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100 Best Games of the 20th Century
Compiled by rpn4
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All games are annotated by GM Andrew Soltis in his book "The 100 Best Games of the 20th Century". Games missing are No. 85 Idigoras - Planno, Mar del Plata 1955, No. 73 Ivkov - Portisch, Bled 1961, No. 38 Flohr - Rellstab, Hastings 1931/32, No. 22 Checkover - Kasparyan, Erevan 1936, and No. 15 Johansson - Tegelman, Correspondance 1933/35.

No. 100
Mason vs Janowski, 1902 
(C78) Ruy Lopez, 65 moves, 1-0

No. 99
M Stean vs Browne, 1974 
(B94) Sicilian, Najdorf, 32 moves, 1-0

No. 98
Janowski vs Tarrasch, 1905 
(D02) Queen's Pawn Game, 37 moves, 1-0

No. 97
Capablanca vs K Treybal, 1929 
(D11) Queen's Gambit Declined Slav, 58 moves, 1-0

No. 96
F Lazard vs A Gibaud, 1909 
(C54) Giuoco Piano, 25 moves, 1-0

No. 95
Fischer vs Tal, 1962 
(B32) Sicilian, 63 moves, 1-0

No. 94
Szabo vs Botvinnik, 1952 
(A94) Dutch, Stonewall with Ba3, 78 moves, 1/2-1/2

No. 93
Rubinstein vs Hromadka, 1923 
(C30) King's Gambit Declined, 29 moves, 1-0

No. 92
Duras vs Teichmann, 1906 
(C87) Ruy Lopez, 64 moves, 1-0

No. 91
Tal vs H Hecht, 1962 
(E12) Queen's Indian, 49 moves, 1-0

No. 90
G Ilivitsky vs Polugaevsky, 1953 
(D48) Queen's Gambit Declined Semi-Slav, Meran, 44 moves, 0-1

No. 89
Karpov vs Kasparov, 1985 
(B44) Sicilian, 40 moves, 0-1

No. 88
Gligoric vs Petrosian, 1954 
(A56) Benoni Defense, 36 moves, 1-0

No. 87
H Olafsson vs J Levitt, 1990 
(A30) English, Symmetrical, 28 moves, 1-0

No. 86
Rubinstein vs Spielmann, 1912  
(A84) Dutch, 42 moves, 0-1

No. 84
Szabo vs Benko, 1975 
(A22) English, 77 moves, 1-0

No. 83
Tarrasch vs Spielmann, 1912 
(C78) Ruy Lopez, 32 moves, 0-1

No. 82
Keres vs Reshevsky, 1953 
(E41) Nimzo-Indian, 41 moves, 1/2-1/2

No. 81
Geller vs Karpov, 1976 
(C16) French, Winawer, 42 moves, 1-0

No. 80
Ivanchuk vs A Yusupov, 1991 
(E67) King's Indian, Fianchetto, 39 moves, 0-1

No. 79
Kasparov vs Shirov, 1994 
(B33) Sicilian, 38 moves, 1-0

No. 78
Petrosian vs Gligoric, 1970 
(E97) King's Indian, 33 moves, 0-1

No. 77
A Nimzowitsch vs Rubinstein, 1928 
(A06) Reti Opening, 32 moves, 1-0

No. 76
Petrosian vs Unzicker, 1960 
(D30) Queen's Gambit Declined, 55 moves, 1-0

No. 75
Botvinnik vs Portisch, 1968 
(A22) English, 26 moves, 1-0

No. 74
Bogoljubov vs M Monticelli, 1930 
(E21) Nimzo-Indian, Three Knights, 39 moves, 0-1

No. 72
Lilienthal vs Capablanca, 1935 
(E24) Nimzo-Indian, Samisch, 26 moves, 1-0

No. 71
Gruenfeld vs Alekhine, 1923 
(D64) Queen's Gambit Declined, Orthodox, Rubinstein Attack, 34 moves, 0-1

No. 70
Fischer vs Spassky, 1992 
(B31) Sicilian, Rossolimo Variation, 41 moves, 1-0

No. 69
Tarrasch vs Reti, 1922 
(B10) Caro-Kann, 40 moves, 1-0

No. 68
Smyslov vs Kotov, 1943 
(B25) Sicilian, Closed, 42 moves, 1-0

No. 67
A Nimzowitsch vs Rubinstein, 1926  
(A34) English, Symmetrical, 46 moves, 1-0

No. 66
B Larsen vs Petrosian, 1966 
(B39) Sicilian, Accelerated Fianchetto, Breyer Variation, 30 moves, 1-0

No. 65
R Nezhmetdinov vs O Chernikov, 1962 
(B32) Sicilian, 33 moves, 1-0

No. 64
Taimanov vs Polugaevsky, 1960 
(D23) Queen's Gambit Accepted, 23 moves, 1-0

No. 63
Marshall vs Chigorin, 1905 
(A83) Dutch, Staunton Gambit, 30 moves, 1-0

No. 62
Spielmann vs Eliskases, 1932 
(D31) Queen's Gambit Declined, 32 moves, 0-1

No. 61
Capablanca vs O Bernstein, 1914 
(D37) Queen's Gambit Declined, 46 moves, 1-0

No. 60
Portisch vs Kavalek, 1975 
(E80) King's Indian, Samisch Variation, 38 moves, 1/2-1/2

No. 59
A Shashin vs Korchnoi, 1973 
(E56) Nimzo-Indian, 4.e3, Main line with 7...Nc6, 35 moves, 1-0

No. 58
Tarrasch vs Teichmann, 1905 
(C87) Ruy Lopez, 68 moves, 1-0

No. 57
Polugaevsky vs E Torre, 1981 
(D44) Queen's Gambit Declined Semi-Slav, 40 moves, 1-0

No. 56
Capablanca vs Tartakower, 1924  
(A40) Queen's Pawn Game, 52 moves, 1-0

No. 55
Euwe vs Keres, 1940 
(E19) Queen's Indian, Old Main line, 9.Qxc3, 34 moves, 0-1

No. 54
Tolush vs Botvinnik, 1945 
(C19) French, Winawer, Advance, 41 moves, 0-1

No. 53, Like an open Book (sorry, couldn't resist... )
Alekhine vs E Book, 1938 
(D26) Queen's Gambit Accepted, 25 moves, 1-0

No. 52
Capablanca vs A Nimzowitsch, 1928 
(E34) Nimzo-Indian, Classical, Noa Variation, 39 moves, 1/2-1/2

No. 51, Short's famous king march
Short vs Timman, 1991 
(B04) Alekhine's Defense, Modern, 34 moves, 1-0

No. 50
Reti vs Rubinstein, 1923 
(A06) Reti Opening, 50 moves, 1-0

No. 49
Polugaevsky vs Ftacnik, 1982 
(A30) English, Symmetrical, 29 moves, 0-1

No. 48
Taimanov vs Psakhis, 1981 
(A04) Reti Opening, 35 moves, 0-1

No. 47
Kholmov vs Keres, 1959 
(B30) Sicilian, 29 moves, 1-0

No. 46
Gelfand vs Dreev, 1993 
(D47) Queen's Gambit Declined Semi-Slav, 44 moves, 0-1

No. 45
Rubinstein vs Lasker, 1909  
(D30) Queen's Gambit Declined, 40 moves, 1-0

No. 44
Euwe vs Najdorf, 1953 
(E60) King's Indian Defense, 37 moves, 1-0

No. 43
Alatortsev vs Boleslavsky, 1950 
(A54) Old Indian, Ukrainian Variation, 4.Nf3, 27 moves, 0-1

No. 42
Kasparov vs Anand, 1995 
(C80) Ruy Lopez, Open, 38 moves, 1-0

No. 41
Bronstein vs Ljubojevic, 1973 
(B03) Alekhine's Defense, 41 moves, 1-0

No. 40
Botvinnik vs Vidmar, 1946 
(D02) Queen's Pawn Game, 60 moves, 1-0

No. 39
Petrosian vs Spassky, 1966 
(E63) King's Indian, Fianchetto, Panno Variation, 30 moves, 1-0

No. 37
Korchnoi vs Tal, 1962 
(A62) Benoni, Fianchetto Variation, 54 moves, 1-0

No. 36
S Atalik vs Miles, 1993 
(E81) King's Indian, Samisch, 30 moves, 0-1

No. 35
Spassky vs Polugaevsky, 1961 
(E21) Nimzo-Indian, Three Knights, 42 moves, 1-0

No. 34
Szabo vs G Sigurjonsson, 1968 
(D47) Queen's Gambit Declined Semi-Slav, 40 moves, 0-1

No. 33
Alekhine vs Yates, 1923 
(E62) King's Indian, Fianchetto, 50 moves, 0-1

No. 32
Spassky vs Bronstein, 1960 
(C36) King's Gambit Accepted, Abbazia Defense, 23 moves, 1-0

No. 31
F Thorbergsson vs Tal, 1964 
(E77) King's Indian, 39 moves, 0-1

No. 30
A Bisguier vs Benko, 1963 
(D96) Grunfeld, Russian Variation, 31 moves, 0-1

No. 29
Kasparov vs Smirin, 1988 
(E97) King's Indian, 41 moves, 1-0

No. 28, The Game of the Century, but not according to Solits
D Byrne vs Fischer, 1956  
(D92) Grunfeld, 5.Bf4, 41 moves, 0-1

No. 27
Maroczy vs Tartakower, 1922 
(A84) Dutch, 35 moves, 0-1

No. 26, Fischer not kind to the Byrne brothers.
R Byrne vs Fischer, 1963  
(E60) King's Indian Defense, 21 moves, 0-1

No. 25, Karpov brings out the best in Kasparov
Karpov vs Kasparov, 1993 
(E86) King's Indian, Samisch, Orthodox, 7.Nge2 c6, 27 moves, 0-1

No. 24
Keres vs E Dyckhoff, 1935 
(C83) Ruy Lopez, Open, 54 moves, 1/2-1/2

No. 23
Gligoric vs Fischer, 1961 
(E98) King's Indian, Orthodox, Taimanov, 9.Ne1, 33 moves, 1/2-1/2

No. 21
Botvinnik vs Capablanca, 1938 
(E40) Nimzo-Indian, 4.e3, 41 moves, 1-0

No. 20
Reti vs Alekhine, 1925 
(A00) Uncommon Opening, 40 moves, 0-1

No. 19
Ivkov vs D Ciric, 1963 
(E08) Catalan, Closed, 41 moves, 1-0

No. 18
B Larsen vs Spassky, 1970 
(A01) Nimzovich-Larsen Attack, 17 moves, 0-1

No. 17
Portisch vs J Pinter, 1984 
(D41) Queen's Gambit Declined, Semi-Tarrasch, 33 moves, 0-1

No. 16
P Johner vs A Nimzowitsch, 1926 
(E47) Nimzo-Indian, 4.e3 O-O 5.Bd3, 40 moves, 0-1

No. 14
M Lazarevic vs N Gaprindashvili, 1961 
(A02) Bird's Opening, 33 moves, 0-1

No. 13
Geller vs Smyslov, 1965 
(D87) Grunfeld, Exchange, 31 moves, 1-0

No. 12
Tal vs Aronin, 1957 
(D32) Queen's Gambit Declined, Tarrasch, 36 moves, 1/2-1/2

No. 11, More sacs than you can shake a stick at
Botvinnik vs Smyslov, 1954 
(E67) King's Indian, Fianchetto, 33 moves, 0-1

No. 10, Queen sac, what a finish!
Rotlewi vs Rubinstein, 1907  
(D32) Queen's Gambit Declined, Tarrasch, 25 moves, 0-1

No. 9, Another fantastic finish!
Tal vs Hjartarson, 1987 
(C97) Ruy Lopez, Closed, Chigorin, 43 moves, 1-0

No. 8, Queen sac with the payoff 10 moves later!
G Stoltz vs H Steiner, 1952 
(A21) English, 34 moves, 1-0

No. 7, White rides out the storm...or does he?
Gufeld vs Kavalek, 1962 
(C64) Ruy Lopez, Classical, 32 moves, 0-1

No. 6, Double exchange sacrifice!
Lilienthal vs Ragozin, 1935 
(E24) Nimzo-Indian, Samisch, 47 moves, 0-1

No. 5, Kasparov's Immortal
Kasparov vs Topalov, 1999 
(B07) Pirc, 44 moves, 1-0

No. 4, Thunderstorm from a clear sky...
Bogoljubov vs Alekhine, 1922 
(A90) Dutch, 53 moves, 0-1

No. 3, Capa defends the original Marshall Gambit
Capablanca vs Marshall, 1918 
(C89) Ruy Lopez, Marshall, 36 moves, 1-0

No. 2, Best finish ever!
Polugaevsky vs R Nezhmetdinov, 1958 
(A53) Old Indian, 33 moves, 0-1

No 1, A Tal like sacrifice that will have you awed
Y Estrin vs H Berliner, 1965 
(C57) Two Knights, 42 moves, 0-1

95 games

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