The Immortal Losing Game

 

    Bogdan Sliwa (1922-2003) of Poland was awarded the International Master title in 1953, and the Honorary Grandmaster title in 1987. He won the championship of Poland six times. In 1946, he won the first Polish Chess Championship after World War II. He also won it in 1951, 1952, 1953, 1954 and 1960. His last name is pronounced Shlee- (rhymes with plea), vah (rhymes with spa). 

    In the following game Sliwa defeated David Bronstein, who at the time was (along with Smyslov, Keres and Botvinnik) one of the best players in the world. At the time of the game Sliwa was way, way down the list...not even in the top 150 according to Chessmetrics. 

    The game came to be known as The Immortal Losing Game. It likely got that moniker because of the rating difference and not because Bronstein even came close to getting a better position let alone winning. Instead, Bronstein found himself in a hopeless position, but managed to lay some elementary traps, but the alert Sliwas avoided them and emerged victorious. 

 

[Event "Gotha"] [Site ""] [Date "1957.09.??"] [Round "?"] [White "Bogdan Sliwa"] [Black "David Bronstein"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "A81"] [Annotator "Stockfish 18"] [PlyCount "57"] [EventDate "1957.??.??"] {A81: Dutch Defense} 1. d4 f5 2. g3 g6 {The Leningrad Variation. From g7 thr B will not only be a good defender of the K, but also pt wil;l be active on the an long diagonal.} 3. Bg2 Bg7 4. Nc3 Nf6 5. Bg5 Nc6 6. Qd2 d6 7. h4 {Because white plans to castle Q-side, this immediate attack on the K-side is not a damgerous wealening.} e6 (7... h6 8. Bxf6 Bxf6 9. Nf3 e6 10. O-O-O d5 {White is just a bit better. Karl,H (2251)-De Laubadere,P (2003) Hockenheim 2007}) 8. O-O-O {White is better.} h6 9. Bf4 Bd7 10. e4 fxe4 {With this capture black opens the f-file, which is one of the ideas behind the Dutch.} 11. Nxe4 Nd5 { While this can hardly be called bad black should probably finish his development by11…Qe7 and ...O-O-O.} 12. Ne2 Qe7 13. c4 Nb6 {It would have been better to plat 13...Nxf4 because the B strenthens white's attack.} (13... Nxf4 $142 14. Nxf4 Qf7 15. h5 {with the initiative.}) 14. c5 {This sharp tactical blow was apparently overlooked by Bronstein,} dxc5 15. Bxc7 O-O { Was Bronstein aware of the lurking danger and knew he was castling into a winning attack or did he believe castling was simply his best option?} (15... Nxd4 16. Nd6+ Kf8 17. Nf4 {is better, but white still has a considewrable advantage.}) 16. Bd6 Qf7 17. Bxf8 Rxf8 18. dxc5 {White has a material advantage amd a won game, but the wily Bronsteien manages to lay a few traps.} Nd5 19. f4 Rd8 20. N2c3 Ndb4 21. Nd6 {[%mdl 32]} Qf8 22. Nxb7 {Sacrificing the second R gives b;acl the opportunity to set a few elementary traps. They are certainly not very deep or profound, but you never know...} Nd4 {Black is the exchange down with zero compensation so his position is lost. Thus he has nothing to lose by sacrificing another R for a few traps.} 23. Nxd8 Bb5 24. Nxe6 Bd3 {Daring Sliwa to grab the Q.} 25. Bd5 (25. Nxf8 Nxa2+ 26. Nxa2 Nb3#) 25... Qf5 26. Nxd4+ Qxd5 {Offering the Q again.} 27. Nc2 (27. Nxd5 Nxa2#) 27... Bxc3 28. bxc3 {[%mdl 32]} Qxa2 {His last hope.} 29. cxb4 {Black resigned.} (29. Nxb4 Qb1#) 1-0