1966 – 2nd Piatigorsky Cup

By on April 10, 2026

The 1966 Piatigorsky Cup brought together a formidable field consisting of ten of the top grandmasters in the world. The participants included Boris Spassky and Tigran Petrosian from the Soviet Union; Bobby Fischer and Samuel Reshevsky from the United States; Bent Larsen, Lajos Portisch, Wolfgang Unzicker, Miguel Najdorf, Borislav Ivkov, and Jan Hein Donner. The lineup reflected a more balanced international presence that the 1963 event and was held during the era of Cold War tensions, lending added significance to encounters between Soviet and Western players.

Gregor & Jacqueline Piatigorsky watching Larsen and Fischer

The double round-robin tournament was held from July 17 to August 15, 1966, at the Miramar Hotel in Santa Monica, producing 18 rounds and a total of 90 games. The $20,000 prize fund was double that of the previous event, reflecting the rising prestige of the Piatigorsky Cup. Of the 90 games played, 35 were decisive and 55 drawn, illustrating the high level of resistance among the participants. The event attracted large audiences—often exceeding 500 spectators per round—and was also aired on the radio.

Fischer got off to a poor start in the event, scoring only 3 ½ points out of his first nine games, including losses to Spassky, Larsen, and Portisch. In the second half, however, he surged back with a series of victories that brought him all the way back into contention. He and Spassky were tied with two rounds remaining, setting the stage for a 17th round showdown between the two future world champions. It was only their third encounter to date, the Russian having won both of their previous games dating back to 1960 Mar del Plata, when Spassky defeated a 17-year-old phenom from Brooklyn.

The American had the white pieces and a relatively uneventful Ruy Lopez was played out to a 35-move draw, leaving them tied for first place heading into the final round. Spassky was able to overcome the cellar dwelling Donner in 35 moves, while Fischer was forced to settle for a draw with the black pieces against reigning world champion Petrosian. Spassky’s final total of 11.5 out of 18 points earned him the $5,000 first prize, while Fischer finished second with 11 points, followed by Larsen in third with 10 points.

The tournament stands as one of the strongest and most significant international events of the 1960s, highlighting both the depth of global chess talent and the intensifying rivalry between East and West. Spassky annotated his 17th round game against Fischer, which is shared below.

To view ALL of the games from this event, visit our tournament-viewer page.

GAME & ANNOTATIONS: Second Piatigorsky Cup (Isaac Kashdan)

PHOTOGRAPH: Los Angeles Times Photographic Collection, UCLA Library (Mary Frampton)

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Chigorin vs Tarrasch (1893)

By on March 27, 2026

Chigorin vs Tarrasch

New York Tribune 11/19/1893

The 1893 match between Mikhail Chigorin of Russia and Siegbert Tarrasch of Germany, was held in St. Petersburg (Russia) from October 8 to November 14, and was one of the most closely contested matches of the late nineteenth century. The format was the first player to secure 10 wins (draws not counting) would be awarded the match stakes of 5,000 marks per side. The time control was standard for the era at 15 moves per hour.

There was no history to date between the two masters, as they had yet to meet across the board. Tarrasch (31) was 11 years the junior of Chigorin (42) and had recently gained notoriety by winning the strong international tournaments at Manchester (1890) and Dresden (1892).

However, the young German had no significant match experience, while his opponent was a battle-tested veteran in this arena. Chigorin had won two of his three matches against Emanuel Schiffers between 1878-79, lost to Isidor Gunsberg in 1887 (+2-5=6) but later played him to a draw (+9-9=5) in 1890, and he famously lost two close contests for the world championship to Wilhelm Steinitz in 1889 (+6-10=1) and 1892 (+8-10=5).

Tarrasch dominated the contest in the early stages and was comfortably ahead after 17 games by a margin of eight wins to five (with four draws along the way). However, the Russian resiliently turned the tables on his young opponent, winning the next three games consecutively to even the contest at eight games apiece. The articles stipulated the match would be declared drawn in the event of the score reaching nine games each.

The favored German quickly recovered with a dominating 31-move victory for his ninth match win. This set the stage nicely for a dramatic game 22 in which Chigorin had the white pieces in desperate need of a win. Tarrasch defended with a French Defense for the seventh time in the match, a strategy with which he had mixed results (+2-3=1) to date.

The game was fiercely contested with Chigorin securing a dangerous passed pawn on the sixth rank of the e-file on his 29th move. Tarrasch expertly defended the difficult position and eventually managed a passed pawn of his own, but it was to no avail as he was forced to resign after White’s 58th move and the match was declared drawn. The game is shared below with notes from Tarrasch and James Mason.

To play through ALL of the games from this match, visit our match-viewer page.

GAME & ANNOTATIONS: Three Hundred Chess Games (Tarrasch); British Chess Magazine (Jan. 1894)

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Marshall vs Janowski (1905)

By on December 22, 2025

Marshall vs Janowski

Marshall (left), Leo Nardus (patron of the 1908 match), and Janowski (right)

One of the longest running rivalries in the late 19th and early 20th centuries was between American master Frank Marshall and the Parisian master David Janowski. The roots of their rivalry began with an abbreviated match in New York in January 1899, a short but revealing contest in which the younger Marshall surprised observers by winning the opening game. Janowski quickly asserted his superiority, reeling off three consecutive victories to clinch the match.

Years later, after finishing first (Marshall) and second (Janowski) at the strong Cambridge Springs International Tournament of 1904, negotiations for another match quickly began. It was speculated that the winner could potentially emerge as the logical challenger to Lasker’s world championship title.

Played in Paris from January 24 to March 7, 1905 under demanding conditions (first to eight wins, draws not counting), the contest proved very competitive with Marshall twice building early leads and Janowski responding accordingly.  Marshall eventually asserted control of the match, winning a critical sequence of games beginning with game eleven. He ultimately prevailed by a margin of 10 to 7 (+8 -5 =4), confirming his emergence as America’s foremost chess figure (considering Harry Nelson Pillsbury’s declining health and Jackson Whipps Showalter’s self-imposed retirement).

Janowski accepted the defeat in his usual classless manner as evidenced by the content of his letter in which he challenged Marshall to a rematch:

“I consider that the result of our match far from proving our respective abilities. On the contrary, as in the great majority of games I allowed the ‘win or draw’ to escape me, I am persuaded that normally I should have won very easily.”

However, it was not until 1908 that the two again crossed swords in match play, with Janowski gaining a measure of revenge at Suresnes (just outside of Paris) in a match to five wins. The two great masters met again in a 1912 ten-game exhibition and an eight-game formal match in 1916, with Marshall prevailing in both. The American held a slight edge in their prolonged match history with 21 wins, 16 losses, and 17 draws.

Both Marshall (1907) and Janowski (1910) eventually earned title shots against Lasker, neither of them being able to win a single game against the German world champion. While there were many interesting games from their 1905 encounter, Janowski’s game five victory (Queen’s Gambit Declined) is shared below and annotated by Marshall, Leopold Hoffer, and Clarence S. Howell.

To play through ALL of the games from this match, visit our match-viewer page.

GAME & ANNOTATIONS: Marshall v. Janowski – Games of the Paris Match (1905); The Match and Return Match (Leopold Hoffer); American Chess Bulletin (Feb. 1905)

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William Norwood Potter

By on September 21, 2025

William Norwood Potter

Cleveland Public Library

William Norwood Potter (Aug.  27, 1840–Mar. 13, 1895) was an important and intriguing figure in Victorian chess history. Born and raised in London, Potter studied at Oxford University before entering the legal profession as a barrister. However, he was not known for practicing law, but rather for his contributions as a chess master and one of the finest chess journalists of his generation.

Potter emerged in the English chess world during the 1860s, mostly through London clubs and associations. He soon established himself as one of the strongest home-grown masters, a perceived rival in strength to the likes of Joseph Henry Blackburne and Cecil De Vere. Despite being unable to pursue a full professional chess career, his best games indicated his ability to hold his own with the leading players of Europe.

His most lasting contribution came through journalism. He was an important chess contributor to the Westminster Papers from 1868 to 1879, and together with Johannes Zukertort, edited the City of London Chess Magazine from 1874 to 1875. Though short-lived, the magazine was widely praised for the quality of its game analysis. Potter’s writing style was widely admired for its combined technical knowledge and lively literary style.

He participated in several important tournaments, including those held in London in 1870 and 1876, and Paris in 1878. In these he demonstrated flashes of brilliance, but his health and other obligations prevented him from achieving lasting prominence. Unlike his contemporaries Blackburne or Zukertort, he never entered the first rank of international masters. Nevertheless, his games remain valued by chess afficionados for their originality and daring.

Declining health marked his later years, reducing both his legal and chess activities preceding his death in 1895, William Norwood Potter holds a secure place in the history of English chess—as a player of brilliance, a writer of distinction, and a representative of the vibrant chess culture of Victorian London.

Chess historians Han Renette and Fabrizio Zavatarelli wrote a wonderful book on Potter and fellow Victorian player John Wisker that was published in June 2025 by McFarland Publishing. The book can be found for purchase HERE.

Shared below is one of his two wins in his 1875 match against Zukertort at the West End Chess Club in London. The game analysis is by Potter himself as published in multiple English chess columns of the time.

GAME & ANNOTATIONS: Field (Dec. 12, 1875); City of London Chess Magazine (Jan. 1876)

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