The Greatest King Walk in History of Chess: Short vs Timman 1991

Greatest Kings March Nigel Short vs Jan Timman [B04]
Tilburg1991
[Mato]
1. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Nd5 3. d4 d6 4. Nf3 g6 5. Bc4 Nb6 6. Bb3 Bg7 7. Qe2 Nc6 8. O-O
O-O 9. h3 a5 10. a4 dxe5 11. dxe5 Nd4 12. Nxd4 Qxd4 13. Re1 e6 14. Nd2 Nd5 15.
Nf3 Qc5 16. Qe4 Qb4 17. Bc4 Nb6 18. b3 Nxc4 19. bxc4 Re8 20. Rd1 Qc5 21. Qh4 b6
22. Be3 Qc6 23. Bh6 Bh8 24. Rd8 Bb7 25. Rad1 Bg7 26. R8d7 Rf8 27. Bxg7 Kxg7 28.
R1d4 Rae8 29. Qf6+ Kg8 30. h4 h5 31. Kh2 Rc8 32. Kg3 Rce8 33. Kf4 Bc8 34. Kg5
Bxd7 35. Kh6 1-0
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Please watch: "The Best Game Played On Lichess | Lichess Game of the Month: December 2023"
• The Best Game Played O...
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[@limegreenelevator]

This game is basically the king saying "You want something done right, you do it yourself" and going and doing it.

[@sakisbimgomann2464]

That made me laugh hard good one

[@thequeensconquerer316]

+gganana 😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@oscardavila8653]

This is how the king should play. Most of the time the king is on the back doing nothing

[@stevewatson2383]

+The QueensConquerer hi queens conqueror!

[@StewartMiles1]

Sometimes you just need to take matters into your own hands.

[@rchiesse]

An interesting point (which also highlights Nigel Short's brilliancy) is that NO ENGINE is capable of seeing this winning and perfect plan. In numbers: 31.Kh2 is not considered by any engine in any case, nor even as a secondary line, though it's a winning move (applies for Stockfish, Komodo, Houdini, Critter, Gull, Rybka, etc.). Stockfish 6, for instance, (cleared hash) suggests 31.Qf4 with an edge of about +0.84 even after one billion positions evaluated! Letting it analyse the game back to front however, leads it to correctly suggest 31.Kh2 as a winning move with +10.03! (300k positions ev). That said: 1) Chess still has space for creativity! 2) One should not consider an engine's perspective as "the divine truth". 3) This game is nothing less than AWESOME.

[@InSpadez]

Yes, this is quite the hike for the king isn't it?

[@tigerbait1016]

rchiesse Yes i love looking at stockfish go crazy as soon as you place the king on f4 :'). My stockfish screen literally starts shaking evaluating so many position lol.

[@GodKingOfThePlanet]

rchiesse Surely the reason is just that there is a preventing move for black before the king gets to h6.

[@tigerbait1016]

@Tostig Nope.

[@hense408]

rchiesse a billion? rofl

[@simeoncekov6237]

King was like "Time to kick ass and chew bubble gum..."

[@adamfreed2291]

And we're all out of bubble gum!

[@PussiesUnite]

"Imagine a king who fought his own battles. What a site that would be."

[@lifediversified8932]

there would be no more wars? :)

[@ab-rk1lu]

sight...

[@andreweaton6363]

"Not my King"

[@LordPrutsikas]

He walked like King Aragorn, son of Arathorn against the black armies of Mordor.

[@aragorniielessar3124]

Lord Prutsikas He did ok. I wouldn’t say like me though

[@mckill2007]

Mato's chess videos is the ONLY chess channel I pressed like before watching :D

[@FingertipsOfTheNight]

:o)

[@yasirdaud394]

Me too. So that I could later know that I have seen this game.

[@frankjaeger760]

Cheers for not going overboard on the theory, and making it clear how the game actually went. Many uploaders talk endlessly about their theories while advertising that the video is about the GMs who played.

[@thejumperkin]

Absolutely. At the start i thought i wouldn't enjoy it (Not gonna lie.. His chatter had something to do with it, making me think he'd endlessly talk about other strategies etc) but this video really is what most people need to see, rather than what most analysts give.. The only problem with this video is that I am now left wondering.. "What if black did some other unnoticed move AFTER the king started moving? Is it now entirely impossible for black to win?" Having said that.. Maybe it's a good thing that I am forced to think about it myself! I'm not really sure lol

[@frankjaeger760]

thejumperkin I certainly don't feel that way with this vid. It's astonishing enough to see a king walk at such a high level. There were probably all kinds of things that could have prevented it, but such a tactic is so obscure that the opponent neglected to factor in a defence before it was too late. I don't think I've ever done such a thing successfully (without first clearing the board, in which case it doesn't count as a king walk). It would certainly be fine if an in depth alternative analysis / theory part was posted, but it must either be appended to the video AFTER showing how it actually went, or a properly described separate video.

[@mimingmaster5839]

+Frank Jaeger Carlsen walked his king across the board and back vs Karjakin, but the draw was inevitable anyway

[@agadmator]

Isn't the greatest king walk in History of chess > Wilhelm Steinitz vs Curt von Bardeleben (1895) "The Battle of Hastings".Btw, great video as always, Mato :)

[@xyon9090]

agadmator's Chess Channel I watched that video of yours. It's amazing! :D

[@rossgeller422]

Its nice to see 2 best chess commentator in one vedio

[@locutusdborg126]

I thought Short was going to sacrifice his King (*_*)

[@harrysbleton7174]

Hahahahahahahah xD

[@mitchplays9295]

+Die Arachnologen hes joking

[@AquaBestMegami]

haha

[@Carrefourdesidees]

Hahahahahaha very funny 😂😂

[@dbpooper7512]

You're a very good teacher.

[@JustinsRealmMC]

best youtube channel for chess!

[@sowa-fg2vg]

King is always like a little baby. Everyone have to protect him. Buy this time he was even stronger than queen.

[@brodftw]

Glorious, like watching a huge lineman trundle across the field on his way to a rare touchdown

[@charlesyang1258]

after watching some of your games i went from 900 elo to 1100 elo :)

[@MatoJelic]

+Charles Yang Thank you. Can you please make this comment here: chessschoolsa.wordpress.com/about-mato-jelic/

[@charlesyang1258]

MatoJelic The website says my comment could not be posted.

[@kusumitahazra3985]

Charles Yang my rating is 1645

[@kusumitahazra3985]

LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@anantkalia7469]

My rating is about 2000 and I'm a 14 year old from Germany

[@sabithvalappil6884]

This is not just a king , he is an emperor 👑👑👑

[@wuartista]

Nice to see you comment on moves that may confuse begginers but that are obvious for experienced players. That is what makes a real teatcher. Thanks

[@sjashari112358]

I started watching chess videos recently...and man these are make the games much more insightful and interesting. Thanks!

[@abelardo2017]

I cant believe the kings walk to the battle scene, it was an extraordinary thing.

[@PrashanthGopinath]

The theory and explanation was great and spot on. So much so that I totally forgot the video's title and what this game is about. Beautiful way to finish the game off ...

[@zealeau]

amazing ! thank you for posting this ...i have learned so much from your videos ...thank you for all the time you are spending to accomplish this

[@knk0112]

Beautiful! The word is beautiful. I have never seen such a powerful walk and use of King in the Chess. Hats off to Short!!!!!!! When at 31, King started to come out in open, I was like- What is happening??!! Couldn't have foreseen at all that this is how Short is going to make it a beautiful King-led victory for himself!!!!

[@eliduttman315]

Mato, Thanks for this fine game. It reminded me of a Fisher game with the same theme. Fisher's opponent had no effective moves and Fisher needed 1 more attacker. Enter His Majesty, via a long march. "The King is a fighting piece!" Even a COMPLETE wood pusher like me can appreciate such gorgeous play.

[@ElTshepo]

Easily the most interesting game I've ever seen. Thank you, Mato.

[@NogueiraMG]

Amazing. I didn't expect that King walking this way. Thank you for posting!

[@lifeisthefun]

Great commentary, thanks, keep them coming.

[@mauvekeith1749]

Mato im a big fan. you deserve more views :) its awesome how everytime you say "checkmate" it always seems to rhyme with your previous phrase :) more power mato.

[@MatoJelic]

I did re upload some that had sound problem. But not five in a row.

[@arturoliveira2749]

Almost unbelievable! Thaaaaanks for the videos!

[@codyfritz2357]

You are very nice at breaking it down so new players can understand. Much appreciated. Do you have any recommendations on a book for opening moves that's good for a casual player wanting to improve?

[@CharlesB147]

"Then should the war-like Harry, like himself, assume the port of Mars." - Prologue, "Henry V", William Shakespeare. A fitting quote for such a warlike king as Short's.

[@vulpushx6675]

I enjoy this lecture very much. Thank you Mato for showing us one of the VERY few games in which the king is a king !

[@elianagoncuian1448]

thank you very much posting videos with your good commentary

[@RookieHans]

Great video as always. You're also one of the few foreign people that i know that can pronounce Tilburg correctly. Impressive.

[@rushinpatel3643]

i just watched mato's videos and passed my geography exams

[@tomstrutt6754]

Amazing and completely unexpected. Timman must have had his eyes popping out. This is the first time I've laughed out loud at the progress of a chess game. Such imagination on the part of Nigel Short. Thank you, Mato!!

[@danielbatista8760]

one of the most creative checkmate I ever seen

[@shahbazsheikh3545]

Until the 12:00 minute mark I was wondering "where the hell is the king march??"" And then it comes in all it's glory. Great game and great video! Thanks for posting these.

[@gabrielbarile73]

This is a very instructive game, its demostrate that the king is also a piece on the board.

[@DubGoodness]

I will take this chance to tell you, Mato, that i really enjoy watching your videos. They made me understand what is chess all about, and how to win! Also, keep up the good work!

[@JmastaWoods]

Thanks for showing some more variations!

[@aeshalaby]

Nice game and Excellent analysis as usual, Mato :) I really appreciate it when you explain the theory behind openings.

[@xyzDucati]

Thank you mato, great game selection as always.

[@lolo20adaify]

I love it when players get their king involve into the game. a lot of us forget that is almost as powerful as the queen due to the fact that it can control lots of squares when use properly.

[@indolentsloth6285]

Great commentator Great game Thanks for the upload :)

[@CrunchTaylor]

Great game, and you are a great teacher too, thanks for this!

[@treatb09]

i love chess when i smoke pot. every game becomes an epic battle, and story, i still can't imagine what a castle would look like killing a knight on his horse, but it's funny

[@peterjongsma2754]

Excellent analysis All those checkmate possibilities.

[@KatyLee]

Nigel Shorts is the King. I saw one of his games against Gary Kasparov and he was amazing, I like how unpredictable Nigel's moves are.

[@MatoJelic]

+Katy Lee I think you are amazing too

[@Ophiuchus123456789]

+MatoJelic lolololol

[@rogermoore9572]

+Katy Lee Bah. That's why Short lost 8.5-1.5 last match he had with Kasparov. Get YO facts straight girl

[@rogermoore9572]

+MatoJelic Mato is a smooth operator!

[@Bartekdex]

...and black...rhhhhhesigned....

[@siddharthagupta3754]

+Bartekdex Iconic.

[@chrismason1839]

+Bartekdex vvvvwata game

[@whiteshadow59]

Checka Maateh.

[@RubEn1294]

You all really made my day, thank you for the laugh.

[@pureredwhiteblu]

Happy "65th" Birthday GM Timman!

[@mudbone32]

Great video Mato, thanks for covering the variations :)

[@theducksneezes4987]

I never seen a King travel that far to deliver a checkmate… spectacular!

[@ericguerrero1298]

This is one of my favorite Chess games ever. King and Queen collaborate to deliver Checkmate!! Great job exploiting the weak dark squares around the King.

[@bobbylight111]

Classic game. That pawn on e5 is a beast the whole game.

[@csataritamas]

What a plan,I'm impressed.Thanks for the video,Mato :)

[@nikolajevremovic-martinovi5800]

wow. just WOW. this must be one of the best games ever. what moves by the white king...just WOW. bravo mato za ove videoklipove :) odusevljen sam

[@jeffrey3498]

White was so resourceful! Most, meaning probably 99.9%, of players never would have considered walking the King across the board to set up a checkmate. Obviously brilliant play. 😎👍

[@daleleisenring2367]

I believe Fischer and Tal did something like this. Basically holes in the opponents camp and no bishop to cover them. Mato, can you find some more king walks to post. The king is a powerful piece!

[@kevster288]

Man I love these videos.

[@TataMataAkrobata]

the rules about resigning should be somewhat changed, its horrible when a player resignes one move before mate. bold and beautiful killer plan by short :D

[@BryTheNiceGuy]

@MatoJelic, as a mathematician I like to think that most chess players are good at math or at least have great potential to master it. How are you mathematical and logical reasoning skills? You are formidable when analyzing different possibilities.

[@MatoJelic]

+MrDanielle1987 I know. He he. Thank you

[@motoputz3201]

thanks Mato, another great lesson and game

[@debeastdueeast]

Though the game could have been wrapped up more quickly, I'm glad it culminated with an instructive example of the King in attack.

[@Valerilux]

Mato! I really like your voice, you should be a narrator of a documentary! Or a nature movie! Not the march of the king, but the march of the penguins! (joke, just keep doing what you like to do. Keep up the good work!)

[@jdmikeg4]

The King finally got off his lazy butt and did something for a change.

[@petruciucur]

Thanks Mato. Great chess lesson.

[@adityarshankar776]

i am surprised that black didn't realize what was going to happen after king to f4 or even g3, but still he couldn't have done anything to prevent checkmate ...Very well played by Short and excellent analyzing by Mato :) :)

[@0verl0rd31]

Excellent work again Mato!

[@Puhsksdasddasdar]

Literally the best game I have watched!

[@inotugly]

thankyou very much Mato. You are a very good person.

[@mitchplays9295]

holy cow. even though the title is obvious. i didnt see that coming

[@johncraftenworth7847]

As a master pawn pusher, I can say that When black threatens queen exchange, best move is white pawn to c4. Supported by bishop, blocking queen exchange, attacking black knight, this gives tempo room to move bishop on c1 and link rooks, so that queen does not have to remean on e file to guard e1 rook.

[@yazan.kioumgi]

- The pawn in front of the king: Sir. I'll have to push. That's the only way to help our army upfront. - The king: So that's what it is all about. Alright hold my beer. I'll do it.

[@inotugly]

15 minutes mato jelic i am very privileged to watch a video by you for such a long time. please take the time to reply to me as i have a question. How many languages do you know? also very good video making. THankyou MatoJelic.

[@TheGreatCombination]

Excellent game. Excellent commentary.

[@Danyel76]

I love this game...great Nigel

[@shadedness]

The bravest king i have ever seen!

[@himuyashiro8218]

wowwwww! he marches through the battlefield while everything around him was falling apart! (soft off :P) using king before end game is what every player dreams about XD or maybe just me

[@dimethylethyltritolu]

always a pleasure, moto. would have captured with rook on 7, then continued with checks by q, and mated with the remaining rook. short's ideas more elegant, as i would expect of a gm. my pawn stoms and pawn play generally have always been a weakness. they are, after, half the pieces of the game. verry nice game.

[@omniversosindios7953]

very intersting game. thanks Mato!

[@xxAutoFlowxx]

"So I walk...into the world of tomorrow" (Tony Garcia) You remember your freestyle days Mato don't you?

[@Szabest1797]

Fantastic! Thanks, Mato!

[@cjdcjd5717]

I saw this a while back but I just finished a game and I had the chance to do the same thing so I did. Obviously not the same competition or skill involved from me but I thought of this and won, so thanks Mato

[@omarb1nhattab]

never seen this before..pure creativity

[@Sasha1234575]

Timman allows Short to finish the King -walk. He saw the forced win for white, but played until the end. That is a great move too.

[@adityakranti1550]

Commentary :D :D superb

[@moneerkutt1228]

mato ... you are amazing

[@rsupreeth]

This king went for the war himself like alexander and consequently he won like him... What a march!

[@giriiyer3968]

This is not a king walk in my opinion,but the victorious march of the king. By the way there is another wonderful king march by Morphy Vs George salmon (blindfold simul, I believe) where morphy's king made ten moves from G1 to d8. My sincere request to mato sir is if you could check out that game,that would be great. Thks for a great game though.

[@sorim1967]

Of course he realised, he was the 4th strongest player in the world and after Kh2 any club player would have seen what was coming. He was clearly being gracious and allowed the history books to record the next moves and resigned just before mate.Sometimes great chess players have even allowed themselves to be checkmated in a forced mate just out of courtesy for the great combination created by the opponent.Shows how Timman was an extraordinary gentleman not just one of the greatest players ever

[@EugeneEmile]

Hi Mato, do you have some other good games of Timman (winning), I'm not only asking because I'm from Holland, but also because he was known as "the best of the West" in his good days. Eugène

[@IntSavior]

Short's king was fed up of all those maneuvers and decided to assassinate the black king by himself. Nice video.

[@gorantrevise]

Short played many great games even as a kid he beat up many world class players. Down in the 80's Kasparov ones considerd him as the only player who might have enough talent to challenge him in the 90's

[@webdesigndomexperts5330]

Fantastic game by Short.

[@makarandkapare1480]

Nice analysis of game

[@QDem19]

Long vid from Mato, a delight!

[@zigmontm]

I remember studying this game a long time ago. My friend and I saw a possible variation where black doesn't have to move its rook back and forth. When White plays Kg3 Black can play Qxa4. With a plan to capture pawn on c2, and then play Qf4. Or black could try Qa1, and then Qc1. Not sure if those variations can fully solve blacks problems. But i think its better than moving your rook back and forth. And if black is lucky enough to survive the attack. The Queenside is strong for black.

[@atomanne]

If after Kg5 Black replies Kh7 (to prevent Kh6), I prefer the line Qxg6+ Kh8, Qh6+ Kg8, Kf8 with mate to soon follow - it's more in keeping with the idea of the King march than Rxf7

[@wilhelmsarosen4735]

I actually came up with the same idea in one of my own games... after a blunder that cost me my rook I saw this pawn structure, so I decided to take a gambit at it, and forced my opponent to resign after a struggle to get his king out of the prison created by his own pawns, his rook and my king.

[@jimis30991]

In the explanation for the move Rf8: After Bxg7 there is checkmate for black with the move Qxg2