The 10 Most Beautiful Chess Moves
Curated and commentated by IM & FIDE Senior Trainer Jesper Hall
Chess isn’t just a game—it’s an art form. Every so often, a move is played that leaves even the most seasoned grandmasters in awe. These are the moments that transcend calculation, bursting with imagination, courage, and beauty.
We’ve gathered what we believe are the 10 most beautiful moves ever played, complete with context, annotations, and expert commentary by IM Jesper Hall. Let’s dive into the elegance and brilliance that make chess such a captivating game.
So lay back, brew yourself a cup of your favorite drink and bring out your favorite snack and enjoy!
Honorable Mention: David Bronstein’s Rook Sacrifice
Let’s start off with an honorable mention before we dive into number 10 of our list.
David Bronstein, known for his creative flair, found a rook sacrifice in what looked like a drawn endgame. This unexpected idea unlocked long-term domination and transformed the position. A brilliant example of deep endgame understanding.
In a locked endgame where progress seemed impossible, Bronstein sacrificed a full rook with 48…Rxb3+, shattering the illusion of a draw. This audacious sacrifice opened up White’s king position and allowed Black’s remaining pieces to dominate the board with clinical precision. It’s a rare example of long-term strategic sacrifice.
💡 Explore the whole sequence here, commentated by IM Jesper Hall.
#10: Al-Adli’s Mate in 3
What better way to begin that from the earliest roots of chess. This is one of the oldest known example of chess puzzle, created by Arab author Al-Adli in the 9th century. Although, perhaps not objectively the most beautiful move, we’ve chosen to include it our list due to its historical signficanse.
Al-Adli played Nh5+, starting a smooth forced sequence that led directly to checkmate. This move activates the knight with tempo, exposing the king’s vulnerability while coordinating beautifully with supporting pieces. A timeless lesson in harmony and efficiency.
💡 Explore the whole sequence here, commentated by IM Jesper Hall.
#9: Paul Morphy’s Opera Mate
American prodigy Paul Morphy. Morphy was a rare talent who captivated the world by defeating the leading players of his time with ease and elegance. What follows is one of his most famous and elegant finishes. It comes from a game played in 1858 at an opera house in Paris, later known as the Opera Game.
With 13. Rxd7, Morphy crashes through Black’s defense, sacrificing material to seize control of the board. This begins a blazing attack that ends with a famous checkmate pattern known as the Opera Mate nowadays. The move demonstrates how rapid development and central control can lead to overwhelming initiative.
💡 Explore the whole sequence here, commentated by IM Jesper Hall.
#8: Frank Marshall’s Qg3
One name that often comes up is Frank Marshall, an American master who ranked among the world’s best before World War I. In 1912, he played a move against Mikhailovich that went on to win multiple polls for the most beautiful move ever played.
Here, Marshall plays the gorgeous move 23…Qg3!! is one of the most famous in history—not because it wins material, but because it can’t be taken. Every possible capture leads to disaster. It’s a paradoxical, high-risk idea that turns defense into collapse. Tactical imagination at its finest. The queen can be captured in 3 different way, yet each leading to disaster for White. And White is forced to reached since the checkmate threat on h2 is looming.
💡 Explore the whole sequence here, commentated by IM Jesper Hall.
#7: Vucinic’s Opening Trap
Everyone loves opening traps. While many are simple tricks easily spotted in advance, this position features a long and beautiful sequence where White finds a precise path to victory.
With 9. Nxe5!!, White sacrifices the queen to unleash a precise sequence that leads to disaster. It’s a reminder that even in the opening, tactical landmines can decide the game. And if you can do so while sacrificing the queen, the much more enjoyment for the spectators!
💡 Explore the whole sequence here, commentated by IM Jesper Hall.
#6: Nigel Short’s King Walk
One of the best-known chess principles is “Bring all your friends to the party.”, meanin that when attacking, you should involve as many pieces as possible. A brilliant example comes from Nigel Short - Jan Timman, 1991, where Short managed to put this adage to its extreme.
31. Kh2!! marks the beginning most memorable king marches in history. Short ignores normal attacking rules. Instead of relying on major pieces, he brings his king up the board to assist in a direct attack. It’s both insane and ingenious—turning defense into offense in a completely original way, ending all the way up and h6.
💡 Explore the whole sequence here, commentated by IM Jesper Hall.
#5: Ľubomír Ftáčnik’s Pawn Mate
When players attack on opposite wings, the game often turns sharp and unforgiving—speed is everything. In the King’s Indian Defence, this principle is especially decisive. In Ftacnik–Cvitan, 1997, White had two powerful passed pawns on the c- and d-files. If Black’s attack doesn’t succeed, those pawns would decide the game.
In this position, Ftáčnik found an absolutely stunnishing tactical sequence. With 23… Bxg2+, Black sacrices the bishop with the queen soon to follow. All to end up delivinerg checkamte with the pawn. Not something u see everydat!
💡 Explore the whole sequence here, commentated by IM Jesper Hall.
#4: Anand’s Positional Exchange Sacrifice
What is beauty in chess? For some, it’s a bold, imaginative idea in a familiar position. Today’s top players arrive at the board armed with deep computer-assisted preparation, often extending beyond the opening and into the middle game. That’s why such creative moves are rare.
But in Anand–Ivanchuk, 1996, the Indian grandmaster unveiled a concept so subtle that even the computer didn’t grasp it at first. The move was later awarded Most Creative of the Year.
Here, Anand played 14. Rxh4, A stunning positional exchange sacrifice—never seen before—played on move 14 in the Morphy Defense of the Ruy Lopez, one of the most thoroughly analyzed openings in chess history, that shocked the whole chess world!
There’s something special about positional sacrifices that truly speaks to me. To give up material and emerge with a dominant position—without needing immediate tactics to justify it—that, to me, is the essence of beauty in chess. Do you agree?
💡 Explore the whole sequence here, commentated by IM Jesper Hall.
#3: Alexei Shirov’s Bishop Sacrifice
Now we enter the top 3. Putting together this top 10 list was hard enough with so many beautiful moves to choose from—but ranking them was even more difficult. These top three, though, stand out not just for their aesthetic brilliance, but for their significance in chess history.
One such game is Topalov–Shirov, 1998, often cited among the most beautiful ever played. What makes it so remarkable is that the stunning move came in a seemingly quiet endgame—precisely where surprises are least expected.
No commentator or top player saw it coming. Shirov, known for his creative flair in openings and middlegames, had the rare chance to showcase that same genius in the endgame—at the very highest level.
Shirov plays 47… Bh3. A shocking move at first glance—it looks like Black has just blundered a piece! But the idea is rooted in a key endgame principle: in opposite-colored bishop endings, the defender often tries to build a fortress. With this move, that plan falls apart.
💡 Explore the whole sequence here, commentated by IM Jesper Hall.
#2: The Immortal Game
Until the mid-19th century, chess was largely a pastime of the aristocracy. But with the rise of newspapers, the game found a broader audience. Papers often featured beautiful games readers could replay at home—or chess problems with solutions printed at the back. For chess masters, this created an incentive to produce spectacular games, worthy of publication.
One of the era’s most celebrated figures was Adolf Anderssen, who in 1851 played the legendary Immortal Game. No list of the most beautiful chess moves ever played shall exclude this game. Widely regarded as the most famous chess game ever played, it earns a well-deserved second place on this list.
The Immortal Games isn’t actualy just one beautiful move but a whole sequence. In our position, Anderssen has already sacrificed both his rooks. Here, he plays 22. Qf6+, also sacrificing the queen! Black is forced to capture and White follows up with 23. Be7#, a marvellous checkmate deliverd by three minor pieces, after sacrificing both rooks and the queen.
💡 Explore the whole sequence here, commentated by IM Jesper Hall.
#1: Garry Kasparov’s Immortal Game
And now for the first place on our list, what we consider the most beautiful chess move ever played… drumroll… is Kasparov’s immortal!
By the late 20th century, chess had become a global sport—and at its summit stood Garry Kasparov: World Champion and widely regarded as the greatest of all time.
In Wijk aan Zee, 1999, Kasparov faced Veselin Topalov in a game now famously known as Kasparov’s Immortal. Out of a sharp Pirc Opening, they reached a tense position: White’s knight is on the rim and the d5-pawn is weak. Then came a move that stunned the chess world.
Commentators, grandmasters, even engines didn’t see it coming. What looked like a quiet positional exchange sacrifice evolved into one of the most brilliant attacking sequences ever played. For its depth, imagination, and enduring legacy, this move takes the number one spot on our list.
Just like the orignal Immortal Game, Kasparovs Immortal isn’t just one single move either but a whole sequence of attack brliiliancy. It all starts out with 24. Rxd4, a rook sacrifice that breaks up Black’s position. It isn’t until 15 (!) moves later that the dust settles and Kasprov’s ends up with a winning endgame. Along the way, we see an amazing combination of tactical blows and quiet moves, and also brilliant tactical counters by the opponet.
This sequence is like the Muhammad Ali vs. Joe Frazier I, 1975 in boxing or Federer vs. Nadal – Wimbledon Final 2008, a truly legendary game that lives on eternally.
To further explore its brilliancy, we’ve also created a video going through the moves in detail.
📺 Check out our video on Kasparov’s Immortal Game
Study These Moves in Detail
In this blog post, we’ve only scratched the surface. Many of these moves contain layers of brilliance that are hard to capture in text alone. For each sequence, we’ve created interactive study material in Noctie, where you can step through the moves at your own pace, complete with annotations by IM & FIDE Senior Trainer Jesper Hall.
📚 Study material in Noctie on the 10 most beautiful chess moves 📺 Video walkthrough of Kasparov’s Immortal Game
Final Thoughts
Putting this list together was no easy task, there are so many beautiful moves in chess history. But in our view, these are the 10 most stunning sequences ever played. Historical significance played a big role in our selection, alongside sheer brilliance.
Which move do you think is the most beautiful? Or maybe you’ve discovered a gem we missed, we’d love to see it.
Hope you enjoyed this as much as we enjoyed creating it!
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