During his prime in the 1900s, many players considered him the best player in the world and a world championship match against Emanuel Lasker was planned but never took place because of the outbreak of World War I. He earned the right to challenge Lasker for the world title, but World War I happened before the match could occur. Later, financial difficulties and the rise of other stars such as Jose Raul Capablanca prevented him from getting another title opportunity. Many chess players and writers rank him among the greatest players never to hold the world championship.

In 1907, he played what was considered Rubinstein's Immortal against Georg Rotlewi. His attack and queen sacrifice is still featured in chess books and instructional materials more than a century later. Here is the game.

Georg Rotlewi vs Akiba Rubenstein (1907)

The game started with 1. d4 d5 2. Nf3 e6 3. e3 c5 4. c4 Nc6 5. Nc3 Nf6

The Tarrasch variation of the Queen's Gambit. It leads to an isolated d pawn for Black. 6. dxc5 Bxc5 7. a3 a6 8. b4 Bd6 9. Bb2 O-O 10. Qd2 Qe7

Preparing to open the d file and move his Rook to d8. 11. Bd3 dxc4 12. Bxc4 b5 13. Bd3 Rd8 14. Qe2 Bb7

Black has fully developed while White has yet to castle. 15. O-O Ne5 16. Nxe5 Bxe5 17. f4 Bc7 18. e4 Rac8

White's position looks loose and his King vulnerable with the g2-a7 diagonal open. 19. e5 Bb6+ 20. Kh1 Ng4

Nimzowitsch in his book, My System calls these the Horwitz Bishops. They are trained on the opponent's King ready for a mating attack. 21. Be4 Qh4 22. g3 Rxc3

A Queen sacrifice leading to a mating attack. 23. gxh4 Rd2

Diverting the Queen from defending the Bishop on e4. 24. Qxd2 Bxe4+ 25. Qg2 Rh3

Beautiful combination. White cannot defend against Rxh2 mate. 26. Qxe4 Rxh2# 0-1

Game link: https://lichess.org/study/N0Mm9Lfn/G6yAVcHA

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