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The Immortal Game: Anderssen vs Kieseritzky (1851)

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This 1851 casual game between Adolf Anderssen and Lionel Kieseritzky became known as the Immortal Game. Its published score ends with White giving up both rooks and the queen before mating with three minor pieces.

On this page
  1. Critical decisions
  2. Replay with move-by-move board facts
  3. PGN
  4. Sources and checking
  5. Continue with another game
White
Adolf Anderssen
Black
Lionel Kieseritzky
Event
London (casual)
Year
1851
Result
1-0
Opening
C33 King's Gambit Accepted: Bishop's Gambit, Bryan Countergambit

Opening reference: King's Gambit Accepted: Bishop's Gambit, Bryan Countergambit (C33).

In this game, 20 half-moves are labelled opening, 25 middlegame and 0 endgame. The score contains 9 captures and 5 checks or mates; before a recorded move, the position offered a median of 31 legal choices. The final recorded move is 23.Be7#, which is checkmate; the stored result is 1-0.

Critical decisions

The daily trainer uses a short set of positions from this complete score. Each link goes to the exact half-move rather than only the numbered move.

  1. 6.Nf3 — Develop the knight6.Nf3 was a leading choice in the fixed engine check.
  2. 11.Rg1 — Move 11 — Rg1!, the bishop stays en prise11.Rg1 was a leading choice in the fixed engine check.
  3. 16.Nc3 — Develop the knight16.Nc3 was a leading choice in the fixed engine check.
  4. 23.Be7# — Moves 21-23 — queen sacrifice and mate23.Be7# was a leading choice in the fixed engine check.

Replay with move-by-move board facts

The board, fact panel and transcript use the same legal score. “Fixed engine check” means Stockfish 17.1, one thread, a fixed 25,000-node search and 3 candidate lines. It compares moves under one reproducible setting; it does not claim to reconstruct a player’s thoughts.

♜♞♝♛♚♝♞♜♟♟♟♟♟♟♟♟♟♟♟♟♟♟♟♟♜♞♝♛♚♝♞♜
Adolf Anderssen vs Lionel Kieseritzky, 1851

Start position

Use Previous and Next on the board, or select a move in the transcript. The board fact and fixed engine check remain visible until you choose another move.

Opening · 1.e4 to 10...Nf6

  1. 1.e4 Claim central space

    Board fact: White moves the pawn from e2 to e4; from there it controls d5 and f5.

    Fixed engine check: Ranked first · e4 e5 Nf3 Nc6.

    Moves 1-4 — the King's Gambit, and a king on f12.f4 offers the f-pawn to open the f-file and speed development. After 3...Qh4+ 4.Kf1, White loses castling rights; Black's queen will later have to answer h4-h5 by moving repeatedly.
  2. 1...e5 Claim central space

    Board fact: Black moves the pawn from e7 to e5; from there it controls d4 and f4.

    Fixed engine check: Ranked first · e5 Nf3 Nc6 d4.

  3. 2.f4 Change the pawn structure

    Board fact: White moves the pawn from f2 to f4; the move changes the central pawn contact; from f4 it attacks Black's pawn on e5.

    Fixed engine check: Playable; Nf3 ranked higher · f4 exf4.

  4. 2...exf4 Exchange on f4

    Board fact: Black's pawn takes the pawn on f4; the move changes the central pawn contact; Black accepts doubled pawns on the f-file; black is ahead by 1 conventional material point after the capture.

    Fixed engine check: Ranked first · exf4 Nf3 d5 exd5.

  5. 3.Bc4 Develop the bishop

    Board fact: White develops the bishop from f1 to c4; from c4 it attacks Black's pawn on f7.

    Fixed engine check: Ranked first · Bc4 Qh4+ Kf1 d5.

  6. 3...Qh4+ A forcing check

    Board fact: Black moves the queen from d8 to h4; the move checks White's king; from h4 it attacks White's pawn on h2.

    Fixed engine check: Near the leading choice · Qh4+ Kf1 d5 exd5.

  7. 4.Kf1 Answering the check

    Board fact: White answers the check by moving the king from e1 to f1; from f1 it reinforces the knight on g1.

    Fixed engine check: Ranked first · Kf1.

  8. 4...b5 Create pressure on c4

    Board fact: Black moves the pawn from b7 to b5; from b5 it attacks White's bishop on c4.

    Fixed engine check: Playable; d5 ranked higher · b5.

  9. 5.Bxb5 Exchange on b5

    Board fact: White's bishop takes the pawn on b5; from b5 it attacks Black's pawn on d7; material is level after the capture.

    Fixed engine check: Ranked first · Bxb5 g5 Nf3 Qh5.

  10. 5...Nf6 Develop the knight

    Board fact: Black develops the knight from g8 to f6; from f6 it attacks White's pawn on e4.

    Fixed engine check: Ranked first · Nf6 Qe2.

  11. 6.Nf3 Develop the knight

    Board fact: White develops the knight from g1 to f3; from f3 it attacks Black's queen on h4.

    Fixed engine check: Ranked first · Nf3 Qh6 Nc3.

  12. 6...Qh6 Create pressure on h2

    Board fact: Black moves the queen from h4 to h6; from h6 it attacks White's pawn on h2.

    Fixed engine check: Ranked first · Qh6 Nc3.

  13. 7.d3 Advance the d-pawn

    Board fact: White moves the pawn from d2 to d3; from there it controls e4 and c4.

    Fixed engine check: Playable; Nc3 ranked higher · d3 Nc6 Qe1 g5.

  14. 7...Nh5 Reroute the knight

    Board fact: Black moves the knight from f6 to h5; from there it controls f4 and f6.

    Fixed engine check: Recorded move; c6 ranked higher · Nh5 Ke1 c6 Ba4.

  15. 8.Nh4 Reroute the knight

    Board fact: White moves the knight from f3 to h4; from there it controls f3 and f5.

    Fixed engine check: Recorded move; Rg1 ranked higher · Nh4.

  16. 8...Qg5 Create pressure on b5

    Board fact: Black moves the queen from h6 to g5; from g5 it attacks White's bishop on b5 and White's knight on h4.

    Fixed engine check: Ranked first · Qg5 Nf5 g6 h4.

  17. 9.Nf5 Create pressure on g7

    Board fact: White moves the knight from h4 to f5; from f5 it attacks Black's pawn on g7.

    Fixed engine check: Ranked first · Nf5 g6.

  18. 9...c6 Create pressure on b5

    Board fact: Black moves the pawn from c7 to c6; from c6 it attacks White's bishop on b5.

    Fixed engine check: Near the leading choice · c6 h4 Qg6 Ba4.

  19. 10.g4 Create pressure on h5

    Board fact: White moves the pawn from g2 to g4; from g4 it attacks Black's knight on h5.

    Fixed engine check: Near the leading choice · g4 g6.

  20. 10...Nf6 Create pressure on e4

    Board fact: Black moves the knight from h5 to f6; from f6 it attacks White's pawn on e4 and White's pawn on g4.

    Fixed engine check: Playable; g6 ranked higher · Nf6 Rg1.

Middlegame · 11.Rg1 to 23.Be7#

  1. 11.Rg1 Improve the rook

    Board fact: White moves the rook from h1 to g1; from g1 it reinforces the pawn on g4.

    Fixed engine check: Ranked first · Rg1 h5.

    Move 11 — Rg1!, the bishop stays en priseAnderssen calmly leaves his bishop hanging on b5. 11.Rg1 declines to save it; after 11...cxb5 12.h4 the black queen is hounded from square to square while White's pieces flood forward.
  2. 11...cxb5 Exchange on b5

    Board fact: Black's pawn takes the bishop on b5; the move changes the central pawn contact; black is ahead by 3 conventional material points after the capture.

    Fixed engine check: Near the leading choice · cxb5 Nc3.

  3. 12.h4 Create pressure on g5

    Board fact: White moves the pawn from h2 to h4; from h4 it attacks Black's queen on g5.

    Fixed engine check: Ranked first · h4 Qg6 h5 Qg5.

  4. 12...Qg6 Create pressure on f5

    Board fact: Black moves the queen from g5 to g6; from g6 it attacks White's knight on f5 and White's pawn on g4.

    Fixed engine check: Ranked first · Qg6.

  5. 13.h5 Create pressure on g6

    Board fact: White moves the pawn from h4 to h5; from h5 it attacks Black's queen on g6.

    Fixed engine check: Ranked first · h5 Nxh5 gxh5 Qf6.

  6. 13...Qg5 Create pressure on f5

    Board fact: Black moves the queen from g6 to g5; from g5 it attacks White's knight on f5 and White's pawn on g4.

    Fixed engine check: Ranked first · Qg5 Qf3 Nc6 Bxf4.

  7. 14.Qf3 Create pressure on f4

    Board fact: White moves the queen from d1 to f3; from f3 it attacks Black's pawn on f4.

    Fixed engine check: Ranked first · Qf3 Nc6 Bxf4 Nxg4.

  8. 14...Ng8 Reroute the knight

    Board fact: Black moves the knight from f6 to g8; from there it controls f6.

    Fixed engine check: Ranked first · Ng8 Bxf4.

  9. 15.Bxf4 Exchange on f4

    Board fact: White's bishop takes the pawn on f4; from f4 it attacks Black's queen on g5 and Black's knight on b8; black is ahead by 2 conventional material points after the capture.

    Fixed engine check: Ranked first · Bxf4 Qf6 Nc3 g5.

  10. 15...Qf6 Create pressure on f5

    Board fact: Black moves the queen from g5 to f6; from f6 it attacks White's knight on f5 and White's pawn on b2.

    Fixed engine check: Near the leading choice · Qf6 Nc3 Qc6 a4.

  11. 16.Nc3 Develop the knight

    Board fact: White develops the knight from b1 to c3; from c3 it attacks Black's pawn on b5.

    Fixed engine check: Ranked first · Nc3 g5 Bg3 Nc6.

  12. 16...Bc5 Develop the bishop

    Board fact: Black develops the bishop from f8 to c5; from c5 it attacks White's rook on g1.

    Fixed engine check: Recorded move; g5 ranked higher · Bc5 d4 Bf8 Be5.

  13. 17.Nd5 Create pressure on f6

    Board fact: White moves the knight from c3 to d5; from d5 it attacks Black's queen on f6.

    Fixed engine check: Recorded move; d4 ranked higher · Nd5 Qxb2 Re1 g6.

  14. 17...Qxb2 Exchange on b2

    Board fact: Black's queen takes the pawn on b2; from b2 it attacks White's rook on a1 and White's pawn on a2; black is ahead by 3 conventional material points after the capture.

    Fixed engine check: Ranked first · Qxb2 Re1.

  15. 18.Bd6 Create pressure on b8

    Board fact: White moves the bishop from f4 to d6; from d6 it attacks Black's knight on b8 and Black's bishop on c5.

    Fixed engine check: Recorded move; Re1 ranked higher · Bd6.

    Move 18 — Bd6!!, both rooks offeredWith 18.Bd6, Anderssen ignores both rooks. Kieseritzky takes them with 18...Bxg1 19.e5 Qxa1+; in return, White's bishop on d6 and knights on d5 and f5 surround the king.
  16. 18...Bxg1 Exchange on g1

    Board fact: Black's bishop takes the rook on g1; from g1 it reinforces the pawn on a7; black is ahead by 8 conventional material points after the capture.

    Fixed engine check: Recorded move; Qxa1+ ranked higher · Bxg1 Re1 Bb6 c3.

  17. 19.e5 Claim central space

    Board fact: White moves the pawn from e4 to e5; from there it controls d6 and f6.

    Fixed engine check: Near the leading choice · e5.

  18. 19...Qxa1+ Capture with check on a1

    Board fact: Black's queen takes the rook on a1; the move checks White's king; from a1 it attacks White's pawn on a2 and White's pawn on e5; black is ahead by 13 conventional material points after the capture.

    Fixed engine check: Ranked first · Qxa1+ Ke2.

  19. 20.Ke2 Answering the check

    Board fact: White answers the check by moving the king from f1 to e2; from there it controls d3, e3 and f3.

    Fixed engine check: Ranked first · Ke2.

  20. 20...Na6 Develop the knight

    Board fact: Black develops the knight from b8 to a6; from there it controls c5.

    Fixed engine check: Recorded move; Ba6 ranked higher · Na6 Nxg7+ Kd8 Qf6+.

  21. 21.Nxg7+ Capture with check on g7

    Board fact: White's knight takes the pawn on g7; the move checks Black's king; from g7 it reinforces the pawn on h5; black is ahead by 12 conventional material points after the capture.

    Fixed engine check: Ranked first · Nxg7+ Kd8 Qxf7 Qe1+.

    Moves 21-23 — queen sacrifice and mate21.Nxg7+ Kd8 22.Qf6+ Nxf6 23.Be7# gives the queen to deflect the g8-knight. The stored score follows the traditional published continuation to 23.Be7#, where the e7-bishop and knights on d5 and g7 form the mating net.
  22. 21...Kd8 Answering the check

    Board fact: Black answers the check by moving the king from e8 to d8; from d8 it reinforces the bishop on c8.

    Fixed engine check: Ranked first · Kd8 Qf6+ Nxf6 Be7#.

  23. 22.Qf6+ A forcing check

    Board fact: White moves the queen from f3 to f6; the move checks Black's king; from f6 it attacks Black's pawn on f7.

    Fixed engine check: Ranked first · Qf6+ Nxf6 Be7#.

  24. 22...Nxf6 Answering the check

    Board fact: Black's knight takes the queen on f6; from f6 it attacks White's knight on d5 and White's pawn on g4; black is ahead by 21 conventional material points after the capture.

    Fixed engine check: Ranked first · Nxf6 Be7#.

  25. 23.Be7# Checkmate

    Board fact: White's bishop moves from d6 to e7 and delivers checkmate; Black's king has no legal way to answer the attack.

    Fixed engine check: Ranked first · Be7#.

PGN

[Event "London (casual)"] [Site "?"] [Date "1851.??.??"] [White "Anderssen, Adolf"] [Black "Kieseritzky, Lionel"] [Result "1-0"] 1. e4 e5 2. f4 exf4 3. Bc4 Qh4+ 4. Kf1 b5 5. Bxb5 Nf6 6. Nf3 Qh6 7. d3 Nh5 8. Nh4 Qg5 9. Nf5 c6 10. g4 Nf6 11. Rg1 cxb5 12. h4 Qg6 13. h5 Qg5 14. Qf3 Ng8 15. Bxf4 Qf6 16. Nc3 Bc5 17. Nd5 Qxb2 18. Bd6 Bxg1 19. e5 Qxa1+ 20. Ke2 Na6 21. Nxg7+ Kd8 22. Qf6+ Nxf6 23. Be7# 1-0

Sources and checking

Score source: Chess Database, version 1 by Ana Schaigorodsky (2016), licensed under CC BY 4.0. LibreChess selected the exact score identified by sha256:492bc1df8e5de71dd346cd26d07b8be65d11035929ba6af58ec917fe30054050 and pins it in the selection manifest.
Exact Figshare tags:
White="Anderssen, Adolf"; Black="Kieseritzky, Lionel"; Event="London 'Immortal game'"; Date="1851.??.??"; Result="1-0".
Reviewed display mapping: event London 'Immortal game' → London (casual). LibreChess parsed the main line with chess.js and stores normalised SAN. Source comments, side variations and termination detail were not retained.

LibreChess checks every SAN move with chess.js and compares the result and move sequence with a stored reference. The engine comparison was calculated offline from the fixed settings above; it is not a source for historical claims or a substitute for the authored notes. No termination is inferred where the imported score does not preserve one.

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