25 Years Ago, Kasparov-Topalov Was Played In Wijk Aan Zee

According to many (including GM Magnus Carlsen), GM Garry Kasparov is still the Greatest of All Time (GOAT) in chess. Today, it is exactly 25 years since Kasparov played his most famous and possibly best ever game, against GM Veselin Topalov in Wijk aan Zee. Here's the story.

Hotel Zeeduin

It is Wednesday, January 20, 1999, the day of the fourth round in the Hoogovens Tournament, as it was still called. The winter in the Netherlands is a cold one, and the small coastal town of Wijk aan Zee is seeing some snow this year. Garry Kasparov and his second GM Yuri Dokhoian are wearing thick winter coats, fur hats, and snow boots capable of fighting the even tougher Moscow temperatures they are used to. The two are making the 500-meter walk toward the venue from Hotel Zeeduin, where tournament director Jeroen van den Berg had dropped them off a few days earlier after meeting them at Schiphol airport.

The hotel owner, excited like everyone else in the small village about the first-ever visit of the legendary Kasparov, had offered his best room with a view of the North Sea. “No way,” was Kasparov’s surprising reaction. He realized immediately that the strong wind blowing toward the windows would keep him awake at night. Kasparov settled for room 208 instead, one of the most basic ones at the side of the hotel (and would use the same room the next two years).

The two Russians arrive at De Moriaan, the local sports complex that serves as the tournament venue each year, around 13:30. Instead of using the general cloakroom reserved for players, they enter the tournament committee’s office and start their daily ritual, first taking off their coats and hats. Dokhoian leans forward a little and Kasparov uses his shoulder to keep his balance while replacing his snow boots for leather brogues. The world champion grabs his bar of chocolate and walks firmly to the playing hall, where he shakes hands with his opponent, Veselin Topalov of Bulgaria. A historic chess game begins.

The Historic Game

Kasparov opens with his king’s pawn; Topalov chooses the somewhat risky Pirc defense. Both players castle queenside, putting their king in a safe area on the western hemisphere of the chessboard, and not much happens in the first 23 moves. But then, with a series of stunning sacrifices, Kasparov paints his Mona Lisa that day. In a game that includes three rook sacrifices, Topalov’s king is forced to walk all the way toward the first rank, on Kasparov’s side of the board.

The journalists, among them masters and grandmasters, are analyzing in the press room but can’t fully grasp what is happening. “I think the level was just too high for them,” said Van den Berg. Kasparov decides the game with a beautiful stroke on move 37 which he had seen long in advance but which was missed by his opponent. “To this day I remember how the expression on Topalov’s face suddenly changed,” he would later write.

To this day I remember how the expression on Topalov’s face suddenly changed.

—Garry Kasparov

When Topalov resigns on move 44, an ovation among the spectators breaks out in the playing hall. As Kasparov enters the press room to explain his game to the journalists, more spontaneous applause breaks out, which Kasparov receives with a beaming smile. He is proud like a child. “Everyone, including the winner himself, realized something special had happened that day,” Van den Berg said.

Journalists all over the world wrote about the game. Among them was the Dutch grandmaster Hans Ree, who wrote: “Those who were fortunate enough to be present at this game will talk about it to their children and grandchildren, and these stories will continue as long as chess is alive!”

Those who were fortunate enough to be present at this game will talk about it to their children and grandchildren...

—Hans Ree

The game was the chess equivalent of Diego Maradona’s Goal of the Century, that incredible rush where he passed five defenders and the goalkeeper during Argentina’s quarter-final victory over England at the 1986 World Cup — the most beautiful moment in the career of the (then) greatest player of all time.

Below is an extensive analysis of the game by GM Rafael Leitao, who happened to be just meters away from where it all happened on that 20th of January 1999.

Topalov's take

When I spoke to Topalov for the book Kings, Queens & Rookies (which celebrated 85 years of tournament history in Wijk aan Zee), I decided to ask him about this game. I thought, while the focus has always been on the winner (and rightly so), it takes two to tango and I felt that the Bulgarian GM's perspective would be interesting as well.

As it turned out, Topalov had played the Pirc only twice before in his career. "I was very naive," he said, looking back on his opening choice. "I had never lost any time I'd played 1...e5 against him, but I was ambitious."

About Kasparov's long and deep combination, Topalov removed a touch of the magic when he noted: "Garry said he'd seen the whole line, but I don't think that's true. But at some point, it just became forced. I don't think he'd seen the final position."

Garry said he'd seen the whole line, but I don't think that's true. But at some point, it just became forced. I don't think he'd seen the final position.

—Veselin Topalov

It could all have gone differently. White's rook sacrifice on move 24 was a "forced move" according to Topalov: "Otherwise, White would be worse." He took the rook, but that wasn't forced: "I had the simple move 24...Kb6, just ignoring it. I went for that line because I realized the position was a bit funny; again, I was a bit naive because it was not very practical. I show this line when I teach students as an example of a bad practical choice. It makes sense to accept the rook sac only if you're winning. What I did was suicide."

Topalov said he doesn't regret it because "it wasn't an important game." But of course, Kasparov was extremely happy at the time and quickly sensed that, 25 years later, we would still be talking about this game. Topalov: "The day after, I beat Loek van Wely quickly, and when Loek resigned, Garry came up to me, and we spoke. He mentioned 24...Kb6, and said: "If you had played that move, the game would never have been in the history books!"

Before this year’s #TataSteelChess Tournament we asked the Masters about their favorite chess game of all time. We noticed several players naming a certain game played in this very tournament! 🤔

25 years ago today, @Kasparov63 played his immortal game against Veselin Topalov in… pic.twitter.com/nVbAwhmIIT

— Tata Steel Chess (@tatasteelchess) January 20, 2024

Correction: An earlier version of this story mentioned that journalists dubbed the game "the Pearl of Wijk aan Zee," but that nickname should be attributed to the game Cifuentes-Zvjaginsev, Hoogovens 1995. Perhaps "Kasparov's Immortal" is a better name.