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Middle game themes.
Compiled by Dr. Siggy
--*--

Dr. Tarrasch, "The Game of Chess" english transl., London 1935, page 97: - "Whereas in the opening far-seeing general strategy is the predominating factor, the middle game, which follows it without any sharp line of demarcation, is the time of tactical manoeuvres and attacks, of combinations, more or less hidden, and of the exploitation of mistakes. The middle game is chess 'in excelsis', the most beautiful part of the game, in which a lively imagination can exercise itself most fully and creatively in conjuring up magnificent combinations."

Pinning.
F Schubert vs Schlechter, 1915 
(D34) Queen's Gambit Declined, Tarrasch, 24 moves, 0-1

Pinning.
Alekhine vs Nimzowitsch, 1930 
(C17) French, Winawer, Advance, 30 moves, 1-0

Pinning.
Fischer vs Spassky, 1972 
(D37) Queen's Gambit Declined, 40 moves, 1/2-1/2

Double attacks. Passed pawns.
Tarrasch vs Tartakower, 1920 
(D08) Queen's Gambit Declined, Albin Counter Gambit, 39 moves, 1-0

Double attacks.
Bogoljubov vs Alekhine, 1929 
(C11) French, 51 moves, 1-0

Double attacks.
Menchik vs Graf-Stevenson, 1934 
(D32) Queen's Gambit Declined, Tarrasch, 30 moves, 0-1

Double attacks.
Ivanchuk vs Kasparov, 1994 
(B93) Sicilian, Najdorf, 6.f4, 39 moves, 1-0

Unguarded men; Rook on open file.
J Mieses vs Tarrasch, 1916 
(C45) Scotch Game, 31 moves, 0-1

Unguarded men.
Reti vs Alekhine, 1925 
(A00) Uncommon Opening, 40 moves, 0-1

Unguarded men.
Karpov vs Topalov, 1994 
(A32) English, Symmetrical Variation, 39 moves, 1-0

Destruction of a guard.
Rotlewi vs Rubinstein, 1907  
(D32) Queen's Gambit Declined, Tarrasch, 25 moves, 0-1

Destruction of a guard.
Duras vs E Cohn, 1911 
(C77) Ruy Lopez, 48 moves, 1-0

Destruction of a guard.
J Schulz Sr vs Kostic, 1926 
(D02) Queen's Pawn Game, 53 moves, 1-0

Illusory protection.
Bronstein vs W Winter, 1946 
(B77) Sicilian, Dragon, Yugoslav Attack, 27 moves, 0-1

Illusory protection.
Keres vs Korchnoi, 1952 
(A89) Dutch, Leningrad, Main Variation with Nc6, 22 moves, 1-0

Illusory protection.
Spassky vs Petrosian, 1967 
(C11) French, 37 moves, 1-0

Illusory protection.
Spassky vs A Ostl, 1990 
(A07) King's Indian Attack, 27 moves, 1-0

Discovered attacks.
Torre vs Lasker, 1925 
(A46) Queen's Pawn Game, 43 moves, 1-0

Discovered attacks.
Alekhine vs Flohr, 1931 
(D26) Queen's Gambit Accepted, 29 moves, 1-0

Discovered attacks.
Alekhine vs Keres, 1935 
(C79) Ruy Lopez, Steinitz Defense Deferred, 37 moves, 1-0

Imprisonment of a Bishop (the "Indian" problem).
Spielmann vs Tarrasch, 1912 
(C80) Ruy Lopez, Open, 41 moves, 0-1

Imprisonment of a Bishop.
Spassky vs Fischer, 1972 
(E56) Nimzo-Indian, 4.e3, Main line with 7...Nc6, 56 moves, 1-0

Capture of the Queen after her penetration to b2/b7.
Spassky vs Fischer, 1972 
(B97) Sicilian, Najdorf, 31 moves, 1-0

Capture of the Queen after her penetration to b2/b7.
Anand vs Kasparov, 1991 
(B93) Sicilian, Najdorf, 6.f4, 29 moves, 1-0

Capture of the Queen after her penetration to b2/b7.
Spassky vs Korchnoi, 2005 
(B45) Sicilian, Taimanov, 43 moves, 1-0

The forcible exposure of the King. Weak IQP.
Anderssen vs Paulsen, 1873 
(C41) Philidor Defense, 54 moves, 1-0

The forcible exposure of the King.
J Enevoldsen vs Nimzowitsch, 1933 
(A46) Queen's Pawn Game, 40 moves, 1-0

The forcible exposure of the King.
Keres vs Reshevsky, 1937 
(C88) Ruy Lopez, 35 moves, 1-0

The forcible exposure of the King.
Ivanchuk vs H Wang, 2012 
(E52) Nimzo-Indian, 4.e3, Main line with ...b6, 28 moves, 1-0

Attack with the f-pawn.
Alekhine vs Marshall, 1925 
(D06) Queen's Gambit Declined, 30 moves, 1-0

Attack along the f-file.
Stahlberg vs Alekhine, 1930 
(E23) Nimzo-Indian, Spielmann, 31 moves, 0-1

Attack along the f-file.
Unzicker vs Tal, 1975 
(B43) Sicilian, Kan, 5.Nc3, 32 moves, 1-0

Attack on the point f7/f2.
F Parr vs G Wheatcroft, 1938 
(D71) Neo-Grunfeld, 30 moves, 1-0

Attack on the point f7/f2.
Spassky vs H Pfleger, 1979 
(B17) Caro-Kann, Steinitz Variation, 20 moves, 1-0

The broken-up castled position.
Tarrasch vs Schwarzhaupt, 1884 
(C41) Philidor Defense, 19 moves, 1-0

The broken-up castled position.
H Kleefstra vs Euwe, 1933 
(A09) Reti Opening, 29 moves, 0-1

Attack along the g-file.
Bogoljubov vs J Mieses, 1925 
(A90) Dutch, 35 moves, 1-0

Attack along the g-file: Knight at f5/f4.
Alekhine vs Lasker, 1934 
(D67) Queen's Gambit Declined, Orthodox Defense, Bd3 line, 26 moves, 1-0

Knight sacrifice at g7/g2.
Tolush vs Kotov, 1945 
(B80) Sicilian, Scheveningen, 41 moves, 1-0

Attack along the h-file.
W Winter vs Koltanowski, 1936 
(E72) King's Indian, 26 moves, 1-0

Attack along the h-file.
Ivanchuk vs Anand, 1994 
(B32) Sicilian, 35 moves, 1-0

Attack along the h-file.
M Mansour vs U Flanders, 2006 
(B08) Pirc, Classical, 18 moves, 1-0

The point h3/h6 as a target for attack.
E Liubarski vs V Soultanbeieff, 1928 
(C53) Giuoco Piano, 18 moves, 0-1

Attack on h7/h2 with Queen and Bishop.
P Trifunovic vs Bogoljubov, 1951
(D43) Queen's Gambit Declined Semi-Slav, 42 moves, 0-1

Attack on h7/h2 with Queen and Bishop.
Spassky vs Bronstein, 1960 
(C36) King's Gambit Accepted, Abbazia Defense, 23 moves, 1-0

Bishop sacrifice at h7/h2.
Colle vs J J O'Hanlon, 1930 
(D05) Queen's Pawn Game, 20 moves, 1-0

Bishop sacrifice at h7/h2.
Spassky vs Geller, 1965 
(C92) Ruy Lopez, Closed, 44 moves, 1-0

Bishop sacrifice at h7/h2.
Polugaevsky vs Tal, 1969 
(D41) Queen's Gambit Declined, Semi-Tarrasch, 37 moves, 1-0

Two Bishops against castled position.
Morphy vs NN, 1858 
(C52) Evans Gambit, 27 moves, 1-0

Two Bishops against castled position.
Nimzowitsch vs Tarrasch, 1914  
(D30) Queen's Gambit Declined, 32 moves, 0-1

Two Bishops against castled position.
NN vs Tarrasch, 1915  
(C83) Ruy Lopez, Open, 26 moves, 0-1

Some possible dangers of castling on the Queen's side.
E Canal vs NN, 1934 
(B01) Scandinavian, 14 moves, 1-0

Some possible dangers of castling on the Queen's side.
Romanishin vs Ivanchuk, 1986 
(C02) French, Advance, 19 moves, 1-0

Some possible dangers of castling on the Queen's side.
Chandler vs Gulko, 1991 
(C41) Philidor Defense, 45 moves, 1-0

Smothered mate.
Tarrasch vs Kolb, 1894 
(000) Chess variants, 29 moves, 1-0

Smothered mate.
Unzicker vs O Sarapu, 1970 
(B29) Sicilian, Nimzovich-Rubinstein, 19 moves, 1-0

Smothered mate.
Timman vs Short, 1990 
(A93) Dutch, Stonewall, Botvinnik Variation, 30 moves, 1-0

Mate on the back rank: insufficient guard of the base.
Tarrasch vs Lasker, 1908 
(C67) Ruy Lopez, 32 moves, 1-0

Mate on the back rank: insufficient guard of the base.
E Z Adams vs Torre, 1920 
(C41) Philidor Defense, 23 moves, 1-0

Mate on the back rank: insufficient guard of the base.
Tarrasch vs Reti, 1922 
(B10) Caro-Kann, 40 moves, 1-0

Mate on the back rank: insufficient guard of the base.
Reti vs Bogoljubov, 1924  
(A13) English, 25 moves, 1-0

Mate on the back rank: insufficient guard of the base.
I Larsen vs Graf-Stevenson, 1939 
(D32) Queen's Gambit Declined, Tarrasch, 26 moves, 0-1

Perpetual check.
P S Leonhardt vs Tarrasch, 1920 
(C12) French, McCutcheon, 57 moves, 1/2-1/2

Perpetual check.
Alekhine vs A J Mesiroff, 1933 
(B07) Pirc, 24 moves, 1/2-1/2

Rook on open file and 7th rank. Good Knight vs bad Bishop.
Alekhine vs Yates, 1922  
(D63) Queen's Gambit Declined, Orthodox Defense, 38 moves, 1-0

Rook on open file and 7th rank.
Kasparov vs Topalov, 1999 
(B07) Pirc, 44 moves, 1-0

Passed pawn: blockade.
Marshall vs Tarrasch, 1912 
(B20) Sicilian, 90 moves, 0-1

Passed pawn.
Bogoljubov vs Alekhine, 1922 
(A90) Dutch, 53 moves, 0-1

Passed pawn.
Alekhine vs N E Schwartz, 1926 
(E62) King's Indian, Fianchetto, 54 moves, 1-0

Passed pawn(s).
Spassky vs T Ghitescu, 1967 
(A56) Benoni Defense, 36 moves, 1-0

Passed pawn(s).
Spassky vs J Penrose, 1969 
(E80) King's Indian, Samisch Variation, 49 moves, 1-0

Passed pawn.
Petrosian vs Fischer, 1971 
(D32) Queen's Gambit Declined, Tarrasch, 40 moves, 0-1

Passed pawn.
Ivanchuk vs Carlsen, 2008 
(D94) Grunfeld, 39 moves, 1-0

Advanced pawns (with the two Bishops).
B Richter vs Tarrasch, 1888 
(C67) Ruy Lopez, 46 moves, 0-1

Advanced pawn.
Alekhine vs Rubinstein, 1921 
(D02) Queen's Pawn Game, 51 moves, 1-0

The point c6/c3 as a target for attack.
Tarrasch / allies vs Paulsen / allies, 1888 
(D10) Queen's Gambit Declined Slav, 49 moves, 1-0

The point c6/c3 as a target for attack.
Petrov vs R Grau, 1939 
(D02) Queen's Pawn Game, 36 moves, 1-0

The point c6/c3 as a target for attack.
Alekhine vs M Mampel, 1944
(D02) Queen's Pawn Game, 36 moves, 1-0

The point b3/b6 as a target for attack: turning a flank.
Lasker vs Showalter, 1896 
(C42) Petrov Defense, 64 moves, 1-0

The point b3/b6 as a target for attack: turning a flank.
J Enevoldsen vs Alekhine, 1939 
(E33) Nimzo-Indian, Classical, 37 moves, 0-1

The "Plachutta" cutting point theme.
Tarrasch vs Marotti / Napoli / de Simone / del, 1914  
(A03) Bird's Opening, 31 moves, 1-0

81 games

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