Ratmir Kholmov - Notable Chess Games

Notable Chess Games

  • Efim Geller vs Ratmir Kholmov, USSR Championship, Moscow 1949, Ruy Lopez, Bird's Defence (C61), 0–1 Two rising stars battle for position late in the tournament, and Kholmov scores with an offbeat variation, unleashing a lovely rook sacrifice in the endgame.
  • Tigran Petrosian vs Ratmir Kholmov, USSR Championship, Moscow 1957, Blumenfeld Gambit (E10), 0–1 Another unusual defensive choice takes off the future World Champion.
  • Viktor Korchnoi vs Ratmir Kholmov, USSR Championship semifinal, Tashkent 1958, Modern Benoni Defence (A64), 0–1 The Modern Benoni was just coming into fashion around this time.
  • Ratmir Kholmov vs Paul Keres, USSR Championship, Tbilisi 1959, Sicilian Defence, Rossolimo Variation (B30), 1–0 It's highly unusual to see the powerful tactician Keres get knocked off so quickly.
  • Ratmir Kholmov vs Laszlo Szabo, Kecskemet 1962, Slav Defence, Czech Variation (D19), 1–0 Kholmov overcomes the nine-time Hungarian champion.
  • Ratmir Kholmov vs Leonid Stein, USSR Championship, Yerevan 1962, Sicilian Defence, Moscow Variation (B52), 1–0 Kholmov again scores with this unusual Sicilian line against one of his great rivals from this period.
  • Mark Taimanov vs Ratmir Kholmov, USSR Championship, Leningrad 1963, Nimzo-Indian Defence, Rubinstein / Gligoric Variation (E54), 0–1 Taimanov was a recognized expert on both sides of this defence.
  • Ratmir Kholmov vs Boris Spassky, USSR Zonal Tournament, Moscow 1964, Sicilian Defence, Scheveningen Variation (B84), 1–0 Spassky was the tournament winner and a future World Champion.
  • Ratmir Kholmov vs David Bronstein, USSR Championship, Kiev 1964–65, Sicilian Defence, Najdorf Variation (B99), 1–0 Kholmov outplays the creative attacker Bronstein for one of his most memorable victories.
  • Robert Fischer vs Ratmir Kholmov, Havana 1965, Ruy Lopez, Closed / Chigorin Variation (C98), 0–1 Fischer lost exceptionally rarely on the White side of the Ruy Lopez, so this win was quite an achievement.
  • Ratmir Kholmov vs Garry Kasparov, USSR Championship Qualifying Tournament, Daugavpils 1978, Caro–Kann Defence, Classical Variation (B18), 1–0 Kasparov, just 15 at the time, was the tournament winner and a future World Champion.

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