The Best Game of Chess played by an English Player

[Andrew Smith]

Sitting in the sunshine in the garden by the pool of an independent hotel, surrounded by palm trees in Marrakech, I have an old pocket set with Neil Hickman's wonderfully presented book ' Memorable Games of British Chess' that I thoroughly recommend. I am playing through Alekhine - Yates, Karlsbad, 1923 which Fred Reinfeld described as " the finest game ever won by an English player, and very possibly the finest game ever won from the greatest master of them all."
Has there ever been a vote to determine, for example, the top 10 games, in descending order of games played by English players ?
It could be interesting to decide on 10 games, and ask for people to vote on them ?! Maybe ignore context/importance and just judge it on beauty ?!

[NickFaulks]

Neil Hickman's wonderfully presented book ' Memorable Games of British Chess' that I thoroughly recommend.

I did not know about this book, but the author must be the same NH with whom I was at school at KES Birmingham, an academic institution which features a great deal in these pages.

I am trying to limit myself to the purchase of one chess book per annum, but this could be my 2024 choice.

[Paul Habershon]

Neil Hickman's wonderfully presented book ' Memorable Games of British Chess' that I thoroughly recommend.

I did not know about this book, but the author must be the same NH with whom I was at school at KES Birmingham, an academic institution which features a great deal in these pages.

I am trying to limit myself to the purchase of one chess book per annum, but this could be my 2024 choice.

Indeed, Nick, the very same Neil Hickman, solicitor turned district judge and now retired to Norfolk where he plays for Wymondham. He was a long time fellow member of mine at Bedford Chess Club where I followed him as chairman. I enjoyed having a judge presiding over AGMs.

His book is remarkable for a 150 strength player, though engine analysis obviously is of great assistance nowadays. It has a back cover recommendation from Gary Lane. Neil's appreciation of chess history permeates the pages and one can usually rely on a legal mind to have mastery of English and the appropriate phrase. (Gerald Abrahams' 'The Chess Mind' is also one of my favourite books). Neil has subsequently written several articles for 'Chess'.

[Jon D'Souza-Eva]

I've always liked this one by Wilf Pratten:
[Event "Portsmouth"] [Site "Portsmouth ENG"] [Date "1948.??.??"] [EventDate "?"] [Round "?"] [Result "0-1"] [White "F Maczynski"] [Black "Wilfred Henry Pratten"] [ECO "C53"] [WhiteElo "?"] [BlackElo "?"] [PlyCount "44"] 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. c3 Qe7 5. O-O d6 6. d4 Bb6 7. b4 Bg4 8. a4 a5 9. b5 Nd8 10. Ba3 f6 11. Ra2 Ne6 12. dxe5 fxe5 13. Qd5 Bxf3 14. Qxb7 Qg5 15. Qxa8+ Ke7 16. g3 Nf4 17. Re1 Qh5 18. Nd2 Nf6 19. Qxh8 Qxh2+ 20. Kxh2 Ng4+ 21. Kg1 Nh3+ 22. Kf1 Nh2# 0-1

[John Moore]

How about this impressive effort by Luke McShane in yesterday's Bundesliga

https://www.chess.com/events/2023-2024- ... i_Valentin

[Geoff Chandler]

The Wilf Pratten game gets my vote (that is two) I suspect this will win because if not that will mean at least three of you lot here will have agreed with each other and that has never happened before.

(Is the WIlf game in the book?)

[John Moore]

Geoff - Maczynski v Pratten is in the book and Neil Hickman points out that either 17 Bd6 or 18 Bd6 would have won for White! A beautiful finish but there are some fairly big holes.

[Jonathan Rogers]

How about this impressive effort by Luke McShane in yesterday's Bundesliga

https://www.chess.com/events/2023-2024- ... i_Valentin

also not bad

[Jonathan Rogers]

Top ten?! I don't know where or how to start. I'd have trouble picking just ten from any of the top English players post Penrose, let alone those before, let everyone else .... I think that importance of the occasion and contemporary strength of the opposition must play a role though (and with some greater allowance for engine-spotted mistakes in respect of earlier games).

On that basis, Short v Karpov, Linares 1992, game 8, must be worthy of a mention, though whether or not it matters that Na2! was actually pre-game preparation I leave to others.

[John Moore]

Perhaps it would be something useful and interesting that the Forum could do. After all we all play the game and presumably spend some time looking at games, historical and modern. If we could Identify 50 games as a starting point, we could have a vote. So far, we have four games.

[John Townsend]

I agree with Jonathan that the occasion is important, since it contributes significantly to our enjoyment and appreciation of a game.

With that in mind, I would like to nominate the 5th game of the 1843 Paris match between Staunton and St. Amant. This game was annotated by Raymond Keene in Howard Staunton, the English World Champion, by R.D. Keene & R. N. Coles, 1975. I could post the score here, if desired.

Postscript: I should have added that the game was also annotated by Tim Harding in Eminent Victorian Chess Players, also by Reuben Fine.

[Nick Ivell]

One of my favourites is Keene v Miles. I forget where it was played; it's the one where Keene found Qb1! in an IQP position.

[Geoff Chandler]

Thanks John,

I've just ordered the book. A few holes in the Wilf game will not bother me at all.

If I had to choose a game the Wilf game would be up there (definitely top 10 material) but I'd always come back to Short v Timman and that Kings walk.

How about when the book arrives I'll scan in the games index then do a voting thingy and people have to choose one game from the list. I'm having a self-wager, which is the same as a selfie but without looking stupid, that the top of the pops will be Penrose - Tal which must be in the book.

[Matt Mackenzie]

A few obvious ones are:

Karpov v Miles, Skara 1980 (the one and only 1....a6 game)
Beliavsky v Nunn, Wijk aan Zee 1985 (a total brilliancy from Black, utterly humbling one of the world's strongest players)
Ivanchuk v Adams, Terrasa 1991 (Mickey himself thinks this may be his best ever)

You will note something in common with all these games, as with Alekhine v Yates referenced at the start of the thread and indeed Blackburne humbling Lasker at the London 1899 tournament. Maybe we have always, at heart, been a nation of counter attackers?

[John Moore]

One of my favourites is Keene v Miles. I forget where it was played; it's the one where Keene found Qb1! in an IQP position.

Nick - it was from Hastings 1975/76. Perhaps someone could post it. If nothing else, it would show that Ray really could play.