Nimzowitsch vs Tarrasch – A Tactical Gem That Still Shines, St. Petersburg 1914

Warm greetings to all my fellow chess-loving hivers who gather with joy in our beloved The Chess Community. Today I’m excited to share my admiration for what I consider one of the most important tournaments in chess history: the St. Petersburg 1914 event. And I’m not alone in this view—many enthusiasts, from that time until today, agree. The reason isn’t just the incredible lineup of players (honestly, almost every top name of the era was there), but also because it was the very first time the title of Grandmaster was officially awarded, thanks to Tsar Nicholas II. The five who received it were Lasker, Capablanca, Alekhine, Tarrasch, and Marshall.

This tournament was a landmark of the early 20th century, and really of all chess history. It even introduced the so-called Beauty Prizes. Of course, that decision sparked controversy—fair controversy, I’d say.

The first prize went to Capablanca vs Bernstein, a game that nobody denies was elegant and remains instructive even today. But many of us, myself included, feel that the second prize game deserved the top honor instead: Aron Nimzowitsch vs Siegbert Tarrasch. In that battle, Nimzowitsch had the WHITE pieces, but it was Tarrasch, with BLACK, who displayed tactical brilliance that’s hard to match. Honestly, the best word for it is Brilliant—with a capital B. He launched a crushing attack, sacrificing both bishops, coordinating his pieces flawlessly, and exploiting open files with his rooks while the queen led an unstoppable assault on the enemy king.

The game began with Nimzowitsch setting up a solid Queen’s Pawn structure, but the turning point came with Tarrasch’s bold 18…d4, a central break that opened the lines and unleashed the tactical storm. From there, everything flowed with clockwork precision:

1. d4 d5
2. Nf3 c5
3. c4 e6
4. e3 Nf6
5. Bd3 Nc6
6. O-O Bd6
7. b3 O-O
8. Bb2 b6
9. Nbd2 Bb7
10. Rc1 Qe7
11. cxd5 exd5
12. Nh4 g6
13. Nhf3 Rad8
14. dxc5 bxc5
15. Bb5 Ne4
16. Bxc6 Bxc6
17. Qc2 Nxd2
18. Nxd2 d4 ← here begins the central break that triggers the attack
19. exd4 Bxh2+
20. Kxh2 Qh4+
21. Kg1 Bxg2
22. f3 Rfe8
23. Ne4 Qh1+
24. Kf2 Bxf1
25. d5 f5
26. Qc3 Qg2+
27. Ke3 Rxe4+
28. fxe4 f4+
29. Kxf4 Rf8+
30. Ke5 Qh2+
31. Ke6 Re8+
32. Kd7 Bb5#

(Position after 18... d4!)

The sacrifices on 19…Bxh2+ and 21…Bxg2 are the climax: Tarrasch gives up both bishops without hesitation to rip open lines against the king. The queen and rooks join in with perfect coordination, every move fitting like gears in a machine. The finale, 32…Bb5#, is a checkmate as elegant as it is devastating.

What makes this game so captivating is the sense of inevitability. Once the center was broken open, the attack unfolded like a symphony—pieces rushing forward in harmony, each note leading to the final crescendo. It’s a textbook example of how space, coordination, and calculated sacrifice can combine into an unstoppable offensive.

The debate over the Beauty Prize is still alive more than a century later. Capablanca–Bernstein was certainly worthy, but Nimzowitsch–Tarrasch has a unique character, unforgettable in its brilliance. That “second prize” is, in truth, the real jewel of the tournament.

St. Petersburg 1914 gave us history, controversy, and beauty. And while the judges made their choice, Tarrasch’s masterpiece remains proof that chess is not only science and calculation—it is also, at the very same level, a major art form.

I’ve added screenshots from the Lichess analysis board, where interestingly the engine doesn’t even suggest capturing the pawn as a main option—almost as if it “knows” that doing so would unleash the unstoppable tactical avalanche that followed back in that distant yet ever-present 1914. I hope you’ve enjoyed revisiting this game as much as I did, and I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments. Thank you!

Text authored by me, free of AI.

Images are screenshots from the Lichess APK analysis board.