Greetings, chess fans. I have found a few interesting games which are exactly the opposite of games played between computers. They are played, not only by humans, but with humans as the chess pieces.
One notable, annual, repeated chess game is played at the Marostica Chess Festival, which commemorates a famous chess game played between Rinaldo d'Angarano and Vieri da Vallonara for the hand of a maiden in 1454. A nice duel. Not quite as violent as the gun or sword duels that were more common.
I am uncertain as to the source of the following game. I have obtained it from [http://www.chess.com/blog/OldChessDog/human-chess-game-at-marostica/]. It claims to be, in the PGN header, from 1454. However, since I cannot verify this, I believe that it is the game from the 2014 Marostica chess festival. Apologies for the uncertainties. It is, however, a cracking game, so I’ve included it.
Actor Playing Rinaldo d'Angarano(?)–Actor Playing Vieri da Vallonara(?) Marostica 2014(?)
1.b4 {An unusual opening move which stakes no claim to the center. Instead, White attempts to quickly fianchetto his queenside bishop.} e6 2.Bb2 Nf6 3.a3 {White protects the b-pawn.} c5 {Black, taking advantage of White’s lack of central play, aims to destabilize the queenside pawns and develop quickly.} 4.b5 {White pushes onward, but the precocious b-pawn is now hard to defend.} d5 {Black lays full claim to the center.} 5.d4 {A mistake. 5. e3 was superior, developing simply. Now White is vulnerable to a check.} Qa5+ {White is already in a tight spot.} 6.Nc3 {Otherwise, White surrenders the b5-pawn.} Ne4 {Pinning the White knight.} 7.Qd3 {White defends. Virtually the only move.} cxd4 8.Qxd4 {White regains the pawn.} Bc5 {Black, however seizes the opportunity to develop quickly.} 9.Qxg7 Bxf2+ {9…Rf8, simply preserving the Black lead in development, may be superior. However, Black decides to immediately flush White’s king out into the open.} 10.Kd1 d4 {Black makes the position extremely difficult for both players, sacrificing a rook for a gigantic attack on the White king.} 11.Qxh8+ {What else?} Ke7 12.Qxc8 {This, however, is a mistake. White had to shift aid to the king’s help with 12. Nf3.} dxc3 13.Bc1 {The White king is now surrounded. Black must now only bring out the reinforcements to end the game.} Nd7 {13…Qxb5, bringing in the queen and threatening a quick mate, won on the spot.} 14.Qxa8 {Another blunder by the all-too-greedy White side. 14…Qxb7, preventing the capture of b5, was the last hope.} Qxb5 15. Bf4 {White makes room for the king, but mate is unavoidable.} Qd5+ 16.Kc1 Be3+ {! Black finds the most efficient line of play.} 17.Bxe3 Nf2 {! Black threatens mate, so the knight must be captured.} 18.Bxf2 Qd2+ {Mate with the queen is certain.} 19.Kb1 Qd1+ 20.Ka2 Qxc2# {Checkmate.} 0-1
The following game was obtained from http://humanchess.typepad.com/lowereastside/. It was, evidently played on a largish grid of city streets, with each intersection a square. Above is a story on what it was like to be a Black knight.
Jennifer Shahade-Gregory Shahade 2004
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. Nc3 a6 {Black chooses a slow line to blunt the White queenside knight.} 4. d4 c5xd4 5. Nf3xd4 b5 {The bishop might as well develop, since there is support for it.} 6. Bd3 Bb7 {Now the White e-pawn comes under mild attack.} 7. 0-0 d6 8. a3 {White prevents b4, which would drive away the knight and win the e-pawn.} Nf6 9. Kh1 {White prepares to push the f-pawn and sidesteps possible checks or pins on the a7-g1 diagonal.} Nd7 10. f4 Be7 11. b4 {White denies the Black knight access to the c5 square.} 0-0 12. Qe2 Qb6 13. Be3 {The queen and bishop do a little dance to sort their positions out.} Qc7 14. Bd2 Rfe8 15. a4 {White opens the a-file to attack the Black a-pawn.} bxa4 16. Rxa4 Qb6 17. Nb3 Bc6 18. e5 {If Black takes the rook, White comes out with two pieces for it–usually advantageous.} Nd5 19. Nxd5 e6xd5 20. Rxa6 Rxa6 21. Bxa6 {The White center now comes under attack, however.} d6xe5 22. b5 Ba8 23. fxe5 Bf6 24. Be3 {24…Ba5 was better, because it does not get pinned, giving Black a rook on the seventh at the minimum.} Rxe5 25. Bxb6 Rxe2 26. Bd4 Rxc2 27. Re1 Kf8 {Black sees the thread.} 28. b6 Bxd4 29. Nxd4 Rcb2 30. Bb5 {The game was agreed drawn here, although Black has an advantage due to his active rook and the relative uncertainty of the White b-pawn’s fate.}
The following is, sadly, an honorable mention. Kasparov-Timman was, however, played in a very cool way: with shipping containers as pieces in an effort to promote the shipping company APL. They are, as described below, believed to be the largest pieces ever used in a chess game.
From: http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1546255
More info: http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/apl-sponsors-worlds-largest-chess-game-during-rotterdams-celebrations-74295892.html
Garry Kasparov–Jan Timman Wereldhaven Festival 1999
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. d3 {A bit of a cowardly opening. Instead of 4. Ng5, actively attacking the f7 square.} Bc5 5. c3 {5. Nxe5 was a possibility, regaining the piece after 5…Nxe5 d4.} d6 6. Bb3 O-O
7. Bg5 Be6 {h6 was more accurate, kicking back the bishop. However, Black aims to open the f-file for his rook and have an e6-pawn to support a possible d5 push.} 8. Nbd2 a6 9. h3 Ba7 {Both players retreat their bishops before they can be attacked.} 10. Bh4 Kh8 11. g4 {White gains kingside space.} Ne7
12. Bxf6 gxf6 {White gives up the bishop-pair to double Black’s pawns and get the f5-square to use.} 13. Nh4 Ng6 14. Ng2 {White retreats to avoid trading his useful knight.} c6 {Black prepares to storm on to d5.} 15. Qf3 d5 16. Nf1 {White reroutes the knight to g3 to once again control f5.} a5
17. Ng3 Bc5 18. a4 Be7 19. Ba2 {White pulls back the bishop to possibly push the b-pawn.} Ra6 {Black lifts the rook to attack the White b-pawn.} 20. Nh5 Rb6 21. Qe2 Qd6 {Black centralizes the queen.} 22. O-O Rd8 23. Rfd1 d4 {Black takes the opportunity to gain central space.} 24. Rd2 {Both sides miss 24…dxc3, which makes the White d-pawn backward and gains a solid edge for Black.} Qc5 25. Rc2 Qd6 26. Ne1 Rg8 27. Nf3 Qd7 28. Kh1 c5 {Black gains yet more space.} 29. Bxe6 fxe6 30. Nd2 {Again, 30…dxc3.} Ra6 31. Nc4 Bd8 {Black defends the a-pawn again for a possible b-pawn push.} 32. Rcc1 Rf8 33. f3 Bc7 34. Ra3 Raa8 {Black begins to regroup, preparing to attack the holes in the White position.} 35. Rb3 Qxa4 36. Rxb7 Qc6
37. Rb3 {The White rook is very awkwardly placed here.} f5 {Black begins to break through!} 38. Nd2 Rf7 39. c4 a4 {The pawn advances suddenly reveal the lack of White harmony.} 40. Rb5 Ba5 41. Nf1 Bb4 {Black traps the White rook in a next-to-useless position.} 42. Nfg3 fxg4 43. fxg4 {This exchange is to Black’s benefit. Timman can easily control the now-open f-file.} Raf8 44. Rf1 Qe8 {Black ensures continued f-file dominance.} 45. Rxf7 Qxf7 46. g5
Nf4 {Black leaps eagerly into the White position.} 47. Qf3 {A mistake, which allows the next Black move.} Nxh5 48. Qxh5 Qf2 {The White king is now suddenly exposed. With the White rook on the kingside, Kasparov’s position is in disarray.} 49. Ne2 Qf3+ 50. Qxf3 Rxf3 {Black now exchanges into an endgame in which a pawn is immediately won, sealing the game. Timman’s technique is instructive.}
51. Kg2 Rxd3 52. Ng3 Kg7 53. Rb6 Be1 54. Nf1 Kf7 55. Nh2 Rd2+
56. Kh1 Re2 57. Ng4 Rxe4 58. Nf6 Re2 59. Nxh7 {Kasparov resigned after playing this move, leaving Timman victorious, because of Black's passed pawns.} 0-1
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