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The "Immortal Zugzwang Game" is a 1923 chess game between Friedrich Saemisch and Aron Nimzowitsch,...

The "Immortal Zugzwang Game" is a 1923 chess game between Friedrich Saemisch and Aron Nimzowitsch, played in Copenhagen. It is called that because the final position is sometimes considered a rare instance of zugzwang occurring in the middlegame. According to Nimzowitsch, writing in the Wiener Schachzeitung in 1925, this term originated in "Danish chess circles". (with notes by Nimzowitsch) 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 b6 4. g3 Bb7 5. Bg2 Be7 6. Nc3 O-O 7. O-O d5 8. Ne5 c6 Safeguards the position 9. cxd5?! cxd5 10. Bf4 a6 Protects the outpost station c4, i.e., by ...a6 and ...b5. 11. Rc1 b5 12. Qb3 Nc6 The ghost! With noiseless steps he presses on towards c4. 13. Nxc6 Samisch sacrifices two tempi (exchange of the tempo-eating Knight on e5 for the Knight which is almost undeveloped) merely to be rid of the ghost. 13... Bxc6 14. h3? Qd7 15. Kh2 Nh5 I could have supplied him with as yet a second ghost by ...Qe7 and ...Knight-d7-b6-c4, but I wished to turn my attention to the King's side. 16. Bd2 f5! 17. Qd1 b4! 18. Nb1 Bb5 19. Rg1 Bd6 20. e4 fxe4! This sacrifice, which has a quite surprising affect, is based upon the following sober calculation: two Pawns and the seventh rank