The strength of a kingdom comes from its king. The strength of a king comes from his queen.
– Cody Edward Lee Miller
Today’s game features two Soviet world class grandmasters, Salomon Flohr and Efim Geller. It was played in the 1949 USSR Championship. The game is included in the list of ‘Ten greatest moves of all time’.
Geller played the black pieces and on his 43rd move played the unassuming 43…Kg7!! Brilliancies are created from the unassuming move. The leading chess computer of the day, Stockfish, missed the move completely. But Geller saw it. He calculated deep into the move. It was as beautiful as it was remarkable.
World class chess players are trained not to waste a move. If they do, the kingdom is smitten, the centre cannot hold and things fall apart.
USSR Championship, 1949
White: Salomon Flohr
Black: Efim Geller
1. d4Nf6 2. c4g6 3. Nc3Bg7 4. e4d6 5. Nf3O-O 6. Be2e5 7. dxe5dxe5 8. Qxd8Rxd8 9. Bg5Nbd7 10. Nd5c6 11. Ne7+Kf8 12. Nxc8Rdxc8 13. Nd2Nc5 14. f3Ke8 15. Be3Bf8 16. Bxc5Bxc5 17. Nb3Bb4+ 18. Kd1a5 19. a3Be7 20. a4Nd7 21. Kc2Nf8 22. Rac1Ne6 23. Kb1Bc5 24. g3Ra6 25. Bf1Rb6 26. Kc2Rb4 27. Bh3Rxc4+ 28. Kb1Rxc1+ 29. Rxc1Bb4 30. Nc5Bxc5 31. Bxe6fxe6 32. Rxc5b6 33. Rxe5Kf7 34. Rg5Rd8 35. Kc2Rd4 36. b3Kf6 37. h4e5 38. Rg4b5 39. axb5cxb5 40. Kc3a4 41. bxa4bxa4 42. f4Rxe4 43. Kd3Kg7 44. h5a3 45. Kxe4a2 46. hxg6hxg6 47. Rg5a1=Q 48. Rxe5Qc3 49. Rg5Kf6 50. Kd5Qd3+ 51. Kc5Kf7 52. Kc6Qd4 53. Kb5Qc3 54. Kb6Qc4 55. Kb7Qe6 56. Kc7Kf6 57. Kb7Qd6 58. Kc8Qc6+ 59. Kd8Qb7 60. Re5Qb6+ 61. Kc8Kf7. 0-1.
