Blunder Knight lesson · London 1851 · 1851

The Immortal Game: Sacrificing Everything for Mate

Watch the famous game, then train the tactics that made it work.

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White
Adolf Anderssen
Black
Lionel Kieseritzky
Result
1-0
Focus
Tactics + development
Big lesson

Material only matters if your king survives the forcing moves.

Board + puzzle feel

Chess.com-familiar, saved for you.

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Replay the lesson

Move through the key positions like an analysis board.

Position 1 / 10 · Cold Open

Cold Open

This is the Immortal Game, where White gives up both rooks, a bishop, and even the queen — not because material stopped mattering, but because Black’s king runs out of safe squares. We are going move by move, so you can see the trap being built.

Practical takeaway

Pause before grabbing material: king safety, development, and forcing moves decide the tactic.

Training puzzles from this game

Find the move, then prove you saw the idea.

This is the Chess.com-style flow: clear task, playable board, instant feedback, then the explanation.

Analyze my games for these motifs
Puzzle 1white to movedevelopment lead

Development Lead

Can you find it?

Black just attacked the bishop with ...b5. What active capture keeps White’s development story alive?

Drag the move on the board, or type the move if you already see it.

Need a hint?

The answer is a development lead idea. Start by checking forcing moves.

Solution: Bxb5 — Bxb5 accepts the challenge without slowing down. White stays active, keeps pressure on the dark squares, and makes Black spend more time before the king is safe.

Puzzle 2white to movedevelopment with tempo

Development With Tempo

Can you find it?

White can take back on f4. Why is 15. Bxf4 more than a pawn grab?

Drag the move on the board, or type the move if you already see it.

Need a hint?

The answer is a development with tempo idea. Start by checking forcing moves.

Solution: Bxf4 — Bxf4 removes Black’s advanced pawn while developing the bishop into the attack. The lesson: recover material only when it also improves a piece.

Puzzle 3white to moveforcing check

Forcing Check

Can you find it?

White is down huge material. What forcing check keeps the attack alive?

Drag the move on the board, or type the move if you already see it.

Need a hint?

The answer is a forcing check idea. Start by checking forcing moves.

Solution: Nxg7+ — Nxg7+ is a forcing knight leap. It checks the king, removes a defender, and pulls Black into a mating net where material count no longer saves them.

Puzzle 4white to movequeen sacrifice

Queen Sacrifice

Can you find it?

Find the famous queen sacrifice. Why can White offer the queen on f6?

Drag the move on the board, or type the move if you already see it.

Need a hint?

The answer is a queen sacrifice idea. Start by checking forcing moves.

Solution: Qf6+ — Qf6+ works because it is forcing and all the important escape squares are being covered. If Black takes the queen, the final bishop move becomes checkmate.

Puzzle 5white to movemating net

Mating Net

Can you find it?

White has no queen and no rooks. What is the checkmate?

Drag the move on the board, or type the move if you already see it.

Need a hint?

The answer is a mating net idea. Start by checking forcing moves.

Solution: Be7# — Be7# finishes the net. The bishop gives mate, the knight on g7 covers key squares, and Black’s king has no useful capture, block, or escape.

From famous game to your games
1

Watch the moment

See why the tactic worked in the original game.

2

Solve the pattern

Train the same motif before revealing the answer.

3

Import your games

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Full PGN

[Event "London"]
[Site "London"]
[Date "1851.06.21"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Adolf Anderssen"]
[Black "Lionel Kieseritzky"]
[Result "1-0"]

1. e4 e5 2. f4 exf4 3. Bc4 Qh4+ 4. Kf1 b5 5. Bxb5 Nf6 6. Nf3 Qh6 7. d3 Nh5 8. Nh4 Qg5 9. Nf5 c6 10. g4 Nf6 11. Rg1 cxb5 12. h4 Qg6 13. h5 Qg5 14. Qf3 Ng8 15. Bxf4 Qf6 16. Nc3 Bc5 17. Nd5 Qxb2 18. Bd6 Bxg1 19. e5 Qxa1+ 20. Ke2 Na6 21. Nxg7+ Kd8 22. Qf6+ Nxf6 23. Be7#

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