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Polish Immortal

Polish Immortal is the name given to a chess game between Glinksberg and Miguel Najdorf played in Warsaw. The game is celebrated because of Black's sacrifice of all four of his minor pieces.

Some sources give the date of this game as 1930 or 1935, and give the name of the player of the white pieces as "Glucksberg". Garry Kasparov gives the date of the game as 1928, and the name of Najdorf's opponent as "Glinksberg", attributing these facts to Najdorf and his daughter.

Annotated game

White: Glucksberg Black: Miguel Najdorf Opening: Dutch Defence (ECO A85)

[Notes based on Kasparov's in My Great Predecessors, Part IV, unless otherwise indicated]

1. d4 f5 2. c4 Nf6 3. Nc3

Dutch Defence with 2.c4 and 3.Nc3.

3... e6 4. Nf3 d5 5. e3

Savielly Tartakower suggests 5.Bf4.

5... c6 6. Bd3 Bd6 7. 0-0 0-0 8. Ne2

Tartakower recommends 8.Ne5 followed by 9.f4, "countering the Stonewall with another Stonewall".

8... Nbd7 9. Ng5?

This move looks like an elementary blunder, losing a pawn, but in fact the position is more complicated than that.

9... Bxh2+! 10. Kh1!?

After 10.Kxh2 Ng4+ 11.Kh1 Qxg5 Black is up a pawn for nothing. After 10.Kh1, White threatens both Nxe6, winning material, or to trap Black's bishop with g3 or f4.