Bled, 1961. Tigran Petrosian, the supreme defensive strategist, produced a gem of attacking chess against the Czech grandmaster Ludek Pachman. After patiently building pressure, Petrosian sacrificed his queen with 19.Qxf6+!! and hunted the king up the board into a net woven by his bishops. Black resigned in just 21 moves — a reminder that the 'boring' defender could finish a game as brilliantly as anyone.
A queen is just material if the mate is there. Petrosian saw that after 19.Qxf6+ Kxf6, the king is forced into a cage built by two bishops and there is no escape. When the king is exposed, look for the forcing sacrifice that strips away its last defenders.
Petrosian was renowned for cautious, defensive play, so this brilliant queen sacrifice — 19.Qxf6+ followed by a quiet king hunt — is celebrated as one of his most beautiful attacking games and a favourite teaching example.
It forces 19…Kxf6, dragging the king into the open where Petrosian's two bishops weave a mating net. The queen is given up because the king cannot escape the resulting threats.
Yes — take the board as White at move 19 and try to find the queen sacrifice and the king hunt, or replay the whole game move by move, no sign-up.
BetterChess is a practice tool. We make no guarantee you'll reach 1800 or any rating. This is a historical game; the analysis is our own.