Immortal Zugzwang Game

The Latvian-Jewish GM Aron Nimzovich was a leading pioneer of the Hypermodern Theory of chess play. Hypermodern Theory holds that control of the important center squares can be achieved without occupation by pawns. It was a direct challenge to the Classical Theory of chess. As such it was a radical and innovative theory when it matured in the early 1900's; thus the name Hypermodern.

Nimzovich was a passionate man in defense of his theories. He considered the leader of Classical Chess Theory, Dr. Siegbert Tarrasch, his born enemy. Nimzovich said, "Tarrasch to me always meant mediocrity ... all his views, his synpathies and antipathies, and above all his inability to conceive any new idea -- all this clearly attested to the fill mediocrity of his cast of mind."

Nimzovich documented his theories in what is obviously his book 'My System.' To this day it remains perhaps the most influential book ever written about the game of chess. That says a lot considering that more books have been written about chess than any other subject. Today there are few experts in the game of chess who have not studied Hypermodern Theory in 'My System' at one time or another.

The success of Nimzovich's Hypermodern Theory cannot be denied. He beat the best of his day in tournament play. Sadly, he was denied a chance for one reason or another to compete for the world championship title in the late 1920's. He died at the age of 48 in 1934 of pneumonia.

The following game demonstrates Nimzovich's mastery of both Classical and Hypermodern Theories. It is most remarkable in how Nimzovich slowly chokes his opponent by preventing any counterplay.

White: Saemisch, Friedrich GM/2500
Black: Nimzovich, Aron GM/2500
Event: Copenhagen
Date: 1923.05.10
Opening: E06: Closed Catalan: Early deviations
Result: 0-1

Green move-links below show comments on the right.

Black (Nimzovich, Aron GM) Won

Download the above game in PGN format here. (For a Netscape browser running on a PC, right-click the link and Save Link As. Other browsers have similar function.)

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