Chess of the Grandmasters
A German TV series featuring grandmaster games and analysis.
Chess of the Grandmasters (original title: Schach der Großmeister) is a former German TV programme. It was devised, supervised and presented by Claus Spahn.
Quick Facts
- Original title
- Schach der Großmeister
- Broadcaster
- Westdeutscher Rundfunk (WDR)
- Years active
- 1983 to 2005
- Frequency
- Once a year
- Creator and presenter
- Claus Spahn
- Commentators
- Helmut Pfleger and Vlastimil Hort
- Prize
- WDR TV Chess Award
Facts from the source article.
History
The programme was broadcast annually by Germany's Westdeutscher Rundfunk (WDR) from 1983 to 2005. Two Grandmasters played a game, commentated and analysed by Helmut Pfleger and Vlastimil Hort, and later also by the chess program Fritz. The winner received the WDR TV Chess Award and could defend the title the following year. Invited players included Garry Kasparov, Vladimir Kramnik, Viswanathan Anand, Peter Leko, Jan Timman and many others. The final broadcast in 2005 featured Pfleger and Hort playing each other. In 1995, Kasparov won a two-game match (1½-½) against the Chess Genius 3 computer program, attracting media attention after Kasparov had lost to that program in a fast chess tournament in London.
Examples of games
Notable games included Judit Polgár's victory at age 14 against Rainer Knaak in 1990, and Robert Hübner's defeat by Garry Kasparov in just 15 moves in 1992. The Polgár–Knaak game (1990) followed the Winawer Variation of the French Defence (ECO code C18). The moves were: 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e5 c5 5.a3 Bxc3+ 6.bxc3 Ne7 7.Qg4 Qc7 8.Bd3 cxd4 9.Ne2 Qxe5 10.Bf4 Qf6 11.Bg5 Qe5 12.cxd4 h5 13.Qh4 Qc7 14.Bf4 Qa5+ 15.Bd2 Qd8 16.g4 e5 17.dxe5 Bxg4 18.Rg1 Qd7 19.f3 Be6 20.Nd4 Nbc6 21.Nxc6 Nxc6 22.Rxg7 Qc7 23.f4 Nxe5 24.fxe5 Qxe5+ 25.Kf2 Qxg7 26.Rg1 Qb2 27.Bb4 f6 28.Re1 O-O-O 29.Rxe6 Kb8 30.Qxf6 Qa2 31.Qd4 Rc8 32.Bd2 Ka8 33.Be3 Rxc2+ 34.Bxc2 Qxc2+ 35.Ke1 Qb1+ 36.Kd2 Qa2+ 37.Kd1 Qb1+ 38.Ke2 Qc2+ 39.Bd2 Rf8 40.Qxd5 1-0.
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